It's a stretch.

November 8, 2012 1:08 PM

How do I (further) stretch an ear piercing?

I've slowly stretched my lobes from the standard mall-piercing to accommodate a 2g taper. I would like to go up to a 0g, but am having lots of trouble. I have a set of steel tapers plus several types of plugs and earrings in 0g. Whenever I try to put in the 0g taper, it seems to go about halfway and then refuse to budge any further. I don't want to risk tearing by pushing too hard, but in the past I've never had trouble going up to the next size gauge. I am using a bit of neosporin for lube as I've done with all my other stretchings. The 0g seems so much bigger than the 2g, I keep wondering if I've skipped a size, though that seems impossible. I have had the 2g tapers in for about three months now. What steps can I take to ease into the 0g tapers? Should I just wear 2g tapers a few months longer in the hopes that the earlobe will 'loosen up'?

posted by Kitty Stardust to clothing, beauty, & fashion (8 answers total)

Use 2g hoops with heavy captive beads for a while.
posted by elizardbits at 1:14 PM on November 8, 2012

you can also use bondage tape to wrap your 2g to stretch what you've got progressively.
posted by thatgirld at 1:19 PM on November 8, 2012

i used plumbers tape to gradually stretch my plugs. it took some time (i went from 10g to 4g), but it was pretty pain free and easy.
posted by kendrak at 1:25 PM on November 8, 2012

There are several methods. I always used the heavy weights method as elizardbits suggests. I'd just wear heavy 2g rings for a while until my ears loosened up. You can also try putting the 0g taper in your ear with a lot of lube - grease that thing up good - and just kind of walk around with it in all day, lightly pushing on it every so often. That method usually takes about a day.

The other method mentioned (bondage or plumbers tape) works well too, but you have to be careful to wrap the tape really tightly around your existing jewelry so there's no tape bunching when you put the jewelry in.

All methods are described in detail here.
posted by bedhead at 2:20 PM on November 8, 2012

I used tape to stretch my ears to 1 inch. The tape I used was like electric tape, but white - I think medical tape for bandages. A wrap or two every day, and no pain or trauma. Tapers are not a good idea at larger gauges.
posted by catatethebird at 4:11 PM on November 8, 2012

Nthing heavy hoops + time. I've noticed my holes are much looser after a hot shower, too.
posted by droomoord at 6:03 PM on November 8, 2012

I don't believe in the heavy hoop method because I have been told it can damage your ears. I sit at 3/4" now with very healthy lobes because I took it slow and steady. If your ears don't want to stretch to the 0g with a taper, you need to give it a little time with the 2g. How long have you been at a 2? Are you positive that 0g taper that you have is actually a 0g taper? I only ask because I have seen jewelry mislabeled all over the place. Personally, I didn't intend to stop at 3/4, but my ears decided that was it on their own. I could probably tape them to stretch, but they just won't budge with tapers. I just figure they decided they were done. I doubt that would happen at a 2g, but you never know... Glad you're being careful about rips and tears.
posted by itsacover at 8:30 PM on November 8, 2012

I am having the same problem. The jump from 2 to 0 is pretty big; what seems to be working is wearing the tapers every day and gradually playing with them and attempting to stretch every day. It gets a little further in each day. I am using jojoba oil as a lube. I feel more stretchy after a hot shower.

They make a 1g, if you want an intermediary step in between.
posted by blnkfrnk at 11:19 PM on November 9, 2012