Ear Stretching History

Ear stretching dates back to ancient times when it was very popular with tribes in Africa and Native America. Tribal ear jewellery was made from organic materials including bone, horn, wood and stone.

Famous Egyptian Pharaoh King Tutankhamen had stretched ear lobes which can be seen in his sarcophagus, he is probably the earliest known.

More recently Ear stretching has become very fashionable all over the world.  We will be writing more about Ear Stretching methods and the different types of jewellery that is commonly used in stretched ear lobes.

The Point of no Return

Something to think about before starting Ear Stretching is that there will be a point at which the ear piercing is unlikely to go back to its original size, that differs between person to person and will depend on the elasticity of your skin (how stretchy it is), along with other factors such as how quickly the ear lobe was stretched and healing time at each size, this is usually between 6mm (2 Gauge) and 12mm (1/2 inch).  If you were to decide at this point that you no longer wish to wear Ear plugs or tunnels and ou don't want big holes in your ears you may have to consider surgery to sew the ear back together.

Sizes

You will often see 2 sizes for each ear plug, taper or tunnel the reason for this is that in North America the measurements usually used are in Gauge or Inches, in Europe and the Rest of the World it is more common to refer to sizing in milimeters,.  For example:

• 1.6mm = 14 gauge
• 2mm = 12 gauge
• 2.4mm = 10 gauge
• 3mm = 8 gauge
• 4mm = 6 gauge
• 5mm = 4 gauge
• 6mm = 2 gauge
• 8mm = 0 gauge
• 10mm = 00 gauge
• 12mm = 1/2 inch
• 14mm = 9/16 inch

and so on, there is more information about measuring and a useful guide here.

Here are some examples of Ear Stretching kindly sent to us by our customers:

We have reduced many of the Body Jewellery prices in our online shop including Plain and Jewelled Steel and Titanium Barbells and Labret Studs.

Don't forget:

• All of the Body Piercing Jewellery that we sell is kept in stock and is ready to ship.
• All Titanium colouring and Gold plating are done in house to reduce delays and increase choice.
• We photograph the products we sell showing what the actual jewellery looks like.
• If you are unable to find what you are looking for please feel free free to give us a call.
• Shipping on orders over £10 is FREE!

6AL-4V ELI (Grade 23) Titanium Bar Closure Rings available in:

• 1.2mm (16 gauge) with 7mm, 9mm, 10mm or 11mm diameters
• 1.6mm (14 gauge) with 8mm, 10mm or 12mm diameters.

Bar Closure Rings are also popular in Pierced Ears, lips and navels as well as more intimate places, they have a small bar that is removable, they work in the same way as a regular Ball Closure Ring but the entire bar simply pushes out and then clips back in place.

Now available with an amazing choice of colours including:

• Highly Polished
• Bronze
• Brown
• Ice Blue
• Blue
• Pink
• Purple
• Yellow
• Peach
• 2 Tone Purple Blue
• 2 Tone Purple Green (Teal)
• Rainbow
• Green

Please note that the Titanium that we sell at JoBananas is very High Quality, please be aware of cheap imitations that are Titanuim Coated Steel and not solid Titanium, although they may look good initially the cheap copies will be slightly heavier and should the Titanium coating wear your piercing will be in direct contact with Steel which may not suit your skin and could cause irritation. 6AL4v ELI (Grade 23) Titanium is very popular in the Medical and Dental industry due to its Biocompatibility so is a great choice for Body Piercing Jewellery.

UK Made 6AL-4V ELI (Grade 23) Titanium <a title="Segment Rings" href="http://www.jobananas.com/segment-rings/">Segment Rings</a> are available in:

• 1.2mm (16 gauge) with 7mm, 8mm, 9mm or 10mm diameters
• 1.6mm (14 gauge) with 10mm, 12mm, 14mm or 16mm diameters.

Segment Rings have a small section that is removable, it is held in place with 2 small dimples that simply clip into the ring, this gives the effect of a seamless circle that can be turned through the piercing.  Segment Rings are popular in Ear Piercings, Navel Piercings and Lip Piercings.

