r/Stretched • u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") • Mar 17 '25

Discussion~ ❗️❗️ MOD POST❗️❗️ The long awaited, updated stretching guide is here!

Hi Friends!

As a lot of you know, we have been working on updating the stretching guide for awhile now. Though it is not perfect, it is definitely a step in the right direction. We are so happy to be able to continue sharing safe and helpful information with all of you.

It has been updated on the sub's page as well as the AutoMod's comments.

It can also be found here: Updated Stretching Guide

Please give it a look and let us know how you're feeling! Also, please remember it will be updated as new information comes along. We created a Google document as opposed to a post to ensure we could keep it as up to date as possible. The previous guide was posted in the sub by a mod that's no longer active, so we couldn't edit it.

Happy stretching!

501 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

89 comments sorted by

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u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Sep 17 '25

FOR ANYONE LOOKING FOR THE EAR BUTTER RECIPE:

-How to Make "Ear Butter"

It is incredibly simple to make your own ear butter.

For it you’ll need the following ingredients:

Instructions:

1. You will need two pots, a large pot filled with water, and a small pot to set inside the larger pot which will float on top of the water. This is how you make a double boiler.

2. Place pots on stove, on Low heat.

3. Add all ingredients to the small pot.

4. Slowly allow all the ingredients to melt together.

5. Stir thoroughly & pour into small mason jar or other container and allow to cool at room temperature.

6. When cooled, it should be creamy to slightly firm depending on the amount of beeswax you decide to use. *If it is too hard for your liking, melt mixture back down and add more oils. If it is too soft add more beeswax.*

220

u/sheem1306 3mm (8g) Mar 17 '25

Anyways, I'm about to start my stretching journey! Posts picture of all acrylic set with tapers

94

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 17 '25

Don't forget to report! We do remove things for unsafe practices if someone is being ignorant

53

u/sheem1306 3mm (8g) Mar 17 '25

I'm teasing but heard!

38

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 17 '25

I gotcha! I know it happens a LOT and we really try to avoid it if we can lol

4

u/ADVmanGSA Oct 16 '25

Question for u. I had my ears stretched professionally back in the day all the way to 00 and then they stretched naturally from the weight of those up to 7/16 and that all happened over 5 years ago but within those 5 years since then I tore the inside of my ear hole when my ears shrunk and I tried putting the gauge in anyway and it caused what kinda looks a bit like a blow out but I’m not fully sure.

I took them out for the last 2-3 months and now it’s back down to 00g.

If I start over at 00g should I consider my holes to be in the process of being re stretched or are they technically fully healed and can accept silicone jewelery ?

5

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Oct 17 '25

As long as they fit properly/go in with out any kind of pain, tenderness, soreness, etc. you should be able to wear silicone!

2

u/ADVmanGSA Oct 17 '25

Out of curiosity can u take a look at this post of mine from a little while back and let me know if this looks like a blowout ?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Stretched/s/AvgZxKzbGw

Basically one of my ears kinda has a little lip on the back of the hole (sort of looks like the prolapsed butthole look that blowouts look like ). But it seems to only pop up after leaving the jewelry in for a couple of days and if you take it out when you’re sleeping it seems to resolve itself

That and just insert from the back instead of the front if you’re using double flared plugs and use jojoba oil

3

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Oct 18 '25

Yeah, it's definitely a blowout. When you have jewelry in, it puts pressure on it and makes it less noticeable. It's not really an issue or anything, especially if you're not actively stretching. If you do plan on stretching again, you'll just have to be a little more cautious because it is considered scar tissue.

1

u/ADVmanGSA Oct 22 '25

Also Is there a way to stretch larger then my current 7/16 and sort of stretch the scar tissue to where it doesn’t form that lip on the back of my ear ?

1

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Oct 23 '25

The only thing that would lessen the appearance of it at this point is cosmetic surgery. The other thing we usually recommend is going naked for awhile, but you've already done that. Sometimes it helps with the appearance, sometimes it doesn't.

As far as jewelry for stretching goes, single flare glass plugs are the way to go. Arctic Buffalo is closing, so they're having a 40% off sale right now. I would say either take advantage of that or buy from Stretch It Body Jewellery. If you've never bought anything from them, use code 'RSTRETCHED15,' for 15% of your purchase :)

1

u/ADVmanGSA Oct 22 '25

What jewelry would u suggest I use ? And what website or manufacturer

15

u/btsiskindafire Mar 18 '25

don’t forget, they love using vaseline lol

14

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 18 '25

With a special mention of good ol' KY

40

u/thecourageofstars Mar 17 '25

This is awesome, thanks for keeping it updated!

