controlthebleeding Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Do not use organic plugs and go slowly. i diasgree. (about organics) i've been using these double flared ebony wood plugs for the past 2 years, and they have been so much better on my ears when compared to acrylic. i'm also a huge fan of silicone plugs as well. super light weight and ultra comfy. you are not suppose to use organics when stretching or initial piercings. also you are always you are always at risk with organic plugs, due to the nature of the material. they obsorb chemicals and react in a unpleasent way, thus releasing those chemicals into the skin and causing infection, irritation, etc. hence why certain organic materials are to be well taken care of as well, as they crack, inflate, etc etc.. due to certain circmstances. i use used organics before (amber, bamboo, etc) and i have yet to have a single problem. like many other materials, organics due to cause allergic reactions to people, hence why most companies usually give a warning when ordering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takingchase Posted April 30, 2009 Author Share Posted April 30, 2009 A dermal punch sounds interesting but I'm not sure if I want to go that route. I know I will never want bigger than a 2 gauge. It's the perfect size for me. I just returned the tapers I bought at hot topic today after seeing the poor persons stretching kit. While I was there I was looking at the tapers and I'm pretty certain I have 12's right now and not 10's. Would it be safe to go from a 12 to an 8? Once I'm at an 8 I figure I'll go to 6 then 4 then 2 and take it slowly. I really want my ears to be healthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corbet Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 -Use organic jewelry or stainless steel. NO ACRYLIC -SS Tapers ONLY! -Astroglide Lube works wonders. USE IT -Take a hot bath before you stretch and make sure your ears are soaking -PTFE or Electrical tape every few days around a plug will help a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostatsea Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 A dermal punch sounds interesting but I'm not sure if I want to go that route. I know I will never want bigger than a 2 gauge. It's the perfect size for me. I just returned the tapers I bought at hot topic today after seeing the poor persons stretching kit. While I was there I was looking at the tapers and I'm pretty certain I have 12's right now and not 10's. Would it be safe to go from a 12 to an 8? Once I'm at an 8 I figure I'll go to 6 then 4 then 2 and take it slowly. I really want my ears to be healthy. If you decide to get a dermal be care full and make sure the person knows what they are doing. My friend got this done and you are supposed to but the next gauge higher plug than the punch so help the healing. The piercer put the same gauge in and it bled for 12 hours straight...not good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lokithelion Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 i diasgree. (about organics) i've been using these double flared ebony wood plugs for the past 2 years, and they have been so much better on my ears when compared to acrylic. i'm also a huge fan of silicone plugs as well. super light weight and ultra comfy. you are not suppose to use organics when stretching or initial piercings. also you are always you are always at risk with organic plugs, due to the nature of the material. they obsorb chemicals and react in a unpleasent way, thus releasing those chemicals into the skin and causing infection, irritation, etc. hence why certain organic materials are to be well taken care of as well, as they crack, inflate, etc etc.. due to certain circmstances. i use used organics before (amber, bamboo, etc) and i have yet to have a single problem. like many other materials, organics due to cause allergic reactions to people, hence why most companies usually give a warning when ordering. this. I'm all about them when you're properly healed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
controlthebleeding Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 A dermal punch sounds interesting but I'm not sure if I want to go that route. I know I will never want bigger than a 2 gauge. It's the perfect size for me. I just returned the tapers I bought at hot topic today after seeing the poor persons stretching kit. While I was there I was looking at the tapers and I'm pretty certain I have 12's right now and not 10's. Would it be safe to go from a 12 to an 8? Once I'm at an 8 I figure I'll go to 6 then 4 then 2 and take it slowly. I really want my ears to be healthy. if you don't plan on using a dermal, a rule for stretching is stretch once every 2 months. if you are at a 12.. it's safe to go to a 10, rather than a 8. i've stretched from a 4 to a 0 and it wasn't pleasant.. and then 6, 4, 2. if you decide to get tapers, the tapers at bme ( http://shop.bmezine.com) are really good and they have both acrylic and stainless steel tapers from industrial strength. they are pricey, but they are worth it. if you know someone at a shop that can autoclave them or even a shop that has a statim machine which does it in less than 5 minutes rather than an hour, that's a plus too. again, when stretching NEVER wear organics or acrylics. always use stainless steel or surgical steel plugs/rings. and as a added plus, use jajoba oil for healthy healing and skin growth. also if you buy jewelry from a shop, they'll stretch them for free. well most will at least. hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takingchase Posted May 1, 2009 Author Share Posted May 1, 2009 A dermal punch sounds interesting but I'm not sure if I want to go that route. I know I will never want bigger than a 2 gauge. It's the perfect size for me. I just returned the tapers I bought at hot topic today after seeing the poor persons stretching kit. While I was there I was looking at the tapers and I'm pretty certain I have 12's right now and not 10's. Would it be safe to go from a 12 to an 8? Once I'm at an 8 I figure I'll go to 6 then 4 then 2 and take it slowly. I really want my ears to be healthy. if you don't plan on using a dermal, a rule for stretching is stretch once every 2 months. if you are at a 12.. it's safe to go to a 10, rather than a 8. i've stretched from a 4 to a 0 and it wasn't pleasant.. and then 6, 4, 2. if you decide to get tapers, the tapers at bme ( http://shop.bmezine.com) are really good and they have both acrylic and stainless steel tapers from industrial strength. they are pricey, but they are worth it. if you know someone at a shop that can autoclave them or even a shop that has a statim machine which does it in less than 5 minutes rather than an hour, that's a plus too. again, when stretching NEVER wear organics or acrylics. always use stainless steel or surgical steel plugs/rings. and as a added plus, use jajoba oil for healthy healing and skin growth. also if you buy jewelry from a shop, they'll stretch them for free. well most will at least. hope this helps. Hey thanks for all the info. I just ordered a 10 g stretching kit from bodyartforums. It comes with a steel taper and steel plug for $7. Where can I get ahold of jajoba oil? Thats probably a dumb question but I've never heard of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emiri Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 its not called gauging. its called "stretching"..gauge is the size of the hole. THANK YOU! HAHAH. i try and read the entire thread before i comment, but i got to this one and just had to share thanks. i correct my close friends on this only because i wouldn't want them to use the term "gauging" in front of a piercer. it's like calling a tattoo artist's machine "a gun". Again, this is a total normal mistake, but it's a faux pas in the industry that is always a tip off as to whether you are dealing with someone who is familar with terminology or not. And my suggestion is just moving up one size at a time. it is easier on the ears and you will have a better result in the long run. Take a long hot shower to loosen up your skin and open up your pores. It will make the jewelery go in easier. Make sure you use some KY or lube to get those suckers in. Make sure you do NOT use any organic or acrylic materials to stretch with. These materials are porus and your skin can ADHERE to them. GROSS, YEAH? i tend to use spiral or tapered jewelery when i am stretching. i am kind've a pussy and it's less stressful on the ears if you are putting in jewelery that has a gradation. THAT'S MY ADVICE GOOD LUCK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellyjanice Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 quote]And my suggestion is just moving up one size at a time. it is easier on the ears and you will have a better result in the long run. Take a long hot shower to loosen up your skin and open up your pores. It will make the jewelery go in easier. Make sure you use some KY or lube to get those suckers in. Make sure you do NOT use any organic or acrylic materials to stretch with. These materials are porus and your skin can ADHERE to them. GROSS, YEAH? i tend to use spiral or tapered jewelery when i am stretching. i am kind've a pussy and it's less stressful on the ears if you are putting in jewelery that has a gradation. THAT'S MY ADVICE GOOD LUCK! I agree with all this I am at 5/8" and have been for a long time. I never skipped a size and always gave plenty of time to heal in between. I found that the shower really helps once you are in slightly larger sizes... in the teens it tends to stretch pretty easy. I also ALWAYS used some kind of lube... this is a total must! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lokithelion Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 its not called gauging. its called "stretching"..gauge is the size of the hole. THANK YOU! HAHAH. i try and read the entire thread before i comment, but i got to this one and just had to share thanks. i correct my close friends on this only because i wouldn't want them to use the term "gauging" in front of a piercer. it's like calling a tattoo artist's machine "a gun". Again, this is a total normal mistake, but it's a faux pas in the industry that is always a tip off as to whether you are dealing with someone who is familar with terminology or not. And my suggestion is just moving up one size at a time. it is easier on the ears and you will have a better result in the long run. Take a long hot shower to loosen up your skin and open up your pores. It will make the jewelery go in easier. Make sure you use some KY or lube to get those suckers in. Make sure you do NOT use any organic or acrylic materials to stretch with. These materials are porus and your skin can ADHERE to them. GROSS, YEAH? i tend to use spiral or tapered jewelery when i am stretching. i am kind've a pussy and it's less stressful on the ears if you are putting in jewelery that has a gradation. THAT'S MY ADVICE GOOD LUCK! you are so sexy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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