Ear stretching has ancient roots, but the trend skyrocketed in popularity in the ’00s thanks to several prominent musicians and models. There’s something empowering about swapping out dainty pearls for eye-catching plugs or tapers. This form of body piercing represents counterculture at its most remarkable, and we’re totally on board with boundary-breaking styles.

Want to kick-start your ear stretching journey? We’re here to guide you through the process, providing you with some basic info on stretching techniques, compatible jewelry types, and more.

Before we start, we want to mention that everyone’s body is different, and certain piercing types aren’t for everyone. As mentioned, we’re here to provide the basics, but we encourage speaking to a professional piercer for additional information before getting pierced.

It’s time to get stretching!

Plugs & Tunnels


Table of Contents

Ear Stretching Guide:

Ear Stretching FAQs:


Ear Stretching Preparation

Practicing Patience When Stretching:

Of all of the tools you’ll need to stretch your earlobes, patience is the most important. Stretching your earlobes too quickly can lead to tearing, infection, or even a blowout. A blowout occurs when a piercing is stretched too quickly, causing a buildup of irritated scar tissue. The most effective way to avoid a blowout is to stretch the earlobes slowly while gradually increasing gauge sizes over time.


Ear Stretching Fundamental Rules:

Before we explore the in-depth process of ear stretching, here are some fundamental rules:

  • Take it slow: Never attempt to stretch your earlobes more than one gauge size at a time. Additionally, never force a stretching session that is excessively painful. While waiting more than a month between each stretch may sound impossible, your fully healed stretched ears will be worth the wait.

  • Keep it clean: Before each stretching session, wash your hands, clean your piercing site, and clean your jewelry. Keeping your body piercings and jewelry clean can help prevent infection. For more information on piercing and jewelry care, read How to Care For Your Body Jewelry & Body Piercings.

  • Listen to your body: Allow your earlobes to heal completely after fresh stretches. If a stretch feels excessively painful, stop the process and try again in a few days or weeks.

  • Manage your expectations: Skin elasticity, pain tolerance, and healing times differ for everyone. You may begin your ear stretching journey with the ultimate goal of wearing one-inch plugs, but your body won’t allow that. Advance your stretch by one gauge size at a time, and wait until your earlobes have healed completely to consider moving on to the next gauge size.

  • Know when to stop: Some piercing professionals recommend only stretching to a two-gauge. That’s because, in most cases, stretched earlobes will return to their original size if two-gauge plugs are removed and allowed to heal for approximately two to three months. If you stretch your earlobes beyond a two gauge (to 0-gauge, 00-gauge, or larger), it’s less likely that your earlobes will return to the original size. Stretching too much or too quickly can lead to injury that may require surgery to correct. Remember that no two bodies are identical; some earlobes may return to their original size from 0-gauge jewelry, while others may not.


Choosing Your Stretching Method:

There are two primary methods of ear stretching: the taper method and the taping method. Although these methods sound similar in name, they are entirely different processes. We’ll describe each approach below.


Ear Stretching Guide (Tapers)

The Taper Method:

Tapers are cylinder-shaped tools that can be used to gradually stretch a piercing. The narrow end of a taper is inserted into a piercing and slowly pushed through. The broad end of a taper determines its gauge size. Once a taper has been carefully pushed through a piercing, a new piece of jewelry that matches the taper’s gauge size can be inserted into a piercing. For example, if you’re currently wearing eight-gauge jewelry, you’ll use a six-gauge taper to prepare your piercing for a six-gauge plug.



What You’ll Need:

  • Piercing cleaner or disinfectant: H2Ocean Body Piercing Antibacterial Soap.

  • Lubricant: Pierced Nation Healing Jojoba Oil. Not only is jojoba oil an excellent moisturizer, but it has anti-inflammatory properties and is easily absorbed by the skin.

  • Tapers: Tapers are sold in both individual pairs and stretching kits. By shopping for tapers one pair at a time, you’ll enjoy the freedom to choose from unique colors and patterns with each stretch. Acrylic tapers and surgical steel tapers are common choices among experienced ear stretchers. Alternatively, an ear stretching kit offers the convenience of both smaller sizes and larger sizes of ear tapers that will last throughout your entire stretching journey. Both routes are great choices.

