The process of stretching your ears is simple, pain-free and one of the easiest (and coolest) body modifications you can do.
Honest. There is nothing difficult about it.
HOW TO STRETCH YOUR EARS
With years and years of misguided information, contradictions and straight-up dangerous techniques floating around the web, most people fall into one of two camps:
Camp 1. “Screw this, I’m just going to ram something in my ear and see what happens.”
Camp 2. “OMG! Look at that blowout, I think I’ll give this a miss.”
But, the fact you’ve ended up here means you’re in neither. The fact you’ve even done any research puts you ahead of 80% of people. And the fact you are going to read on means you’ll soon be in camp three:
Camp 3. “Honest. There is nothing difficult about it...”
Stretch It Body Jewellery has put together this complete gauging, ear stretching, flesh plugging (whatever you want to call it, we really don’t care) guide to help you stretch your ears confidently, properly and most of all safely.
BEST KIT AROUND!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"I have stretched my ears before but this kit is the most painless and easy way to do it. Plus their customer service is second to none."
Laura - Verified 5 Star Dead Stretching Kit Review
TERMINOLOGY 🤷♂️
To ensure you understand what the hell we are talking about, let’s run through some popular ear stretching terminology.
Tap on each term to reveal its definition:
Stretching
The process of increasing the diameter of a piercing.
Plug
A solid, circular piece of jewellery worn in stretched piercings. Can also be known by other names and is commonly used to categorise all jewellery worn in stretched piercings.
Tunnel
AKA flesh tunnels, eyelets and other names. Same as a plug but has a hole through the middle.
Taper
A spike-shaped tool used to assist with stretching a piercing. Small at one end, big at the other. Should NOT be worn as jewellery.
Ear Gauges
Technically an incorrect term used to describe jewellery worn in stretched piercings. But really, who cares? Call them what you want.
Flares
The part of a tunnel or plug that flares outwards to secure the jewellery in place.
Single Flare
A piece of jewellery with one flare. Typically has an o-ring the other end.
Double Flare
A piece of jewellery with two flares, one either end.
Wearable Area
The part of the jewellery that is in contact with your lobes. The area between flares or o-rings.
O-Ring
Used to secure single or no flare jewellery in place. Can also be used to fix a leaking tap.
Millimetre
Abbreviated to mm. A unit of measurement popularly used to measure jewellery in the UK and Europe. 1/10th of a centimetre.
Gauge
Abbreviated to g. A unit of measurement popularly used to measure jewellery in the United States. Bigger is smaller. Rhymes with page.
Blow Out
Fistula skin (the skin in contact with your jewellery) is pushed out through the back of your piercing. Bad news but not the end of the world.
Now you are pretty well armed for someone on Reddit not shoot you down for being a noob we are just about ready to crack on. Before we start, I’d like to engrain two principles into your mind:
1. Common Sense
2. Patience
If you are ever in doubt throughout your ear stretching journey, just apply these two simple things and you really can’t go wrong!
WHEN AND WHAT SIZE? 📅 📏
Most piercers will pierce your lobes at 1mm (18g) or 1.2mm (16g). We highly recommend waiting at least 4 - 6 months before thinking about ear lobe stretching. The piercing should be fully healed and showing no signs of infection.
Most of our ear stretching kits start at 1.6mm (14g) which is the perfect size for your first stretch from an initial piercing. From there on sizes should NEVER be skipped.
As mentioned previously in the terminology section, body jewellery shops don’t make things straight forward when it comes to units of measurement. Some display in millimetres whilst others use the gauge system or fractions of an inch.
Check out the conversion below in our ear gauge sizing chart if you are ever in doubt:
| Milimetre | Gauge / Inch |
| 0.6mm | 22g |
| 0.8mm | 20g |
| 1mm | 18g |
| 1.2mm | 16g |
| 1.6mm | 14g |
| 2mm | 12g |
| 2.4mm | 10g |
| 3mm | 8g |
| 4mm | 6g |
| 5mm | 4g |
| 6mm | 2g |
| 8mm | 0g |
| 10mm | 00g |
| 11mm | 7/16" |
| 12mm | 1/2" |
| 14mm | 9/16" |
| 16mm | 5/8" |
| 18mm | 11/16" |
| 19mm | 3/4" |
| 20mm | 13/16" |
| 22mm | 7/8" |
| 25mm | 1" |
Luckily, SIBJ displays their jewellery in both to avoid any confusion, but we always recommend using millimetres as your first choice of measurement due to superior accuracy and simplicity. And who wants to be messing around with fractions!?
HOW LONG DO I WAIT BETWEEN STRETCHES? ⌛
I’m going to apologise in advance for the cliché answer. Sorry.
It depends and everyone is different.
Unfortunately, there is no set in stone answer to this question but we can give some guidelines so you don’t go completely mental and rock 25mm double flare plugs within 36 hours.
We recommend at least 2 months between stretches. This will give enough time for your lobes to fully heal from any micro-tears caused by stretching up. Once healed your lobes will then regain their elasticity and should be ready for the next gauge size.
But again, everybody and every stretch are different. Just because your last stretch only needed 2 months doesn’t mean your next one will be the same. Some sizes may take up to 6 months or even longer until your lobes are ready.
No pain, no gain couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to the ear stretching process, resistance should be minimal and pain should be non-existent.
The slower you stretch your ears the better. Let me repeat that. The slower you stretch your ears the better!
Slow stretching means reduced chance of infections, blowouts and scar tissue. When in doubt, don’t stretch up. Common sense and patience.
HOW FAR IS TOO FAR? 🤔
Again, it’s another ‘everyone is different’ answer I’m afraid. If you want to err on the side of caution with ‘the point of no return’ then stretching to 6mm (2g) is a pretty safe bet that your lobes will fully close up and return back to normal. Although, we do know of stretched ears much bigger shrinking right back down.
Stretching up slowly will dramatically increase your chances of your lobes returning to normal. So on the flip side to that, stretching up too quickly will dramatically decrease the chances of your lobes closing up if you ever change your mind.
The main reason for this is when you damage your lobes from stretching too fast or incorrectly, you create a lot of scar tissue. Although a natural part of the healing process, scar tissues are inferior and lack elasticity which is crucial for increasing and decreasing the size of a stretched lobe. The smaller the amount of scar tissue, the bigger point of no return. It pays to be patient.
