Earlobe stretching also known as earlobe gauging is an ancient practice among various old civilizations and tribes that denoted religious or spiritual rite to passage or even status symbols. In fact, it was not just confined to earlobes, they stretched lips, noses, tongues, chins and various other parts of the body. Nowadays it is mostly done for the purpose of fashion and hence people are choosing different kinds of chic jewelry to have earlobes starched or gauged. Most of the gauging is currently done with the intent of wearing designer jewelry items inside the gauged hole.
The first stage of earlobe stretching or gauging is to have a normal ear piercing done on the earlobe and then stretch it gradually. The first piercing done must be at least 16g so that it becomes easy to stretch it afterwards. A professional piercer knows the fact and will do exactly the same as mentioned. He/she will also use a sterilized piercing needle instead of a gun which is unsafe. You must realize that the higher the gauging number, the smaller is the ear piercing. Hence, the g number will decrease as the gauge increases. However, you must keep in mind that the first piercing needs to heal completely before you start stretching it.
A rule of the thumb is to evenly decrease the gauge by not skipping into a smaller gauge size directly. A 16g taper is the best way to stretch the hole. Something like the bloody top ear taper offered by Piercebody will suit the purpose completely. This taper is available in various gauge sizes ranging from 6mm to 12mm and is made of wood which is totally organic. The appearance of this taper is quite unique and bold with a bright color combination of red, black on white backdrop; extremely eye-catching and stylish.
However, it is always wise to sterilize the taper at home; you can boil water and soak the taper in it to sterilize it and use a water-based lubricant like jojoba oil or emu oil to insert it. The best part about using a taper is that you can use it yourself. Insert the narrow end into the piercing and work it through the thicker side is reached. You can keep the taper which comes with an O and can also use jewelry at the thicker end to keep inside your piercing. In this case the taper will act as the medium for creating more space.