Growing up I’ve always appreciated fashion, music and lifestyles that differ from the ‘norm’. Fitting in with other people’s ideas of what’s beautiful and or perfect has never appealed to me and I encourage other people to adopt the same mindset as myself – the only person’s opinion who should matter to you is your own and if you want to modify your body and it will make you happy then listen to yourself and just go for it!
The decision to stretch my ears hasn’t been one that I’ve taken overnight as it can be painful, sometimes permanent and expensive if you need medical treatment because things went ever so slightly wrong. It’s something I’ve been thinking long and hard about for years.
The decision to stretch my ears hasn’t been one that I’ve taken overnight as it can be painful, sometimes permanent and expensive if you need medical treatment because things went ever so slightly wrong. It’s something I’ve been thinking long and hard about for years.
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| My fake taper. |
When I was fourteen I bought my first fake taper to see if I liked the way it looked on myself before I went ahead and began the stretching process. I loved the way it looked in my ear but it’s only now, five years later, that I’m actually beginning to stretch my ears properly.
The reason it’s taken so long for me to do this was because I was worried I’d regret it as if I decided that I didn’t want stretched lobes in the future, there’s a possibility that they wouldn’t go back to original ear piercing size which is 1.2mm in diameter.
However, since starting university I’ve decided to just go for it. Each time I’ve visited Afflecks Palace with friends I’ve been drawn to looking at all the cool plugs and tapers with their funky patterns on them and thought well if I don’t do it now, I’m probably not going to end up doing it at all.
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| Both my ear's are at 2mm. |
Around three weeks ago I bought my first set of 2mm tapers and although they are absolutely tiny, it hurt my ears a lot! I wasn’t prepared for the burning sensation it would create and the how much my ears would swell up and look and feel uncomfortable. It’s amazing how something so small can cause so much discomfort.
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| The clear and white tapers are my 3mm ones and the larger one is 8mm and is for my boyfriend. |
Two weeks on and both my ears are doing a lot better. I’ve cleaned them every morning and night with warm salt water and in a couple of days I’m hoping to put in my 3mm tapers.
got told today that without stretched ears, I would look 'normal', but with them I look like (and I quote) 'I do lots of drugs'
— Ross Penny (@ripenny) December 1, 2015
Stretched ears are shit, people who have them look like they belong in a circus.
— Sir Rodney (@MlungisiMabuzaa) December 9, 2015
Although there are larger numbers of people today with body modifications than ever before, there are still some people who struggle to accept that what someone else does to their body is really none of their business which in my opinion is really quite sad.
I felt more like myself from the moment that I looked in the mirror and saw my tiny 2mm tapers in my ears so if stretching your ears or wearing something that you don’t think other people will like or approve of is bothering you, please just do it anyway and be the happiest person you can possibly be.