YOU ARE IN SAFE HANDS WITH SIBJ
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Our ear stretching kits alone have over 720+ 5 star reviews from our awesome customers. We work closely with specialist manufacturers to produce super high quality, safe and easy to use ear stretching kits that just work. No pain, no drama, just sick stretched lobes from the comfort of your own home. All you need is a healed piercing.
Stretch Up. Stand Out.
EAR STRETCHING TECHNIQUES ✍️
Now we are getting to the really juicy parts.. how to properly gauge ears.
Well, there are three methods we approve to safely stretch your ears:
- Taper Method
- Dead Stretching Method
- Taping Method
👇 TAPER METHOD 👇
TAPER METHOD ///
USED TO STRETCH UP TO 10MM (00G)
Tapers are simple tools used to aid in the stretching and insertion of jewellery. You will find some sources say that tapers are not safe to use.
Let me tell you tapers are perfectly safe to use when used properly.
The problem with tapers (and why they get such a bad rap) is they are generally misused and abused.
Misused - you’ll see people walking around wearing tapers. Whilst light tapers are ‘ok’ to be worn for short periods of time in fully healed stretched lobes. Generally, tapers should only be seen as a ‘tool’ to stretch with and not a piece of jewellery.
Abused - just because you bought an ear stretching kit containing tapers up to 10mm (00g) doesn’t mean you should start ramming these things into your lobes every other week. Tapers tempt people into stretching too fast and trick them into thinking the tapering on the taper makes the stretch gradual, when really it doesn't.
Tapers, when used properly should help aid in the insertion of a single flare plug or tunnel. The amount the taper stretches the lobe is minimal and should not cause any pain, certainly not bleeding!
The taper method will also require the use of fresh stretch friendly tunnels or plugs. For jewellery to qualify as ‘fresh stretch friendly’ it needs to be two things:
- Single Flare
- Non-porous (316L surgical steel, titanium or glass are good choices)
All of our complete ear stretching kits contain surgical steel ear tapers with single flare plugs or tunnels. Whilst cheap ear tapers can be used as they aren’t actually going to be worn, we always recommend good quality steel tapers due to their smooth surface and easy insertion.
Plug or Tunnel?
This tends to be a personal preference. While we recommend our flesh tunnel kits due to their light weight, some people prefer the look of plugs. Plugs are also less noticeable and sometimes a requirement for professional environments when flesh tunnels are not acceptable.
TAPER METHOD ///
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- Clean pair of hands
- Surgical steel ear stretching kit consisting of tapers and single flare tunnels or plugs
- Jojoba Oil
- Fragrance-free antibacterial soap
- Hot shower or bath
Swipe for next step ↔️
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 1
First off, let’s relax. Take a warm shower or bath, like most things it’s all in the preparation. The heat from the water and steam will improve circulation by opening up blood vessels making your lobes more welcoming for that next stretch.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 2
Pick your taper and corresponding single flare surgical steel flesh tunnel or plug. Ensure you choose the correct size and both the taper and jewellery match in gauge size.
Don’t skip sizes.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 3
Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap. Remove any o-rings from your tapers or jewellery, then proceed to wash your lobes, taper and jewellery with the same soap. Leaving your jewellery in boiling water is also an option but just make sure they have cooled before inserting.
Why do my tapers have o-rings?
Good question. It’s most definitely because manufacturers also think tapers should be worn as jewellery - see it’s not just you who’s confused! Anyhow, we leave them on as spares for your tunnels or plugs.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 4
Massage your lobes with jojoba oil for 5 minutes. Doing so not only lubricates the lobe ready for stretching, but it also stimulates blood flow further.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 5
Lubricate the taper and jewellery with jojoba oil. Ensure you lubricate the entire length of the taper and wearable area of the jewellery.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 6
Slowly insert the taper (small end first) into the front of the lobe. Never force the taper, if it’s uncomfortable STOP - you are not ready for the next size.
Remember not to push the taper all the way through, stop once you get to the flat, thickest part of the taper.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 7
Butt up your single flare jewellery to the taper. These two surfaces should match perfectly so there should be no lip in the transition.
(This photo shows a slightly misaligned tunnel and taper, try your best to align by gripping both together with a finger and thumb).
Once butted up, carefully push on the taper with the jewellery simultaneously removing the taper and inserting the jewellery.
Replacing the taper for your single flare jewellery should be one smooth, controlled action.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 8
Pat yourself on the back, you’ve just sized up! Repeat the process for the other lobe if you are stretching both. The same taper can be reused, whilst you will need two sets of tunnels or plugs. Be sure to wipe off any excess oil and secure the o-ring onto the back of the tunnel or plug.
We sell ear stretching kits from 1.6mm (14g) up to 10mm (00g) with some smaller kits in between. When stretching past 10mm (00g) we highly recommend you put down the tapers and pick up the tape. I know, tapers and tape - it’s like the art of ear stretching was destined to be confusing!
Ear stretching blowouts increase dramatically when stretching past 10mm (00g) with tapers. Dead stretching or taping then become your safest options to stretch up.
👇 DEAD STRETCHING METHOD 👇
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
CAN BE USED AT ANY SIZE & IS SUPER GRADUAL WITH OUR DEAD STRETCHING KIT
Dead stretching is considered to be the unrivaled stretching technique amongst the diehard body modifiers. And to be fair, for good reason. Dead stretching is dead straight forward, there is not much to do and therefore not much can go wrong.
Some may argue dead stretching is not safe, ramming a larger blunt object into a smaller stretched lobe doesn’t sound like a good idea. But again, the process has been misunderstood.
Dead stretching requires patience and plenty of it. Whilst tapers are great to safely assist with the transition of larger gauge piece of jewellery, dead stretching should only be used when your current jewellery is getting loose.
The industry standard for dead stretching is going up in 1mm increments and as always, never skipping sizes. Over time the weight of the jewellery will slightly stretch your lobes and then the next size can be inserted with ease. The problem here is that smaller gauge jewellery is very light and this process could take a long time, even with 1mm increments.