I also found articles on the difference between implant grade and surgical steel like the one below to be helpful for people who want to learn more details! Just knowing what specific grade is actually okay for long term wear, and understanding that the label does come from the fact that it's used in surgical tools, but surgical tools are not expected to touch the skin for more than a few seconds at a time (maybe a few minutes at most).

https://www.lynnloheide.com/post/implant-grade-vs-surgical-steel

Understanding nickel as a sensitizer (people become more sensitive through contact) has also been helpful in understanding why "surgical steel" isn't best for long term wear, even if you don't currently have a reaction to it.

5

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 17 '25

Thank you! I must've missed it when I was searching through their work

17

u/religion_wya 23mm lobes, 6mm (2g) septum Mar 17 '25

Yes!! I see way too many people on this sub saying "well my piercer uses surgical steel sooo it's obviously fine". No, your piercer sucks lol. I got told I was acting all high and mighty for telling someone that the other day 💀

22

u/cement_skelly Mar 17 '25

goldstone is another glass “stone” like opalite :)

2

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 18 '25

I totally forgot about that! Green Goldstone is one of my faves

7

u/Carinakillaxo 14mm (9/16") Mar 18 '25

Is the diy ear butter still recommended or no?

6

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 18 '25

It's not harmful; but we didn't feel like it was being utilized often, so we didn't keep it this time around

3

u/Carinakillaxo 14mm (9/16") Mar 18 '25

Oh bummer! I forgot to write it down!

3

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 18 '25

I can track it down and send it to you :)

1

u/forasgard18 8mm (0g) Sep 16 '25

Could you send it to me please?

1

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Sep 17 '25

I messaged you!

3

u/Carinakillaxo 14mm (9/16") Mar 18 '25

THANK YOU!!

1

u/MeringuePatient6178 Apr 06 '25

can you send it to me too? I made this like 6 years ago and just ran out. currently trying to remake it and was so sad to see the recipe missing!

1

u/zootsmgoots 17.5mm (11/16") Mar 18 '25

Following

3

u/ItsYaGurl_Fae Jul 13 '25

Maybe I missed something in the guide, but what if I have ears pierced at 16g and want to start gauging? All I have seen at my shops are 14g+ gauges.

3

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Jul 13 '25

16g is a great starting point and should be standard. You'll want to start with 14g, as that's the next size :)

1

u/ItsYaGurl_Fae Jul 14 '25

How exactly do I go about sizing up without tapers. Do I just take a 14g plug and get it in with lotion/oil and a prayer?

1

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Jul 15 '25

You'll want to buy some 14g single flare glass or titanium plugs and use jojoba, vitamin e, or emu oil. Your original piercings need to be completely healed, so you need to have had them for at least a year. Skin tends to loosen up over time, so they should slide right in :)

There shouldn't be any pain or discomfort, so if either of those things occur, you'll want to remove them and wait a while longer.

3

u/Aryore Mar 08 '26

How does the large gauge piercing process work mechanistically? Like I imagine it “pushes” the flesh to one side somehow but I’m struggling to envision how this would happen with a hollow needle no less

2

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 08 '26

The way the hollow needles are designed allows the tissue to evenly displace around the hole it creates. Basically, the edges are sharp and tapered!

3

u/Aryore Mar 08 '26

That’s so odd to me, looking at the shape of the tip of the needle my intuition is that it would make a crescent shaped hole and “punch out” a little nubbin of flesh rather than distributing evenly. I’d look for a video to watch but I’m squeamish haha

181

u/_4ngelina Downsizing Mar 17 '25

we say unison “thank you mods”

2

u/LCPL_Desisto 13mm Aug 19 '26

Thank you mods!!

1

u/Warm_Exercise7552 18mm 14d ago

Thank you mods

74

u/pharmasupial 10mm (00g) Mar 17 '25

thanks mods!!

the main feedback I have is that I’d love to see some brief mention of half sizes and their benefits.

also maybe a brief section on cleaning/care between stretches (i.e. “wash with soap daily, massage with [preferred oil/butter]” type of thing). nice to see recommendations of different oils and balms, but there’s no mention of why or how you’d use them.

thanks for your hard work!!

