# Stretched earlobes - yes or no?



## alexmurphy (Apr 26, 2010)

READ THE DESCRIPTION BEFORE YOU VOTE PLEASE 


So I want to get stretched ears, or as some people call it, "gauges". However, my parents aren't going to stop me, but they are against it. They are because they think that a hole in my ear would reduce my chances of getting a job, or getting in to a decent college. 

Now, before i continue, I want to point out that I dont want ridiculously huge holes. I want to get one just a little bigger than a "0" gauge. I think that holes in your ears big enough to fit your beer in it is disgusting. I might also be influenced by seeing several people with one extremely large gauge, and one broken earlobe...

This is a "0" gauge. (well, according to google)





edit - some people were wondering whether or not this was a 0 gauge. regaurdless of what really is a 0 gauge (as i am not 100% sure) i want a gauge slightly larger than the one pictured


I think there is a point, when they are proportionate to your ears, that they look good. Larger than even a half inch in diameter is too big for me. But even that, if these are going to mess with my chances of being successful in life, Then i don't want them. at the moment i dont even have my ears pierced, so i wouldn't really know either way. 

So, if you are old enough to have a teenage kid, vote on whether or not you would let them get these, and please give me an explanation in form of a response

The rest of you, just vote based on whether or not you would/what your opinion is. 

thanks for the help guys, just wanted some outside opinions 

I am attempting to post a poll here...
edit - it worked!

edit - if gauges are cared for properly (yes, the holes in my ear are pets) then they will go back to the size of a normal piercing after several months



chimpinatux said:


> This, if the guaging process is done carefully, slowly, small increments etc, then there is no reason to not shrink back down. Its generally thought that any larger than about 8-10mm there is a chance of them staying big, but it depends on your ears. A friend of mine had 14mm holes closed up completely. Small ones are fine though


----------



## Varcolac (Apr 26, 2010)

Voted no. I think they look stupid and like it or not they will affect your employability. 

Then again, I barely have earlobes at all, so maybe I'm just jealous.


----------



## alexmurphy (Apr 26, 2010)

Varcolac said:


> Voted no. I think they look stupid and like it or not they will affect your employability.
> 
> Then again, I barely have earlobes at all, so maybe I'm just jealous.



definitely jealousy


----------



## Sippin40oz (Apr 26, 2010)

i voted no as personally think they dont look too great! normal piercings are wicked but dont really get the stretched ear thing.


----------



## scottro202 (Apr 26, 2010)

I say no, only for it's permanence.  A regular piercing will be fine if you take the earring out, but a gauge is pretty permanent (If I understand correctly).

Also, the job and college stuff may be effected, too.


----------



## chimpinatux (Apr 26, 2010)

Im pretty sure that a '0' guage is something close to an inch in diameter, but i could be wrong.

From the pic you posted it looks like your wanting something in the realms of 5-6 mm in diameter, and if thats the case i vote yes. It wont permanently prove disadvantageous in life, if you take them out at that size within a couple of days they will 'shrink' and almost look non stretched. If you ever wanted to let them close up permanently it should work too. 

This being from experience of having a 5mm and a 4mm in each ear


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 26, 2010)

I vote no. I'm not quite old enough to have teenage kids, but it's not so much a matter of "letting them", but strongly discouraging it.

Yeah, it's illegal for employers to discriminate based on that shit these days, but guess what? They'll find a reason to not hire you, ie someone else was more qualified. Doesn't make it right, but it's the truth.

Personally, if they aren't too big wouldn't be a huge issue for me if I was hiring, but it might for some companies. It depends on what field of work you're going into, and how much face time you have with customers.


I just said no for the plain reason I think they look like shit


----------



## Stealthdjentstic (Apr 26, 2010)

^ This, it also makes you looks like a huge tool.


----------



## alexmurphy (Apr 26, 2010)

scottro202 said:


> I say no, only for it's permanence. A regular piercing will be fine if you take the earring out, but a gauge is pretty permanent (If I understand correctly).
> 
> Also, the job and college stuff may be effected, too.



if gauges are cared for properly (yes, the holes in my ear are pets) then they will go back to the size of a normal piercing after several months


----------



## alexmurphy (Apr 26, 2010)

chimpinatux said:


> Im pretty sure that a '0' guage is something close to an inch in diameter, but i could be wrong.
> 
> From the pic you posted it looks like your wanting something in the realms of 5-6 mm in diameter, and if thats the case i vote yes. It wont permanently prove disadvantageous in life, if you take them out at that size within a couple of days they will 'shrink' and almost look non stretched. If you ever wanted to let them close up permanently it should work too.
> 
> This being from experience of having a 5mm and a 4mm in each ear



i thought my friend (who has gauges) said that a 0 gauge is roughly the diameter of a pencil. she could be wrong though. i want gauges slightly larger than the one pictured


----------



## Scar Symmetry (Apr 26, 2010)

I did it when I was young and stupid and it was cool to do so.