SIBJ have gone a step further with their ultimate Dead Stretching Kit, offering tiny 0.5mm increments between stretches! This means you can stretch up more easily, and more importantly, make the process even safer.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- Clean pair of hands
- Surgical steel or titanium dead stretching kit consisting of single flare plugs/tunnels with 0.5mm increments
- Jojoba Oil
- Fragrance-free antibacterial soap
- Hot shower or bath
WATCH THE VIDEO 📹
Swipe for next step ↔️
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 1
First off, let’s relax. Take a warm shower or bath, like most things it’s all in the preparation. The heat from the water and steam will improve circulation by opening up blood vessels making your lobes more welcoming for that next stretch.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 2
Pick your next size single flare plug. You can use our measuring card if you are unsure of the size but digital calipers work best!
Don’t skip sizes.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 3
Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap. Remove the o-ring from your plug, then proceed to wash your lobes and jewellery with the same soap.
Leaving your jewellery in boiling water is also an option but just make sure they have cooled before inserting.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 4
Massage your lobes with jojoba oil for 5 minutes. Doing so not only lubricates the lobe ready for stretching, but it also stimulates blood flow further.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 5
Lubricate the plug with jojoba oil. Ensure you lubricate the entire wearable area of the plug.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 6
Slowly insert the plug into the lobe from the front. As this plug is only 0.5mm bigger than your previous piece, there should be little to no resistance.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 7
Pat yourself on the back, you’ve just sized up! Repeat the process for the other lobe if you are stretching both.
Be sure to wipe off any excess oil and secure the o-ring onto the back of the plug.
ENDS SOON: 10% OFF ALL EAR STRETCHING KITS
Grab 10% off your first ear stretching kit from SIBJ when you enter promo code 'STRETCH10' at checkout. We'll ship your order out the same day if ordered before 3pm Mon - Fri, next day delivery available!
Stretch right the first time with SIBJ.
👇 TAPING METHOD 👇
TAPING METHOD ///
GENERALLY USED TO STRETCH PAST 10MM (00G)
When plugs get bigger, so do the jumps between sizes. This is where the taping method comes into its own and bridges these gaps.
Simply put, the taping method involves wrapping tape around your current jewellery to gradually increase its diameter.
This method can be fiddly at first, but once you have mastered the art of wrapping the results are a cheap, super gradual and safe method of stretching up in the larger gauge sizes.
Which tape do I use?
Get out of your garage and put down that roll of electrical tape! Most household tapes are not suitable for the taping method. This is mainly due to the horrible adhesives and the porous properties that 99% of tapes on the market use.
Strong sticky tape that can harbour bacteria wrapped around freshly stretched lobes, not a good idea!
We only recommend using bondage tape when it comes to the taping method - no joke. Quality bondage tape is made from non-porous PVC that does not contain any phthalates, paraffins, or latex. Most importantly bondage tape is self-amalgamating which means it contains no adhesives and only sticks to itself, not your lobes!
Traditional bondage tape comes in large, wide rolls that can only be purchased from sex shops. Luckily SIBJ has developed their own ear stretching tape that is thinner, cheaper and does not require an embarrassing trip into town.
TAPING METHOD ///
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- Clean pair of hands
- Single flare tunnel or plug (Surgical steel, glass or other fresh stretch friendly material)
- SIBJ Premium Ear Stretching Tape
- Jojoba Oil
- Fragrance-free antibacterial soap
- Hot shower or bath
Swipe for next step ↔️
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 1
First off, let’s relax. Take a warm shower or bath, like most things it’s all in the preparation. The heat from the water and steam will improve circulation by opening up blood vessels making your lobes more welcoming for that next stretch.
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 2
Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap.
Select your current gauge size single flare tunnel plug and remove any o-rings. Then proceed to wash your lobes and jewellery with the same soap.
Leaving your jewellery in boiling water is also an option but just make sure they have cooled before inserting.
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 3
Start wrapping the tape around the wearable area of the jewellery. A single wrap increases the diameter of your jewellery by just 0.2mm.
It’s important to keep some tension on the tape when wrapping to ensure there are no folds or creases.
On your first wrap, you will need a slight overlap to ensure the tape can stick to itself and hold its position.
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 4
Trim any excess tape hanging off the jewellery using a sharp blade or scissors. We have achieved perfect results using a single edge razor blade - just be careful!
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 5
Massage your lobes with jojoba oil for 5 minutes. Doing so not only lubricates the lobe ready for stretching, but it also stimulates blood flow further.
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 6
Lather the tape with jojoba oil and gently insert as normal into the lobe.
As the increase in diameter is so minimal there should be little to no resistance. If you struggle to insert then stop, remove the new wraps and wait a little longer.
Taping is super gradual so you shouldn't have any issues. Yep, you just sized up. Easy, huh!?
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 7
Re-oil your tape twice a day and stick with your usual cleaning regime. We recommend removing and replacing your old wraps with fresh wraps each time you clean your jewellery.
The process can be repeated every 7-21 days adding 1 extra wrap each time.
With just 5 wraps adding an impressive 1mm onto your gauge size it won’t be long until you are rocking that next piece of jewellery wrap free!
TOP TIP: It may help to keep a note on your phone of how many wraps you are currently on to avoid overstretching when you rewrap.
BRILLIANT STUFF!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Good oil, perfect for me. First time stretching and worked wonders with helping me get to the size I wanted! Will order again if I run out!"
Hannah G. - Verified 5 Star Organic Golden Jojoba Oil Review
JEWELLERY TYPES & MATERIALS 🔌🌴
Once you’ve reached a size you are happy to stop at for a while, it’s time to start building your plug collection! Typically, you start getting more choice around 6mm (2g), but there is still plenty to choose from in the smaller gauge sizes. The great thing about having stretched lobes is there is an abundance of awesome jewellery types, designs and materials.
TOP TIP: Be sure to select your current gauge size before browsing our range of jewellery. This way you’ll only see in-stock and available products in your size.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
PLUGS AKA FLESH PLUGS, EAR PLUGS, EAR GAUGES
Plugs are the most popular jewellery type worn in stretched lobes. They are a solid, circular piece of body jewellery available in all sizes and flare types.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
TUNNELS AKA FLESH TUNNELS, EAR TUNNELS, EYELETS
Second to plugs in popularity are tunnels. Flesh tunnels tend to be simpler in design and have the advantage of being lightweight, even in the larger gauge sizes.
