How to Put in Gauged Ear Plugs

Gauged ear plugs allow you to increase the diameter of your ear piercing. This needs to be done gradually so you do not rip your earlobe. If you want to stretch out your ear piercing, you should learn how to put in gauged ear plugs properly to avoid skin irritation or infection.

Things You'll Need

• Liquid antibacterial soap
• Warm water
• Gauze pads
• Alcohol
• Taper, extender or stretcher of gauged ear plugs
• Lighter
• Petroleum jelly or other lubricant
• Aloe vera gel

Instructions

1. Wash your hands for at least two minutes with a liquid antibacterial soap and warm water.

2. Remove your existing earring from your ear piercing. Wash your earlobe with liquid antibacterial soap and warm water as well.

3. Use a 2 mm or 1.6 mm gauge taper size for your ears if you have a regular piercing. The lower the size number is the thicker the hole will be.

4. Put five drops of rubbing alcohol on a gauze pad and gently rub it on the ear piercing.

5. Hold the taper or extender of the gauged ear plugs over an open flame of a lighter for 15 seconds to sterilize it. The taper is a cone-shaped rod used to stretch the ear piercings. When it is cool, pour rubbing alcohol over it.

6. Apply petroleum jelly at the tip of the taper. Slowly insert it through your ear piercing. Gently ease it in with a twisting motion as far as it will go comfortably. Once it seems as though the taper cannot go any farther, twist it once more and give it a slight push.

7. Leave the taper in until it is no longer uncomfortable or you no longer feel pressure. This will vary from person to person. It may take some people a few hours and others a couple of days.

8. Give the taper another twist and another push when you no longer feel pain or pressure. Moving too quickly can damage the earlobe.

9. Remove the taper from your ear every day and wash your ear with antibacterial soap and alcohol. Pour alcohol on the tip of the taper before you put it back on your ear. Use more lubricant if you need to. Push in the taper once a day.

10. Continue this process until the taper goes into the earlobe completely. This may take a day or it may take a week.

11. Keep your ears clean during the process. Regularly wash your ears and clean the taper with antibacterial soap and aloe vera gel. Rub the gel on your ears after you clean them. This will make the healing process faster. Always clean the ear plug before you put it back in your ear.

12. Wait another four or five weeks to stretch your piercing again. Use a taper that is 1 to 2 mm larger than the one you just used. Use the same procedure and same cleaning routine. Do this until you achieve the ear pierce size that you want.

Tips & Warnings

• Monitor the dates of when you increased the size of your gauge ear plugs and any side effects that you may have.

References

• ARKA Shop: Ear Stretching Information