A word of advice: it never ends well. You end up with these big holes in your ears and you're left wondering why you did it in the first place.


----------



## chimpinatux (Apr 26, 2010)

alexmurphy said:


> if gauges are cared for properly (yes, the holes in my ear are pets) then they will go back to the size of a normal piercing after several months



This, if the guaging process is done carefully, slowly, small increments etc, then there is no reason to not shrink back down. Its generally thought that any larger than about 8-10mm there is a chance of them staying big, but it depends on your ears. A friend of mine had 14mm holes closed up completely. Small ones are fine though


----------



## alexmurphy (Apr 26, 2010)

chimpinatux said:


> This, if the guaging process is done carefully, slowly, small increments etc, then there is no reason to not shrink back down. Its generally thought that any larger than about 8-10mm there is a chance of them staying big, but it depends on your ears. A friend of mine had 14mm holes closed up completely. Small ones are fine though



adding this to the first post


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 26, 2010)

Ultimately, it's your decision since it's your body, and you seem pretty convinced to do it already. Just do what you want, and if it ends badly, consider it a life lesson.


----------



## pink freud (Apr 26, 2010)

Anything the diameter of a pencil or smaller is fine.


----------



## Customisbetter (Apr 26, 2010)

I say you can do whatever the fuck you want with your body...

But i also can point and laugh at you as much as i want.

i voted no.


----------



## alexmurphy (Apr 26, 2010)

JJ Rodriguez said:


> Ultimately, it's your decision since it's your body, and you seem pretty convinced to do it already. Just do what you want, and if it ends badly, consider it a life lesson.



im nowhere near convinced. im just trying to sift between the people who know what is fact and the people who are saying "gauges are for queers"


----------



## JeffFromMtl (Apr 26, 2010)

If you have to ask other people, the answer is probably no.


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 26, 2010)

JeffFromMtl said:


> If you have to ask other people, the answer is probably no.


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 26, 2010)

I'm honestly surprised that No is winning by such a stretch (no pun intended ) since this place is full of metalcore kids now


----------



## alexmurphy (Apr 26, 2010)

JJ Rodriguez said:


> I'm honestly surprised that No is winning by such a stretch (no pun intended ) since this place is full of metalcore kids now



pschh, there are like 5 people who are "metalcore kids" here. i rarely see them, at that


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 26, 2010)

5? This place is overrun with them now. They're probably still in school, that's why they haven't voted yet


----------



## budda (Apr 26, 2010)

If you're unsure, don't do it.

Why not just get ear piercings that have a face that takes up that pencil diameter?


----------



## alexmurphy (Apr 26, 2010)

JJ Rodriguez said:


> 5? This place is overrun with them now. They're probably still in school, that's why they haven't voted yet



lol im at school right now


----------



## orb451 (Apr 26, 2010)

I voted no. Not necessarily because I personally don't like them, but as others said, you have to think about the future. What you do with your body is your business, but just know, as others pointed out, that it can affect your future. If you're going to be a tattoo artist, life long band member or something along those lines, then it's probably expected that you're going to be pierced and inked up.

If though, you're going to be an accountant somewhere down the road to pay the bills then I'd say no, avoid any and all body modifications that someone can use as a disqualifier against you for employment.


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Apr 26, 2010)

If you're only looking to go to about 0 or 00 (10mm and 11mm respectively) then there's a good chance that if you ever take them out, they'll heal just about completely after a few months. It's when you get to sizes such as 9/16" (14mm) or bigger that normal healing processes will not close them. So I'd say, if you kept it around 0 or 00 it would be fully reversible. 

Also, at that size, a set of "Hiders" do wonders to conceal that you have stretched ears. They're relatively cheap typically available in about a half dozen skin tones. Both my, and my gf are not allowed to have stretched ears as work, and even given out sizes of 5/8" and 1" respectively, thanks to hiders, no one really notices. 