The look of tunnels is sometimes preferred as they can really show off and exaggerate your stretched lobes.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
TEARDROPS AKA TEARDROP PLUGS
Teardrops are simply stylised plugs shaped to a teardrop. Getting the sizing correct with teardrops can be more difficult.
Follow this easy formula to quickly measure these beauties:
(wearable height + wearable width) ÷ 2 = teardrop gauge size
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
EAR WEIGHTS AKA PLUG WEIGHTS
First off ear weights are not designed to stretch your piercings. Think of them as maximum adornment for your stretched lobes.
They are designed to be worn occasionally and should be rotated with regular plugs or tunnels due to the risk of causing thin spots and shrinking of your lobes - especially heavier pieces.
Please don’t let that put you off though! Ear weights look amazing and really give that wow factor to your stretched lobes, big or small.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
PLUG HOOPS AKA TUNNEL HOOPS
Plug hoops or tunnel hoops are earrings that can be worn through tunnels allowing again for maximum adornment and stunning designs.
The great thing about these is they can also be worn in very small stretched ears due to the bar being the same size as standard earrings.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
TAPERS AKA STRETCHERS, EXPANDERS
Tapers should be seen as tools for stretching a piercing and mostly should not be worn as jewellery.
Lightweight tapers, made from wood for example can be worn for short periods of time in fully healed lobes.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
PINCHERS AKA CRESCENTS
Pinchers are crescent shaped pieces of body jewellery often worn in the lobes and septum.
Some people prefer to stretch up with pinchers as the fresh stretch friendly material types can be left in after stretching up.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
SPIRALS AKA TWISTS, CLAWS, HOOKS
We use the term spirals to categorise all other spiraled and interestly shaped ornate pieces of body jewellery worn in the lobe.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
FAKE GAUGE AKA FAKE PLUGS, FAKE STRETCHERS, FAUX GAUGES
Fake gauge jewellery makes your standard piercings look stretched. These bad boys are the only exception when it comes to ‘skipping sizes’.
Some fake gauge jewellery such as our fake septum range doesn’t even require a piercing!
MATERIAL TYPES ///
316L SURGICAL STEEL
Surgical steel is extremely smooth with a beautiful shiny luster.
316L is a high grade stainless steel perfect for those fresh stretches. While most decent pieces of ear stretching jewellery are made from the same grade steel, the real difference is the polish quality and finishing of edges and threads.
Poor quality jewellery will be dull and may contain sharp edges.
You’ll be pleased to know all of our 316L surgical steel jewellery is hand polished to a mirror finish and quality checked before dispatch!
MATERIAL TYPES ///
TITANIUM (ASTM F-136)
Grade 23 (ASTM F-136) also known as implant grade titanium is commonly used in body jewellery piercings. It weighs nearly half as much as steel and is 3 times stronger!
Any trusted piercer will use ASTM F-136 titanium when you’ve just been pierced due to it being completely nickel free and totally hypo-allergenic.
Implant grade titanium is not usually needed for ear stretching jewellery unless you are extremely sensitive to other materials.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
GLASS
Quality glass body jewellery is super smooth and 100% biocompatible and inert.
Ensure your glass jewellery is a lead-free borosilicate glass, lower grades of recycled glass could cause reactions if you are sensitive.
All of our glass plugs are fresh stretch friendly and make the perfect colourful alternative to our surgical steel pieces.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
PVD COATED
PVD or Physical Vapor Deposition is a coating applied to surgical steel jewellery using a Titanium Aluminium Nitride (TiAlN) compound.
We won’t bore you with the science but the result is a highly scratch resistant coating that’s low friction, hypoallergenic and of course looks awesome.
We sell PVD coated jewellery in black, gold and rose gold.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
ORGANIC
Organic body jewellery is a term used to categorise all naturally occurring materials.
This typically includes, but is not limited to wood, stone, horn, bone and shell.
Organic plugs and other stretched ear jewellery is AMAZING! All of our organic range is hand carved, polished and responsibly sourced.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
WOOD
Biocompatible and kind to your lobes. Wooden body jewellery is super lightweight and comes in tons of different colours and patterns.
Like all organic jewellery, wood should only be worn in fully healed lobes.
Our wooden stretchers are hand carved by master craftsmen and their work is truly mind blowing.
All wood used in our jewellery is responsibly sourced. Be sure to keep your wooden jewellery dry, avoiding humidity and extreme temperatures.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
STONE
A favourite of ours at SIBJ. These plugs come in a wide variety of semi-precious stones in every colour you can think of.
Like everything else, stick to the high quality pieces. Low quality stone body jewellery has poor polish and often uses cheap stones with disappointing colour variations.
Our stone plugs are polished to a glass like finish ensuring no sharp or unfinished edges.
Stone body jewellery is biocompatible but should still only be worn in fully healed lobes.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
HORN, BONE & SHELL
Again, these natural materials are biocompatible and super lightweight, but should only be worn in full healed stretched lobes.
Intricate, beautiful carvings can be produced by our master carvers, some you have to see, to believe!
All of our animal derived materials are 100% responsibly sourced. No animal was killed for our jewellery, the horn and bone used is a waste product from other industries.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
ACRYLIC
We don’t sell much acrylic due to most pieces being quite low quality.
We only really recommend acrylic jewellery if you need some cheap tapers (these are used as a tool and should not be worn as jewellery) or require some hiders in your skin tone.
Acrylic should only be worn in fully healed lobes due to its porous properties.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
SILICONE
Silicone, like acrylic, is one to strictly be worn in fully healed lobes.
Please, please don’t stretch up with silicone tunnels!
Silicone flesh tunnels are super comfy and lightweight, you won’t even know you are wearing them. These also come in tons of different colours including metallic finishes.
AFTERCARE 👩⚕️
Ear stretching aftercare is a breeze when you follow the right steps to achieving happy and healthy stretched ears. So, if you've followed our guide above there really isn't much to do and aftercare is extemely simple!
Follow our full aftercare guide and discover our awesome ear stretching blog by click the button below:
DID WE MISS ANYTHING? 🤦♂️✉️
There we have it. Everything you need to know about ear stretching!
We hope you are now sitting firmly in camp 3 but if you still have any questions regarding the process or our products, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
And if you are ever in doubt, just remember...
1. Common Sense
2. Patience
STRETCH RIGHT THE FIRST TIME WITH SIBJ.
