Why gage ears

Hard-core modifiers have to up the ante to defy the commercialisation of the practice, Prof Pitts-Taylor suggests. The more you stretch the skin, the more commitment you are expressing to a counter cultural look. People who are obsessed with getting the largest stretch possible are known in the business as a "gauge queen" or "gauge king", according to Fox.

There are many ways to stretch ear lobes. You can gradually stretch the skin using different sized tapers cone-shaped pieces of jewellery. This requires patience. For those who want an immediate result, there's dermal punching.

This works like a hole punch and will create an instant gap. Mellor advises customers to take the gradual approach. Applying excess pressure can squeeze flesh from the inside of the lobe to the outside, causing what's known as a "blow out", she says. This can leave people with scarring. There is a point of no return but it varies. A stretched piercing can shrink back to its original size but this depends on several factors including the length of time taken to stretch and the elasticity of the skin.

In some cases, if you stretch too fast or by too much, the lobe can split. They are thinking about the future.

As tattoo parlours now offer removals or reworking, there is also demand from people who regret their ear stretching. Not to mention, all of this added stress is extremely painful. To avoid this from happening, a professional will gradually move you up in sizes no skipping until you reach the desired look. Another complication that can occur from ear gauging is blowouts. Blowouts occur when red, irritated rings develop around the back of the ear lobe hole.

The reason for this is because the ears are being stretched out too quickly and scar tissue forms as a result, making the hole red and angry. Once you reach a certain point, ear gauging leaves permanent results. So, if you ever want to remove the gauges from your ears, you will be left with a big hole that can only be reversed with surgery.

By working with a professional, your chances for closing gauged ears without surgery is greater. It all depends on how big the hole is, how old you are and your genetics.

If you decide that ear gauging is definitely for you, there are certain things you should never do when stretching your ears. 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.

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.

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. There is a point in stretching your ears that is known as the "point of no return. 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 , the more one might receive judgmental looks or opinionated remarks.

Comments like "That is disgusting. It's just the way our society is. Perhaps in another years it will be a nonissue. No matter for what reasons people decide to stretch their ears, one thing is for sure.

The art's popularity is growing. The tribe is expanding around the world and immensely diverse individuals are finding common ground through the art of ear stretching.