Now available with an amazing choice of colours including:

• Highly Polished
• Bronze
• Brown
• Ice Blue
• Blue
• Pink
• Purple
• Yellow
• Peach
• 2 Tone Purple Blue
• 2 Tone Purple Green (Teal)
• Rainbow
• Green

Our Titanium Segment Rings are British Made and are very high Quality, Titanium is light (half the weight of steel but twice as strong) and comfortable to wear and is suitable for use in initial piercings as well as healed piercings. Titanium is the most bio compatible of all materials as it is resistant to attack from body fluids.

Titanium can be anodised, which is a process by which the material is put into an electrolyte solution and voltage applied to it which creates an oxide layer, the level of voltage determines how thick the layer is and how the light is refracted through it which gives the Titanium its colour.

Industrial Ear Piercings are usually 2 ear piercings which are connected with a single long straight barbell. Sometimes referred to as Scaffold Piercings or less commonly Construction Piercings, long bars are used to join two holes in the ear cartilage, one usually near the head and the second on the outer rim of the ear:

The jewellery is usually 1.6mm (14 gauge) but can sometimes be 1.2mm (16 gauge) and the length of the bar (measured between the 2 balls) can be anywhere between 30mm and 50mm.  Ocassionaly the piercings will have Ball Closure Rings initially to speed the healing process but this can cause problems with the holes not being correctly aligned when healed.  The usual healing time can be anywhere between 3 months to 1 year for an industrial piercing and the piercing can be quite painful.

We have just taken delivery of some fantastic new Industrial Barbells that have removable adornments that simply slide up and down the bar to aid easy fitting of the barbell, they can also be removed completely so the bar can be worn plain, or they can be popped onto another bar. Designs include cherries, flowers, hearts and stars. They are available on 316L Surgical Steel Bars or 6AL-4V Barbells in a choice of 12 different colours in lengths of 30mm through to 50mm.

Tragus Piercings

This is a very common piercing these days and is performed in the small area of cartlidge that sticks out at the front of the opening to the ear canal. The standard size gauge for this piercing is 1.2mm (16 gauge). Sizes and lengths can depend upon jewellery choice but Horseshoe rings (CBB) and rings (BCR) or Segments are typically 8mm or 10mm diameters. Labret studs are typically 6mm or 8mm in length. We recommend the use of either Bioplast or Bioflex labret studs to aid in the healing process if you are experiencing problems.

Due to its popularity there are a large number of suitable jewellery types that can be worn in this piercing.

• Specialist Tragus Studs
• Ball Closure Rings (BCR)
• Horseshoe Circular Barbells (CBB)
• Labret Studs

All of these are available in Steel, Gold Plated Steel, Titanium or Bioflex/Bioplast and have a range of decorative attachments and balls to create your own unique look.

There are a number of suitable jewellry types for anti-tragus piercings including curved barbells, BCR, CBB and segment rings. We stock a lot of these in micro gauges for people with smaller piercing requirement. In most cases the anti-tragus piercing is a 1.2mm gauge(thickness) although sometimes ever a 1.6mm can be used depending on the shape of the ear.

Healing times on this piercing could be reduced if you use a curved barbell made from Titanium or Bioplast/Bioflex. These curved bars do not move around as much as rings so will not aggravate to new piercing as much.

Bar length or internal diameter of the ring will depend on the thickness of the ear, check out our sizing guide. 6mm and 8mm for curved bars, and 10mm internal diameter for rings and horseshoes are the most common jewellery sizes suitable for the anti tragus.

• Ball Closure Rings
• Circular-Barbells
• Curved Barbells
• Bioplast Tragus Bars

Again with many types of ear piercings you can use a variety of body jewellery types. Usually this piercing is with 1.6mm (14 gauge) jewellery and the preferred choice is either a labret stud or Straight Barbells.

Labret Studs are the better choice (typically 6 or 8mm length) as they have a flat back so are less likely to catch on hair and clothes so will speed up the healing process.