HOW TO STRETCH YOUR EARS
The process of stretching your ears is simple, pain-free and one of the easiest (and coolest) body modifications you can do.
Honest. There is nothing difficult about it.
With years and years of misguided information, contradictions and straight-up dangerous techniques floating around the web, most people fall into one of two camps:
Camp 1. “Screw this, I’m just going to ram something in my ear and see what happens.”
Camp 2. “OMG! Look at that blowout, I think I’ll give this a miss.”
But, the fact you’ve ended up here means you’re in neither. The fact you’ve even done any research puts you ahead of 80% of people. And the fact you are going to read on means you’ll soon be in camp three:
Camp 3. “Honest. There is nothing difficult about it...”
Stretch It Body Jewellery has put together this complete gauging, ear stretching, flesh plugging (whatever you want to call it, we really don’t care) guide to help you stretch your ears confidently, properly and most of all safely.
BEST KIT AROUND!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"I have stretched my ears before but this kit is the most painless and easy way to do it. Plus their customer service is second to none."
Laura - Verified 5 Star Dead Stretching Kit Review
TERMINOLOGY 🤷♂️
To ensure you understand what the hell we are talking about, let’s run through some popular ear stretching terminology.
Tap on each term to reveal its definition:
Stretching
The process of increasing the diameter of a piercing.
Plug
A solid, circular piece of jewellery worn in stretched piercings. Can also be known by other names and is commonly used to categorise all jewellery worn in stretched piercings.
Tunnel
AKA flesh tunnels, eyelets and other names. Same as a plug but has a hole through the middle.
Taper
A spike-shaped tool used to assist with stretching a piercing. Small at one end, big at the other. Should NOT be worn as jewellery.
Ear Gauges
Technically an incorrect term used to describe jewellery worn in stretched piercings. But really, who cares? Call them what you want.
Flares
The part of a tunnel or plug that flares outwards to secure the jewellery in place.
Single Flare
A piece of jewellery with one flare. Typically has an o-ring the other end.
Double Flare
A piece of jewellery with two flares, one either end.
Wearable Area
The part of the jewellery that is in contact with your lobes. The area between flares or o-rings.
O-Ring
Used to secure single or no flare jewellery in place. Can also be used to fix a leaking tap.
Millimetre
Abbreviated to mm. A unit of measurement popularly used to measure jewellery in the UK and Europe. 1/10th of a centimetre.
Gauge
Abbreviated to g. A unit of measurement popularly used to measure jewellery in the United States. Bigger is smaller. Rhymes with page.
Blow Out
Fistula skin (the skin in contact with your jewellery) is pushed out through the back of your piercing. Bad news but not the end of the world.
Now you are pretty well armed for someone on Reddit not shoot you down for being a noob we are just about ready to crack on. Before we start, I’d like to engrain two principles into your mind:
1. Common Sense
2. Patience
If you are ever in doubt throughout your ear stretching journey, just apply these two simple things and you really can’t go wrong!
WHEN AND WHAT SIZE? 📅 📏
Most piercers will pierce your lobes at 1mm (18g) or 1.2mm (16g). We highly recommend waiting at least 4 - 6 months before thinking about ear lobe stretching. The piercing should be fully healed and showing no signs of infection.
Most of our ear stretching kits start at 1.6mm (14g) which is the perfect size for your first stretch from an initial piercing. From there on sizes should NEVER be skipped.
As mentioned previously in the terminology section, body jewellery shops don’t make things straight forward when it comes to units of measurement. Some display in millimetres whilst others use the gauge system or fractions of an inch.
Check out the conversion below in our ear gauge sizing chart if you are ever in doubt:
| Milimetre | Gauge / Inch |
| 0.6mm | 22g |
| 0.8mm | 20g |
| 1mm | 18g |
| 1.2mm | 16g |
| 1.6mm | 14g |
| 2mm | 12g |
| 2.4mm | 10g |
| 3mm | 8g |
| 4mm | 6g |
| 5mm | 4g |
| 6mm | 2g |
| 8mm | 0g |
| 10mm | 00g |
| 11mm | 7/16" |
| 12mm | 1/2" |
| 14mm | 9/16" |
| 16mm | 5/8" |
| 18mm | 11/16" |
| 19mm | 3/4" |
| 20mm | 13/16" |
| 22mm | 7/8" |
| 25mm | 1" |
Luckily, SIBJ displays their jewellery in both to avoid any confusion, but we always recommend using millimetres as your first choice of measurement due to superior accuracy and simplicity. And who wants to be messing around with fractions!?
HOW LONG DO I WAIT BETWEEN STRETCHES? ⌛
I’m going to apologise in advance for the cliché answer. Sorry.
It depends and everyone is different.
Unfortunately, there is no set in stone answer to this question but we can give some guidelines so you don’t go completely mental and rock 25mm double flare plugs within 36 hours.
We recommend at least 2 months between stretches. This will give enough time for your lobes to fully heal from any micro-tears caused by stretching up. Once healed your lobes will then regain their elasticity and should be ready for the next gauge size.
But again, everybody and every stretch are different. Just because your last stretch only needed 2 months doesn’t mean your next one will be the same. Some sizes may take up to 6 months or even longer until your lobes are ready.
No pain, no gain couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to the ear stretching process, resistance should be minimal and pain should be non-existent.
The slower you stretch your ears the better. Let me repeat that. The slower you stretch your ears the better!
Slow stretching means reduced chance of infections, blowouts and scar tissue. When in doubt, don’t stretch up. Common sense and patience.
HOW FAR IS TOO FAR? 🤔
Again, it’s another ‘everyone is different’ answer I’m afraid. If you want to err on the side of caution with ‘the point of no return’ then stretching to 6mm (2g) is a pretty safe bet that your lobes will fully close up and return back to normal. Although, we do know of stretched ears much bigger shrinking right back down.
Stretching up slowly will dramatically increase your chances of your lobes returning to normal. So on the flip side to that, stretching up too quickly will dramatically decrease the chances of your lobes closing up if you ever change your mind.
The main reason for this is when you damage your lobes from stretching too fast or incorrectly, you create a lot of scar tissue. Although a natural part of the healing process, scar tissues are inferior and lack elasticity which is crucial for increasing and decreasing the size of a stretched lobe. The smaller the amount of scar tissue, the bigger point of no return. It pays to be patient.
