Starting off (still...)

[Big Chicken]

Hey hey!

It's been a while since I've been on, but thought I would do a little update.

I had a standard 1.2mm stud pierced in my left lobe with a gun back in March, and a 3mm plug pierced with a 3mm needle in my right lobe a couple of weeks later. They have both healed now so I'm kinda thinking about what to do next. I wasn't sure if I'd like having pierced ears but I do and I really like the idea of stretching them up a bit.

I have just (Wednesday) stretched my left lobe up to 2mm with a spike. I'm gonna wait a couple of weeks and then go up to 3mm so it matches the right lobe, and then after another few weeks think about going up to 4mm on both sides. The only thing is, each lobe was pierced by different piercers so the left is a little lower down, but I'm hoping it won't look unlevel or anything.

I'm starting to get a better understanding of stretching but still have lots of questions. I am currently wearing the spike in my left ear. It feels kinda tight but I guess that is normal?? It went in really easily.

I take my right plug out and wash my ear and the plug itself in the shower everyday (I have lost at least 1 'o' ring and nearly the plug itself down the drain...

I'm kinda washing around the left lobe with the spike and will take it right out after another couple of days and wash it thoroughly with soap.

I haven't been using any antibacterial/wound stuff for the newly stretched lobe.

I'm not sure what size I'm going to go up to. Everyone keeps asking, but I think I'll take it up a size at a time and see what I like. It will probably get picked on by work first!

Anyway, that's me. Just a quick update as to what I'm doing with my lobes.

If anyone has any tips, advice, or encouragement it would be good to hear from you. And if you've read this and thought 'oh my god, NO! You shouldn't do that!', please let me know!!

Cheers,
Big Chicken

[ViolentJayne]

I think your on the right track , and I totally see why you wanna size up and get them both to 3mm .. I had one 3mm and one 4mm for like 3months and it was very annoying lol ... but it was worth the wait cause my left ear was ready to stretch after about 6 weeks and my right ear wasnt its took quite a while for it to get ready almost 2 months longer lol but the great thing is after all that waiting there was 0 pain and 0 resistance and thats what you want , so you have the 2mm taper/spike in now .. feeling tight is ok add a little e oil around the hole and it should help lube and sooth it a little if you dont have e oil get some but in the mean time a small dab of antibiotic ointment will work short term ,I would get a 2mm cbr and put that in soon ( you shouldt wear tapers/spikes long term or as jewelery mainly cause the shape could cause uneven pressure and they get easily snagged , spirals are ok ) I would leave the 2mm for a full month then go to 3mm and I honestly would wait 6 to 8 weeks before even trying 4mm .. 3mm to 4mm / 8ga to 6ga is a big jump ( the first full 1mm jump ) and alot of people have trouble with it especially when trying to rush it .. the most advise i can give is go slow no one can notice the slight size variation but you so dont stress on it .. as for even-ness I think everones holes are slightly askew as the human head and body are not symmetrical so its no biggie good luck

[corazon_de_oro]

You skipped 1.6mm, and you probably shouldn't have even started stretching yet.... if I were you I'd wait at LEAST another two months before you start stretching, and definitely leave more time (6-8 weeks) between sizes.

[Big Chicken]

Hey guys,

Thanks for your responses. I guess I'll just take my time and see how things play out. I've had the left lobe stretched up to 2mm by my piercer so hopefully I'm doing all the right stuff.

Think my time scales are a little optimistic maybe!!

Will probably post another update at some point!

Cheers,
BC

[TheGreyEyedMonster]

DONT get stretched by a piercer. you can do it much safer and cheaper at home.

[Big Chicken]

Really? I know it's prob cheaper, but didn't mind paying a bit out to get it done properly... I thought getting someone who knows what they're doing would be safer? I'm so confoosed He has pretty big stretched lobes himself...?

[ViolentJayne]

stretching its better to do it yourself because you can stop if their is discomfort the piercer can not tell when you are in pain and they will just push it in , it might seem quicker but thats the problem .. but DO always go to a shop for the initial piercing and for all Tattoos .. but luckily stretching is one of the things you can and should do yourself ...I think "stretching " in general is kind of misleading word .. cause it implys that its supposed to literally stretch but if you ears are good and healed and ready for the next size they will loosed on their own and its really more like just changing jewelry than literally stretching the ear

[Tom]

Sometimes, piercing shops don't even know what they're doing. By that i mean, they will stretch your ears to whatever size you want. Well, not any size, but they will for sure skip a few sizes and say it's fine. I wrote a short post about a month ago on this subject.
I'm not saying all shops are like this, just be aware of what advice they are giving you.

[twosharks]

I'm also of the opinion that it's never a good idea to have anyone else stretch your piercings. Even a good piercer who knows the proper way (which it seems like so many don't) still can't literally feel your pain. Only you can stop at the exact moment that discomfort turns to pain, because only you can know exactly when the stretch is too much for your piercing. I've seen so many people's lobes trashed by piercers that thought stretching 3 or more sizes at once was no big deal.

Stretching should never cause real pain, or any real damage, therefore it's not only safe to do yourself, it's often better to do yourself. Even a smart piercer that makes you wait appropriate times between single size stretches still can't stop the split second that you feel something's wrong. Plus the fact you're at a piercer, where you normally expect pain, might make you feel you need to grin and bear it, but with stretching you should be shouting "STOP!" at the slightest twinge of real pain.

I was someone that thought "Oh dear lord, no" at your post. So my advice, since you didn't wait at least 6 months from the initial piercing to stretch, would be to wait 6 months from now for the next stretch, and add more time if anything goes wrong or seems off. Hopefully you've got lucky and didn't do any lasting damage, but I'd be more careful from this point on.

[Big Chicken]

Hey hey people,

how's it doodling?

Thanks for all your comments.

I need a bit of help/ advice... My ear in the last couple of days has started to swell a bit, looks very red, and hurts A LOT. It doesn't seem to be pussy or weeping.

It has woken me up at 5am this morning. Taken some pain killers and cleaned everything.

Not sure weather to take it out... What do you guys think?

On another note, dunno what it is, but something has just started monkeying around on the roof!!!

Toodle pip for now.