Though, you should take things into consideration:
1) It's not very cheap. Even the cheapest tapers and plugs will run you about $10 a set, and once you use them, they're worthless. To get to 00 you're going to to have to go through roughly ten sets of tapers and plugs, or $100 at the very, very minimum to get where you want to be. Factor in hiders, and fancier plugs for those stages, and that number can quickly double. 
2) They're about as socially acceptable as tattoos on your arms. While there isn't going to be a whole lot of discrimination, especially by your peers, people will look at them and make assumptions about you, based on them. Such is life. While you won't be stoned to death in the streets, it may hinder certain job prospects. Though, for the most part, hiders will completely shield you from problems in the job market. People at my job didn't even know I had them until we went for drinks one night, and my ears are up 5/8".
3) Are you going to want them down the road? Plenty of people start stretching and then realize it's just not for them. Then you're left with a bunch of expensive jewelery and lobes that ache.
4) Ask yourself "why do I want this?" if the reason is anything but "it would make me happier about myself" then you should strongly consider not doing it. This isn't something you should do for cliques or so some hot chick will fuck you. 
5) Ask yourself how informed you are about stretching, what it means, and the overall function of how you do it. You should really gather all the info you can. 

I'm not saying don't, nor am I saying to get your ears stretched. Just giving you some real info, and things to consider.


----------



## Origin (Apr 26, 2010)

I vote no not only because I passionately despise most of the hardcore/hipster douchebags who have these things (not saying by any means you are one, but people assume), but also because those same people tend to have no jobs and turn into lowlives. Keep the face and anywhere readily visible clean  trends pass, and taking care of this crap is a bitch. 

I got a lip piercing once; it is the most shameful moment of my life and I will never repeat the mistake.


----------



## alexmurphy (Apr 26, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> If you're only looking to go to about 0 or 00 (10mm and 11mm respectively) then there's a good chance that if you ever take them out, they'll heal just about completely after a few months. It's when you get to sizes such as 9/16" (14mm) or bigger that normal healing processes will not close them. So I'd say, if you kept it around 0 or 00 it would be fully reversible.
> 
> Also, at that size, a set of "Hiders" do wonders to conceal that you have stretched ears. They're relatively cheap typically available in about a half dozen skin tones. Both my, and my gf are not allowed to have stretched ears as work, and even given out sizes of 5/8" and 1" respectively, thanks to hiders, no one really notices.
> 
> ...



thanks, finally someone gave this some real thought  + rep

do you know if they make hiders for just straight up earrings? 

And as far as money is concerned, its not a huge issue. right now i ahve a summer job at my dad's work, but if he decides to fire me, or when i go to college, the money thing could become an issue. 

As for social acceptability, you sort of solved your own problem with the hiders. 

And as for down the road, Thats partially why i want small holes. I dont want to have giant ears when im 50, so if, for some reason, they dont heal, at least they aren't big and droopy, or for that matter, all that noticeable


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis (Apr 26, 2010)

Varcolac said:


> Voted no. I think they look stupid and like it or not they will affect the amount of intelligence people believe you have.



This, and fixed.


----------



## leftyguitarjoe (Apr 26, 2010)

If you want to do it, do it and fuck what anybody else says.







I have my lobes at 3/4 and I love it. They took alot of time and dedication to properly stretch. I wouldnt change them for the world.

And please, dont call them "gauges". The term "gauge" refers to the unit of measurement AWG, American Wire Gauge. In the states, we measure our ear jewelery with the same scale we measure our electrical wiring. Everyone else uses millimeters. What you put in your ear is a plug, tunnel, taper, ect.

And forget about what people say about cost. Hot Topic charges WAAAAAAY too much for their jewelry. You can get a taper kit going from 16g to 0g for $40 or $50.

And for the work thing, you should have no problem with 0's in your ears.

For more info, check this out. The man knows his stuff and is a good friend of mine.
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=434467117&blogId=454540705


----------



## alexmurphy (Apr 26, 2010)

leftyguitarjoe said:


> If you want to do it, do it and fuck what anybody else says.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks! 
As for using the word "gauges," one of my friends said the same thing you just did. its just a habit. I used to call them gauges all the time, and until 2 weeks ago i thought that was what they were called.


----------



## jymellis (Apr 26, 2010)

your pic of a zero guage ear plug looks about accurate,i hade a zero guage barbell in my tongue in the 90s. as for the huge lobes, no. i never cared about the "when you get older you will regret it"phrase,until i got older lol.