YOU ARE IN SAFE HANDS WITH SIBJ
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Our ear stretching kits alone have over 720+ 5 star reviews from our awesome customers. We work closely with specialist manufacturers to produce super high quality, safe and easy to use ear stretching kits that just work. No pain, no drama, just sick stretched lobes from the comfort of your own home. All you need is a healed piercing.
Stretch Up. Stand Out.
EAR STRETCHING TECHNIQUES ✍️
Now we are getting to the really juicy parts.. how to properly gauge ears.
Well, there are three methods we approve to safely stretch your ears:
- Taper Method
- Dead Stretching Method
- Taping Method
👇 TAPER METHOD 👇
TAPER METHOD ///
USED TO STRETCH UP TO 10MM (00G)
Tapers are simple tools used to aid in the stretching and insertion of jewellery. You will find some sources say that tapers are not safe to use.
Let me tell you tapers are perfectly safe to use when used properly.
The problem with tapers (and why they get such a bad rap) is they are generally misused and abused.
Misused - you’ll see people walking around wearing tapers. Whilst light tapers are ‘ok’ to be worn for short periods of time in fully healed stretched lobes. Generally, tapers should only be seen as a ‘tool’ to stretch with and not a piece of jewellery.
Abused - just because you bought an ear stretching kit containing tapers up to 10mm (00g) doesn’t mean you should start ramming these things into your lobes every other week. Tapers tempt people into stretching too fast and trick them into thinking the tapering on the taper makes the stretch gradual, when really it doesn't.
Tapers, when used properly should help aid in the insertion of a single flare plug or tunnel. The amount the taper stretches the lobe is minimal and should not cause any pain, certainly not bleeding!
The taper method will also require the use of fresh stretch friendly tunnels or plugs. For jewellery to qualify as ‘fresh stretch friendly’ it needs to be two things:
- Single Flare
- Non-porous (316L surgical steel, titanium or glass are good choices)
All of our complete ear stretching kits contain surgical steel ear tapers with single flare plugs or tunnels. Whilst cheap ear tapers can be used as they aren’t actually going to be worn, we always recommend good quality steel tapers due to their smooth surface and easy insertion.
Plug or Tunnel?
This tends to be a personal preference. While we recommend our flesh tunnel kits due to their light weight, some people prefer the look of plugs. Plugs are also less noticeable and sometimes a requirement for professional environments when flesh tunnels are not acceptable.
TAPER METHOD ///
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- Clean pair of hands
- Surgical steel ear stretching kit consisting of tapers and single flare tunnels or plugs
- Jojoba Oil
- Fragrance-free antibacterial soap
- Hot shower or bath
Swipe for next step ↔️
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 1
First off, let’s relax. Take a warm shower or bath, like most things it’s all in the preparation. The heat from the water and steam will improve circulation by opening up blood vessels making your lobes more welcoming for that next stretch.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 2
Pick your taper and corresponding single flare surgical steel flesh tunnel or plug. Ensure you choose the correct size and both the taper and jewellery match in gauge size.
Don’t skip sizes.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 3
Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap. Remove any o-rings from your tapers or jewellery, then proceed to wash your lobes, taper and jewellery with the same soap. Leaving your jewellery in boiling water is also an option but just make sure they have cooled before inserting.
Why do my tapers have o-rings?
Good question. It’s most definitely because manufacturers also think tapers should be worn as jewellery - see it’s not just you who’s confused! Anyhow, we leave them on as spares for your tunnels or plugs.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 4
Massage your lobes with jojoba oil for 5 minutes. Doing so not only lubricates the lobe ready for stretching, but it also stimulates blood flow further.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 5
Lubricate the taper and jewellery with jojoba oil. Ensure you lubricate the entire length of the taper and wearable area of the jewellery.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 6
Slowly insert the taper (small end first) into the front of the lobe. Never force the taper, if it’s uncomfortable STOP - you are not ready for the next size.
Remember not to push the taper all the way through, stop once you get to the flat, thickest part of the taper.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 7
Butt up your single flare jewellery to the taper. These two surfaces should match perfectly so there should be no lip in the transition.
(This photo shows a slightly misaligned tunnel and taper, try your best to align by gripping both together with a finger and thumb).
Once butted up, carefully push on the taper with the jewellery simultaneously removing the taper and inserting the jewellery.
Replacing the taper for your single flare jewellery should be one smooth, controlled action.
TAPER METHOD ///
STEP 8
Pat yourself on the back, you’ve just sized up! Repeat the process for the other lobe if you are stretching both. The same taper can be reused, whilst you will need two sets of tunnels or plugs. Be sure to wipe off any excess oil and secure the o-ring onto the back of the tunnel or plug.
We sell ear stretching kits from 1.6mm (14g) up to 10mm (00g) with some smaller kits in between. When stretching past 10mm (00g) we highly recommend you put down the tapers and pick up the tape. I know, tapers and tape - it’s like the art of ear stretching was destined to be confusing!
Ear stretching blowouts increase dramatically when stretching past 10mm (00g) with tapers. Dead stretching or taping then become your safest options to stretch up.
👇 DEAD STRETCHING METHOD 👇
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
CAN BE USED AT ANY SIZE & IS SUPER GRADUAL WITH OUR DEAD STRETCHING KIT
Dead stretching is considered to be the unrivaled stretching technique amongst the diehard body modifiers. And to be fair, for good reason. Dead stretching is dead straight forward, there is not much to do and therefore not much can go wrong.
Some may argue dead stretching is not safe, ramming a larger blunt object into a smaller stretched lobe doesn’t sound like a good idea. But again, the process has been misunderstood.
Dead stretching requires patience and plenty of it. Whilst tapers are great to safely assist with the transition of larger gauge piece of jewellery, dead stretching should only be used when your current jewellery is getting loose.
The industry standard for dead stretching is going up in 1mm increments and as always, never skipping sizes. Over time the weight of the jewellery will slightly stretch your lobes and then the next size can be inserted with ease. The problem here is that smaller gauge jewellery is very light and this process could take a long time, even with 1mm increments.
