Both of my earlobes are pierced and have been stretched - as of August 2001 they are approximately three quarters of inch in diameter. I have done all the pierced and stretching myself.

History & Motivation

I remember wanting pierced ears as early as junior high school. My playing with needles and such often involved putting them through my ear; both lobes and cartilage. However, I did not pierce and place jewelry until 1990 when I moved away for my freshman year of college. My method was anything but professional and involved me simply forcing a stud into a hole I had just made with a large safety pin. I had often used safety pins in my experiments and worn them through my ears, nose, and about he surface of my body for short periods of time. For the next few years I would often wear safety pins instead of hoops or studs - partly for the aesthetic appeal and partly because it was cheaper and easier than buying jewelry. Also, I would occasionally decide I wanted to move or create a new piercing and so I would simply remove and relocate the pin. By 1996 I had settled on two holes in my left ear and one in my right ear but was rarely wearing jewelry in any of them due to my heavy involvement with rugby teams and traditional karate. That winter provided me the opportunity and vacation from rough physical activity that might damage the piercings to explore my interest in stretching my earlobes.

Prelude to the Procedure

There was very little prelude other than my deciding when I would begin. I did do a bit of research and decided that I wanted a more ritual/play experience and because of this I decided to do it myself using a common practice among many cultures which stretch piercings (going back thousands of years) - simply keep putting more stuff through the piercing.

The Procedure

I decided to begin with my left ear and my oldest and well healed hole. I began by inserting a round wooden toothpick and then slowly inserting flat toothpicks around it to expand the hole. Each day I would insert a few more flat toothpicks and as needed remove and replace them all. As the piercing got larger I went to hardware store and got some wooden dowels in increasing diameters that I would carve and file down into tapered plugs. I would work in a plug and then use toothpicks around it until the next size larger plug would fit into the piercing. With this method I was able to go from a nearly closed 14 gauge piercing to a half inch piercing in about 8 weeks. I did the same to my left ear and had it up to a half inch in about 5-6 weeks at which point I let both rest and recover. For going beyond a half inch I used Teflon tape to wrap the plugs I was wearing and gradually make them thicker and expand the piercings. Doing this I brought my ears to three quarters of an inch and decided to hold at that size for look and to begin working on larger weights for lifting.

Aftermath & Aftercare

There was very little aftercare or care involved beyond simple cleaning and watching the tissue to make sure I wasn't going to fats and 'blowing out' or getting too thin. I was able to start hanging weights within days of stopping and letting my lobes rest from the stretching. For weight training, I began very gradually and added weight OUNCES at a time. As a result of regular performing and practice I can now easily lift over 15 lbs with ears and then airplane spin it. I have lifted much heavier and some occasions and with time my limit will gradually continue to increase.

Summary

While I would never recommend anyone stretch his or her ears or any other piercing in the manner or over the short period of time that I chose to do so, it worked out well for me. I went from considering amputating my ears for aesthetic effect to large stretched ears that I greatly enjoy and which have added another element to my life and work as a performer.