Ear Stretching: What You Need To Know Before and After
Intro To Ear Stretching
Ear stretching is a process that takes time and most of all patience. When stretching it is most important that you are paying very close attention to your ear lobes. Make sure there are no tears, cuts, or blowouts. When on your stretching journey, or even after, it is important to make sure you are still caring for your lobes with the right ear stretching aftercare products.
Ear stretching is something that requires time, patience, and lots of attention. You have to always be keeping up with the care. That means paying attention to sizing, skin, cleaning, products, and doing some research. It’s a job but worth the work in the end!
Ear Stretching Kit Recommendation
If you are thinking about stretching your ears, you need to have the right material! Stainless Steel is best and highly recommended. BodyJ4You has a Stretching Kit of 37 pieces. This kit comes with tapers and tunnel plugs that go with each size you stretch to. Or if you prefer acrylic, BodyJ4You also has a variety to choose from! You also have the option of using silicone tunnels if preferred.
Keep in mind everyone’s skin is different and what works for others might not work for you. This is where BodyJ4You comes in to help you find what's best in your stretching journey! Find what kit suits you!
Ear Stretching Aftercare
Now that you have the jewelry, you need an aftercare product to stretch with. When stretching, you need a product that helps your skin to smoothly stretch and keep hydrated. At BodyJ4You we have a Gauge Stretching Balm.
How this works: apply the balm to your ear lobes and around your ear stretching jewelry (plugs, tunnels, eyelets, hangers..etc). You then start to stretch. Remember to go slow and listen to your body. If needed, apply more balm to jewelry.
View our Ear Stretching Video to see a visual representation of how to stretch your earlobes correctly.
More Aftercare Suggestions
After you have stretched to a new size (gauge), it’s important to clean around your piercing so no buildup happens. This will help prevent infections or irritations. BodyJ4You has a Piercing Aftercare Solution to use on all piercings. Before cleaning, you should wash your hands and make sure everything being used is clean. If preferred to keep the piercing in, you could apply the solution to a q-tip, then apply the product around where the skin and jewelry touch. Make sure to get all around the jewelry and clean it very well! Or you can soak your lobes in solution to clean deeply.
Jojoba Oil is something that is highly recommended and widely used in the ear stretching community. It contains Vitamin E Complex, Vitamin B Complex, Silicon, Chromium, Copper and Zinc. Not only can it be used for your skin, but also for your hair. It's great to apply to healing skin or at whatever stage you are in your stretching journey. For best results, take out your jewelry and apply oil to your lobes. It is great to massage your lobes with oil for about 10 mins. This helps heal any wounds and helps strengthen your skin.
The best way to keep your ears healthy is to try and clean them daily. For example, when you take a shower you can take out your jewelry and clean your lobes. After, massage your ear with the Jojoba oil. Then apply some balm and insert your jewelry. During this time you should also be examining your ear. Looking out for cuts or potential blowouts. If skins look a little too red or purple. If your skin seems to be thinning out, the jojoba oil is great as it helps thicken the skin. If really bad you must size down to help the skin thicken and repair itself.
Be sure that whenever changing your jewelry, you are cleaning it well for the next use. BodyJ4You also has a 3 Piece Solution Set which includes the Piercing Solution, Gauge Stretching Balm, and Jojoba Oil.
It's important to stretch properly in order to maintain healthy lobes. If ever there is discomfort in the ear, it is then best to size down. If you put too much pressure on your lobes it can cause a bad blowout. This can cause the skin to turn purple and turn inside out. If this is the case, you need to take out the jewelry immediately and size it down to an appropriate size.
Pay extra close attention to the skin and keep it clean to prevent infections.
After getting to your goal size, you want to make sure you stay there! Sometimes we get too comfortable and forget our gauges are even there. Be sure to be careful so that nothing hits, tugs, or hurts your lobes. Know what jewelry feels right for you. Nothing too heavy or something that can get caught. Be sure to also not play with your jewelry. You don’t want to be fumbling with it and something is not right. It’s possible that bacteria can get in or your jewelry can slip out.