So... my earlobe has decided to puke its fistula out a lil'

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by Evlesoa » Mon Dec 03, 2012 3:11 pm

Well, not really... but something like that. First and foremost, let me say I have no regrets whatsoever that I've stretched within 5 months from a 5g to 28mm with several weeks break. My earlobes are perfectly healthy except from the start I've had a small little issue on my right side which has just continued on to this day and now is more pronounced. Read on to find out.

So, one day, my precious bone-carved double flares dropped to the floor and cracked. I tossed them out. They were what I used to sleep with and sometimes I would just take them out and sleep naked. I also had wooden ones, but they didn't hold in place because: with a 3 week healing time (no stretching), my ear lobes have increased dramatically in the thickness and have been forcing out single flares with ease. This was a problem because I had nothing else to use (I'm in Taiwan, they don't really have this sort of thing here). My single-flared 1 inch plug would be pulled out from the back by the thick skin. I also tore my fistula some time ago due to a cut I had inside which caused it to heal back to normal and thicken up a lot. I mean a lot. This meant that the plug was too small and the skin would swallow the thing up and puke it out the back despite the flair holding it in place. Either way, the double flares would fall out unless they were organic (absorbed oil) and had big big flares. I have none of these things, so I'm continuing to stretch until I run out of tape (I think should be able to do around 35-40mm).

Now, I have one side with absolutely no wrinkles (I mean really none), and I have another side that is wrinkled quite a bit because the fistula has been pushed out a bit and actually has changed shape a little. It appears that what happened was that the ear's natural shape protrudes forward and at higher sizes like now has become more noticeable. It's not that it looks bad or that it's a blow out (I assure you it's not), but there's a part of the skin that wants to kind of cover the bottom part of the plug. It seems that it has taken on this new shape due to the larger size. When I twist it inward to see if there has been some sort of odd distortion or growth of the lobe, it feels as though this has been the natural shape for a long time (with no twisting of the ear lobe itself, meaning that everything is in place as it should be, or otherwise I'd see the side of the earlobe slightly twisted, too) and that the older smaller-sized fistula is slightly protruding (as though it'll dry up, and fall off at some point, keeping the new fistula inside the earlobe). In other words: the fistula is the same but the "loose" skin part of the fistula kind of falls out.

Anyway, I'm wondering... is this gonna be like this forever or will it eventually fix itself or what? Now as I said, it's not a blow out because the fistula itself is inside the earlobe, but the older fistula at smaller sizes had a different shape (because it was covering a lot more skin when it was smaller, basically being enveloped by the whole ear as compared to just a section now). I don't really know how to explain it really well, but it's as though the fistula has become "bigger" (which is impossible because the contact patch of the plug and the fistula could not have changed). It seems as though the contact area has become bigger, too. The fistula looks bigger.

It's weird. Anyone know what's up? I guess if I have to post pics I will do this another day (have a final to study for tomorrow as of this post).

Oh I should mention: one of the things that might make my left ear not to be wrinkled like my right is because the skin had a cut in it too (but at the top, not bottom), allowing for the plug to comfortably sit without being pushed out. In theory, this issue should be happening to both sides but due to that cut has allowed for a crevice for the plug. My ears are completely fine, I'd just like to know if anyone knows what I'm talking about who is at higher sizes like me.
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by corazon_de_oro » Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:23 pm

I can't think of what it would be other than a blowout, but a picture would be very helpful if you can get one.
I'm Lindsay.
I have 1/2" lobes and 11 piercings: left helix x2, both conches, both nostrils, septum, navel, and VCH.
My lobes are small but I know a lot about stretching and how to do it safely, so message me if you have any questions!
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by Evlesoa » Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:59 pm

Okay. Take a look. Both ears were treated equally, except left ear wants to throw the plug out for some reason. Not sure why or what. There's no blowout because the skin can easily go back in but then it will look twisted (as if unnatural) and the fistula will be completely inside. However, leaving it the way it is now will not have the twisted look but makes the fistula look like it's overly large. It's really weird. I think it has to do with the shape of the earlobe. This shit started happening when the normal plug would fall out during sleep (and that's when the odd shape thing with the fistula started happening... even before I started stretching again)--it doesn't hurt, it looks normal when I take a shower, but then when putting in the plug and taking it out a few hours later it looks squished a bit and odd. Hum.

Some of these pics are my right ear with and without plug, and some are left ear (the one in trouble). Hope this helps in understanding that this isn't a blow out. If you look at pic before the last, the fistula simply "pours" over the edge into the earlobe itself, but it's not actually meant to be inside of the fistula part.

Also important note: my ear has been scarred in the past due to a burn, so the skin naturally looks more red than usual (this has been the case for over a year now).