SIBJ have gone a step further with their ultimate Dead Stretching Kit, offering tiny 0.5mm increments between stretches! This means you can stretch up more easily, and more importantly, make the process even safer.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- Clean pair of hands
- Surgical steel or titanium dead stretching kit consisting of single flare plugs/tunnels with 0.5mm increments
- Jojoba Oil
- Fragrance-free antibacterial soap
- Hot shower or bath
WATCH THE VIDEO 📹
Swipe for next step ↔️
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 1
First off, let’s relax. Take a warm shower or bath, like most things it’s all in the preparation. The heat from the water and steam will improve circulation by opening up blood vessels making your lobes more welcoming for that next stretch.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 2
Pick your next size single flare plug. You can use our measuring card if you are unsure of the size but digital calipers work best!
Don’t skip sizes.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 3
Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap. Remove the o-ring from your plug, then proceed to wash your lobes and jewellery with the same soap.
Leaving your jewellery in boiling water is also an option but just make sure they have cooled before inserting.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 4
Massage your lobes with jojoba oil for 5 minutes. Doing so not only lubricates the lobe ready for stretching, but it also stimulates blood flow further.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 5
Lubricate the plug with jojoba oil. Ensure you lubricate the entire wearable area of the plug.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 6
Slowly insert the plug into the lobe from the front. As this plug is only 0.5mm bigger than your previous piece, there should be little to no resistance.
DEAD STRETCHING METHOD ///
STEP 7
Pat yourself on the back, you’ve just sized up! Repeat the process for the other lobe if you are stretching both.
Be sure to wipe off any excess oil and secure the o-ring onto the back of the plug.
ENDS SOON: 10% OFF ALL EAR STRETCHING KITS
Grab 10% off your first ear stretching kit from SIBJ when you enter promo code 'STRETCH10' at checkout. We'll ship your order out the same day if ordered before 3pm Mon - Fri, next day delivery available!
Stretch right the first time with SIBJ.
👇 TAPING METHOD 👇
TAPING METHOD ///
GENERALLY USED TO STRETCH PAST 10MM (00G)
When plugs get bigger, so do the jumps between sizes. This is where the taping method comes into its own and bridges these gaps.
Simply put, the taping method involves wrapping tape around your current jewellery to gradually increase its diameter.
This method can be fiddly at first, but once you have mastered the art of wrapping the results are a cheap, super gradual and safe method of stretching up in the larger gauge sizes.
Which tape do I use?
Get out of your garage and put down that roll of electrical tape! Most household tapes are not suitable for the taping method. This is mainly due to the horrible adhesives and the porous properties that 99% of tapes on the market use.
Strong sticky tape that can harbour bacteria wrapped around freshly stretched lobes, not a good idea!
We only recommend using bondage tape when it comes to the taping method - no joke. Quality bondage tape is made from non-porous PVC that does not contain any phthalates, paraffins, or latex. Most importantly bondage tape is self-amalgamating which means it contains no adhesives and only sticks to itself, not your lobes!
Traditional bondage tape comes in large, wide rolls that can only be purchased from sex shops. Luckily SIBJ has developed their own ear stretching tape that is thinner, cheaper and does not require an embarrassing trip into town.
TAPING METHOD ///
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- Clean pair of hands
- Single flare tunnel or plug (Surgical steel, glass or other fresh stretch friendly material)
- SIBJ Premium Ear Stretching Tape
- Jojoba Oil
- Fragrance-free antibacterial soap
- Hot shower or bath
Swipe for next step ↔️
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 1
First off, let’s relax. Take a warm shower or bath, like most things it’s all in the preparation. The heat from the water and steam will improve circulation by opening up blood vessels making your lobes more welcoming for that next stretch.
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 2
Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap.
Select your current gauge size single flare tunnel plug and remove any o-rings. Then proceed to wash your lobes and jewellery with the same soap.
Leaving your jewellery in boiling water is also an option but just make sure they have cooled before inserting.
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 3
Start wrapping the tape around the wearable area of the jewellery. A single wrap increases the diameter of your jewellery by just 0.2mm.
It’s important to keep some tension on the tape when wrapping to ensure there are no folds or creases.
On your first wrap, you will need a slight overlap to ensure the tape can stick to itself and hold its position.
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 4
Trim any excess tape hanging off the jewellery using a sharp blade or scissors. We have achieved perfect results using a single edge razor blade - just be careful!
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 5
Massage your lobes with jojoba oil for 5 minutes. Doing so not only lubricates the lobe ready for stretching, but it also stimulates blood flow further.
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 6
Lather the tape with jojoba oil and gently insert as normal into the lobe.
As the increase in diameter is so minimal there should be little to no resistance. If you struggle to insert then stop, remove the new wraps and wait a little longer.
Taping is super gradual so you shouldn't have any issues. Yep, you just sized up. Easy, huh!?
TAPING METHOD ///
STEP 7
Re-oil your tape twice a day and stick with your usual cleaning regime. We recommend removing and replacing your old wraps with fresh wraps each time you clean your jewellery.
The process can be repeated every 7-21 days adding 1 extra wrap each time.
With just 5 wraps adding an impressive 1mm onto your gauge size it won’t be long until you are rocking that next piece of jewellery wrap free!
TOP TIP: It may help to keep a note on your phone of how many wraps you are currently on to avoid overstretching when you rewrap.
BRILLIANT STUFF!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Good oil, perfect for me. First time stretching and worked wonders with helping me get to the size I wanted! Will order again if I run out!"
Hannah G. - Verified 5 Star Organic Golden Jojoba Oil Review
JEWELLERY TYPES & MATERIALS 🔌🌴
Once you’ve reached a size you are happy to stop at for a while, it’s time to start building your plug collection! Typically, you start getting more choice around 6mm (2g), but there is still plenty to choose from in the smaller gauge sizes. The great thing about having stretched lobes is there is an abundance of awesome jewellery types, designs and materials.
TOP TIP: Be sure to select your current gauge size before browsing our range of jewellery. This way you’ll only see in-stock and available products in your size.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
PLUGS AKA FLESH PLUGS, EAR PLUGS, EAR GAUGES
Plugs are the most popular jewellery type worn in stretched lobes. They are a solid, circular piece of body jewellery available in all sizes and flare types.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
TUNNELS AKA FLESH TUNNELS, EAR TUNNELS, EYELETS
Second to plugs in popularity are tunnels. Flesh tunnels tend to be simpler in design and have the advantage of being lightweight, even in the larger gauge sizes.
