Big Lobed b***h Bible
Commitment:
Stretching can be a lot more extreme than you might think. Once you stretch past a certain point, typically around 0 gauge/8mm, tissue is permanently and radically different from its original form. It is far more time consuming than anything else in piercing and requires far more commitment to the art and lifestyle.
Most people can go to about 2gauge/6.
5mm and still have their ear lobe go
back to normal when they take it out, but there really are no guarantees. Don't stretch your ears unless you are certain you'll be ok with it forever. Once the elastic limit of the skin has been passed or a large amount of additional tissue has been built up, it will not close again completely. However, in some cases the stretched tissue can simply be removed. The lobe can often be cut off and sutured, and once healed looks virtually normal. In addition, plastic surgeons can rebuild a stretched ear.
Stretching:
Stretching is the means by which one can gradually enlarge a pierced hole in the body. This is done by slightly stretching the tissue, causing micro-tears to form, and maintaining the hole at the new size until these tears completely heal. The process is then repeated. This can be done unlimited number of times as long as it is done correctly, making for extremely stretched holes to be produced. Stretching should only be done on a fully healed piercing but you can get a head-start on the process by beginning the piercing at a larger gauge using a scalpel, dermal punch, or large-gauge piercing needle for the initial piercing.
Stretching is a very individual activity and there is no set time frame that will work for everyone. You should only stretch when your ears are completely healed. When you feel that your ears are healed, then wait another two-three weeks before stretching. A good rule of thumb is one stretch every other month. Most people can stretch an ear lobe about one inch per year.
Stretching piercings takes time and patience. Scar tissue can build up and create ugly, problematic piercings that can be difficult to stretch. A good general rule is to wait three times as long as it took to heal before the first stretch. This allows the new skin some time to thicken and toughen up before it gets traumatized by the enlarging process.
Each new size becomes larger exponentially. 10 gauge to 8 gauge doesn't seem like much, but 1/2" to 9/16" is a major jump even though it is the very next size. The larger the hole, the longer you must wait to stretch again.
Stretching Methods:
Tapers:
Tapering is the most effective way to stretch your ears with minimal stress while your hole is under 0 gauge. After you have passed 0 gauge it is recommended that you switch to the Tape Method.
A taper is usually made of metal or acrylic and is a long, needle-like tool that gradually thickens to the size you desire. (Example: to go from 12 gauge to 10 gauge; the large end would be a 10 gauge & the small end would be a 12 gauge). The more gradual the taper; the less traumatic the stretch. When using a taper, it is important to have enough lubricant without having too much. Spin the tapers' tip and front 1/3 in Vaseline and then wipe off any excess globs onto the back of your glove. Begin by pushing the taper into the piercing gently until it meets resistance. At that point you need to look to see how much taper is through and how much is left. If the taper is more than half way through then the stretch will usually be fairly easy. Take a slow, deep breath and, as you exhale, push the taper through until only about 1/4 inch is left. When you get to the end of the taper, butt your jewelry up against the end of the taper so that it looks like an extension of the taper, and push the taper the rest of the way through with the jewelry. This entire process should not take more than a few minutes at longest, and is usually just a few seconds.
This process should never be painful! There might be a slight discomfort from the pressure, but there should never be anything more than that. Your ears should never bleed while tapering! If you feel too much pain then stop. This is your body's way of telling you it is not ready to stretch further. It's better to allow the skin to thicken and heal before attempting to stretch further.
When inserting eyelets or plugs, a tight connection between the jewelry and the taper is essential to avoid cutting the tight tissue. Once the jewelry is in, clean off excess lubricant and make sure the jewelry is long enough that swelling won't be a problem.
Tape Method:
The "wrapping" method of stretching is an alternative method of stretching for larger gauges where tapers are less available and significantly more expensive. The tape method is also one of the safest and best ways of stretching, but it calls for more attention and time to be paid and put into your lobes. Wrapping your lobes will cause less stress to the hole as well.
