Why you shouldn’t ear stretch 1 inch in 1 year - 1 inch stretched ears

If you're new to the ear stretching world, ear stretching refers to the gradual stretching of your earlobes. The correct process should begin with a small hole such as a normal ear piercing, that is widened slowly over time where you can achieve bigger sizes such as 1 inch stretched ears.

Ear stretching has been done by humans for centuries and for many reasons. One reason could be tradition and identification; this is still used today by the descendants of tribes such as the Maa people in Kenya and the Huaorani in the Amazon. Others could be for style and unique appearance - which is what we here at Custom Plugs can help you do!

1 inch stretched ears is a measurement of your stretched lobes, and if you're reading this, then you must be curious on how to reach the 25mm goal.

Should I aim to have 1 inch stretched ears in 1 year or under?

The short answer is no! Ear stretching should always be done slowly as this is the safest way to avoid damage to your ear lobes. Your ear stretching journey should always include washing and moisturising ear lobes daily and waiting months between stretches to ensure they are healthier. Fast stretching isn't worth the pain and the gross ears.

Some people may often say “I stretched quickly and I am fine”. Although this may be true, everyone's ears are different and the risk of blowout is high. So if you want 1 inch stretched ears, avoid the risk and keep patiently focused on the end result.

If you are also asking, “then what is the time frame to reach 1 inch stretched ears” please remember there is no real time frame as everyone's bodies adjust differently to stretching. Some may need longer than a few months in between for one size to heal.

What are 1 inch stretched ears?

1 inch plugs are equivalent to 25mm in diameter, the key to remember when it comes to the ear stretching size guide is that the larger the size of your stretched ears, the smaller the gauge number. Once you have run out of gauge numbers you start using solely mm and inches.

24mm (15/16") is the size before 1 inch stretched ears, and 26mm (1.024") is the size after. As 1 inch stretched ears are higher on the ear gauge size chart, this size is for the more experienced stretchers.

How to safely get to 1 inch stretched ears.

The main way to get 1 inch stretched ears safely is waiting! You have to make sure that you do not ever try stretching before the time is right and only increase your jewellery by one size (2 gauge) at a time. We recommend at least waiting 6 to 8 weeks before increasing sizes and waiting for inflammation and pain to subside.
To stretch your ears you can use a variety of methods. The recommended way is to utilise ear tapers. Ear tapers come in various taper gauges (measurements), which you can use to track your diameter and is a sensible way to scale up as you increase the size. The best tapers are made from stainless steel or glass as it is non-reactive, non-porous (so no smells) and easier to slide through your piercing. We advise against buying cheap spiral tapers for stretching since they are usually an unspecified quality and may affect how well and quickly you heal.

Stretching safely can have a lot of information and questions that go with it. We cover all this in our useful ultimate ear stretching guide. This is an important guide so if you are new, or have been doing this for some time and want to check you are doing it right, please read!

What happens if I stretch too fast?

In simple terms, stretching your lobes too quickly can tear the skin and overall is not good for your ears. It can often cause something called a blowout. Some signals that alert you to an impending blowout include a ring that forms which is usually irritated, red-ish and painful and the appearance of your ear lobe which may look like it has turned inside out.

Overstretching or moving up to 1 inch stretched ears too quickly may also result in an infection which could produce symptoms that include yellow pus, tenderness, burning, swelling, and itching. Minor infections can be treatable at home, however if you see no changes in a day or two please consider seeing a doctor. The best way to ensure that you aren’t at risk of infection is to frequently clean the ear and anything else that is inserted into your ears and lobes- this includes body jewellery, headphones and headbands that sit behind your ears.

Another issue that can arise with fast stretching is that the ear lobe could fail to go back to a less stretched position when you take out the tapers gauges. We find some people still want the ability to reverse ear stretching if needed, so keep in mind that there is a limit on sizes that you can stretch up to. The so-called “point of no return” is a range between 0g and 4g for the majority, although it isn't always the same for everyone.

Can Custom Plugs help with my 1 inch stretched ears?