Interested in gauging my ears.. I have a few questions

[Slipknot]

As stated in the subjest, I am Interested in gauging my ears and I have a few questions.

First, I am at 14g, can I go from 14g to 10g at the first stretch?

Second, I have work, and piercings are not allowed. Can I take the plug/tunnel out for at max 5 hours at a time? (I would put them in again as soon as I got home)

Lastly, what does a 4g or 2g look like without a plug/tunnel in it? (This is if everything went smoothly during the stretching/healing process)

[TheGreyEyedMonster]

First: Are you sure you are at a 14g? a standard ear piercing is usually an 18 or even 20g. And no, you should never skip sizes. even for the smaller sizes the fistula (the inside of the piercing, if you will) can be stretched to double its previous size. This can cause rips, tears, blowouts, and infections and is not good at all for you're ears. To avoid problems and unattractive looking ears, slow and steady are the way to go.

Second: Generally, no. While it is true that people's skin elasticity is all different and some people can even sleep with no jewelry in, a fresh piercing generally will not retain its size with no jewelry in for a long period of time. As an example, I lost a plug in the ocean on the fourth of July and couldn't get to another one til the next morning. It had shrunk an entire size! (and my ears were completely healed for several months)

Third: Well.... here's my ear at 4g
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thegreyeye ... 961653381/

there are a few other pictures around this site of similar sizes.

[Slipknot]

I am positive I have 14g, i got it pierced at 14 and been buying earrings for 14 for a while now..

And the fact that I might not be able to take them out during work is a bummer.. Its the only thing stopping me from gauging my ears. And its not really that long of peroids, i'm still a minor so I can only work 4 hours a day so at max they'd only be out for 5 hours at a time..

Anyone else have any opinions on leaving my ears without any jewelry in them while stretching my ear lobe?

[TheGreyEyedMonster]

Do you positively have to take them out? My own mother hasn't even noticed and I'm at a 2g. I guess she thinks they are just regular earrings. Can you cover them with your hair or grow it out to do so?

[Ex-05]

Try these - http://www.bodyartforms.com/productdeta ... 5&index=26

At 12G, they are small enough that it'll blend in with your skin. There's a pic at the bottom showing a guy wearing it at 8G and even then it's barely noticeable.

GL bro.

[HiMyNameIsMegan]

Yeah you shouldnt really take them out. I woke up this morning with no jewelerry in my ears and it was really hard to get them in again. They will most likely just close up ^.^ Just get skin coloured ones or ones close to the colour of you're skin :]

[corazon_de_oro]

Don't go from 14G-10G. Go one size at a time and take it very slowly, like 6-8 weeks between sizes. And you probably won't be able to leave them out for work at such small sizes, maybe if/when you reach like 4G and above. You could try some flesh-colored hider plugs, but avoid them in fresh stretches if they're silicone.

Do you get breaks at work during which you could put some jewelry in for 15 minutes or so? I still don't think that'd work at a really small size, but once you get bigger it shouldn't be a huge problem.

[twosharks]

Don't skip sizes, and don't stretch when you can't leave the jewelry in for a month straight. Taking it out and putting it back in will cause irritation and possibly worse, so either look for something you can leave in, like glass plugs that are clear or flesh toned, or wait to stretch until circumstances permit it.

You can remove and change jewelry after a month, but that still doesn't mean you'd necessarily be able to leave them out at work without them shrinking. It may take a few more months before they'll hold their size for several hours.