Changing a Gauge in Earrings

Series Summary

Earlobes are an unusual part of the human body. Put a cork or other large plastic device in them and the thought might create a little queasiness. One may ask themselves, how is that done? It looks so painful! It takes a good amount of time to stretch earlobes to the point where a cork or metal gauge can actually fit in them. But keep in mind, they all start with a normal size ear piercing. In this free video series on ear piercing and stretching, learn from a professional body piercer what it takes to stretch those earlobes. First, she talks about changing the gauge in earrings, repairing damaged earlobes and healing infected piercings. Next, learn about caring for a new ear piercing, gauging ears and selecting the right size gauge. Finally, she discusses how to use ear stretchers and the concept of ear stretching.

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Kerri at Zebra in Berkley and I'm here to tell you how to change a gauge in your ears. When changing your gauge of jewelry in your ears, it's very important that you select a size that is very close to the size that you currently have. Whether going up or down, you're going to want to make sure that it's not too drastic. If you're going up, you're not going to want to go more than one size at a time in a two week period, and if you're going down, you're not going to want to go too small or your jewelry is simply just going to fall out. When changing the gauge in your ear, you're going to want to make sure that you lubricate the area before putting it in and ideally, you're be using a taper pin, or a piece of jewelry that is already tapered at one end, meaning smaller at one end, in order to make it go in easier. Sometimes you can get away with just shoving the jewelry in on your own, but again make sure that it's not too large, or you're going to end up blowing out the back of your ear."