Piercing and Teens – What Parents Need to Know

Pierce Then Stretch – Teens Take the Piercing Fad to a New Level

Oct 20, 2009

Alarmed parents take note. Many teens have bought into a fad called gauging in which their earlobe piercings are stretch to accommodate larger and large posts or plugs.

The process of gauging stretches an individual’s ear piercing to accommodate those enormous plugs seen in the ears of teens and young adults across the country. The teen’s individual preference determines the optimal plug size. The sizes range from about 1 millimeter to grandmas tea saucer. And depending on the size, the reaction from a typical parent may range from “interesting” or “how painful” to “gross” or “WHY??!!”

Stretching the Piercing

The stretching process starts with a normal sized pierce, or 20 gauge. As the gauge gets larger the size number is smaller, similar to wire sizing. That is, the next size larger is 18 gauge, and so forth. The typical plug size goes up to double 00, roughly the size of a wine cork. After the initial pierce, every 2 weeks to 8 weeks, depending on each individual body’s ability to heal, the next larger gauge is inserted into the hole. This is a fairly safe process as long as the skin is allowed to heal completely before moving up a size.

Infection, Scar Tissue and “Blowout”

Problems arise during this series of stretching if the teen try to hasten the process by skipping gauges or not waiting for the ear to heal. One such problem is infection. This can occur if the earlobe is not kept clean and sanitary. Also scar tissue can develop around the piercing if the tears are too larger and don’t heal properly and consequently, the scar tissue slows the stretching process. Being impatient with the stretching process can also lead to a “blowout” which is when a skin tunnel or fistula is forced out of the back of the hole in the lope. In this case, to correct the problem, the teen may need to enlist the aid of a plastic surgeon.

Parents Concern – Point of No Return

The concern of many parents is, how far can the ear lope be stretched before it will no longer close up? That is, what is the point of no return? Well that depends on the method of stretching and mostly the individual bodies reaction to the method. Generally speaking, by stopping at 10 gauge to 4 gauge, the chances of the ear returning to normal is fairly good. Once the lope is stretched up to 2 gauge (6mm), for most, this is the “point of no return.” If the gauge or plug is removed the hole will return to a 6 or 8 at best.

Joining in on this fad may seem appealing to a teenager. But there are consequences in stretching the ear lobe even in the safest way possible. Concerned parents should discuss the long term effects of this process with their teen to ensure a healthy and happy result.

The copyright of the article Piercing and Teens – What Parents Need to Know in Teen Culture is owned by Dagmar Barlow. Permission to republish Piercing and Teens – What Parents Need to Know in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.