Should I go for the 0g? (ear stretching)

I've been stretching my ears for a while, and have managed to get from a 12g to a 2g plug... I was originally aiming for the 0g, one more size up, but now I'm wondering if I should bother? I heard that's the "point of no return," where you will probably have trouble shrinking back to normal - if I decide in the future I don't want them anymore. Is that true, and does that mean a 2g would shrink back? Furthermore, do you think the 0g would look good on me? Here's how it looks now, with a 2g steel tunnel (and 12g circular barbells in the other holes):

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/P1020744.jpg

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Originally Posted by Lolo76

I've been stretching my ears for a while, and have managed to get from a 12g to a 2g plug... I was originally aiming for the 0g, one more size up, but now I'm wondering if I should bother? I heard that's the "point of no return," where you will probably have trouble shrinking back to normal - if I decide in the future I don't want them anymore. Is that true, and does that mean a 2g would shrink back? Furthermore, do you think the 0g would look good on me? Here's how it looks now, with a 2g steel tunnel (and 12g circular barbells in the other holes):

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/P1020744.jpg

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i personally have my ears at 3/4" and i think they would go back just fine. it's not the size that matters so much it's scar tissue that mainly presents problems for closing this type of piercing. my tounge was at 00 and it closed completly after i took it out

I gauged my ears from an 18 to a 0 relatively fast...compared to what I originally thought I was going to use as a timeline.
I love being at a 0 gauge. It's a lot bigger than a 2. I think it looks cooler.
I also think if you have a job (if you work, if not, cool--i understand some people dont or can't) that allows for larger gauging it makes it 10x more cool. No point in gauging your ears huge if it'll ruin your interview hopes. :/ (I think it is wrong of employers to judge based on ear gauges, but you know they will.)
After you stretch it to a 0 it could DEFINITELY stretch back if you wanted to--it could probably even close up all the way. My fiance had a 2 gauge hole in his earlobe, and right below that a 13/16 gauge. (bigger than 3/4 of an inch) He just decided to take the jewelry out of the larger size on the bottom and it has nearly closed all the way now. So don't you listen to that "it won't heal" stuff. It can.
Actually, stretching your ear down a size every so often helps maintain its elasticity. Then you can stretch it up larger with noticeably less pain (that's what I did). I would wear 2g double flared plugs and those stretch your ear out to a 0 when you first put them in, and then the middle is a size 2. When I went to a 0 it hurt a good bit less than it might have if I hadn't done that. Weighted barbells work just as well, I think, but I choose not to wear those. (I prefer the girly, diamond stuff or brightly colored UV acrylics.)
I think it is badass that you are older than teen years and have chosen to gauge your ears, and continue to gauge them. I wish you could talk to my mom about it--she thinks it is "destroying" your body. :oops: When she first saw my 6's, she said, "You were so beautiful--what did you do???"
Clearly, I still think I look pretty good. Well, I don't think gauging my ears takes away from my looks, anyway.
So I would encourage you to go to whatever size you feel comfortable, and, most importantly, YOU like. Hopefully there will be a time soon when we won't have to include the "Don't forget about what your boss wants!" part. :/
Nice gauges. :] :]
Shellie

Thanks for the input! I am leaning towards going bigger, for sure. As for employment, I was recently laid off and am job-searching... but I'm in a professional degree-based field (librarianship), and live in an area where even lawyers have full-sleeve tattoos and plugs. :D So it's never been an issue, and I usually just "clean it up" for interviews & meetings - take out the upper piercings, replace the steel with neutral plastic, etc. Once you get the job it doesn't matter, since no library I've worked in had a strict policy on piercings/tats.

P.S. I had a recent interview where I wore 4g plastic plugs, and they put me on the "eligible list" - meaning I'm on the short list (usually 3-5 people) for any job openings in the next year. Guess they didn't notice or care about the piercings! :)

Haha... so far it's 2 votes for going bigger than a 0g! Hmmmmmm. :oops:

I stretched to a 00 pretty fast, ended up removing them because I was looking at jobs that it was frowned on even though long hair covered them. 0 is kind of the typical point of no return as far as closing on AVERAGE although every person is different. I personally say do it and go to 0g.

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Originally Posted by Camarokidz28

I stretched to a 00 pretty fast, ended up removing them because I was looking at jobs that it was frowned on even though long hair covered them. 0 is kind of the typical point of no return as far as closing on AVERAGE although every person is different. I personally say do it and go to 0g.

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Oh, and I had flesh colored plugs that weren't very noticeable especially with hair about to the bottom of my ears that worked temporarily when I was going to elementary schools for work.

I say go bigger than 0g. Your lobes look nice and healthy, pierced higher up, so there's a lot of tissue to work with, which means no gross thin lobes. There's so much gorgeous organic jewelry at larger sizes (stone plugs, and even bone and horn hanging designs) that are just drool-worthy. Of course, if you'll be looking for a job any time soon, it's best to stick small.
2g is actually usually seen as the point of no return, but that just means shrinking back to 18g--you can still stretch larger and it'll probably return to the double-digits, if not 18 or 20g.
To ask any more questions, I suggest the BodyArtForms.com forum. Everyone there is helpful and it's a great place to gain information. The website itself sells amazing jewelry too. :P

I think it looks great now.

Your 2g might shrink a little but never back to normal. People will always see something different about your ear.

A 0g might also shrink back to almost normal but it is less likely. It really depends on the person and how well they heal/scar.

Im personally at a 00g and sadly Im going to have to let them close up because Im in the medical field now..but IMO 00g is a perfect size for most. It tends to fit the lobe well.

im at 0g and plan on going up to 00g pretty soon....go for it!

