Ear Plugs/Ear Gauges: What's the dealio?

[jase]

I really dislike using fractions of an inch as a measurement. Get some more precise mearuments America and catch up with the rest of the world.

With that said I've got two in each ear lobe. 16mm and 14mm. I started stretching for a third in each ear that I was going to take to 8-10mm but the other piercings didn't like it, and started to get angry.

I started doing mine about 15 years ago because I'd seen pictures and video of the body mod scene in the states and thought it looked good, and there wasn't many doing it then over here.the ones that were doing it, were going for super huge ad I didn't like that look, so went for two smaller instead. Up until about 5 years ago I hadn't seen anyone else over here with two in each lobe.

Now they are dermal punching holes everywhere , which is why I initially started going for three

[riddle350]

And everyone smells if they don't practice proper hygiene.

You just answered that part of your question. Clean your shit like a fucking normal person and you won't have to worry about it.

As for the other part, I've got mine simply because I like they way they look. Nothing other than that. No different from anything else I choose to do as part of my apperance.

[Guest thankyoubasedgod]

clean my feces like a normal person?

and werd, I hear you. I've learned from this thread so thank you for your responses.

[philviral]

I have my lobes stretched to 7/8". Got them pierced about 8 years ago and it took my 3 years to get to 7/8. I took them out for 2 years because I got a little annoyed at taking care of them. The holes closed back up to approximately 1/2". I started wearing plugs again last year because I missed them, I feel like they complete me. I have a number of different sets of plugs at 7/8 and I swap them like clothes or shoes to match the occasion. I almost exclusively wear stone and wooden jewelery, which helps with the ear cheese problem mentioned above (SHOWERING also helps... lol).

I don't know how plugs got popular with the scene, but I admit that's how I was first exposed to plugs and body modification. Although, it's not what kept me going. Most people I know stopped at 0 gauge or 1/2", I only personally know a handful of people that have gone to a similar size as myself. I became a regular on Iam.bmezine and met others with the same interest. I think it's more about the challenge and reward for me, of obtaining this size. Status as someone else said. A bit of a fashion statement as well I guess... I'm pretty vain lol.

I got pierced when I was in college for programming, now I work in an office as a business analyst for a major defense contractor. In college I wasn't sure what sort of reactions I would face in the professional world, and I've been shocked again and again by how open everybody is here. Maybe it's because there are so many ex-military tattooed guys.

I also have my tragi stretched. Got them punched at 8 gauge and brought them up to 2g over 2 years. I love these and will never get rid of them even though it means I can't wear ear plugs or in-ear headphones.

So in summary, I think I've answered all the questions from the op...

-ear cheese is a non-issue if you are clean

-I find plugs asthetically pleasing

-I kind of enjoy the attention, it's a great conversation starter - people always ask about my ears; but really I don't give a fuck what people think, whether they like them or not, I just love the way they look on me.

-No idea why it got popular in the scene

And finally.... a pic I just took of my ears while sitting in my cube at the office. Wearing olive wood plugs in the lobe and rutilated quartz in the tragus.

[Guest thankyoubasedgod]

^^^^ That's insane! Thank you for the long post! The tragi stretching is crazy, I didn't even realize it was possible to have that stretched or that such a thing existed! Like I've said many times in this thread, I'm super ignorant when it comes to this stuff.

And yeah I was reading that the materials used for jewelry helped regulate smell. I read that surgical steel is the worst offender when it comes to creating the "ear cheese" and the foul smell, and of course is one of the cheapest materials one could for for when getting jewelry. I read that "organic wood" was one of the best materials to use. I deffo have respect and understanding for this now whereas before I thought it was silly and destructive. It's still not my cup of tea, but that's just my opinion. Thanks for the insight!

[scottheisel]

Now it's my turn for a dumb question—some of you have mentioned that when you took your plugs out, the holes closed up a little bit. But what about those insanely huge ones that really stretch your ear out (do a google search for "extreme ear gauges" if you need a visual aid). When something's stretched that far, it will never actually heal back up, right?

That's the kind of stuff that I don't understand. Even tattoos, you can get lasered off or covered up if they're embarrassing over time. But if you stretch your ear out to the point where you can fit a Coke can or a cell phone through it, and then one day you decide gauges just aren't for you anymore, you're stuck with these massively distended ears.

[Guest thankyoubasedgod]

Now it's my turn for a dumb question—some of you have mentioned that when you took your plugs out, the holes closed up a little bit. But what about those insanely huge ones that really stretch your ear out (do a google search for "extreme ear gauges" if you need a visual aid). When something's stretched that far, it will never actually heal back up, right?

That's the kind of stuff that I don't understand. Even tattoos, you can get lasered off or covered up if they're embarrassing over time. But if you stretch your ear out to the point where you can fit a Coke can or a cell phone through it, and then one day you decide gauges just aren't for you anymore, you're stuck with these massively distended ears.