The look of tunnels is sometimes preferred as they can really show off and exaggerate your stretched lobes.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
TEARDROPS AKA TEARDROP PLUGS
Teardrops are simply stylised plugs shaped to a teardrop. Getting the sizing correct with teardrops can be more difficult.
Follow this easy formula to quickly measure these beauties:
(wearable height + wearable width) ÷ 2 = teardrop gauge size
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
EAR WEIGHTS AKA PLUG WEIGHTS
First off ear weights are not designed to stretch your piercings. Think of them as maximum adornment for your stretched lobes.
They are designed to be worn occasionally and should be rotated with regular plugs or tunnels due to the risk of causing thin spots and shrinking of your lobes - especially heavier pieces.
Please don’t let that put you off though! Ear weights look amazing and really give that wow factor to your stretched lobes, big or small.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
PLUG HOOPS AKA TUNNEL HOOPS
Plug hoops or tunnel hoops are earrings that can be worn through tunnels allowing again for maximum adornment and stunning designs.
The great thing about these is they can also be worn in very small stretched ears due to the bar being the same size as standard earrings.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
TAPERS AKA STRETCHERS, EXPANDERS
Tapers should be seen as tools for stretching a piercing and mostly should not be worn as jewellery.
Lightweight tapers, made from wood for example can be worn for short periods of time in fully healed lobes.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
PINCHERS AKA CRESCENTS
Pinchers are crescent shaped pieces of body jewellery often worn in the lobes and septum.
Some people prefer to stretch up with pinchers as the fresh stretch friendly material types can be left in after stretching up.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
SPIRALS AKA TWISTS, CLAWS, HOOKS
We use the term spirals to categorise all other spiraled and interestly shaped ornate pieces of body jewellery worn in the lobe.
JEWELLERY TYPES ///
FAKE GAUGE AKA FAKE PLUGS, FAKE STRETCHERS, FAUX GAUGES
Fake gauge jewellery makes your standard piercings look stretched. These bad boys are the only exception when it comes to ‘skipping sizes’.
Some fake gauge jewellery such as our fake septum range doesn’t even require a piercing!
MATERIAL TYPES ///
316L SURGICAL STEEL
Surgical steel is extremely smooth with a beautiful shiny luster.
316L is a high grade stainless steel perfect for those fresh stretches. While most decent pieces of ear stretching jewellery are made from the same grade steel, the real difference is the polish quality and finishing of edges and threads.
Poor quality jewellery will be dull and may contain sharp edges.
You’ll be pleased to know all of our 316L surgical steel jewellery is hand polished to a mirror finish and quality checked before dispatch!
MATERIAL TYPES ///
TITANIUM (ASTM F-136)
Grade 23 (ASTM F-136) also known as implant grade titanium is commonly used in body jewellery piercings. It weighs nearly half as much as steel and is 3 times stronger!
Any trusted piercer will use ASTM F-136 titanium when you’ve just been pierced due to it being completely nickel free and totally hypo-allergenic.
Implant grade titanium is not usually needed for ear stretching jewellery unless you are extremely sensitive to other materials.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
GLASS
Quality glass body jewellery is super smooth and 100% biocompatible and inert.
Ensure your glass jewellery is a lead-free borosilicate glass, lower grades of recycled glass could cause reactions if you are sensitive.
All of our glass plugs are fresh stretch friendly and make the perfect colourful alternative to our surgical steel pieces.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
PVD COATED
PVD or Physical Vapor Deposition is a coating applied to surgical steel jewellery using a Titanium Aluminium Nitride (TiAlN) compound.
We won’t bore you with the science but the result is a highly scratch resistant coating that’s low friction, hypoallergenic and of course looks awesome.
We sell PVD coated jewellery in black, gold and rose gold.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
ORGANIC
Organic body jewellery is a term used to categorise all naturally occurring materials.
This typically includes, but is not limited to wood, stone, horn, bone and shell.
Organic plugs and other stretched ear jewellery is AMAZING! All of our organic range is hand carved, polished and responsibly sourced.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
WOOD
Biocompatible and kind to your lobes. Wooden body jewellery is super lightweight and comes in tons of different colours and patterns.
Like all organic jewellery, wood should only be worn in fully healed lobes.
Our wooden stretchers are hand carved by master craftsmen and their work is truly mind blowing.
All wood used in our jewellery is responsibly sourced. Be sure to keep your wooden jewellery dry, avoiding humidity and extreme temperatures.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
STONE
A favourite of ours at SIBJ. These plugs come in a wide variety of semi-precious stones in every colour you can think of.
Like everything else, stick to the high quality pieces. Low quality stone body jewellery has poor polish and often uses cheap stones with disappointing colour variations.
Our stone plugs are polished to a glass like finish ensuring no sharp or unfinished edges.
Stone body jewellery is biocompatible but should still only be worn in fully healed lobes.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
HORN, BONE & SHELL
Again, these natural materials are biocompatible and super lightweight, but should only be worn in full healed stretched lobes.
Intricate, beautiful carvings can be produced by our master carvers, some you have to see, to believe!
All of our animal derived materials are 100% responsibly sourced. No animal was killed for our jewellery, the horn and bone used is a waste product from other industries.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
ACRYLIC
We don’t sell much acrylic due to most pieces being quite low quality.
We only really recommend acrylic jewellery if you need some cheap tapers (these are used as a tool and should not be worn as jewellery) or require some hiders in your skin tone.
Acrylic should only be worn in fully healed lobes due to its porous properties.
MATERIAL TYPES ///
SILICONE
Silicone, like acrylic, is one to strictly be worn in fully healed lobes.
Please, please don’t stretch up with silicone tunnels!
Silicone flesh tunnels are super comfy and lightweight, you won’t even know you are wearing them. These also come in tons of different colours including metallic finishes.
AFTERCARE 👩⚕️
Ear stretching aftercare is a breeze when you follow the right steps to achieving happy and healthy stretched ears. So, if you've followed our guide above there really isn't much to do and aftercare is extemely simple!
Follow our full aftercare guide and discover our awesome ear stretching blog by click the button below:
DID WE MISS ANYTHING? 🤦♂️✉️
There we have it. Everything you need to know about ear stretching!
We hope you are now sitting firmly in camp 3 but if you still have any questions regarding the process or our products, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
And if you are ever in doubt, just remember...
1. Common Sense
2. Patience
