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The question comes up constantly: if I stretch my ears and later decide I want them to close, can they? The honest answer is nuanced and the nuance is important to understand before committing to any size. Quick Answer Whether stretched ears will shrink depends on the maximum size reached, how long each size was worn, and individual tissue elasticity. Lobes stretched to 10G (2.4mm) or smaller will usually close fully or nearly fully for most people. Lobes stretched to 00G (10mm) or beyond will typically not close without surgery. The 10mm mark is widely considered the point of no...

Tapers and plugs are the two types of equipment used in ear stretching -- but they serve completely different purposes. Confusing them is one of the most common causes of stretching complications. A taper is a tool for the stretching moment. A plug (or tunnel) is jewellery for wearing. They are not interchangeable. Quick Answer Tapers are cone-shaped tools used only for the moment of stretching they ease the new size in and are immediately replaced with a single-flare plug. Tapers are not jewellery and should not be worn. Single-flare plugs or tunnels are the correct jewellery for wearing at...

The gauge system used in body piercing and ear stretching is one of the most confusing conventions in the body modification world: the larger the gauge number, the smaller the size. It runs backwards from a standard wire gauge system, and at a certain point the system switches entirely to millimetre measurements. This complete reference covers every size from a standard piercing to the largest common stretched sizes. Quick Answer Ear stretching gauge sizes run counter-intuitively: 20G is smaller than 14G. The most common starting point for stretching is 14G (1.6mm). Sizes are also measured in mm after the gauge...

Ear stretching is not complicated, but it requires patience. The technique itself takes seconds. The waiting between stretches takes months. The two main causes of stretching complications -- blowouts and tearing are both the result of impatience: stretching before the tissue is ready, or forcing a size that does not go in comfortably. This guide gives you the complete technique, the correct waiting times, and the signs that tell you whether your tissue is ready for the next size. Quick Answer To stretch ears safely: start from a fully healed lobe piercing, move up one gauge size at a time,...