Why the modern man or woman stretches their ears
I have always been intrigued by the social behaviors of humans. I love people watching. Sometimes it gets me wondering why people choose to express themselves in certain ways. The question today is, "Why do people stretch their ears?" The following is meant to refer to society as a whole. (I know there are many varied reasons why an individual may want to stretch their ears.)
History has shown us that ear stretching was initially used to show that an individual belonged to a group or a tribe. It was accepted by the group and they were marked as being "one of us". When someone did not have stretched ears they were considered to be an outsider or someone who did not belong to the tribe.
The Modern Day Ear Stretcher
Fast forward to the modern day practice of ear stretching and you will see quite the opposite. People seem to be trying to break out of the mold and express their individuality. Maybe they want to steer away from their current "Tribe" and join a new "Tribe" that better understands their beliefs and ideas. It seems that the individual is expressing who they are or want to become. The person who was once accepted as part of the tribe is now shown to be the "weird one" or "outcast."
20 - 30 years ago ear stretching your ears seemed to be very different from what it is today. Body modifications like stretched ears were rarely seen (except in traditional tribes). In the Western culture they were mostly seen in groups like punks or goths. Nowadays it continues to be on the rise. Ear stretching is growing in popularity with both men and women and it does not seem to be confined to any one type of group. It is truly an artistic accessory to add to the look or style of each individual.
The point of no return
There is a point in stretching your ears that is known as the "point of no return." In a lot of cases, when the ear is stretched above 10mm (00 gauge for ears), it is not able to properly heal and will never go back to what it was before. Below this "point of no return" seems to be what is more accepted these days. This was not the case in the 80's or 90's.
It seems that the higher the ear is stretched past the 10mm mark (00 gauge for ears), the more one might receive judgmental looks or opinionated remarks. Comments like "That is disgusting.", "Can I stick my finger through your hole?", or "Didn't that hurt?" If you have stretched ears, these comments and questions are all too familiar. It's just the way our society is. Perhaps in another 10-20 years it will be a nonissue.
The New Tribe
No matter for what reasons people decide to stretch their ears, one thing is for sure. The art's popularity is growing. The New Modern Era Ear Stretching "Tribe" is growing. The tribe is expanding around the world and immensely diverse individuals are finding common ground through the art of ear stretching.
What's Your Story?
I am taking a survey to hear your story. Please comment below and tell me your story of why you stretch your ears.
85 comments
I started stretching my ears 7 years ago and now at 12mm. I was at 0g for a few years before going to 00g last year. O0g was to be my final size, but my right ear became loose and recently easily inserted 12mm plug. For work I wear Rose Quartz plugs which which don’t stand out under my hair. I like the feel and weight of the stone.
I stretch my ears because I believe they are beautiful. You can never go wrong with stretched ears with semi-precious stones. Seriously, it’s a whole other different look and vibe. labradorite is my dreamstone to wear when I get up to 0g or 00g. Unfortunately after stretching my ears up to 2g. I got tired of them and took them out at age 17. And they basically shrink back down to an 18g. People think when you stretch your ears they always stay big (as long as I don’t go above 0g or 00g as said above). But as long as you massage twice a day with vitamin e or jojoba oil and clean them twice a day with sea salt solution (PLEASE DONT EVER USE PEROXIDE), they’ll be in such good shape that they’ll shrink back down into near normal size as you had them before. As long as you wait a month in between stretching. However I’ve heard people suggest that you should wait longer inbetween as the stretches get bigger. Sometimes if your tunnels won’t fit even after a month of healing when you go up to size you can try doing the taping method which has helped me get up to my size. Because my ears were previously pierced by a gun like most people, I’ve decided to pierce my ears either a 14 or a 12 gauge needle. It’ll give me a head start and it’ll help take the old scar away. Stretch safely people! Patience goes a long way and your ears will show it!
I wanna know Blair
I had my ears pierced as a baby. I realize now, that the first person to show me my consent didn’t matter is my mother for piercing my ears. I got into piercing, through an apprenticeship and as a professional, and realized the insecurity I had about my “fat” earlobes was purely because of poor placement at too young an age to be properly pierced. This was an influence on my stretching but not the whole thesis. In ancestral knowledge, the hole (or stretched hole) was where light enters…or “god” enters (whatever god may mean to you) it was a sign of knowledge and respect, and in divine light. The ignorance is difficult but hold honor to what it has meant to patiently and honorably stretch your skin. When we rush we rush to light, and it burns. Stretching any piercing is a ritual of expanded knowledge and the world would be mindful to understand that it means so much more than we’ve been shunned and misunderstood for. 🙏🏽🖤✨
I stretched mine 21 years ago as a teen. It was cool then. Now I’m almost 40 with 3 teenagers. Whatever. I did it originally to be “cool” in my teen years. As an adult, I just say “he didn’t go to Jared” and laugh. Ultimately I can find plugs with art on them, Bug’s in them, diamonds in them (man the have came a long way since the early 90’s). I not just wear my plugs as fashion accessories along with my legally blind glasses. I’m about 7/8” and my teens don’t mind. I’m a software developer so it works for me I guess. I can’t take it back without plastic surgery at the point. The biggest bother is the smell, depending on materials worn and cleanliness.