How long should I wait between each ear stretch?

April 15, 2022  / by Alex Peace

How long between ear stretches should I wait?

Please keep in mind the answer to this question will vary depending on the individual, but the average recommended length between ear gauge sizes is 6-8 weeks.  If you are reading this chances are you are the type of person that reads this like 6 weeks and not 8 weeks, but while stretching your ears it is always better to caution on the longer side.  In fact, it is better to wait 8-10 weeks or even 10-12 weeks.  Trust us, your ears will thank you and look better in the end.

The smaller gauge ear sizes can stretch a little quicker than the larger sizes.  So if you are stretching from 4mm to 5mm you might only take 5 weeks to 7 weeks.  While if you are stretching from 19mm to 20mm it is recommended to take on average 12-14 weeks before stretching to the next gauge size.

Why do I want to wait to stretch my ear again?

Your stretched ears need to heal.  When your stretch your ears you are actually damaging your ears.  If you do not allow for the weeks or months of healing your stretched ears will fight back.  They will start to develop scar tissue or eventually have a blowout.

If scar tissue starts to develop on your stretched ears your ears will be less elastic and not ready for the next gauged ear size.  Allowing the extra time between gauge sizes along with massaging your stretched ears will give you less scar tissue build-up and more elasticity to your stretched ears.

We asked our customers how long they waited between each gauge size for their stretched ears

We asked our customers how long they waited before stretching to their next gauge size for their ears.  Here are some of their answers...

Haylee

I stretched my ears about 4 weeks apart. I got up to a 0g and am happy with that. The stretch from 2g to 0g was the absolute worst for me, even with lots of lubricants.

Dani
I found half sizes between 6 gauge and 2 gauge so it went a little quicker but probably longer than others since my ears are super sensitive

Rachel

It’s a minimum 6-8 weeks for your lobes to properly heal between ear stretches, you should always wait for them to fully heal. Every time you stretch you create micro-tears which if not allowed to heal before stretching to the next size can create problems for future stretching or if you ever wanted to downsize.

Kendra

I did mine over a decade ago and definitely didn't go long enough between 4 gauge -2 gauge and 2 gauge -0 gauge. (I waited maybe a month each) and now I've waited years between size stretches and am up to a 1/2" but can only stretch by way of weights to avoid blow out from those younger impatient years

Rachael

At least 4-6 weeks, took 4 years to get to an inch but i never had a blow out or a rip. I've been at an inch+ for almost 14 (ouch my back) years and they're still happy and healthy and have been able to size down to less than half an inch on a couple occasions(job hunting). Patience and vitamin E oil are key to happy healthy lobes.

Ebony

When I was first sizing up I was jumping pretty quickly like almost every 90 days once I got to double zero I started to slow down. It took me maybe five years to finally settled at 14mm

Courtney

When I was younger I did it way too quickly. That was 17 years ago though. Now I wait until I comfortably have space between my plugs and lobe. Usually anywhere from 3-6 months 

Katie

When I was stretching my ears in the smaller gauges, I waited at least 3 months between sizes. Once it was more than comfortable for me to really pull on them. Now. I have been a 00 for like 5 years, and have since JUST gotten to 12mm. I have small ears and only go up when I can comfortably put in double flared plugs. I do this so I KNOW that I won't have a blowout.