Many people also use larger diameter Ball Closure Rings (BCR) and Horseshoe Circular Barbells (CBB) typically with a 12mm (1/2") diameter.

Healing time for this piercing should be between 4 and 6 months.

With ear stretching becomming more and more mainstream we often get asked by people (including worried parents and schools) how they can best hide a stretched ear piercing.

These flesh tone hider plugs are a great way to disguise a stretched ear lobe. They are available in the following sizes:

• 2.4mm (10 guage)
• 3.2mm (8 guage)
• 4mm (5 guage)
• 6mm (2 guage)
• 8mm (0 guage)
• 10mm (00 guage)
• 13mm (1/2 inch)
• 14mm (9/16 inch)
• 16mm (5/8 inch)
• 18mm (3/4 inch)
• 22mm (7/8 inch)
• 24mm (1 inch)

As you can see from the photograph the ear retainer is a very effective way of hiding a stretched ear lobe and much nicer than just removing the jewellery and leaving a saggy hole (which may also begin to close up).

The plugs are made of silicone so they are soft and squidgy making them very comfortable to wear and to insert. The front is solid and the back is hollow, so you can even "pierce" the plug with a standard earring and wear normal pierced earrings if you wish.

To see more information about the plugs click here to go to our FAQ page.

We get asked all of the time questions like:

• "What size tongue bar do I need?"
• "What length belly bar do I need?"
• "I want to change my labret stud but don't know what size I need to buy"

Unfortunately a lot of piercing shops do not explain to their customers about the different sizes that body jewellery comes in when they are pierced (I know that there are some great piercers out there that explain everything to, its just that we tend to hear more about the ones that don't).

Well basically piercing jewelry usually has 2 measurements:

1 - Thickness or Gauge

You will see 2 measurements refered to regarding thickness - mm (milimeters) which tends to be used in the UK and Europe, and Gauge (g) which is used more commonly in the US.

To give you some idea in the UK a 1 penny coin is approximately 1.6mm (14g) thick

• Labret studs are availble with a thickness of 1mm (18g), 1.2mm (16g) or 1.6mm (14g)
• Eyebrow Bars are usually 1.2mm (16g)
• Nose Studs can be either 0.8mm (20g) or 1mm (18g)
• Ear Piercings vary depending on the piercing itself and can be between 0.8mm (20g) to 1.6mm (14g), obviously for people with stretched ear lobes this measurement is larger.
• Nipple piercings are usually 1.6mm (14g)
• Tongue Piercings are usually 1.6mm (14g)
• Belly bars are usually 1.6mm (14g)

Obviously we can only say "usually" because the size of jewellery used in a piercing may vary depending on the person, the piercer and how long ago it was pierced. For example tops of ears years ago were pierced with standard ear piercing guns, so the jewellery was quite thin, sometimes only 0.8mm (20g), but now that piercing should be done with a needle and will more commonly be 1mm (18g) or 1.2mm (16g).

While belly bars or rings are usually 1.6mm (14G) we get people call that have thinner 1.2mm (16g) bars, and some people actually stretch their tounge piercings, so they will require a thicker bar.

2 - Length or Diameter

• Labret studs can be anything in length from 5mm (4g) through to 18mm (1/2"), they can be used in lots of different piercings such as ear piercings, madonna piercings, pierced lips and tongues...
• Eyebrow bars and rings will vary in size - the "average" size is 8mm (5/16") but again this can vary and be much smaller or longer
• Nipple Piercings again vary and an "average" size can be 14mm (9/16") to 16mm (5/8"), but again we have been asked for 8mm (5/16") and sometimes 22mm
• Tongue piercings average out at 16mm (5/8") but this varies a lot and again can be anything from 8mm (5/16") through to 22mm
• Belly bars - the most common size for navel jewellery is 10mm (3/8") but this can be as small as 6mm (1/4") up to 16mm (5/8")

Generally piercers will pierce with jewellery slightly longer to allow for some swelling, once the swelling has gone down and the piercing is healed usually a slightly smaller piece of jewellery is required.  Sometimes peoples bodies can actually reject the piercing causing it to migrate and grow out, this is common with eyebrow piercings and occasionally pierced navels. Sometimes the migration will slow down and settle at a smaller size (eg a 6mm (1/4") belly button) and will never grow out.  Wearing good quality Titanium or Bioplast jewellery rather than Steel can help the body to accept piercings and prevent this from happening.

