Terminology
There seems to be quite a bit of confusion over terminology, so to clear a few things up first:
• enlarging a piercing is done by scalping or stretching (not "gauging")
• the jewelry worn in stretched piercings, depending on the style, can be called plugs, tunnels, weights, etc. (not "gauges")
• size of jewelry can be measured in millimeters, increments of an inch, or within a specific range (20g-00g) by gauge
• enlarging a piercing is done by scalping or stretching (not "gauging")
• the jewelry worn in stretched piercings, depending on the style, can be called plugs, tunnels, weights, etc. (not "gauges")
• size of jewelry can be measured in millimeters, increments of an inch, or within a specific range (20g-00g) by gauge
Questions and Answers
How do I know which wearing length I need?
- Use calipers or a ruler and measure how much of a plug’s surface is covered by your lobe What tips do you have for stretching my ears? - Wait 4-6 weeks or longer (depending on your body) between stretches - Never skip sizes - Never force jewelry that wont go (you should never make yourself bleed while stretching) - A hot shower or warm compress will help when inserting larger jewelry - Use only non-porous jewelry for stretching (Pyrex, surgical steel, titanium, etc) - Single flare, double o-ring, and captive bead ring tend to be the easiest stretching options - Regularly massaging your lobes (we love jojoba!) helps soften up tissue and lubricate - Patience and time are your best friends when stretching How big can I stretch my lobes and have them shrink down to normal? The factors involved in shrinking a stretched piercing have a lot to do with your body and how you stretched your lobes. As a general rule you should never stretch larger than you’d be comfortable having forever. If you stretch slowly and gently, your chances of shrinking back to normal are better, and the less you stretch the better your chances they will shrink well. There is no exact time frame and no exact size anyone can provide. How do I know what size plugs I wear? Take a pair of plugs that fit you to your friendly neighborhood piercer and ask them to measure for you, another option is picking up a pair of callipers from a local hardware store to measure them yourself. Can I wear my plugs in water? Omerica includes a care card with every order detailing the do’s and don’t of wooden adornment. They definitely recommend against getting their plugs wet (wearing them in the shower, pool, hot tub, etc) because wood is a porous natural material and can warp or swell and inlays can be damaged, etc. I’m vegan and not down with beeswax, what are my options? Omerica will happily skip the wax on your plugs, and finish them with organic jojoba oil instead. Simply write that request in the "notes" box when you checkout. |