New to stretching. Couple of questions. Advice please? :)

[inkedXdevochka]

Alright, instead of searching around forums, I figured maybe I'd post all my questions/concerns in one lump sum.

I'm currently at a 14 gauge and I'm about to stretch to a 12 in about a week. Because I'm still at a small gauge is why I'm asking...

First - I've heard it's healthy for your skin cells to take your plugs out for a few hours each day rather than keeping them in on a constant. Is that alright when I'm at such a small gauge? I'm concerned that the holes will shrink if I do that at such a small size. (I haven't done that yet though. I've only been taking them out for a few minutes during a daily vitamin e oil massage. Otherwise, when I clean them, I keep the plugs in and clean around them carefully.) So, is it safe to do that at all while stretching? Or should one only do that when they are at their desired gauge and their lobes are healed?

Second - Stereotypical, but I do need some help on this: I know this varies for each person, but what IS the general point of no return? I have gotten such conflicting answers, and they have varied greatly.

Third - Just out of curiousity, what oils or lotions do some of you use/recommend?


Any advice would be greatly appreciated Thanks!

[loiselisabeth]

Well, I always put my plugs/taper/pincher etc. out when I take a shower, then I clean it well with antibacterial soap.
Small gauges shrink if you put them out for too long.

Most people say 5mm or 6mm is the point of no return. But it depends on your skin elacity, how long you have been on that size and if you stretched your ears safely and correctly.
But for most people it is 5mm.

I recommend to use vitamin E oil or jojoba oil. It helps to ticken your lobes and keeps them soft and clean.

Hope I helped a bit (:

[corazon_de_oro]

I've never really taken my plugs out for any length of time; since I've been at about 6G I've taken them out in the shower occasionally, but I don't think I'll start taking them out very much until I'm at 0G. Taking them out is a good thing if you can, though; it takes pressure off your lobes.

There's no way to tell you what size will shrink. If you don't want bigger holes in your ears, don't stretch. Of course, sizes like 5mm and below won't look like a huge, gaping hole, but still. If you really think you're going to want to wear normal earrings again in the future I wouldn't recommend stretching. But the longer you stay at a size and the amount of scar tissue you have will have an effect on whether or not they shrink.

My favorite oil I've ever used is Naked oil from Body Art Forms. I also really like emu oil and vitamin E. I'm about to try jojoba oil for the first time; a lot of people swear by that.

[inkedXdevochka]

Thanks for the advice, girls. I don't plan on stretching past a 2g, but I'm really not worried about my holes completely going back to a standard earring size. Sorry if I gave that impression. I mean, I've been wanting to stretch my ears for about 2 years now but just never had the balls to do it. At this point I'm so tired of standard earrings; I feel so limited with them. I've seen so many options with beautiful plugs and talons and it's made me want them so badly.

[corazon_de_oro]

At 2G the holes don't even look that big anyway so I wouldn't worry if you're not set on shrinking them.

[loiselisabeth]

I'm at 6g, but when I take my plug out because I'm going to clean it, it looks like an hole from 2mm, so mine shrink very fast.

If you ever want to wear normal earrings again, you can buy skin coloured plugs with a little hole were you can put the normal jewelry in, just in case

[StrickyCub]

I can confirm that smaller gauge lobes shrink quicker, as late last year I was trying to stretch my second lobe piercings, when they were ready to stretch the taper slipped through no problem without pain or anything. But when I took them out for a 15 minute hot shower to clean the usual ear cheese off, it actually stung and was a bit hard to put the jewellery back in afterwards.

That is all I have to contribute to this conversation, since everything else has basically been said already.

~Strick