----------



## alexmurphy (Apr 26, 2010)

jymellis said:


> your pic of a zero guage ear plug looks about accurate,i hade a zero guage barbell in my tongue in the 90s. as for the huge lobes, no. i never cared about the "when you get older you will regret it"phrase,until i got older lol.



the tongue gauge sounds incredibly painful...my god

and yea, right now i dont care at all about that phrase, but i do know that i will. so, better to be careful. That, and huge ones are just plain terrible in the first place


----------



## Winspear (Apr 26, 2010)

I voted yes but small ones. 
I'm 18 years old and have 4 stretches. They are all very small though! 2 in each ear, and I wear these in them




4mm at the front, 2mm at the back.

I think it looks pretty normal. I don't like tunnels that go above 10mm. If I didn't stretch purely because I like these earrings, I'd probably go for 8mm tunnels.

Anything up to 10mm can close up really easily so I don't think this is an issue like some people do.

Sure they might affect employability but I really don't think small ones do. They are becoming more and more common, and more and more 'proper' jobs are seeming not to care. Aswell as that, you can temporarily remove smaller ones or wear a smaller tunnel very easily. 

Absolutely no reason not to in my opinion, and I would say the same if I had kids.


----------



## helly (Apr 26, 2010)

Wow, once again SS.org astounds me with stupidity. There's literally too many comments in this thread that need to be addressed to quote them as they go, so I'm just going to address things as I remember them, and then explain how things actually are. Keep in mind, I voted yes, and while mine are only stretched to a 6 gauge, I'm on my way to approximately a 00 myself, where I'm going to hang around for a while, I have plenty of friends ranging anywhere from an 18 (close to piercing gun size), to 2 inches, and everything in between.

To start:

It is called stretching your ears, not gauging them. When referring to the piercings, they aren't appropriately called gauges, either. They're either plugs or flesh tunnels, at most formidable sizes, based on the type of jewelry. Onward...

To address the OP's misinformation: As for the size, a 0 is 8 millimeters, less than half an inch. Then is 00, at about 10mm, and then you get into inch sizes, at 7/16ths of an inch being the next step. The piercings healing back to almost normal is strictly due to whether or not you are displacing the skin of the earlobe, or making it thinner, and this has everything to do with size. Most people have enough earlobe that you're just opening the hole without thinning the skin around it, up until say a 0 or so. Past that the skin of the earlobe will stretch thinner around the widening hole in your ear, and it will never be able to heal back to normal, no matter how carefully you have stretched your ears.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE STUCK WITH THIS FOREVER. I have several friends, most notably a female friend who was at an inch and decided she was tired of it, see a plastic surgeon. Her earlobes look as normal as anybody on the street now. You wouldn't be able to tell she had them stretched at any point, or cut in half and stitched back together.

As for being able to hide them, what were referred to as "hiders" are called retainers, and they actually do work quite nicely, even for pretty large piercings. They're a good idea for hiding them at work, though remember that if you've just stretched up, you'll want to keep the jewelry you put in initially for at least 24 hours before you go irritating the piercing by switching jewelry before you've settled at the new size.

Once you're healed at a new size (2-4 weeks depending), you can keep the jewelry out for up to a week or even longer before it starts to get tighter, depending on the size. Obviously, the larger the size, the longer it takes before it starts to get tighter, and as the size you start at gets large, the amount it tightens gets smaller before it normalizes. At some extreme sizes (over an inch) once you've healed at your size, you can't expect it to get tighter at all in most cases.

*To address whichever idiots called it a "trend" or "hipster" bullshit, it's clearly a trend, much like getting tattooed, because body modification hasn't been around in human cultures since well before the concept of "employment" even existed. Go fuck yourselves for being ignorant. These people just go to show that, while the pursuit of modification is completely acceptable, be it through piercings (stretched or otherwise), or tattoos, you WILL be looked at as a second-class citizen. There is no way around it, sadly. Closed minded people will assume you lack intelligence, or that you're violent, or just that you're a terrible piece of shit. Apparently more of these people are in this thread than you'd expect, but I've learned not to be surprised by the ignorance and closed-mindedness that manages to show up on this forum in the strangest threads.*

Back to stretching your ears, you can stretch one size safely approximately every 2-6 weeks. 3 weeks is a safe bet. Use a product called jojoba oil, it's the closest thing to your body's natural oils and works fantastically as a lubricant when stretching up to a new size. If you feel anything more than a bit of pressure (i.e: any pain whatsoever worse than a pinch), do NOT put in the bigger size. Wait longer, the last thing you want is to blow it out or cause flesh roll.

