People with ear gauges.

[Kgoodrich]

I was looking at getting my ears gauged but i need some info before I take the body modification plunge any help would be appreciated.

1.What is the smallest recommended size I start with?

2.What is the difference between all the different types of jewelry?

3.Are there any good online retailers to look up jewelry?

4.Do your ear gauges affect your ability to get a job in any way?

thanks in advance.

[mjolnir]

Originally Posted by Kgoodrich

1.What is the smallest recommended size I start with?

Go 14. Seems small, I know, but you can't jump from regular size to 6 and expect your earlobe to stay intact. Depending on how big you want to go, the rings that gauge your ears gradually over time might be the way to go.

2.What is the difference between all the different types of jewelry?

...Nothing, really. There's the acrylic and there's the stainless. It's all purely personal preference.

3.Are there any good online retailers to look up jewelry?

Hot Topic's online shop has some, Spencer's as well. There's another one I can't remember the name of at the moment, I'll post it up if I remember later.

4.Do your ear gauges affect your ability to get a job in any way?

Depends on two factors: the type of job you're looking for and the person doing the hiring.

[palm grease]

1. i'd say a 10 or an 8

2. quality...stainless steel 100%!

3. "pleasurable piercing"...it was a NJ retailer and dist.... not sure otherwise

4. yes and no... im in a suit n tie sales position.... i have my "conches" done.... my buddy has 7/8ths in his lobes....he's an artist....need i say more?

my advice is to solidify your profession then explore your body mods.... people do judge a book by it's cover, it's human nature, we all do!

i'd say pierce your wang!

[Figjam]

1. I started by piercing my own ears (with my girlfriends help) with a sewing needle. So this is very small. like a 20. I then stretched gradually. First to an 18. Then I wrapped the 18s in teflon tape slowly every few days. You can look up this technique via google.
2. Acrylic is cheap but smells pretty awful. Stainless is more expensive, still smells. The better quality the less it will smell. I use wood plugs from www.omericaorganic.com . They dont smell at all.

3. http://bodyartforms.com/plugs.asp?je...omyes&offset=0

4. Im still in college. Doesnt affect my part time job at the moment. You can buy hider plugs from the above site if you need.

I am a 0 gauge now. This is my desired gauge and I will not continue to stretch past this point. You can see some stainless tunnels I wear sometimes in this pic.

[HEIST]

Originally Posted by Kgoodrich

I was looking at getting my ears gauged but i need some info before I take the body modification plunge any help would be appreciated.

1.What is the smallest recommended size I start with?

2.What is the difference between all the different types of jewelry?

3.Are there any good online retailers to look up jewelry?

4.Do your ear gauges affect your ability to get a job in any way?

thanks in advance.

You mean you want your ears stretched. Saying you want your ears gauged is like saying you want your ears centimetered.

I agree, 14g is a good size to start. You do not want to ever skip sizes, and always wait around 2 months between each stretch. The point of no return is around 0g. If you stretched up to 0g healthily and slowly and decide to take them out, they'll shrink back to a 14g or 12g.

Do not stretch with silicon (only wear in healed piercings) same goes for organics. Don't wear acrylics either. Any kind of plastics just degrade as you are wearing it. Use 316LVM implant grade stainless steel. Tunnels, plugs, cbrs, whatever you want.

Some online retailers to look at are http://www.bmeshop.com/ and http://www.bodyartforms.com/

And yes any visible body mods do affect your chances at some jobs. Totally depends on what it is though and who's hiring you.

[Kgoodrich]

thanks man, i'll have to check with my local piercer to see how much it would cost.

the job thing was mostly to convince a friend that getting gauged doesn't ruin your life.

[HEIST]

Oh it definitely won't ruin your life. That's too harsh. It's all about how hard you work and your work ethics in the end. We get a lot of white-collared professionals in the shop and as long as they do their job, piercings are not a matter. What kind of jobs are you going for anyways?

Yeah and consult with your local piercer from a reputable shop. You can always go to them to have them stretch it for you.