Image

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by corazon_de_oro » Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:50 am

The ear in the first picture looks fine but the rest of the pics didn't show up.
I'm Lindsay.
I have 1/2" lobes and 11 piercings: left helix x2, both conches, both nostrils, septum, navel, and VCH.
My lobes are small but I know a lot about stretching and how to do it safely, so message me if you have any questions!
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by Evlesoa » Thu Dec 06, 2012 6:20 am

Really? Damn. I can see them fine, though. Maybe because they are only showing to my account? Here's the list of the pics... see if the links individually work. You might have to add "http://" to the beginning. As far as I can tell, it loads fine for me.

s12.postimage.org/n5lknx3ob/IMG_20121205_211001.jpg

s12.postimage.org/6mxtv3g7v/IMG_20121205_211435.jpg

s12.postimage.org/roxt9fljv/IMG_20121205_210902.jpg

s12.postimage.org/lf2jmfm57/IMG_20121205_211024.jpg

s12.postimage.org/ftg4idlgb/IMG_20121205_211208.jpg

s12.postimage.org/fj8lz16u3/IMG_20121205_211524.jpg

s12.postimage.org/p526fbxzv/IMG_20121205_211537.jpg
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by corazon_de_oro » Fri Dec 07, 2012 4:44 am

Do you mean where it kind of sticks out beyond the plug a little? As far as I know that only happens with blowouts. Your lobes do look quite scarred and wrinkled, even the one without the burn. It would do a world of good if you downsized a bit, or at least stopped stretching for a while.
Here's an example of what a healthy stretched lobe looks like (found on a thread on the Body Art Forms forums):
Image

I'm not saying your lobes are terrible and I'm not picking on you or anything, it's just at that size they're there for life and you'll want them looking nice!
I'm Lindsay.
I have 1/2" lobes and 11 piercings: left helix x2, both conches, both nostrils, septum, navel, and VCH.
My lobes are small but I know a lot about stretching and how to do it safely, so message me if you have any questions!
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by Evlesoa » Fri Dec 07, 2012 6:54 am

Right. One ear is like your pic, one looks like burned or something.

I was thinking since downsizing doesn't work, I have to not stretch for some time. The one with the burn-like look pushes out all plugs, especially if they're smaller. It protrudes outwards, unlike my other ear because the other has a "scar" / "injury" that allowed the plug to sit in more comfortably (it actually has helped to have that injury.

I am thinking, since I can't buy new plugs in this country, I will wait until I get a bank account and continue to go with what I'm doing now (I'm going much slower at this point than I used to) until I get double flares. At that point, a double flare should allow me to let it comfortably recover itself. From 25mm, to 29mm (what I'm at now), there has been no change in the size or any difference in the ear. It has stayed the same pretty much.

I appreciate your feedback, though. I will follow this advice and see what happens. Still really weird that it happened to this ear and not the other. This whole "plug gets pushed out" deal has been happening for a long time. It just doesn't stay!
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by corazon_de_oro » Fri Dec 14, 2012 5:10 am

Do you sleep with your plugs out? It might help to.
In the last pic it kind of looks like there's a bit of broken skin at the top, so another reason not to stretch for a while.
Hope your other lobe gets better!
I'm Lindsay.
I have 1/2" lobes and 11 piercings: left helix x2, both conches, both nostrils, septum, navel, and VCH.
My lobes are small but I know a lot about stretching and how to do it safely, so message me if you have any questions!
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by Evlesoa » Tue Mar 19, 2013 4:37 pm

Update after giving the ear about a 2 and a half months break.

Found the problem. The problem is due to the plugs' contact patch being too small. I found that I can glue TWO plugs together, back to back in order to keep the things from falling out and to keep it from puking the fistula out.

Currently at 33.5mm without any problems. Going a bit fast, like last time. Probably about 0.3mm per day or so, but no problems for the last 8.5mm that I've covered (from 25mm). No thinning, either. Wrinkly, yes, like always. But this usually settles once the stretching process stops. I did wait until it healed up and all, too. However, there's some scar tissue and that seems to be dissolving slowly due to the pressure on the ear.

No pain, nothing. I'm cautious about it. I didn't have pain last time either, though. Seems OK. Goal size is 40mm where I will stop permanently. Already got the plugs, too. Another 2 and a half weeks and I'll finally be done with this whole deal.
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by aBn » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:29 pm

6.5 mm in 2.5 weeks? wow you are going way to fast. if you dont slow down the only advice you will need is gonna be from a cosmetic surgeon. this is the worst way of stretching i have heard in a long time if not ever. you should never glue plugs together and glue shouldnt EVER be anywhere near your ear. and the fact you are giving advice to people on how to stretch their ears is making me nauseous. :evil:
HAVE:_ 5/8 "16mm" Lobes and 1 Tattoo__WANT:_2 full sleeves
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