I'm sure I missed some comments that needed addressing, and I'm sure people will criticize, but this is the most accurate information you'll get here, almost undoubtedly. About the only valid comment I recall seeing is from MaxOfMetal, saying, among other things, that it can get expensive, which is true. You don't really need tapers for most steps (2 to 0 is a bit rough though), but either way jewelry for each step is going to be somewhat pricey depending on how far you're stepping up. As Max said, do your research. See if the cultural reasons for it appeal to you, if you aren't into it for the aesthetic aspects alone, and do all the research you can. And if you need somewhere to buy jewelry, my friends and I all have very good luck with BodyArtForms. Family owned, cheap, well informed and very reliable:

Body jewelry Bodyartforms plugs, barbells, captives, nosescrews, labrets, and more...

Best of luck to you, and remember to ignore the haters. As I said, as a person with visible tattoos and piercings myself, you will be treated by a second-class citizen, even by some people, such as a few of those here, who you would have considered your peers.


----------



## jeremyb (Apr 26, 2010)

Fine if you're an african tribeswoman when you're all going to look equally as stupid in the retirement grass hut, but think how silly it will look when you're 50 and over being a follower of the latest fashion...


----------



## rvoteary (Apr 26, 2010)

Origin said:


> I got a lip piercing once; it is the most shameful moment of my life and I will never repeat the mistake.



I was ashamed just looking at it, goddamn\

as for stretching your earlobes, I wouldn't


----------



## techcoreriffman (Apr 26, 2010)

I voted yes. The haters can hate as much as they want, but it's your body and you can do with it what you see fit. Personally, I want to stretch my ears up to 1/2". It's not to be trendy, it's because I like the way that stretched ears look. If you want to do it because it makes you happy, then do it. If it's to be trendy/cool then save yourself the pain and regret.


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Apr 26, 2010)




----------



## technomancer (Apr 26, 2010)

I voted no. If you want to go into any kind of professional field body piercings / visible tattoos / body mods WILL hinder your getting a job. Granted, it's your body and you can do whatever you want with it. You're also free to work in food service or retail for the rest of your life as well.

Not hatin' just telling the truth about the real world.


----------



## Dusty201087 (Apr 26, 2010)

I didn't vote because my opinion is in between yes and no.

If you want them - go for it. 

A much safer thing to do for your future is to buy fake plus though. They're simple, they look pretty okay, and if you have them out for a month the holes will probably be gone. No surgery, months of waiting, or uncertainty. 

Also, if you get fake plugs and REALLY like them for a while, then you can always start getting real plugs and actually stretching. The one big disadvantage of fake plugs is that there's not really much options in them. You have solid colors and then really crappy graphic ones. I personally love wooden plugs, but I've never seen false wooden plugs. You may be able to have them custom made though.

Here's a pic of false plugs, if you don't know what they are. You can get a plain color set on eBay for REALLY cheap. I know I found a set of seven pairs (all different colors) for about $40 once.


----------



## Ckackley (Apr 26, 2010)

Voted no here too.. Like it or not, they could affect you getting a job. I work construction and could conceivably not hire someone with stretched earlobes due to safety concerns. I've got tattoos but they are all coverable by a t-shirt and are pretty age neutral. My tats will still look decent when I'm 90. To me it has nothing to do with being a trend, or whatever, it's got to do with practicality. Stretched ear lobes are awesome actually, but eating is way more important.


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 26, 2010)

You can always eat the ear cheese.


----------



## troyguitar (Apr 26, 2010)

technomancer said:


> I voted no. If you want to go into any kind of professional field body piercings / visible tattoos / body mods WILL hinder your getting a job. Granted, it's your body and you can do whatever you want with it. You're also free to work in food service or retail for the rest of your life as well.
> 
> Not hatin' just telling the truth about the real world.



This. 99% over the age of say 40 (in other words, the people that you want to hire you) will certainly look down on you for it.

Do whatever you want, but take the consequences into account.

It's for these reasons that I'll probably be cutting my hair in a few months when I get my degree and start looking for real jobs.


----------



## xiphoscesar (Apr 26, 2010)

i say do it if you desire it ,and as for the unemployment thing,dont let that affect you. ive applied to many jobs and they had no problems with it, and where i currently work at they have no problems with it , they just ask me to put clear ones in which i have no problem with

some jobs wont bother to tell you to take them off cause they see it as a tribal thing, like just tell them your part mayan and they will probably not tell you anything


i say go for a 00g, cause it looks big not too big(well pretty small compared to my 1 inch plugs)

but just be careful cause its addicting and once you get to 00g , you going to think that they dont looks big, so your going to want to stretch them even more





as for not closing up, if you take care of you ear properly , they will shrink back to normal

shit a couple of months ago my ear tore( due to me being stupid and making plugs out of pvc pipe, which cut the inside of my earlobe)
and i had to take my left one out for around 2 weeks or so, after it healed, i could barely fit a 2g in my ear, if i didn't put anything in my ear, it would've probably closed in another month

but anyways...