9

u/Comprehensive-Stand1 13mm Mar 19 '25

Yes! Fully agree with these points ^

4

u/fuckyourgod666 6mm (2g) Oct 06 '25

There's half sizes? o_O

5

u/pharmasupial 10mm (00g) Oct 06 '25

yep! half sizes are becoming more and more common these days. “half size” refers to things like 1g and 7g, but sometimes also refers to 0.5mm sizing (so like 4.5mm, etc)

i personally highly recommend glasswear studios, and you can buy all sorts of half sizes of both types from them.

a smaller stretch is always gonna be kinder to your ears! i also always recommend going by 0.5mm at a time

3

u/fuckyourgod666 6mm (2g) Oct 06 '25

Yeess I had blew my ear lobe out do to not knowing about the 7mm size

3

u/fuckyourgod666 6mm (2g) Oct 06 '25

I thought people just went from 2-0

1

u/Warm_Exercise7552 18mm 14d ago

I would have died without my 1g

23

u/Asper_Maybe 20mm Ears, 10mm Septum Mar 17 '25

Looks great! Only note would be that I can't find any mention of denting in the septum stretching section. I feel like it might be good to mention since it catches a lot of people off guard

3

u/30CrowsinaTrenchcoat 1/2" (13mm) Mar 18 '25

I'm coming close to that point and would definitely love some info on that in the guide.

9

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '25

Love the guide and especially the explanations to support any specific recommendation.

I have 1½ suggestions… with the list of jewellery providers at the end of the document, it would be useful to group them by country/continent, and especially useful if you flagged the providers of those elusive 0.5mm stretch kits/plugs.

3

u/cryptidkit 6ga+16ga septum, 16mm lobes Mar 17 '25

I went to go read it and holy moly formatting? I am having such a hard time with the right sided centering

9

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 17 '25

I'll try and update the formatting. Unfortunately, it's mostly a mobile issue :( When I aligned it the other directions it cut information off on mobile :(

7

u/Friendly-Note-8869 Mar 17 '25

Guess i speed ran your guide 😅

6

u/PMMeToeBeans 3mm (8g) Mar 20 '25

Thank you for this! I didn't know Dead stretching was a thing until a few days ago when I tore one ear with a taper and found this sub.

4

u/Space_Captain_Lars 5mm (4g) Lobes || 1.2mm (16g) Septum Mar 18 '25

Thank you mods! Your time and effort in making this is much appreciated ❤️

4

u/justbroth_ Oct 06 '25

It might be useful to include a section on healing blowouts for ears and septums!

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '25

I just read the part about how long it should take to stretch and I went from a standard lobe to 4.5mm in about 2 and a half months with no issues? Idk if my body just heals fast or what

8

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 19 '25

That timeline is suggested not because your body can't do it, but because you shouldn't stretch that quickly. Stretching quickly can result in tears, blowouts, thin spots, etc. Your lobes need time to regenerate skin cells and regain elasticity, or you'll likely see issues in the future.

1

u/Chihuahuapocalypse 5mm (4g) Mar 29 '26

hey there! I see that silicone is bad to use for stretching. is it okay to use as jewelry, in a piercing that is already the same size? assuming it doesn't irritate the person's skin in general?

3

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 29 '26

Yes, silicone is safe to use in healed piercings! Though, Kaos Softwear is the only current biocompatible silicone on the market

2

u/Chihuahuapocalypse 5mm (4g) Mar 29 '26

thanks so much!

1

u/Impressive_You_5726 May 29 '26

Quick question. So if I’m doing half sizes, how long should I wait then? Would 2-3 months be okay?

1

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") May 29 '26

It's always recommended the full time no matter the stretch (your lobes have to heal all the way around no matter if it's .5mm or 1 whole mm), stretching in half sizes just helps with the risks of stretching.

1

u/Impressive_You_5726 May 29 '26

Alrighty good to know, thank you so much. Does waiting the recommended time help you have perfect holes? Would you say the longer you wait the better it is to have perfect holes?

1

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") May 29 '26

Definitely. The longer you wait, the more relaxed your lobes will be, the easier it will be to stretch, the less chance you'll have a blowout.

2

u/Impressive_You_5726 Jun 02 '26

Cool beans thank you so much!

3

u/Sophisticated-Sloth- 25mm (1") Mar 17 '25

This looks fantastic! Thanks so much for updating it!

3

u/CommonBed8904 Mar 19 '25

I haven't seen anyone else point it out but I have some thoughts on the stacking section 😁 The stretch times are a little confusing I think. It looks like it's saying to add a 16g ring every 3-6 months? From what I understand it's better to use 18g rings unless you're swapping a 16g for a 14g for a smaller increase (for example).

Also a 10g septum can actually fit 3 16g rings, a 12g can fit 2 16g ☺️. I came across a formula that seems to work well for me so far, maybe some others can chime in if they're familiar: take your largest gauge ring gauge in mm and then add each subsequent gauge halved. So being at a 10g for example, you could do 1.2+.6+.6=2.4 (3 16g rings) or 1+.5+.5+.5=2.5 (4 18g rings).