Bondage tape seems to cause the least amount of irritation but is generally harder to find than other alternatives. It can be purchased at Adult Stores or on the internet. This tape will cling to itself but not your skin or hair. It is washable, reusable, and soft so it can't cut your lobes. Best of all, most people have no reaction to bondage tape. Cheaper and more easily obtainable is a roll of PTFE (Teflon) tape that can be purchased at any hardware store. The good thing about teflon tape is that it usually creates a rounded edge making it easier to insert into your lobe. Some people have problems with this type of tape because it tends to stick to the ear lobe making insertion and removal more difficult and sometimes damaging. Remember to use plenty of lube when inserting or taking jewelry out. If you still have problems with teflon tape then try another tape. Some people chose to use electrical tape but it is the least recommended.
This method is a very gradual process. Once your lobes are completely healed, take out your current jewelry and put one wrap of tape around it, then reinsert the jewelry in your ear. You can do this every few days as your ear adjusts to each new wrap of tape – thus gradually stretching your piercing up to the next size.
When taping your lobes you have to be careful to not stretch to fast. Never "shove" anything into your lobes. If you can't put it in very easily wait longer for the original plug or the last tape wrap to loosen up before you put more tape around the jewelry.
Scalpling:
Using this method will reduce your ability to stretch further in the future. Reasons you might want to consider scalpeling would be that you want to connect more than one hold on your lobe. Another reason to scalpel would be to remove excess tissue or if you have uneven lobes that makes them aesthetically unpleasing. Scalpeling should not be used to race to larger lobes faster. If you plan on stretching much more, it's probably not the best solution for you simply because of the scarring which will occur will definitely slow down further stretching. It could even make you unable to stretch further, depending on how badly you scar.
After the scalpelling procedure, it's a good idea to use No-Bleed and wrapped them fairly tight in gauze using pressure to further stop the bleeding. Make sure the gauze has Polyspirin on it. If not, your skin will start to bond and grown into the fibers, making removal painful and nearly impossible. It also causes more scarring and hinders the healing process. The best type of dressing is those meat packaging pads. It's gauze wrapped in plastic with tiny holes in it to absorb the blood and lymph.
Scalpeled lobes should be treated as a fresh piercing. The following day after the procedure they should be soaked in salt water to remove the dressing. For the following two-three days keep them lightly wrapped with gauze with a light layer of Polysporin on the gauze, changing it every eight-twelve hours.
No matter who does your scalpelling, even a surgeon, it's very unlikely there will be no scar at all. Make sure to massage your lobes, to get more blood flow to the area. This will cause the scar tissue to fade faster.
Some other suggestions to consider would be to put an old towel on your pillow and use an extra pillow as well. The towel will save your sheets from any possible bleeding and the extra pillow will stop your blood from flowing right to your head, which helps to decrease the swelling.
You shouldn't wear wood during healing. For the initial month or two you should avoid it because of its porous nature, it can cultivate bacteria, and if blood seeps in, it can cause you to contract Sepsis. The best material is stainless steel or glass.
Pain wise, it seems to be more of a slight burn, comparable to a paper cut.
Electric Cautery:
This is the least common practice. An Electro-Cautery Laser can be used to remove some of the tissue in the ear lobe above the existing piercing. The unit vaporizes the tissue and is run in approximately three second intervals. This process is repeated multiple times in order to cut through the lobe and remove the tissue. Using this method will reduce your ability to stretch in the future.
Ear Weights:
Generally ear weights are not the best way to stretch a piercing as they can migrate the piercing and can cause thinning of the tissue on the bottom. Ear weights are made out of everything from Jade to Bronze. When using ear weights make sure you have an eyelet or a hollow plug in your ear. This distributes the weight over the surface of your lobe and won't cause a thinning spot in one area of your lobe. An hour or two of weights every day should be fine and not create a problem with thinning.
For Fresh Stretches:
Fresh stretches should be treated as brand new piercings. Sea Salt Soaks and cleaning with antibacterial/anti-microbial soaps should be a regular process in your day.
Sea Salt Soaks:
Sea salt soaks are the most important and best thing that you can do to heal a fresh stretch. Sea salt soaks accelerate healing since the heat increases the blood flow to the area which increases the rate your body heals the tissue. It also relieves discomfort, reduces itching, and loosens the tissue surrounding the piercing. It soothes your piercing while drawing out impurities from your piercing, thus allowing it to heal faster.