[FL Knifemaker]

I always had problems with mine closing when I had smaller sized studs, etc. The last time I was in Vegas and had work done on my sleave, I had my buddies piercing girl do my ears. I don't know what gage size they are but would estimate them at a little over 1/8 diameter. They aren't huge but they aren't small either. The best thing is, in two years, I've never had a problem with them. The worst part was the CRRRRRUNCHING sound as the tubular needle went through

I work for myself so no problems with employment

[bongomania]

On the employment thing- if you have strong qualifications it may help a prospective employer overlook the body mods, but if you have weak qualifications then the body mods may tip the balance against you. Of course it depends on the job and the person doing the hiring. All I'm saying is if you get the mods, also get a job-useful degree (like not art or history or philosophy) if you want to tip the employment balance in your favor. FWIW I have tattoos on my ears.

[JNowiski]

Originally Posted by mjolnir

Go 14. Seems small, I know, but you can't jump from regular size to 6 and expect your earlobe to stay intact. Depending on how big you want to go, the rings that gauge your ears gradually over time might be the way to go.



...Nothing, really. There's the acrylic and there's the stainless. It's all purely personal preference.



Hot Topic's online shop has some, Spencer's as well. There's another one I can't remember the name of at the moment, I'll post it up if I remember later.



Depends on two factors: the type of job you're looking for and the person doing the hiring.

basically dead on. if you don't have anything in your ears they're gonna start you with a 14 or so probably anyways

Originally Posted by palm grease

1. i'd say a 10 or an 8

2. quality...stainless steel 100%!

3. "pleasurable piercing"...it was a NJ retailer and dist.... not sure otherwise

4. yes and no... im in a suit n tie sales position.... i have my "conches" done.... my buddy has 7/8ths in his lobes....he's an artist....need i say more?

my advice is to solidify your profession then explore your body mods.... people do judge a book by it's cover, it's human nature, we all do!

i'd say pierce your wang!

i wouldn't really consider 10 or 8ga "gauging" your ears. but i guess technically thing anything you use a taper for could be considered "gauging"

yeah dude, pierce your wang. i got a 6g PA right now, debating on whether or not to taper myself to 4ga before or after iraq. we'll see.

[Kgoodrich]

good to see plenty of people have done this!

i think i'll start with a 14 then.

and i guess i never thought they would smell bad? what material should i get to avoid the rankness?

[mothmonsterman]

1.What is the smallest recommended size I start with? I started with a 12, which isn't bad and it's not so big as to leave a giant hole in my head if i choose to let them close up.
Get it pierced let it heal all the way then gradually stretch them.

2.What is the difference between all the different types of jewelry?
Basically comfort, metal is heavier then wood, bone ot acrylic.
One thing you will notice about guaged ears is the stinky cheese if you don't wash them consistently, dead skin and the like, like to get in there and get stinky. moreso with metal, glass and acrylic than something organic like bone or wood

3.Are there any good online retailers to look up jewelry?
I buy mine from a local shop so....

4.Do your ear gauges affect your ability to get a job in any way?
I'm sure at some places it would. I got my job with out an interview and what they saw is what they got. I decided to go not too huge just a 7/16 so they aren't so big as to be distracting. But yes i'm sure just like tattoos and dress appearance is very important in the working world, and it can cause you to not get a job.

[Kgoodrich]

Originally Posted by JNowiski

yeah dude, pierce your wang. i got a 6g PA right now, debating on whether or not to taper myself to 4ga before or after iraq. we'll see.

i got to admit, i threw up in my mouth a little.

[mothmonsterman]

Originally Posted by Kgoodrich

good to see plenty of people have done this!

i think i'll start with a 14 then.

and i guess i never thought they would smell bad? what material should i get to avoid the rankness?

wood, bone
wash them every time you shower.
If they have threads on them (mine do) keep an old tooth brush around and give them a good scrub down before shaving like it do.

[Kgoodrich]

what about horn?

[TheDarkReaver]

just head the advice here, start small and take it slow. if you don't you have a greater risk of blow outs:



eew.

[mothmonsterman]

Originally Posted by Kgoodrich

what about horn?

forgot about them, they are porous so they would cut down on the cheese.

[KeithBMI]

There are still people who think ear gauges are cool?

[mothmonsterman]

Originally Posted by KeithBMI

There are still people who think ear gauges are cool?

not as bad all those girls walking around in stretch pants thinking it looks hot.

[Kgoodrich]

Originally Posted by KeithBMI

There are still people who think ear gauges are cool?

i guess i missed out on the trend.