Ear gauge sizes can be confusing to people starting out with piercings and ear stretching. For beginners, we want to outline what ear gauge sizes are, how they work, and what you need to stretch your ear.
How Do Ear Gauges Work?
A set of earrings act like a plug to your ear. A pair of handmade earrings sit into the hole created for them. The size of this hole is essentially what connects to an ear gauge size.
The larger the size of the stretch, the smaller your gauge number will be. Eventually, the more extreme the stretch, the type of listing moves from ‘gauge numbers’ and into inches beginning with 11mm equating to 7/16”.
Why Are Ear Gauge Sizes The Opposite Way?
For all intents and purposes, jewelry and earrings are still a very traditional category of accessorizing the body.
They are built off relied-upon measurements and ear gauge sizes aren’t one of them. Ear gauge sizes use measurements that relate to the thickness of wire using a 1” steel plate as a reference. This originated in the British wire industry. Hence, the lower the fraction, the thicker the wire.
Why THAT system came to be applied to ear gauge sizes is debated but it’s not the only measurement system that is like this. This same gauge system is applied in the medical industry as well.
What Can I Expect Getting My Ears Pierced?
When a person normally gets their ears pierced, they don’t necessarily need to be concerned about stretching the lobe.
A traditional earring is either a 20g or 18g ear gauge size. It’s very minimal. That’s roughly 1 mm. When it’s done by a gun, that’s what it is. If you are pierced by a professional’s hand, a lobe piercing could equate to 16g or 14g. This is something to ask the person who is doing the lobe piercing.
If you did want to stretch your ears further, it would have to be done gradually. Moving from 18g to 16g, for example, is a start. This pattern of working your way down the ear gauge size scale could essentially continue until you were happy with where things landed.
Why Do We Stretch Our Ears?
Ear gauge size and stretching the ears has been around for thousands of years. It is believed to have begun as a way to note what group or tribe one belonged to, in antiquated times. It’s marking a person as ‘one of us’.
Today, stretching is more prominently used as a style and to accessorize the body with. The cartilage of the ear has a lot of strength to it and can hold surprisingly large earrings, tubes, and pieces of jewelry.
Does Moving Up An Ear Gauge Size Hurt?
Stretching your ears shouldn’t hurt. This, however, relies on you giving your ears enough time to recover and stretch. If there is a sharp pain or bleeding, do not continue with the process until you’re comfortable doing so.
If you do continue and stretch your ears too quickly, it could lead to tearing, infection, or a permanent injury though this is rare. Always move up the ear gauge size slowly. It will be worth it, trust us!
Corail Blanc is a growing collection of handmade jewelry, from earrings to necklaces and everything in-between and beyond. Our earrings fit the standard 20-gauge piercing size. Visit Corail Blanc today to see a mix of earrings, from Bali Silver to beaded, WellDunn, VIIXVI, and additional brands. Browse unique one-of-a-kind styles that bring style and elegance to your presence in the room.