To perform a sea salt soak, first dissolve one teaspoon of sea salt (available at most grocery stores) in one cup (8 oz.) of warm (slightly cooler than shower temperature) water - preferably distilled water, but tap water will do. Then submerge your ear in the solution for 10-15 minutes or drench a cotton ball in the solution and hold it to your ear lobe. This should be done two-three times per day. Do not overdo it on the salt since too much salt is extremely bad for your piercing.
Antibacterial/Anti-microbial Soaps:
Most piercers recommend antibacterial/anti-microbial soaps for a fresh piercing. Make sure that you are using a gentle brand. Satin & Provon are both high quality gentle soaps that will serve you well.
For Healed Piercings:
The two most important things that you can do for healed lobes are giving your lobes a relaxation period and oil massages.
Relaxation Period:
There are many benefits to allowing your lobes to relax for a few hours each day. While wearing jewelry, no matter what type, stress is being put on your lobe. This restricts the flow of blood, oxygen, & nutrients to the bottom of your lobe. Over time, this can cause your lobe to thin out and also cause it to become irritated. One of the best ways to alleviate this problem is to take your jewelry out for a few hours each day to allow the piercing to breathe and increase blood flow to the bottom of your lobe. Over time, this will promote healthier lobes, including thickening the tissue, and providing more room to stretch in the future.
There is no steadfast rule on when it is a good idea to start allowing your lobes to relax. Once you reach 2 gauge/6.5mm (1/4" wink you should be able to leave your jewelry out overnight. If you are concerned about leaving your jewelry out, take it out for a progressively longer period of time each day until you find the amount of time that is the longest you feel comfortable with. If you have trouble reinserting your jewelry after leaving it out, try a hot compress for five-ten minutes. Gently massaging your lobes along with the use of some lube will quickly resolve your problem.
Oil Massages:
By rubbing and massaging your lobes daily with the proper oil you are able to stimulate blood flow to your lobes. By stimulating blood to your lobes you will find that they will thicken over time. This should be done prior to sleeping at night for approximately thirty minutes per ear lobe. After you are done rubbing your lobes, leave your plugs out and go to bed. In the morning if your plugs feel tight simply rub your lobes with a little bit of oil and they should slide right back in.
Recommended Oils:
For massaging your lobes, the three most popular types of oil to use are Jojoba oil, Vitamin E oil, and Emu Oil. Extra Virgin Olive oil is also an acceptable oil to use as it will not go rancid from the heat on your body and is far less expensive than anything else. Various essential oils are also used in combination with either Jojoba or Vitamin E oil that can also provide benefits in healing, skin balance, and function as an antiseptic.
Jojoba oil is good because it is an extremely close match to the oil that your body naturally secretes so there is less chance for it to irritate your skin. Vitamin E oil also has an extremely beneficial effect, as it breaks down scar tissue. In stretching, scar tissue is the enemy, making future stretches much more difficult and making your lobes less supple. By doing Vitamin E oil massages, you help enable the breakdown of any scar tissue that has formed and keep your ears as healthy as possible.
Emu oil helps relieve pain by reducing inflammation caused by trauma of lobe stretching as well as promotes healthy skin. Another significant quality of Emu oil is that it promotes wound healing due to its stimulation of the growth of fibroblasts (skin cells) and causes wounds to heal more quickly while simultaneously lessening scar tissue formation. It also helps lighten and prevent stretch marks. Emu oil naturally contains; Oleic Acid a proven skin cell regenerator; Vitamin E an antioxidant and healing agent; Vitamin A, a skin repairer and antioxidant; Sapogens which are skin softeners; and Terpines which are antiseptics.
Washing:
The larger your holes get the more dead skin, moisture, bacteria, and dust can collect in them. This smelly, oily substance which forms is called sebum and needs to be cleaned out on a regular basis. To clean, take out your jewelry, clean your jewelry and wash your lobes with anti-bacterial or anti-microbial soap and then dry them thoroughly.
Take your Time:
This is the most important rule. We all know what its like to want to get to that next size. Please take your time and listen to your body. This is not a race to see who can go big; this is a journey that should be enjoyed over many years.
Materials:
The best materials for a fresh piercing are titanium, niobium, 316L or 316LVM implant grade surgical stainless steel, glass, or implant grade PTFE (teflon). Once your piercings have healed there are a variety of different materials used to make jewelry.
