so why do you stretch?:)

[ggallenfan]

Of course I like the look everyone who stretches should or not be stretching, however I first noticed it in African tribes in National Geographic and thought this would also be a good way to be an individual. I can not stand for everyone to look the same. (Of course when I started first time in about 84 there were not many people with stretched ears.)

[corazon_de_oro]

It's mainly just because I love all the jewelry options. I can't stand the way "normal" earrings look... they're just so thin and flimsy and I associate them with piercing guns, which are evil... I could never heal piercings with those horrible butterfly-back studs anyway. So when I decided to get my ears pierced again I knew I wanted them done by a professional with needles. I knew I didn't want 14G or something because all there really is there is captive bead rings, labrets, and teeny tiny plugs... so I decided I wanted to stretch. I originally didn't want to go past 4G or 2G, but now I'm aiming for 0G. I feel like that size will suit me best and has all the jewelry options I could possibly want.

[shellbournian]

I think some people are just born with an innate magnetism to stretching. First time I saw someone with stretched ears was in summer school, 10th grade (7 years ago, I guess) and I instantly thought it was the coolest thing ever. It never struck me as strange. When I turned 18 I got my first piercing (then another...and another...and another...y'all know how it goes...) and one day stretching just happened and it never stopped. In a strange way, piercings and specifically stretching my lobes makes me feel like I'm in control of my life somehow.

In fact, since then, I've become more of a focussed, goal-oriented person. Not to mention somewhat successful in my career. I don't wanna say I owe my life to modification, by I can't say that I don't see a correlation between the two.

[loiselisabeth]

I stretch because I was bored about the normal sized earrings. Everyone wear those. I started stretching when I was 16. I think stretched lobes are gorgeous. I find it one of the most beautiful bodymodifications. I'm at 0g and I think I'll stop there.
I have new friends because I stretch my ear. People talk to me and they ask me about my ear. Sometimes even strangers come to me to ask me about it. I just love to be a little different too. And I have no special reason to be honest :3

[DubstepPanda]

Well. I'd had my ears pierced since I was a few months old, and they never closed up even though I didn't wear anything at all in them until I was 10.

After a few years where I still didn't wear any earrings, I saw a Mexican girl selling tapers and plugs and tunnels in L.A.'s dirty Fashion District. She worked right in front of my biological parents' perfume store, (I live with my aunt and uncle. Ever since I was a year old.), and I was intrigued. I was visiting my parents for the summer.

I saw people come and go and buy pairs from her. They were pretty good quality, like from Hot Topic, and not from some specialty store designed for selling ear stretching implements. So we became friends, and she sold other piercings and pierced people/tattooed them herself, even though she was 17, I think. She had a few piercings.

We became friends, and I mentioned to her how I used to have snakebites but my parents made me take them out, (Keep in mind that I was only 14 at this time.), and then I mentioned my interests in the tapers and she gave me a pair of tiny 16g ones for free, and I bought several captive-bead rings for her for later re-piercing of my snakebites.

At first, I only thought the really tiny tapers were cute, to wear in your ears like normal earrings and not constantly changing/upsizing for methods of stretching.

After a while, I had to spend my Freshman year with my parents, so that year I saw lots of people at my high school (predominantly Mexican, with a lot of Vietnamese. There were like 12 white people at a just-under-3,000 people school. Hahah. .___.), with stretched ears. Like, two of my best friends had stretched ears and they wore tapers in them like jewellery instead of plugs. I think they were at 1/2", and 7/16", respectively.

So I got into stretching, because I thought it was beautiful, and I never saw anyone at my high school wearing anything BUT tapers in their stretched lobes (I know, "WTF,"), but I stretched enough to put in bobby pins in my ears, which was my trademark until the summer going into 1oth grade.

I bought tons of tapers when I ran away (Long story, LMAO. .__.) for really cheap at Hot Topic, for like, $1.98 each. Then I got to go back to Canada where I live with my aunt and uncle, and my parents searched my luggage before I went and took the plastic bag with all the tapers in. And the $200 worth of stolen necklaces I had from Hot Topic. And the kandi cuffs these boys that liked me gave me. And a lot of extra kandi bracelets from my friends.
>_____________________________<;

Anyway, so I had to buy more when I got to Canada, and I'm pretty much forever dead-broke because I use my money on food, marijuana, and food for when I use the marijuana. Hah. Now I'm in tenth grade, 16, and at a 7/16". When I first stretched since the early summer of 2oo9. If I had money and consistently remembered to/wanted to buy tapers since then, I'd probably be at 1" right now.

It's kind of a good thing I didn't have money, because I always say, "I'm going to STOP at this size." and then stretch up two weeks after.

AnywayX2. I blew this entire thread out of proportion and gave my long-ass, LG life story that none of you wanted.

So. Back on topic.
Why I started stretching: Thought it looked cute. I was an LG dumbass. Parents never knew what stretching was so they wouldn't know I was purposely enlargening my ear piercings. They could just think I was wearing normal earrings/extenders.
Why I kept stretching: My aunt and uncle and parents didn't want me to. I came back to Canada and saw that a stretching craze happened while I was gone and lots of people had like, 8Gs and were like, "I'm stopping here." It pissed me off so I decided to stretch larger. I don't understand the point of small-scale sizes. No offense to anyone. It's just my opinion. I don't mind if you like it, but please don't run about and say, "OH, I STRETCH MY EARS, I LOVE BODY MODS. I'M SO HxC." like many girls at my school.
Why I am still stretching: It's beautiful. It's my body. It's a way of expression. It's also a great conversation starter to ignite friendships/relationships with girls and/or guys who also have stretched lobes. Also, I like the pain involved. Not in a S&M sort of way, but in a Badge-Of-Honor way. Normally, I'm terrible with pain, so this is kind of like a monumental achievement for me. Haha. /I'mADork.

[SusiHill]

im stertching cuz i like the looks of the tunnels and such, plus its a bonding activity for me and my boyfriend.

[chevymane]

honestly i only stared stretching because im running low on inked of flesh so i had to find another route for modification...currently im at 0g n 6g double stretched lobes and im 6g septum