stretched lobe collage

As we know, body modification has been around since the beginning of time. Tattooing and body piercing and other forms of modification is something that humans have practiced for many many centuries. We have learned by studying the history of people and cultures around the world that there are many places that can be stretched. Many tribes pierce and stretch their noses whether it be the nostril or septum. Lip plates are predominant amongst many African tribes; the women stretch their lips pretty large. The stretching of the ear lobes has become very popular in America. More and more young adults are starting to stretch their ears. Though stretching your earlobes is not practiced as a religious or cultural ritual that doesn’t stop people from wanting to express themselves. Not much has changed in the practice of stretching the earlobes, of course there are regulations and safety tips that you should follow to avoid something going terribly wrong, like a blow out. People from other cultures around the world us bone, horn, wood and other organic products to place in the piercings to help them stretch. There are so many famous people in history that had stretched ears, many people didn’t know that the famous King Tutankhamun also known as King Tut had stretched earlobes. Buddha also had very large stretched ears.

Collage

In other cultures and countries body modification is not looked upon as something negative. Unfortunately here in America, expressing yourself through body modification in the form of tattooing, scarring, piercing, branding, and other forms is frowned upon. The beauty of body modification is that you choose to be you as an individual and it should be more accepted everywhere! If you are considering stretching your ears, you should first think about your place of employment and if this would be suitable. You should then consult a piercer to see what the best gauge for you to start stretching with. You should never try and stretch and piercing on your own you should seek a professional to avoid complications.

 

 

Here are some common methods of stretching a earlobe:

Tapering– Tapering is when a professional uses a taper (a cone shaped) piece of jewelry to pierce through a pre-existing smaller gauge hole. Usually when buying tapers, they come in a variety of sizes so that the customer can increase their lobes safely.

Dead Stretching– is when a larger piece of jewelry is inserted into a small gauge hole. This process can be very dangerous and can easily lead to a blow out if you are not careful. This method is not recommended.

Weights– This method is not really used today but many women in Asia would use heavy weighted jewelry to help stretch their lobes. This way can make the tissue of the ear lobe thin and cause a blow out.

Dermal Punch- A dermal punch can also be performed a dermal punch is a circular razor that is made specifically for precision. This can be pressed right through the skin at the desired gauge size.