Stainless Steel:
Stainless steel is one of the most popular choices of material to wear in stretched lobes. Like everything it has its good and bad points. Cheap stainless can sometimes cut your lobes if your lobes are tight around the jewelry. For instance, the o-ring groove on some plugs or tunnels may even cut or cause tears in your lobe. Since it's so strong, they are made very thin, making it easy to cut your lobe if you aren't very careful with it.
Another problem affiliated with stainless steel is leaving them in for to long. Since stainless steel does not breathe at all and leaving them in for days or more without taking them out allows more and more moisture produced by your body to build up between your lobe and the steal. Like with almost all other jewelry, it has to be taken out and washed at least once a day to prevent the smell and the ear gunk buildup.
Titanium & Niobium:
Titanium and Niobium are much lighter than stainless steel. They are both thin like stainless steel so the same precautions need to be kept when wearing them. This type of jewelry is either anodized, or in Niobium's case, it's painted. After awhile the color (if any) of this jewelry can start to wear off, turning the jewelry back to its original color.
Aluminum:
Aluminum is probably the most uncommon thing for stretched lobes and hardest to find. Aluminum is very light in stretched lobes, making it an ideal jewelry for people with larger lobes to wear. The aluminum is usually anodized or painted before being used as jewelry.
Glass:
Glass is one of the best materials for your lobes. It is very popular and often called a "super-cooled liquid". This means that there is much less chance for any edges that may tear your lobes, and that the surface is super-smooth. Glass is also hypo-allergenic, which is a great advantage for people who have skin that is very sensitive.
There are different types of glass. The most common for plugs and tunnels is Borosilicate (Pyrex). Some companies sell softer glass, called Soft Glass, which is not the best thing to have in your lobes. You want heavy glass. Some places even sell Quartz plugs or tunnels. Quartz is the hardest, heaviest, glass a person can buy.
Organics:
Many people believe that jewelry that is grown, such as wood, bone, amber, tusk, etc., is far healthier than artificial jewelry. The rough and porous texture seems to allow the skin to breath and lobes worn with organic materials tend to be thicker skinned, healthier, and less stinky.
Many hardwoods, ebony being the most common example, make excellent jewelry, especially for stretched lobes. Other woods are used as well as woody grasses such as bamboo. Wood is a comfortable jewelry material for stretched lobes and is one of the only materials that significantly reduces the amount of smell. Properly finished wood jewelry has a tendency to thicken the skin of a piercing and drastically improve its overall health.
Organic jewelry is more fragile than steel jewelry. Heat can lead to cracking, weakening, or warping. The porous materials make them very sensitive to chemicals and can even trap bacteria which leads to infections.
Organic jewelry should not endure prolonged exposure to sunlight, water, or steam. Always remove your jewelry when bathing or swimming. Do not autoclave natural body jewelry (with the exception of some stone). All of these things could result in possible damage.
Buffalo horn and buffalo bone can be lightly washed with a mild soap and just a little water if needed. Otherwise they're perfectly fine with just a few drops of essential oil and polishing with a soft cloth.
Be careful about getting wood jewelry wet as the grain will swell when it absorbs moisture; however this expansion is curable. When the wearable surface of your jewelry becomes rough just sand the jewelry lightly with very high grit sandpaper (300+, the higher the better) and then polish to a shine with a soft cloth and a few drops of essential oil.
Bamboo is cared for the same way as most woods. Don't get bamboo wet at all on the ends or internal regions. The outer layer of bamboo is a tough water resistant skin, but the inner layers are composed of vertical channels to specifically transport water and minerals through the stalk. Getting these layers wet will significantly reduce the structural integrity of dried bamboo jewelry since it absorbs water like a sponge.
Stone jewelry can be cleaned with mild soap and a bit of water. Then just polish it dry. Be careful about using extremely hot or very cold water and don't submerge your pieces in water, oils, or anything else.
Allergic Reactions:
In some cases individuals will be allergic to certain types of wood. Some types of wood are far more likely to cause allergies than others. If an allergic reaction occurs there will be some swelling, redness, irritation, and the skin may try and retract away from the jewelry. There's nothing you can generally do to improve this. You should take out the jewelry and try a different kind of wood or metal.
Desensitization does sometimes happen, but given that it's easy to change the type of wood, why risk it?
