Stretching

Stretching

A stretching piercing is a sign of individuality and a strong presence on any occasion. This piercing type is recognizable across the street, radiating your self-expression to every last bit of your surroundings. We want to be your favorite stretch piercing online shop, so our collection offers a range of styles and materials, including wood and horn, in the most popular sizes. Browse our plugs, tunnels, tapers & hangers. Our quick delivery will bring your top picks to you in no time so you can make an unforgettable impression on everyone.

An ear stretching piercing usually means that the small hole of an ear piercing has been stretched by gradually placing larger jewelry in it. The limit on how big your stretch piercing can become depends on the size of your earlobe, the exact placement of the piercing, and how fast you proceed through the stretching process. If you go too fast, the skin can break, and the resulting scar limits how far you can keep stretching.

It is possible to pierce a hole up to 6 mm in one go, which would be considered a stretching piercing. But for larger ones, you build up gradually to the desired size by wearing bigger and bigger stretching jewelry. The process of creating your stretching is a true testament to the body’s ability to change and, on an emotional level, human adaptability. Your stretching shows that you are not afraid to evolve. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?

A stretching piercing is an even bolder fashion statement than most other piercing types as it signals a total dedication to your personal expression. It puts you very closely in touch with yourself, your personality, and your body. That said, depending on the flexibility of your skin, you can choose to shrink your stretched piercing back down again as long as it’s not too big. This is a highly individual matter, but if you just want to try out the look, we recommend that you don’t stretch your piercing to more than 4 mm.

The most beloved type of stretching jewelry is the plug, which is a thick disc that fills out the stretched piercing hole. Plugs are usually circular, leaning into their inherent sense of solidity and weight (even though the jewelry is actually very light). This makes a plug especially great at displaying your relentless personality as someone who stands up for yourself and others. You can start with a fake plug to see if it’s the right thing for you before going on the journey of actually stretching your ear.

Another fantastic jewelry type is the tunnel, which is like a plug, except that it’s only a hollow frame rather than a solid form. These come in various shapes, a popular one being the teardrop. Both plugs and tunnels underscore the size of your ear piercing, even though a tunnel is only a circumference, allowing people to look straight through the actual piercing hole. Like plugs, tunnel designs tend to be simple and two-dimensional, but some are adorned with gorgeous pendants that achieve an interesting mixture of the stretching look and a more common earring.

More three-dimensional, tapers are a type of jewelry that is placed through the stretching piercing hole, emerging on either side like a normal earring but much bigger. Due to the tapered shape, these are great for upping the piercing size a little at a time by wearing the taper at a gradually thicker section. But do make sure to proceed in small increments, otherwise, you risk tearing the skin, especially when the hole is small. If you’ve already reached a larger size, the weight of heavy jewelry is enough to naturally stretch it further.

Tapers also look fantastic when worn simply for their design. Three safe bets when it comes to taper style are definitely the straight or classic taper, the spiral taper, and the C-shaped taper. Being larger than most ear jewelry, all of these options catch the eye but by each their own distinct vibe. Choose the shape and color that match your taste and, of course, the size that fits your own stretching.

Lastly, so-called hangers and weights are a mixed category of stretching jewelry designs that vary the above types in many creative ways. For example, check out this dazzling keyhole hanger. As the name implies, these shapes are not closed, meaning that they seem to ‘hang’ from the stretched piercing hole, although they sit securely in place.

Unlike hangers, which are purely for fashion, weights are heavy jewelry that serves to stretch your piercing downwards for a different stretching look. This might be an extra large horseshoe. Whether you wear hanging jewelry, or your piercing itself has an elongated shape, these approaches add to the appearance of weight and potency as the eye moves down along a vertical layout. If you really want to grab attention, this is the perfect style for you.

The diversity of jewelry for ear stretching piercings is great enough to embrace many different styles and personalities. Take a look at our selection, and you’ll soon find something that speaks to you, maybe even in ways that surprise you. Play around, try something new, and be your real self.

Piecing Stretching FAQ

How can I stretch my piercings?

A stretching piercing is made by enlarging an earlobe piercing that’s already done by simply wearing incrementally larger-sized jewelry and having your ear adjust itself before scaling up to the next size. You do this until you have achieved the size you want.

Tapers are useful for this as their shape effectively makes them many different sizes at once, so depending on how you wear them, they take up more or less space in your piercing hole. This way, you won’t have to buy new jewelry every time you want to scale up. A one-time purchase of a taper set is even better so that you already have everything you need to work your way up to the look of your dreams.

How long does a stretched piercing hurt?

Since stretching piercings are an elaboration on a regular earlobe piercing, they share the lobe’s softness which makes the process of body modification relatively uncomplicated. If done correctly, there is no pain or healing involved in stretching your piercing.

That said, the area will feel tight and maybe sore throughout the whole stretching process. But if it actually hurts, you may have been a little too impatient and upped the jewelry size before your body got fully used to the current one. It’s important that you don’t rush, and listen to your body.

What kind of jewelry can I wear in my stretchings?

Wood or bone allows the skin to breathe, which is particularly good for stretchings as the surface area covered by the jewelry is larger than with other piercing types. Also, lightweight metals like surgical steel or titanium are more suitable than heavier materials, like gold.

For new piercings, though, we do not recommend materials like wood or bone, because they absorb the fluids from the healing wound. Titanium is always a good choice for new piercings as it’s gentle on sensitive skin.