  • Body jewelry: You should have a clean pair of plugs, tunnels (or flesh tunnels), pinchers, or spiral tapers ready to be inserted into your stretched earlobes before you begin stretching. It’s important to have your body jewelry nearby, as tapers are not meant to be worn for an extended period. Because tapers are narrow at one end and broad at the other, they create an uneven weight distribution when worn in your earlobes. Their job is to open earlobe piercings to accommodate new body jewelry gradually. It’s generally recommended to limit taper wear time to no more than a few hours before inserting new body jewelry.



How to Stretch Your Ears with Tapers:

  • Wash your hands thoroughly, and remove your current body jewelry. Massage 3-5 drops of Pierced Nation Healing Jojoba Oil onto the front and back of each earlobe. Repeat this process at least twice daily to condition the earlobes and prepare them to be stretched.

  • Grab a sterilized taper and remove the o-ring closure. Lubricate the taper itself using 1-2 drops of jojoba oil.

  • Slowly push the narrow end of the taper through your piercing until you’ve reached the thickest part of the broad end. At this point, you can either replace the o-ring closure and allow the taper to sit in your earlobe for a few minutes, or immediately insert new body jewelry.

  • Once you’re ready to insert new body jewelry, align your plug or tunnel as closely as possible with the broad end of the taper. As you pull the taper completely through your piercing, push your new body jewelry into its place. Secure your new body jewelry with o-rings or a threaded closure if needed.

  • After a fresh stretch, wait at least six weeks to attempt to stretch your ears again. Your earlobes must heal completely before you stretch them to a new gauge size. Stretching your earlobes before the healing process is complete may lead to pain, infection, or scarring.


Taper Stretching Healing Time: 

At least six weeks.

Stretching Kit, Tapers, Plugs, Tunnels, Pinchers, Spiral Tapers, Pierced Nation Healing Jojoba Oil, H2Ocean Body Piercing Antibacterial Spray.


Ear Stretching Guide (Taping)

The Taping Method:

The taping method of earlobe stretching refers to the practice of wrapping PTFE tape (or polytetrafluoroethylene tape) around body jewelry to gradually increase its gauge size. This method is popular among stretchers who want to achieve larger gauge sizes like 00 and beyond.

The taping method lets you control how much you want to stretch your earlobes. You can wrap your plugs or tunnels with one layer of tape or four. It’s up to you.



What You’ll Need:

  • Piercing cleaner or disinfectant: H2Ocean Body Piercing Antibacterial Soap.

  • Lubricant: Pierced Nation Healing Jojoba Oil. Skin conditioning is an essential step in the taping method of earlobe stretching.

  • Tape: Use polytetrafluoroethylene tape (better known as PTFE tape or thread seal tape) when applying the taping method. 

  • Body jewelry: Select a clean pair of plugs, tunnels, pinchers, or spiral tapers to be inserted into your stretched earlobes.



How to Stretch Your Ears Using the Taping Method:

  • Wash your hands thoroughly, and remove your current body jewelry.

  • Wrap your clean body jewelry with PTFE tape, insert it, and repeat the process until it feels reasonably tight. It’s strongly recommended that you wrap one layer of tape around your body jewelry at a time.

  • Insert your body jewelry after each wrap to assess how it feels in your ear. Wrapping multiple layers of tape around your body jewelry and forcing it into your stretched earlobe may lead to unnecessary pain or skin tearing.

  • While the taping method of earlobe stretching sounds simple, it’s essential that you use the right tools and pace.


Taping Stretch Healing Time:

At least six weeks.

Tapers, Plugs, Tunnels, Pinchers, Spiral Tapers, Pierced Nation Healing Jojoba Oil, H2Ocean Body Piercing Antibacterial Spray.


Compatible Jewelry

Plug and Tunnel Jewelry Information:

If you’re interested in wearing plugs or tunnels, note that they come in many forms. While this list highlights types of plugs, the same functional characteristics apply to tunnels. Tunnels differ from plugs in that they are hollow in the middle.

  • Straight plugs: Straight plugs feature a consistent thickness or gauge size from end to end. O-rings hold them in place, serving as the “closure” type. Straight plugs are ideal for newly stretched earlobes, as they can be eased directly into a piercing following a taper or other stretching tool.