Yeah, that's where I was at too. This was my primary point. Like I said earlier in this thread, the smaller ones don't look bad. The big crazy ones, I really couldn't understand and like I said before I thought were kinda destructive. But as someone above said, the bigger you go, it's more respectable/more of a challenge.

I also read though if you try to increase your size too soon, even if your holes are currently small, you'll get scar tissue and your ear could permanently wrinkle and will need surgery to fix. I guess if the hole is too big to close and you grow out of that phase/stage in your life, there's reconstructive surgeries they could do.

[Team Avatar]

There is a picture out there of The Emotron and his drummer putting their penises into John Ryan's gauge holes.

[Guest]

i havent had my 0's in since september, and i honestly cant see any progress as far as it closing up. it probably has something to do with my punching directly to an 8. but whatever... its really not bad.

[philviral]

Now it's my turn for a dumb question—some of you have mentioned that when you took your plugs out, the holes closed up a little bit. But what about those insanely huge ones that really stretch your ear out (do a google search for "extreme ear gauges" if you need a visual aid). When something's stretched that far, it will never actually heal back up, right?

That's the kind of stuff that I don't understand. Even tattoos, you can get lasered off or covered up if they're embarrassing over time. But if you stretch your ear out to the point where you can fit a Coke can or a cell phone through it, and then one day you decide gauges just aren't for you anymore, you're stuck with these massively distended ears.

You can get reconstructive surgery where they basically cut off the big hanging pieces of flesh and sew the remaining tissue back up into a normal looking lobe. Usually a thinner lobe then the person started out with.

I also read though if you try to increase your size too soon, even if your holes are currently small, you'll get scar tissue and your ear could permanently wrinkle and will need surgery to fix. I guess if the hole is too big to close and you grow out of that phase/stage in your life, there's reconstructive surgeries they could do.

That's also true, the condition is called a "blow out." Basically the ear can't take the tension that's being placed upon it from the inserted jewelery, and tries to flip inside out to release the tension.

[controlthebleeding]

Now it's my turn for a dumb question—some of you have mentioned that when you took your plugs out, the holes closed up a little bit. But what about those insanely huge ones that really stretch your ear out (do a google search for "extreme ear gauges" if you need a visual aid). When something's stretched that far, it will never actually heal back up, right?

That's the kind of stuff that I don't understand. Even tattoos, you can get lasered off or covered up if they're embarrassing over time. But if you stretch your ear out to the point where you can fit a Coke can or a cell phone through it, and then one day you decide gauges just aren't for you anymore, you're stuck with these massively distended ears.

usually after a certain point in stretching your ears don't really shrink, so if you want them to go back to normal, you can find a mod expert who would snip, dermal scrape, and suture them. and after a few months, it's like you never even had earrings and the scars are not even noticeable. it's a rather easy process, but finding someone that will do it is the hard part if you don't know the right people. you'll then be left to go to a surgeon.

coke can? my friend bear has them at 5 inches. maybe 5 1/2 diamater. we always joked he wanted them large enough to get his girlfriend's thigh's through... if you know what i mean.

i know some might judge him on his looks, but the dudes one of the nicest people i have ever met.

[scottheisel]

That guy looks like he knows how to love life.

[RustyShackelford]

Bear is the nicest dude ever.

[RustyShackelford]

And I can't imagine him making a joke like that. Also, last I saw him, about a year ago. His ears weren't that big anymore since he had been in the hospital

[almightyseancore]

it's the one thing that I've noticed to be found in and specific to one scene..

it's not though.

many many many people that are into body modification do this, and not all of them are part of this (or any) scene.

body modification is a culture of it's own, and a lot of people in the punk and hardcore scene got into it.

it has nothing to do with the scene itself, just that people involved in it tend to share common interests. body modification being one of them.

also, i'm pretty sure i've seen that Bear guy above me on tv a time or two.

[controlthebleeding]

And I can't imagine him making a joke like that. Also, last I saw him, about a year ago. His ears weren't that big anymore since he had been in the hospital

Oh, na, we would tell random people at the Shop just to freak them out. He never made a improper gesture about anyone or anything. Dude was like a father figure to my buddies who trained under him. I wish there were more people like him in the world.

And yes hes been On tv for largest stretched lobes in the world at one point. He had them at 5 1/2” diameter at the largest. But i remember him taking them out pretty often because they would keep getting irritated.

[riddle350]

There is a picture out there of The Emotron and his drummer putting their penises into John Ryan's gauge holes.

Hahahaha what? Fuck I'm going to have to ask John about this next time I see him.

[controlthebleeding]

Hahahaha what? Fuck I'm going to have to ask John about this next time I see him.

true, i don't even know who john is, but i remember seeing a pic of someone with penis's in their earlobes. i think dude was drinking a beer too.