It is very important to choose well fitting body jewelery, too loose and it may catch on clothes and could rip the piercing, too tight and it could cause irritation to the piercing site and may cause an infection.

It is a good idea to measure an item that fits you comfortably, have a look at our measuring guide to see how the measurements are taken:

JoBananas would like to wish all of our customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2013!

Thank you all so much for your support and custom this year, we look forward to continuing to serve you in the New Year.

Posting Dates

The last UK posting dates for Christmas delivery (according to Royal Mail) are:

First Class - 19th December

Special Delivery - 20th December

Holiday Office / Warehouse Opening Hours

Obviously you can continue to place orders on our website over the holiday period, here are the dates that our Office and Warehouse will be open to answer emails and phone calls and pack orders...

• Up to Friday 21st December as normal
• Monday 24th December - Open 9am - 12:30am
• Christmas Day - Closed
• Boxing Day - Closed
• Thursday 27th December - Closed
• Friday 28th December - Open 9am - 12:30am
• Monday 31st December - Open 9am - 12:30am
• New Years Day - Closed
• Wednesday 2nd January 2013 onwards - Open as normal.

Ear Stretching History

Ear stretching dates back to ancient times when it was very popular with tribes in Africa and Native America. Tribal ear jewellery was made from organic materials including bone, horn, wood and stone.

Famous Egyptian Pharaoh King Tutankhamen had stretched ear lobes which can be seen in his sarcophagus, he is probably the earliest known.

More recently Ear stretching has become very fashionable all over the world.  We will be writing more about Ear Stretching methods and the different types of jewellery that is commonly used in stretched ear lobes.

The Point of no Return

Something to think about before starting Ear Stretching is that there will be a point at which the ear piercing is unlikely to go back to its original size, that differs between person to person and will depend on the elasticity of your skin (how stretchy it is), along with other factors such as how quickly the ear lobe was stretched and healing time at each size, this is usually between 6mm (2 Gauge) and 12mm (1/2 inch).  If you were to decide at this point that you no longer wish to wear Ear plugs or tunnels and ou don't want big holes in your ears you may have to consider surgery to sew the ear back together.

Sizes

You will often see 2 sizes for each ear plug, taper or tunnel the reason for this is that in North America the measurements usually used are in Gauge or Inches, in Europe and the Rest of the World it is more common to refer to sizing in milimeters,.  For example:

• 1.6mm = 14 gauge
• 2mm = 12 gauge
• 2.4mm = 10 gauge
• 3mm = 8 gauge
• 4mm = 6 gauge
• 5mm = 4 gauge
• 6mm = 2 gauge
• 8mm = 0 gauge
• 10mm = 00 gauge
• 12mm = 1/2 inch
• 14mm = 9/16 inch

and so on, there is more information about measuring and a useful guide here.

Here are some examples of Ear Stretching kindly sent to us by our customers:

PRECIOUS STONE BODY JEWELLERY

The Precious Stone Belly Bars and Ear Plugs that we sell are very popular, but as well as looking great they also are believed to have special healing properties.  Here we will explain more...

AMAZONITE

Amazonite is believed to sooth the Nervous System and dispel negative and irritating energy.
It has been used in the tratment of the nervous system, energy blockages, metabolic process, calcium deficiency, osteoporosis, toth decay and spasms.

Amazonite is linked with the following Astrological Signs: Virgo, Aries, Tauro, Gemini, Libra, Sagitarius and Aquarius

Amazonite vibrates to the number 5

OBSIDIAN

Obsidian is believed to help identify ones own flaws and give a clear picture of the changes which are necessary to eliminate them.
It is a protective stone that keeps one safe from emotional and physical harm.  It provides a shield from negativity and has been used to treat people with self esteem problems.