  • Single-flare plugs: Single-flare plugs are flared at one end and straight at the other. An O-ring is sometimes used to hold the straight end in place, serving as the “closure” type. Single-flare plugs can create the illusion of a larger ear gauge size, as the flared end is visible when looking at the wearer straight on.

  • Double-flare plugs: Double-flare plugs are flared at both ends and are only appropriate for fully healed ears. The flared ends of a plug feature a larger gauge size than the wearable middle. For this reason, the ears must be able to comfortably stretch to the gauge size of the flare in order to be inserted.

  • Saddle plugs: Saddle plugs are essentially the same as double-flare plugs but feature a more gradual curve at both ends. Double-flare plugs often include a sharply defined lip at both ends, whereas saddle plugs feature a smooth arc shape. Saddle plugs are usually created from materials such as stone or glass.

  • Screw-fit plugs: Screw-fit plugs offer the appearance of double-flare plugs but with the ability to screw one or both ends on and off. Screw-fit plugs are often created in surgical steel or other body-safe materials, featuring either an externally or internally threaded closure. When tightening a screw-fit plug’s threaded closure, avoid applying excess pressure. Tightening a screw-fit plug too hard or too far can lead to jewelry breakage.


Gauge Size Chart

Gauge Size Chart


Ear Stretching FAQs

Does ear stretching hurt?

Everyone experiences pain differently. However, ear stretching should not be excessively painful when done properly. Excessive pain may be prevented by waiting for the ears to heal completely between each stretch, using clean tools, and wearing quality body jewelry.

Stretching your ears slowly each time you insert a slightly larger gauge size for the first time is an effective way to minimize pain. While any form of body modification may be painful, you should consult a professional piercer or a medical professional if the pain becomes too great or lasts for an extended period.



How long is the ear stretching healing process?

Healing times vary from person to person, but ears generally heal completely in six weeks to six months. We recommend waiting as long as possible between each stretch. If you’re unsure whether your ears have healed completely between stretches, consult a professional piercer or a medical professional.



How do you know when to stop ear stretching?

Everyone has unique preferences when it comes to ear stretching. You should stop ear stretching when you’ve reached a desired look or can comfortably wear your favorite pieces of body jewelry. If you aim to stretch your ears as far as possible, be mindful that they may not shrink to their original size beyond a certain point (usually beyond a two-gauge size). Possible indicators that you are stretching too soon or too quickly are pain, bleeding, and a white ring on the skin surrounding your body jewelry.



Can you sleep with ear tapers in?

Wearing ear tapers to sleep, during exercise, or for more than a few hours is not recommended. Tapers should be used exclusively to gradually stretch the ear to accommodate proper body jewelry.



Are tapers and taping the only ear stretching methods?

No. While tapers and the tape wrapping method are widely considered the safest methods of ear stretching, other methods involve creating a large hole in the ear with a scalpel or a dermal punch.



Can ear stretching be reversed?

Reversing the process of ear stretching depends on several factors. If you have stretched your ears beyond a two-gauge size or have experienced a blowout while stretching, your ears may not return to their original size without surgical intervention. However, with slow, hygienic stretching, proper skin care, and natural skin elasticity, your ears may shrink to their original size after stretching.



Is it normal for the ears to smell bad while stretching?

Yes. Odors caused by dead skin cells and bacteria can occur throughout the process of ear stretching. To minimize foul smells during ear stretching, clean your ears, wash your hands, and sanitize your jewelry regularly.



How much does ear stretching cost?

Ear stretching costs vary depending on your choice of supplies and body jewelry. Buying safe body jewelry, skin-friendly oils, and effective cleaners are worthy investments!



What’s the smallest gauge size?

20-gauge earrings are very small. The standard ear piercing is done using 18 to 16 gauge body jewelry.



What’s the largest gauge size?

00 (or 3/8″) is the largest gauge size on most gauge size conversion charts, but larger body jewelry exists. For example, one-inch plugs are very popular!


When it comes to ear stretching, slow and steady wins the race. Skin tearing, blowouts, and infection can set you back months in your ear stretching journey. A little patience and a lot of cleanliness go a long way in ensuring that you get to wear the gauge size that you’ve always dreamed of. Your hard work and discipline will be so worth it when you get to go shopping for your favorite body jewelry.