Dangers of acrylic or improper materials:
An entire book could be written on the dangers of acrylic and other improper materials being utilized as long-term body jewelry. Acrylic is a porous substance and its use can lead to infection. It also begins to react with your skin over time breaking down tissue and releasing toxic chemicals/fumes to be absorbed by your skin.
Many people have used household items to stretch with. You will very quickly learn what materials are appropriate for your body. Everything from stainless rods to aluminum bike tubes to knitting needles to wood to plastic bottles progressively wrapped in electrical tape or bondage tape have been tried. As you stretch, you will discover what is best by listening to your body.
Problems with Lobe Stretching:
Stretching Quickly:
Several horrible things can happen to your lobes if you stretch too quickly. Lips can be created. Blowouts can occur. Tearing is common and will produce scar tissue which is the sole nemesis for stretching lobes since it makes the process much more difficult.
Lips:
When lobes are stretched too quickly the skin tunnel or fistula can be forced out the back of the piercing by the pressure. The result is an unsightly "lip" around the edge. If stretching continues, this lip can grow dramatically. You can try folding or rotating the lip back inside the piercing, and this will sometimes help it assimilated back into the primary tissue. However, this doesn't always work.
Two solutions are generally prescribed (although they don't always work):
1. Downsizing the piercing immediately so that the deformed tissue can reabsorb into the body. Start a daily massaging regiment with oil and keep your plugs out more often. When you put your plugs in make sure you use a lot of lube and make sure that the lip is not pushed out when you leave them in. Try to insert your plugs the opposite way that you usually do so that it pushes your fistula the other way preventing it from sticking out. Tighten your o-rings so it doesn't pop back out. Once your lobe gets used to it being this way, it should stay that way. Daily application of Merderma Scar Cream will help the body absorb the scar tissue.
2. The more advanced way to get rid of them is to physically remove them. You can do this by tying off the offending tissue and removing it. This is an effective but advanced procedure that can make things worse if attempted by someone without the necessary skills.
Blowouts:
A blowout happens when one stretches too fast. These generally happen during or immediately preceding (within 48hrs) a stretch. A blowout occurs when the pressure on the insides of the piercing is too great, and the hole deforms itself by twisting inside out, resulting in the "blowout," or section of tissue that appears as a flap on the backside of the piercing. There are a few things you can do to try and recover from a blowout.
1. You must downsize immediately. Being stubborn and not taking this action could result in the blowout healing, which almost always requires surgery to fix.
2. The piercing absolutely must be treated like a brand new piercing. This means doing religious sea salt soaks. Blowouts go hand in hand with tears and most blowouts result in at least minimal tears to the lobe, so the aftercare becomes especially important.
3. Emu oil can help the torn tissue heal while minimizing scaring. After healing you may want to use oil rubs and scar cream to prevent scar tissue.
4. Wait several months before attempting to stretch again.
Thinning & Uneven Lobes:
If the skin around the piercing gets very thin, stop stretching. The easiest way to thicken the tissue is to downsize a few sizes, wait a couple of weeks, and then re-stretch. You will find that the tissue stretches faster and easier this time. By repeating this process, you can drastically increase the size of the tissue.
The choice of jewelry material can have an effect on the tissue thickness and general health. Many people find that high quality wood jewelry both thickens the tissue and keeps it healthy and stink-free.
It's also recommended that you massage your lobes with Jojoba, Emu, or Vitamin E oil and leave the jewelry out for a couple of hours each day.
Ear Gunk:
If your ears are healed and you seem to have some funky stuff on your jewelry when you take it out; this is most likely dead skin cells. Your entire body sheds dead skin cells as it grows new skin, you just don't see it. Since there's a significant amount of skin touching your plug, those dead skin cells don't have anywhere to go, so they build up on your jewelry. This effect and the smell that goes along with it varies from person to person. It also varies from material, with metals generally seeming worse than other materials like organics. Just remove your jewelry and wash both your lobes and the jewelry. Dry them thoroughly before reinserting your jewelry.
Contact Information
This document has been a group project and has utilized many resources. If you have questions or comments please direct them to Sarah Sharp at Tippi18@yahoo.com using BLB Bible in the subject line.
(Note from dagon: I don't know if that email is still active.)
dagon is a gloomy bear Community Member 
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