For those of you who don't follow me on Instagram (TTG_BLOG go follow now!!!) I have started my ear stretching journey; contrary to what was suggested I skipped from a normal piercing to a 4mm diameter or 6G or 6 Gauge.
The stretch was a lot less painful than what was described and I am definitely ready for my next stretch which will be on 8/6/2014. I will be bypassing a 4g and going straight to a 2g.
they say you shouldn't skip sizes but I never have been one to follow directions plus I know my body pretty well and I know what I can handle and what doesn't feel right; if I start the stretch and it doesn't go smoothly I will stop point blank.
After comparing the 4g and 2g the difference isn't significant enough for me not to skip. My goal size is a 00g. no I will not skip from a 2g to 00g that is a huge stretch (the largest as far as mm if you are going from a 14g or more in your own ear stretching journey). I will go 0g after 2g and then I will make the 00g stretch God willing on 9/3/2014.
I'm sure many people feel that ear stretching is a hip new phenomena or some kind of rebellious act but ear stretching has been around as long as recorded human history.
Ear stretching is a modification practiced by and originating from indigenous peoples. Tribes in various countries in Africa, Eurasia, America and other indigenous lands have practiced the ritual of ear stretching for cultural, religious and traditional purposes.
This is a ritual that has been practiced by people all over the world from ancient times. Bone, horn, wood, and stone were generally carved for ear stretching, but other organic materials that had the right shape naturally, from shells to teeth and claws, were also used.
Historically, the practice has been used for the purpose of tribal status, to scare enemies in war, and beauty purposes. It has been and still is a common practice for both men and women. For men, it has been used historically to indicate the standing members of a specific tribe. The bigger the stretching, the higher the ranking the male had. As for women, ear stretching is more for decorative purposes and also signifies when a girl has reached womanhood. These purposes are still important and used today by many tribes and cultures.
There are many examples of different tribes and cultures that use the art and practice of stretching.
Ancient Egyptian pharaoh King Tutankhamen is of one of the earliest known to have stretched ear lobes. It can clearly be seen in one of his more famous images on his sarcophagus. The instrument used to stretch the pharaoh’s ears is unknown, but there are many possibilities including bamboo or wooden plugs.
Gautama Buddha, an aristocratic and wealthy prince, had long stretched ears. He wore heavy gold earrings or precious stones as a status symbol, and the weight stretched his ear lobes dramatically. When he finally renounced his wealth and discarded his jewelry, his ear lobes were permanently stretched. As a way of remembering Buddha's act of personal self-sacrifice in walking away from his wealth, all succeeding images of Gautama Buddha show his stretched ear lobes without jewellery.
Aztec and Mayan men are traditionally known to have had stretched ears. The Aztecs crafted plugs from gold and silver for the higher-class men whereas the lower class wore materials such as shells, wood, and copper. The same idea can be seen with the Mayans. High-class men wore jade plugs, and the rest of society used bone, stone, and wood.
So how do you stretch your ears?
1) Decide the size. To start, you'll want to decide just how big you want to stretch your earlobe piercings. Take a look at different sizes of jewelry posts at the mall or your local piercing parlor. Get an idea of what gauge (size) of jewelry you, ultimately, want to wear. Remember smaller gauges are bigger jewelry, so the larger hole you will be creating in your earlobe.
2) Pierce your lobes. If your earlobe isn't pierced, go to an established, reputable piercer. Discuss with the piercer, what gauge you want to stretch to and let him or her help you decide how large you want to pierce your earlobes. Make sure to record your earlobe piercing size so you can pick the proper gauge once you start stretching. Do not start stretching until the piercing has healed completely. Remember: Fresh piercings should always be allowed to heal with sterilized stainless steel in place and will take at least one month to heal.
3) Pierced lobes. If you already have pierced ears, you should figure out what gauge your piercings are. If you were pierced with a gun, they are eighteen gauge. If you were pierced by a piercer, you can go to any piercing shop and ask for help determining what gauge your earlobes are before you stretch them.
4) Acquire tapers. Once you know what size you're stretching from and to, you'll need "tapers" for your earlobes. You can buy these online or at many piercing parlors. These are what actually stretch your earlobes. You can buy long, straight tapers that use a rubber "O" ring to hold them in place, or spiral jewelry tapers; both start small and get bigger, thus the name. Either type will do, both will look funny sticking partway through your ear. Get over it or risk ripping your earlobes instead of stretching them.
5) Don't stretch too fast. A very common mistake is trying to stretch too fast. When you're working your way to a smaller gauge (bigger jewelry), it's better to not skip any gauges once you get into the single digits. In the double digits, skipping a gauge can be easy and relatively painless. To get to the gauge you want, you may need to buy several different sized tapers and wait many months to get to your goal. Stretching too fast, or ripping your earlobes as you stretch them, can result in developing scar tissue. Not attractive. If you do tear your earlobe while stretching thoroughly clean and put your previous size jewelry back in and allow your stretched earlobe to heal completely before stretching again.
6) Finally, how do you actually do the stretching? First, make sure your hands, earlobes, and your taper are clean. You may want to use some lubricant on the thinner end of your taper. Use one hand to firmly grip your taper and your other hand to support your earlobe as you stretch. Slowly, but firmly push it through your earlobe piercing. Some mildly painful pressure is normal. If you feel like your earlobe is actually tearing or if you notice blood, stop. If you can't get the taper all the way to it's widest point, don't worry. Leave it in place until your earlobe is no longer sore and try again until you get there. Once you do, keep the jewelry in your ear until all swelling and discomfort is gone. Don't rush!
S/N: If you are experiencing pain there is a way around it. rub your ears with analgesic gel and lubricant and try again. for me it worked as a numbing agent also for a additional chance of success shower before stretching. (Complete Bro Science)
HAPPY STRETCHING!!!
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- PEACE
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