just dont let people tell you what you should or shouldnt do

i dont give a shit what anyone says, i love my stretched ears,

and just for the record, the people who probably voted no are old people 


edit: as for spending , you dont have to spend much
heres a kit from 14-0
http://www.kingsbodyjewelry.com/fulltapersandplugskit14g-0g-1.aspx


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 26, 2010)

xiphoscesar said:


> i say do it if you desire it ,and as for the unemployment thing,dont let that affect you. ive applied to many jobs and they had no problems with it, and where i currently work at they have no problems with it , they just ask me to put clear ones in which i have no problem with



Just for curiosity's sake, what kind of job do you have? Is it a professional job, in an office and whatnot? I mean, those aren't the only kind of jobs out there, they just happen to pay the best


----------



## MJS (Apr 26, 2010)

JeffFromMtl said:


> If you have to ask other people, the answer is probably no.



This is definitely true. 


Notice how tons of kids have regular earrings? Notice how you don't see nearly as many adult males wearing earrings? I'd guess that exactly 0% of the adults that outgrew earrings have ever thought, "I wish these unused holes were 20 times bigger." 

You also can't compare the permanence to tattoos because tattoos tend to at least have meaning. Giant holes don't and will be outgrown. Plus, most people get tattoos where they're covered by their work clothes... not on their ears. 

You could test it for yourself instead of taking the advice of others. Get those fake ones and see how long it takes you to lose interest & be happy that it didn't leave a mark. If you don't lose interest, then knock yourself out & go for the real thing.


----------



## MJS (Apr 26, 2010)

xiphoscesar said:


> i say do it if you desire it ,and as for the unemployment thing,dont let that affect you.



Nothing wrong with that if that's how you feel, but it's bad advice to be giving others. 




xiphoscesar said:


> and just for the record, the people who probably voted no are old people



Doing stuff because adults don't think it's cool is something kids outgrow right around the same time they outgrow having big holes in their ears.


----------



## xiphoscesar (Apr 26, 2010)

MJS said:


> Nothing wrong with that if that's how you feel, but it's bad advice to be giving others.



yea i guess your right
pretty much what im trying to say to the OP is that

if you want to stretch your ears, do it

dont let others influence your decision


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 26, 2010)

Define old xiphoscesar  I'm 26, and know plenty of people my age who have those things, and I when I was 15, even though hardly anyone had them then, I still thought they looked dumb 

Again, I'm not saying don't do it, I'm just saying realize the consequences, and be sure you want to do it. Everyone here who voted no is pretty much saying the same thing.


----------



## leftyguitarjoe (Apr 26, 2010)

Just throwing this out there...


My huge finger-sized holes in my ears have yet to hinder my ability to get a job.


Just dont go hoping to work in an office or something. Be a man and work in a warehouse like me


----------



## alexmurphy (Apr 26, 2010)

JJ Rodriguez said:


> Define old xiphoscesar  I'm 26, and know plenty of people my age who have those things, and I when I was 15, even though hardly anyone had them then, I still thought they looked dumb
> 
> Again, I'm not saying don't do it, I'm just saying realize the consequences, and be sure you want to do it. Everyone here who voted no is pretty much saying the same thing.




this i realize. im pondering it...


----------



## xiphoscesar (Apr 26, 2010)

JJ Rodriguez said:


> Define old xiphoscesar  I'm 26, and know plenty of people my age who have those things, and I when I was 15, even though hardly anyone had them then, I still thought they looked dumb
> .





and your a 26 year old guy (with a bald spot on top of his head)whos going to work in an office for the rest of his life

seems kinda like a boring life if you ask me

and like someone said regular jobs are just not giving a shit anymore

i work at peter piper pizza right cleaning tables, and i have to talk customers too, and some of them ask about my earlobes but others dont give a shit

shit the guy that hired me ( the owner of the restaurant) said he didnt have a problem with my ears as long as i wear clear ones


----------



## Customisbetter (Apr 26, 2010)

xiphoscesar said:


> and like someone said regular jobs are just not giving a shit anymore
> 
> i work at peter piper pizza right cleaning tables



 

You clean tables for a living. Do you plan on doing that the rest of your life? There are not many life lessons to be learned in cleaning tables. It doesn't read well on a resume. I can't imagine you cane afford to feed a family cleaning tables.

just saying, your outlook on life is drastically different than mine.


