So.. You've started stretching..

...Now what? It's quite easy to get complacent when stretching, you get over excited, you want to get those shiny 1/2" plugs in. So what happens when it goes wrong?

This is severe thinning of the ear, maybe rushing it too quick, not looking after it, cold weather etc.

How would you fix this I hear you asking? Well, I would hope that none of you reading my blog are intelligent enough to realise, that maybe the person in this picture could've stopped it before it got this far. An ear doesn't become this thin over night, it's a very gradual process. It'll start with an infection, maybe a small cut on the inside, or a cut which runs along the outside of the ear. Best thing to do, straight away is clean it using salt water, and downsize to a smaller size. Doing this as soon as you notice a cut, infection or anything similar, will increase your chances of maintaining and having nice ears.

This beautiful picture is a blow out. Which happens when an ear is stretched far too quickly. What you're seeing is referred to (and not technically, or professionally) as "the cats ass hole", due to the nature of how it looks. Beautiful no? Blow outs are formed by the tissue inside your ear, forming outside. Generally leaving you with what looks like a wide ear. Sometimes blow outs can be small, sometimes they can be huge (trust me, google Blow Outs Ears). But generally, with a bit of downsizing you can eliminate blow out if you recognise and catch it when it first happens. The best way to avoid it, is don't jump sizes, don't stretch too quick, and if you feel your jewellery is getting itchy, maybe clean it.

So, to sum up, all of these things can be solved by downsizing and cleaning with a salt water solution. Downsizing, should be by a couple of sizes, and done for around a month, or until the infection has cleared up sufficiently.

Please remember, it isn't a race. You'll have your ears for life, lets make them last that long!