I'm nearly 40 years old and have just begun stretching.
My current goal is 8g but I may go as big as 2g.
I have a very conservative job so I doubt I can go bigger than 2g - it needs to look like I am wearing normal earrings (no tunnels!) but I think I can get away with 2g plugs without anyone noticing.
Thoughts on the limit of 'normal looking' with plugs?

My mum, dad and I all stretched our ears together (it was like a family thing). My dad gave up after a while (at a 2) but my mum and I went all the way to a 00. My Mum is a dental assisting teacher and had to take them out, they didn't close all the way and she just wears hoops in them when she wants something in those piercing holes (her ears don't look "nasty" they just look how an elderly woman's pierced ears might look, the holes are a little elongated). I still have mine in and if I leave them out for about a week they tent to close a bit and I have to re-stretch. My dads ears eventually closed all the way and he had to re-pierce his ears just to wear "normal" earrings.

From what Ive heard about the "point of no return" its 00, and I suppose my parents support that theory, but it could very well be attributed to scar tissue or the elasticity of ones skin. I'm not an expert, so I really don't know lol.

@ fishmommy

My older sis went up to a 2 gauge before she took them out and bought these gauges that look like really big diamonds to hide them from her boss. It worked, you couldn't tell they were gauged, they just looked like big fake diamonds....but i have never seen any other gauges that make it look like your ears aren't gauged.....

That unhappy face should not be there fyi......tried to "edit" but it wouldn't let me change it....:(
Sorry.

Ok I will be the one to say no for a couple of reasons. No...honestly they will not go back to normal should you decide. Now mind you back in a previously life I have done ppls ears so I do tend to be more on the pickey side. You will always have bigger holes and most ppl will be able to tell. The other thing (keep in mind in my younger years I WAS the wild child)...but I have seen some ppl that are older...45-50+ that have piercings, and that have some stretched out not so fancy anymore tats...I have to say...it is NOT attractive. There is just something really not cool about seeing the 60 year old with facial piercings. Maybe it is just me. I had some but took them out....and quite frankly have always wanted a Marilyn...but at 43...nahhh don't think so.

Ok so there are the reasons on the other side. :rolleyes: Love ya Lo

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Originally Posted by Eden

My older sis went up to a 2 gauge before she took them out and bought these gauges that look like really big diamonds to hide them from her boss. It worked, you couldn't tell they were gauged, they just looked like big fake diamonds....but i have never seen any other gauges that make it look like your ears aren't gauged.....

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I know exactly what you're talking about! Seen those - and segment rings tend to look somewhat normal also I think.

Do what you want... Im at 00g now, and have recently been wanting to go up to 7/16" main reason I DONT want to is because Ive spent (in my eyes) alot of money on 00g stuff... around $50 i think? funnily enough I wear the same set all the time... :oops: :oops: :oops:

But yeah, Ive taken mine out at 00g and they close up pretty good after only a week. Like, you cant even see through the hole, BUT it is like indented as you may or may not expect... I think eventually it heals up and will flatten out but I dont want to find out :D It will get good enough that you dont have holes in your ear though...

Also yeah, Id hope this stuff is more acceptable now... Im at 00g and its nothing outrageous. People dont really notice anything, most people dont even know thats actually how big the hole is until I tell them. They usually think its some weird earring or something I guess...

Ive seen many people at my college campus with plugs larger than me, and a few over 2" which I would never do...

Tattoos and old people... thats why you get them re inked and stuff... most people let them fade in the sun thats why they look so bad.

I say stay... I have two holes in each lobe the front set is at a 2ga and the back is at a 4ga. They won't go back to normal even now. You will always have a larger hole there than a normal piercing and despite what people tell you very very few people can have a 2 or 0ga shrink back to a normal 18-20ga. With that said go as big as your comforable with and can afford. I stopped stretching because I was tired of spending $100's on jewelry. Hell my last set of titanium rings just for my ears cost me ~$150 for the 2ga and ~$125 for the 4ga. But I'm weird about my jewelry too there are only certain companies I will purchase stuff from, most of my stuff comes from Gorilla Glass or Anatometal. I currently have 9 piercings, 5 of which are in my ears. I also have my bridge done, my labret done, and some other piercings... ;)

Just remember at some point your stretching will become permanent and as long as your okay with that then go for it. If your not okay with it being permanent than I would seriously think twice about going bigger because everyone is different and you don't know if this will be the stretch for you that makes it impossible to go back to a normal sized hole. Just my humble opinion.

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Originally Posted by BPelizabeth

Ok I will be the one to say no for a couple of reasons. No...honestly they will not go back to normal should you decide. Now mind you back in a previously life I have done ppls ears so I do tend to be more on the pickey side. You will always have bigger holes and most ppl will be able to tell. The other thing (keep in mind in my younger years I WAS the wild child)...but I have seen some ppl that are older...45-50+ that have piercings, and that have some stretched out not so fancy anymore tats...I have to say...it is NOT attractive. There is just something really not cool about seeing the 60 year old with facial piercings. Maybe it is just me. I had some but took them out....and quite frankly have always wanted a Marilyn...but at 43...nahhh don't think so.

Ok so there are the reasons on the other side. :rolleyes: Love ya Lo

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This is always my favorite nay argument against tattoos and piercings. I tend to believe that when I'm in my 60's I won't be anywhere near the stud muffin I am now with or without tattoos and piercings. So I mine as well enjoy this Adonis like body and good looks while I can. :p :rofl::banana::D