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Apr 26, 2010)

Don't take this the wrong way Xiphoscesar, you're fighting the good fight and all, but for the love of Dio just stop. Please.

I have my ears stretched and even I don't agree with what you're posting.


----------



## MJS (Apr 26, 2010)

xiphoscesar said:


> and your a 26 year old guy (with a bald spot on top of his head)*whos going to work in an office for the rest of his life*
> 
> *seems kinda like a boring life if you ask me*
> 
> ...



I'm starting to wonder if maybe you're using Extreme Reverse Psychology to keep the OP from stretching his ears.


----------



## Stealthdjentstic (Apr 26, 2010)

xiphoscesar said:


> and your a 26 year old guy (with a bald spot on top of his head)whos going to work in an office for the rest of his life
> 
> seems kinda like a boring life if you ask me
> 
> ...



JJ works as an IT guy, to my knowledge he doesn't sit around at a desk all day.

Also, not trying to be a dick but

Sitting at an office > cleaning tables


----------



## Opeth666 (Apr 26, 2010)

no


----------



## Customisbetter (Apr 26, 2010)

For the record I am also in IT, I meet people from all over the country and various age groups and learn something new every day.

I would hate tables after a week.


----------



## Lasik124 (Apr 26, 2010)

Do what you want and never let anyone tell you otherwise.
I don't like the way they look, But that's just me.


----------



## CatPancakes (Apr 26, 2010)

xiphoscesar said:


> and your a 26 year old guy (with a bald spot on top of his head)whos going to work in an office for the rest of his life



Who makes more money than you do by a wide fucking margin id bet

Also op, obviously you should stretch your ears so you can work an illustrious career as a busboy!
Or not.

Me being a dick aside, I wouldnt do it if i were you op, im not personally a fan, and you can tell yourself that people wont care about it all you want, but in the end, they will. You can do cool piercing mods without gauging out your ears, like multiple piercings. I have 2 in each earlobe, soon to be 3. its alot less common (to me anyways) but still has a very cool almost tribal look to it, especially with rings and not bars or studs.


----------



## dantel666 (Apr 26, 2010)

I voted yes.

I have stretched ears, I'm at 3/4ths and I personally love stretched ears.

Just make sure your reason is justified for doing it and you aren't doing it because you think its cool.

Since you only want 0 or 00 gauge plugs they wont be permanent, but it does vary from person to person. Generally speaking 00 is the point of no return.


Word of advice if you do decide to stretch your ears. Do it slowly, don't rush it. Rushing it will only cause more problems.

If you need to know anything just ask me, I'm pretty knowledgeable on this subject


----------



## ittoa666 (Apr 27, 2010)

All of my friends that have had these just took them out after a while. I say not worth it.


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 28, 2010)

xiphoscesar said:


> and your a 26 year old guy (with a bald spot on top of his head)whos going to work in an office for the rest of his life
> 
> seems kinda like a boring life if you ask me
> 
> ...



I don't even think I need to say anything, since other people have already said it 

Yes, I work in IT. I run around an office and fix shit all day. Even by this office standards I'm kind of pushing it with long hair, but the old ladies love it  So, I too work in the service industry, except I get paid more 

Have fun living on minimum wage for the rest of your life 

Also, I don't really have a bald spot, my hair is somewhat thin and I've always had a high hairline, but no bald spot 

PS - Fuck you too.


----------



## jymellis (Apr 28, 2010)

where i work you cant wear any type of jewelry, be it ear rings,ear plugs,watches,or even rings on your fingers,not to mention they would laugh you right out the door as soon as they saw you before even beginning the interview process


----------



## CentaurPorn (Apr 28, 2010)

I work with JJ. Same Job, Same company but on a different contract. The ladies Do love his long hair. Hell sometimes I have to run my fingers through his beautiful mane. It is very majestic. 

We are so lucky to not have any responsibility. Being the primary IT support for a multi million $$ contract will never compare to cleaning the table where I eat my pizza. 

I can't believe I just saw a kid that works in a pizza joint talk down to somebody who works in IT supporting a large government contract. ...I don't even have to say it..wow.


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 28, 2010)

It's okay Centaur. I'm just going to go home and cry myself to sleep while I listen to Extreme about how shitty our jobs are compared to busing tables in a pizza parlour.


----------



## CentaurPorn (Apr 28, 2010)

Wow. It is that fucking Emo Kid. I can not describe the hilarity that has ensued in this thread. It is...."More than words."

The Forces of the Internets are strong today.