Obsidian is linked with the following Astrological Signs: Capricorn, Sagittarius, Aquarius, virgo, Taurus and Scorpio

Obsidian vibrates to the number 1

TIGER EYE

Tigers eye is believed to help eliminate depression, it brings brightness and optimism to the user.  It is used to stimulate wealth and maintain wealth.
Tigers Eye has been used to treat eye disorders, throat problems, reproductive system, spinal column and broken bones.

Tigers Eye is linked with the following Astrological Signs: Gemini, Capricorn, Aries, Taurus and Leo

Tigers Eye vibrates to the number 4

TURQUOISE

Turquoise is believed to raise the state of concious awareness, it aids in creativity and dispels anger. It connects with universal knowledge.
It has been used in the treatment of hemoglobin deficiency and renews and repairs that which has been degraded, also in treatment of heart affliction.

Turquoise is linked with the following Astrological Signs: Aquarius, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, Pices

Turquoise vibrates to the number 1

Check out our New Products Page to see the great new designs that we have in stock.

Here are a couple of examples:

DREAMCATCHER BELLY BARS

Dream-catchers are very popular and are traditionaly hung over peoples beds to protect them from nightmares.  Our new belly bars incorporate the dream catcher design with an unusal heart shape and 3 dangling feathers, they are available in 4 colourways, purple, aquamarine, pink and clear.

MASTER OF DISGUISE BELLY BAR

Following on from the popular Moustache Belly Bars we love these "Master of Disguise" Belly bars with a dangling pair of glasses and black mustache, they are so cute and a very unique design with a clear gem top ball.

ORGANIC EAR PLUGS

We also have some organic Tamarind wood ear plugs for stretched lobes, these are pretty unusual, they are a slightly flared plug so they do not require any o rings and they have an offset cu out hole.  They are avaialble in 6mm through to 25mm.

ACRYLIC DICE BARBELLS

Lots and lots of you use our "Build your own Barbell" to make your own 1.2mm barbells with acrylic dice so we thought that these cute dice barbells would be really popular, they are available in lots of different colours and look really cute in ear piercings.

There are lots more new designs, please do have a look at the new products page and check them all out.

JoBananas are now UK stockists of No Pull Piercing Discs.

These tiny 7mm discs are made from Medical Grade Silicone, providing a nice soft cushion to protect piercings from the back of barbells or labret studs.  The discs were designed for oral piercings and wearers of labret studs, they will fit 1mm (18 gauge), 1.2mm (16 gauge), 1.6mm (14 gauge) and 2mm (12 gauge) body jewellery.

The No Pull Piercing Discs are a fantastic idea and prevent the jewellery backs from irritating the piercing and also stop the jewellery becoming embedded in the piercing.

NoPull Piercing Discs are made from flexible silicone and can be autoclaved which means that they can be used by piercing studios in new piercings which will aid with the healing process and reduce irritation.

A piercing study is currently being carried out by Pain Magazine upon reports of the NoPull Discs having such a positive effect of scar reduction when worn, against hypertrophic scarring in healed piercings.  We will keep you updated on the progress of the study.

To thank our loyal customers we are running a Rewards Scheme, full Terms and Conditions can be found by clicking here.

You can earn Rewards Points in 2 ways:

1. Simply by placing an order on our website (you must be logged in to your customer account to earn points).  For every £1 you spend, you will earn 5 Reward Points
2. By logging in and writing product reviews.  For every review that we publish you will earn 5 Reward Points

Your points will automatically be added to your account and you can use them when you place your next order on our website.

100 points = £1

Points are valid for 90 days.

These new belly bars are available with Steel, Titanium or Gold Plated bars in lots of different lengths, prices start at £2.49

Read More...

Navel piercings are more commonly known as belly button piercings, they are becoming very popular with females and also increasing in popularity with men.

Read More...

The Pinna is a piercing to the outer rim and close to the top of the ear.

Read More...

Daith is a piercing located on the ridge of cartilage closest to your ear canal between the lower part of the helix and the upper tragus.

Read More...