**PLEASE READ ALL THIS GUIDE IF YOUR ARE THINKING OF GETTING YOUR YOUR EARS STRETCHED**

If you don’t have your ears pierced, go to a piercer and have them pierced at around 14ga.
1. To begin stretching, choose a piece of jewelry (stainless steel or glass only) in the next size up. You may also want to buy a taper.
2. Apply lubricant liberally to both the tapers and your ear. It helps to take a hot shower or bath before beginning the stretch. It also helps to massage your ear for a few minutes with some oil (olive, jojoba, emu, ky, anything not petroleum-based).
3. Lubrication is not always necessary, but strongly encouraged.
4. To stretch, slide the taper through your ear. There should be no excessive pain, bleeding, or resistence. If you can get the taper more than halfway through your ear, it is ready to stretch and you can finish pushing it through, following up with your jewelry of choice.
5. Clean off all the lube and make sure o-rings, or balls are in place.
6. Take care of your piercing with sea salt soak consisting of SEA salt and warm water and regular oil massages. Do not put jewelry other than glass or stainless steel until your piercing is healed.
7. REMINDER: Never Share Jewelry with anyone this increases your chances of infection, unless it can be properly sterilized before use.
8. Everyone has a different time frame for healing. Waiting at least 1-2 months between stretches is the most common.

Tips

• If you have a job, make sure that they allow this kind of piercing.
• Never stretch your ears too quickly or you could cause permanent damage to your ears. The term for this is a “blowout”.
• There is no “no turning back size”, everybodies body has different elasticity and tolerances. If you think you will want your ears to go back to a “normal” size later, than do not stretch them at all.
• The proper term is called stretching not “gauging”.A gauge is a unit of measurement.If you say “oh i love your gauges!”its like saying “oh i love your centimeters!”
• You can easily find gauge charts on the Internet, including international conversions.
• Research your purchase BEFORE you buy. You may be unable to return unusable items that are in perfect condition. There is no guarantee that you didn’t use it and your return may be declined due to sanitary/health reasons.
• Gauge sizes are measured in even numbers from 20 to 0 to 00. Smaller numbers are larger in diameter. Sizes larger in diameter than 00 are measured in fractions of an inch.
• Most standard piercings (earrings you could pick up at a department store) are either 18 or 20 gauge. 18ga appears to be the most common. 20ga seems to be used mainly in piercing earrings.
• Flesh tunnels, plugs, captive bead rings (CBRs), barbells (straight or circular), and pincher’s are all appropriate for a freshly-stretched hole, as long as they are made from high-standard materials (”chemically pure” titanium or surgical steel or organics). Ask at a reputable store and they will help you pick out appropriate equipment.
• To get your ears back to normal size or some what of that size go a size bigger than what you have,then let it heal. After doing this slowly go down in sizes till you have the size of your choice.
• You can find tapers and plugs all over the internet but, for those of us without credit cards, a store such as Hot Topic is your best bet and most of the time, one of the employees there will be more than happy to help you find out what size and plug/taper will be best for you.

Warnings
• NEVER SKIP SIZES! ex: 12g to 6g
• .Going from a 2g to a 0g is a drastic change. If you want, you could go to professionals and buy a 1g. It makes it easier and less painful
• Make sure that you are comfortable with this change.
• If you go too fast, you could cause permanent damage to your ears, including tearing. If you bleed at all after a stretch, it means you have torn your ear and need to downsize (put smaller jewelry in) immediately. It is recommended to stay at a size for a month to let it heal.
• The larger the gauge, the less likely your ear will ever heal.
• Also note that if you gauge too quickly it will reduce the chance of a full heal.
• Consult your doctor before piercing or stretching if you have existing health problems. Stretching may not be advisable for those with hemophilia or diabetes because of potential blood loss, infection, and, due to the existing health issues, slow healing response.
• Piercings guns are bad. Your best bet is to go to a professional piercer, who can pierce you at a larger size if you want.
• Never stretch until your piercings are healed. Stretching should never be very painful.
• DO NOT stretch your ears with the improper materials, such as drinking straws.
• NEVER use acrylic jewelry in a freshly pierced/stretched hole. Acrylic harbors bacteria, inviting infection. Acrylic jewelry is not appropriate until your piercing is fully healed.
• Wait until your piercing is healed before wearing double-flared plugs or tunnels. The flare causes them to be a little larger in diameter than their measurement indicates and inserting one will actually involve another slight stretch.
• Double flares are not good for new gauges because your ear may heal around it, and to remove them, you may have to rip them out, which can cause tissue damage.
• DON’T let anyone stretch/gauge your ears for you, unless it is a professional, at a store/shop, you should be comfortable, and go at your own pace. If you are afraid, don’t do it, the effects can be permanent.

If you are looking to buy tapers, flesh tunnels or plugs please check out our online store.