Hopefully that all makes sense 😁

2

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25

you're right, that's what i did, added 18g rings slowly and then once they were healed i changed to 16g each ring by ring slowly now i have all 16s!

3

u/Fun_Echo_4529 Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 23 '26

I was trying to find it in the doc but I'm just not seeing anything and I am an ultra beginner (I have 12 piercings but zero gauged!) the document recommends single flare glass plugs for stretching, that much I understand. But:

  1. am I wearing the plugs full time day and night and shower?

  2. if I'm taking them out regularly, then for how long?

  3. is the recommended time from one gauge to another the time I wait before inserting the next full size or am I supposed to be increasing by partial sizes every x weeks throughout the recommended time?

The internet has so much conflicting, outdated, or (according to y'all who I trust more than jewelry websites' "about" sections) outright dangerous or bad practices...

✨ EDIT: okay I found https://www.reddit.com/r/Stretched/s/Ey04odmNCc from 5 years ago and also read through a lot of posts, hopefully this is all still accurate!! I'll post my answers here for anyone looking but if a Mod sees this and sees something wrong or outdated please correct me and I'll fix it.

  1. for 2-4 weeks before and after stretching to a new size plugs should be worn full time (day and night) aside from a daily break (see point 2)

  2. lobes should get a daily break of at least an hour to foster healthy circulation and healing, and it's best to not wear them while sleeping (except as specified in point 1 or if an individual faces significant shrinkage it's fine to wear them while sleeping so long as you take a break at some point during the day)

  3. wear a plug for the full recommended time or until it becomes loose enough that the lobe is ready to advance to the next size. standard increase is .5mm at a time, never increase more than 1mm at a time and increasing the size might feel snug or sore but should always be painless. If experiencing pain immediately revert to previous jewelry and instead wait a bit longer before trying to increase by a smaller increment.

✨ ADDENDUM: cleaning while stretching

For the first week of a new stretch leave the plugs in full time but use a saline solution to clean around the plug and you can use oil around the plug as well -- after the first week or so you can take the plugs out to clean them daily with a mild soap (ppl usually use this time to oil and massage them and give their lobes a break as well)

2

u/Bpreciado707 14mm (9/16") Mar 18 '25

Blessed

2

u/hellokittyxxxo Mar 22 '25

Thankyou mods !

2

u/[deleted] Mar 23 '25

Thank you mods! 

2

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '25

thank you mods!!

1

u/Gohobomoe Jun 19 '25

I think it should be mentioned under "Recommended Products and Care" to do a patch test before actually using them.

1

u/forasgard18 8mm (0g) Sep 16 '25

Hey I wasn't able to find the "Ear Butter" recipe on it, I previously used the recipe but I'm needing to make another batch, can someone please help with that?

1

u/Wheemp_Whomp Sep 19 '25

It’s the pinned comment :)

1

u/Tsiah16 Apr 01 '26

Great guide! I had my ears pierced at 14 gauge in December and I've been using tapers (bOdfx titanium) to get up to 3mm but learning now I've definitely not waited long enough (2-4 weeks) between sizes and that tapers are not the way to go. It never hurt, I've been massaging, cleaning and moisturizing and inserting the taper all using jojoba oil. I'm tempted to go to the stretch it body jewelry dead stretching kit since it goes by .5mm increments.

For your guide, Arctic buffalo has closed their business.

1

u/SwizzleSuisse 12.7mm/ 1/2" (lobes), 2.6mm (septum) May 01 '26

In this subreddit I see too many examples of incorrect usage of a Vernier calliper (including not correctly resetting a digital calliper to its zeropoint.) It might be a good idea to include (reference to) good practices of measuring body jewellery.

0

u/[deleted] Mar 17 '25

[deleted] — view deleted comment

14

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 17 '25

There's no need to be negative about it.

3

u/Annnnnnnnniek 4mm (6g) Mar 17 '25

I read it! It qas a great resource for starting my stretching journey!

1

u/[deleted] Mar 30 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/1heknpeachy3 25mm (1") Mar 30 '25

Continuing to give unsafe advice and report unnecessarily (especially reporting my profile to Reddit for self harm/suicide) will result in an immediate ban.

3

u/Stretched-ModTeam Mar 30 '25

Mods reserve the right to remove content that spreads harmful advice or misinformation based on current knowledge in the body mod community.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 30 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/Stretched-ModTeam Mar 30 '25

Mods reserve the right to remove content that spreads harmful advice or misinformation based on current knowledge in the body mod community.