How to care for your stretched ears after stretching.
April 8, 2022 / by Alex Peace
When you stretch your ears it is important to take the time to give some love to your stretched ears. Your earlobes will need to heal between gauge sizes. The most important thing to remember is the process of stretching your ears will take time. If you stretch too quickly there is a good chance you will damage your ears. We want you to have the most beautiful and healthy stretched ears. Below are some of the important topics to keep your ears safe and healthy.
Keep your stretched ears and plugs clean.
Use jojoba oil on your stretched ears.
Don't play with your stretched ears.
What should I do if my stretched ears become irritated, infected, or tear?
What if I want my stretched ears to shrink back to a regular gauged piercing?
Keep your stretched ears and plugs clean.
After you have stretched your ears it is important to keep your stretched ears clean. This will ensure healthy and good-looking stretched ears. Keeping the holes in your ears clean will avoid bacteria from collecting in your ears that will ultimately cause irritation or infection. You can simply clean your ears with antibacterial soap while you are showering.
It is also important to keep your plugs clean as well. There is a lot of bacteria, dead skin, and just nasty funk that will build up on your plugs. Keeping them clean will ensure healthy clean stretched ears. Click here for more information on How to clean Plugs and Tunnels.
Use Jojoba Oil on your Stretched Ears
After you have stretched your ears another good habit to form is using jojoba oil on your stretched ears. There are several different types of natural oils on the market, but we LOVE jojoba oil. Jojoba oil contains antimicrobial as well as antifungal properties. It is the best way to kill any bacteria that is building up in your ears. You really only need about 1-2 drops on your finger and it goes a long way. You can pick up jojoba oil pretty much anywhere. The best time to put Jojoba oil on your ears is right after you get out of the shower.
Princess Gem Faceted Cut Plugs - (Pair)
Moss Agate Stone Plugs for stretched ears (Pair)
Lace Blue Agate Stretch Plugs (Pair)
Massage your Stretched Ears
It is also a good idea to massage your ears while in a hot shower. This helps loosen your ears and also allows moisture inside your earlobes. It allows you to break up scar tissue that will try to build up as your ears will try to heal themselves. As we recommended before, after you get out of the shower it is a good idea to apply jojoba oil to your stretched ears. This is a great time to continue the massage process. This is to get deeper into your ears and continue to break up the scar tissue that may be forming in your stretched ears. No matter what the gauge of your ears it is always a good idea to continue to massage your ears.
Don't play with your Stretched Ears
Listen, we know it's tempting, but you really should not be playing with your stretched ears. If you do not have plugs in your ears and you are sticking your fingers in your gauged ears you will more than likely be transferring bacteria into the holes in your ears. Likewise, if you are putting random items into your stretched ears you need to know if these items are clean or dirty. Bacteria buildup will cause infections in your stretched ears.
Also if you have plugs in your ears do not play with the plugs while they are in your ears. If you are constantly turning them or tugging at them there is a chance you can cause a tear in your ear that can lead to infection. Bacteria on your hands can be transferred onto your plugs and also ultimately lead to an infection.
So keep your hands out of your Stretched Ears.
What should I do if my stretched ears become irritated, infected, or tear?
We always encourage our customers to move slow and be safe while stretching their ears. There is always the chance though that your ears might become irritated or infected. If this occurs it is important to immediately remove your plugs out of your ears and allow them to heal properly. There could be several reasons why your stretched ears have become irritated or torn. Whether it be an allergy, an issue with the way you stretched, or a problem with your plugs, you will need to take out your plugs.
Depending on the severity of your irritation or infection the length of how long you will need to keep your plugs out will vary. Also, we recommend seeking a professional to help heal your ears. We have found this is a much better option than reading how-to's online. Your ears will heal quicker and thank you if you seek out a doctor.
Amethyst Tunnels - (Pair)
Horn Bat Wings Hangers (Pair)
Black Stainless Steel Tunnels (Pair)
What if I want my stretched ears to shrink back to a regular gauged piercing?
Your stretched ears will constantly try to heal themselves. So once you take your plugs out of your ears the gauge will begin to shrink. Depending on what gauge you stretched up to, will depend on how much it will heal. You will find the overall consensus of the ear stretching community is that your ear will heal back to a regular-sized piercing gauge as long as you do not go past 10mm (00g).
If you want to go all the way back to a regular-sized piercing you will need to give your stretched ears the time to heal. Continue with oil and massaging and let it slowly heal.