Ear Stretching
Earlobes are called “lobules.” They are the soft and fleshy part of the lower ear structure, containing blood and minute nerve endings. Due to heredity, ear lobes can simply hang loose, or they may be attached to the neck or face (“attached”).
Gauging or ear stretching is popular throughout the world. Stretching the earlobe can not be done as quickly as ear-piercing. Remember that if your stretched earlobe procedure is stretched too fast, a “blowout” will occur. This results in scar tissues forming in the hole, resulting in permanent scarring.
Earlobe skin can tear easily, therefore stretching must be done slowly. Ear stretching is fashionably enhanced with hollow plug earrings or wide ear gauges that fit succinctly into the enlarged hole.
Ear Stretching Hygienics
Keeping your ear lobes clean and hygienic during ear stretching is a daily occurrence. The daily maintenance steps are simple but particularly important. Ear lobe cleaning care looks like this:
Remove your plug earrings or gauges. The plugs are the round jewelry you put in to keep your ear stretched. They are made from varied light materials like silicone, wood, stone, glass, or titanium. Plug earrings are an artistic and customized feature with varying shapes, colors, and designs.
Always wash your hands before touching your ear with bare hands. Even plugs can inherit bacteria just from the air around us or from putting them in the earlobe and removing them and placing them on countertops or other surfaces.
Use warm water and organic or antiseptic soap that is absent from perfumed chemicals. Touching your ear during ear stretching opens an environment of bacteria that can easily be introduced to that area.
Please do not use over the counter perfumed soaps. Gently clean the skin around the piercing with a mild antiseptic or organic soap and warm water. Also, ear stretching professionals recommend that you not use alcohol or peroxide to clean your earlobe area.
As hygienic as these products are, they are drying agents. These cleaning agents will dehydrate and aggravate your earlobe skin area during ear stretching.
Use cotton pads, cotton balls, or cotton swabs that have been soaked in a ¼ teaspoon of a sea salt and warm water solution. Gently pat the stretched area a couple of times of day to keep bacteria from entering the hole.
You can let the ears dry naturally or simply dab the stretched hole with a soft tissue or cloth.
Ears Stretching Maintenance
Taking care of ear lobes during ear stretching is all about treating the ear with loving care as you plan to accessorize them. Here is a good tip on how to keep your ears healthy to hold your unique plug earrings or ears gauges:
- During the ear stretching routine, please do not lie down on the pierced area for a certain length of time. Sleeping or lying down on your piercing increases the risk of infections.
- Do not get any hair, material threads, or body products into the ear stretched hole area. When performing facial or neck cleansing, keep all products away from the piercing area so that earlobe skin or tissues cannot become irritated.
Also, massage your earlobes once a day with organic oils like coconut oil, Vitamin E, and jojoba oils. Oils keep the ear lobes moisturized that helps the skin to heal leaving the hole secure for plugs. Oil massages help to prevent any scar tissues from forming by keeping the area moist.
Here are steps to take for your massage technique:
· Before touching your earlobes, wash your hands.
· Remove your ears gauges or plug earrings.
· Using your fingertips, place some oil on them.
· Gently massage your lobes between your finger and thumb.
· Use a cotton pad or cotton ball to pat excess oil from your skin piercing area.
The act of massaging is the main component in this process. Massaging the ear lobe allows the oils you are using to penetrate more deeply and become naturally absorbed within the skin. There is no set time for massaging the earlobe. Professionals recommend a five-minute timeframe, once a week, for better healing to take place.
Medically, a gentle massage technique increases the natural blood flow that has been temporarily interrupted with ears piercings and stretching. It encourages new tissue growth that prevents scar tissues from occurring, as well as promoting healthy blood circulation.