Earstretching.net

ive been stretching for 6 years and ive discovered that my ears react poorly to metals. I get ALOT more cheese, worse smell (despite daily showering of the jewelry and lobes)and my ears get a lil red and tender. the acrylic was even worse, (red lobes, itchy, slightly swollen) B/c of this i decided to take a more natural approach. but all i ever hear about naturals is how bad they are for your ears. But i figure they cant be ALL bad cuz when ear stretching was strictly a curtural thing, they ONLY HAD natural material to work with. There simply was no surgical steel... so i did my research on rocks and minerals and found that quartz and a few other minerals are non porous. so i use only quartz plugs after i stretch (they are a bit heavy cuz they are large) and other naturals after they are healed. I find that silicone isnt SO bad but u must keep an eye on it and take them out every day (i do mine 3 times a day) b/c they do tend to get absorbed. but thats the only down side. i mostly wear stone (for aesthetic value) but im thinking about some wood b/c its getting heavy. is there any woods that are particularly easy to care for? are there any more man-made materials i could try for stretching that wont cause a problem?

You're right, many cultures have been stretching piercings since the beginning of time, but it doesn't mean they do it in the safest/cleanest ways. They use what they have available, but now we have access to better materials. If you don't like metals I'd suggest glass. I've always stretched with glass and it's by far my favorite material. It can cause a lot of ear cheese but it's no big deal if you clean your plugs daily.
Also, have you tried titanium? It doesn't have nickel like steel and is much easier on your ears if you have sensitive skin.

I agree with Lindsay, Glass is also my favorite material and right now I have in Titanium tunnels, they are by far the least irritating metal you can wear.

thanks! imma try the glass tunnels out. ive seen some REALLY nice looking ones. i have not tried titanium but i suppose its also worth a go.