This thread has made my work day so much better.


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 28, 2010)

To not get too far off track.... are you sure you want to be taking life advice from a 15 year old? Sure, we might be "old" (by some weird standard of a 15 year old emo kid) but at the same time, we have been out there in job interviews and shit. I mean, I'm not terribly experienced at life  But I'm just saying use your common sense, and realize if you do it, you might only be able to get a job busing tables at a pizza parlour and not a super awesome job in IT.


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 28, 2010)

CentaurPorn said:


> Wow. It is that fucking Emo Kid. I can not describe the hilarity that has ensued in this thread. It is...."More than words."



Pretty much


----------



## distressed_romeo (Apr 28, 2010)

I'm inclined to say no, primarily because I'm not keen on the look to begin with, and I have a feeling its one of those things that'll look really silly once it stops being trendy. I know a lot of work environments are more tolerant about piercings these days (I've got four regular earrings myself, and most places I've worked don't care either way provided I didn't wear especially ostentatious ones) and long hair can be tied back (same response as the earrings at previous jobs), and tatoos can easily be covered with shirt sleeves most of the time, but do you really want to have to go to all the trouble of getting tunnels in and out for the sake of a job interview?
If you are determined to do it, at least make sure you go to a decent piercer who'll be able to advise you how to take care of them, and how reversible the process is.

Short answer, if you're going to do it, do it properly, having investigated the consequences, but if you're even a little bit unsure, I wouldn't really bother.


----------



## CentaurPorn (Apr 28, 2010)

Not that I give two fucks about Neg rep. Who ever did it without signing said this 
"It is not nice to dump on someone for who they are"

You may want to read over the thread. Specifically his uncalled for attacks on JJ's Career which is also mine. Eat fuck. 

The end.


----------



## alexmurphy (Apr 28, 2010)

distressed_romeo said:


> I'm inclined to say no, primarily because I'm not keen on the look to begin with, and I have a feeling its one of those things that'll look really silly once it stops being trendy. I know a lot of work environments are more tolerant about piercings these days (I've got four regular earrings myself, and most places I've worked don't care either way provided I didn't wear especially ostentatious ones) and long hair can be tied back (same response as the earrings at previous jobs), and tatoos can easily be covered with shirt sleeves most of the time, but do you really want to have to go to all the trouble of getting tunnels in and out for the sake of a job interview?
> If you are determined to do it, at least make sure you go to a decent piercer who'll be able to advise you how to take care of them, and how reversible the process is.
> 
> Short answer, if you're going to do it, do it properly, having investigated the consequences, but if you're even a little bit unsure, I wouldn't really bother.



just for your information, the gauge of the hole i want is small enough that it would heal to a normal piercing, given time, and that i didnt completely mess up the stretching process. I plan on doing this as carefully as i can


----------



## JJ Rodriguez (Apr 28, 2010)

CentaurPorn said:


> Not that I give two fucks about Neg rep. Who ever did it without signing said this
> "It is not nice to dump on someone for who they are"
> 
> You may want to read over the thread. Specifically his uncalled for attacks on JJ's Career which is also mine. Eat fuck.



That's what the person must mean, you can't fault someone for being a petulant little shit. He was born that way.


----------



## DDDorian (Apr 28, 2010)

This thread hurts my brain. OP, you've obviously made up your mind on what you want to do, considering how you keep stacking the first post with "facts", so I'm closing the shit out this thread. xiphoscesar, hold onto your Kleenex:


----------



## El Caco (Apr 28, 2010)

I didn't see this thread but even though it is closed I'll add to it. I stretched my ear long before it was the trend over here back in the 90's. It started out as trying to fit as many sleepers in the same hole as possible and I would wear all kinds of things in my ear because there were no earings available that I didn't think looked gay. I didn't wear anything for a few years and a few years back I decided to put some small stretchers in. I have never gone above 8mm and I never did it for anyone but myself. It has never effected any job beyond one boss making some smart ass comments, the negativity all came from family and very close friends.

Every now and then I throw something in my ear, everytime I do these days I get comments from someone that they never realised my ears were pierced so if you stay small it will return to normal. If you want to go bigger and don't mind the consequences go for it. People have given me just as much shit if not more for my long hair in the past and a number of other things just as stupid, some people are just intolerant of anything different. Personally I hate large stretched ear lobes but I respect the choice and taste of the individual and I think people should just do what makes them happy. 

However my opinion is that it would be stupid to permanently scar yourself this way if you were just doing it because it is the current trend. I think if you are going to do something like this it should be for the right reasons.


----------

