Ear Stretching Sizes Explained
Confused about ear strethching sizes? Read our guide to understand how sizing works for plugs / gauges.
Ear Stretching Sizes
For those new to the world of stretching, ear stretching sizes can be a little confusing. The numbers go down and then up, smaller numbers are bigger sizes, and there are also three different forms of measurement! Which can make buying plugs, gauges & tunnels confusing! Thankfully, once you know the basics, it becomes a lot easier, so here’s what you need to know...
Intro to ear stretching Sizes
So, how do you know what the ear stretching sizes mean?
There are three different measurements that you are going to see when it comes to ear stretching sizes, millimetres (mm), inches ("), and gauge (g).
For example, the same gauge plug can be 3.2mm, 1/8" and 8g, but there can also be differences in sizing between the three (hence the confusion).
We want to make it easier for you to figure out what sizes to use, so see our chart for the different ear stretching sizes below:
Ear Stretching Size Chart
Here you can see the most popular ear stretching sizes in . See further down the page for the full & complete conversion table with all sizes.
Ear Stretching Sizes Converted From Gauge to mm and Inch
Here is the full conversion table for ear stretching sizes starting from the smallest (18g / 1.0mm) which is the size of a standard ear piercing.
| Gauge (g) | Millimeters (mm) | Inches (") |
|---|---|---|
| 18g | 1.0mm | 5/128" |
| 16g | 1.2mm | 3/64" |
| 14g | 1.6mm | 1/16" |
| 12g | 2mm | 5/64" |
| 10g | 2.4mm | 3/32" |
| 8g | 3mm | 1/8" |
| 6g | 4mm | 5/32" |
| 4g | 5mm | 3/16" |
| 2g | 6mm | 1/4" |
| 1g | 7mm | 9/32" |
| 0g | 8mm | 5/16" |
| 9mm | 3/8" | |
| 00g | 10mm | 3/8" |
| 11mm | 7/16" | |
| 12mm | 1/2" | |
| 13mm | 17/32" | |
| 14mm | 9/16" | |
| 15mm | 19/32" | |
| 16mm | 5/8" | |
| 17mm | 0.67" | |
| 18mm | 11/16" | |
| 19mm | 3/4" | |
| 20mm | 13/16" | |
| 21mm | 53/64" | |
| 22mm | 7/8" | |
| 24mm | 15/16" | |
| 25mm | 1" | |
| 26mm | 1.024" | |
| 27mm | 1.06" | |
| 28mm | 1.10" | |
| 29mm | 1 1/8" | |
| 30mm | 1.18" | |
| 31mm | 1.22" | |
| 32mm | 1 1/4" | |
| 34mm | 1 5/16" | |
| 35mm | 1 3/8" | |
| 36mm | 1 7/16" | |
| 38mm | 1 1/2" | |
| 40mm | 1 9/16" | |
| 42mm | 1 5/8" | |
| 44mm | 1 3/4" | |
| 46mm | 1 3/16" | |
| 48mm | 1 7/8" | |
| 50mm | 2" |
What's the smallest ear stretching size?
Standard ear piercings are usually done at 20g or 18g for traditional earrings and that works out at roughly 1mm.
This is usually where people start stretching from from there you can go into the next size up which is usually either 14g (1.5mm or 1/16”) or 16g (1.2mm or 3/64”)
What plug and gauge sizes do we sell?
We sell pretty much the full range of plug / gauge sizes for all ear stretching sizes and almost all of our designs, materials, and colours are available in every size! This means that whether you want to stick with smaller gauge sizes or go all out you can always have some awesome jewellery to show it off!
We also sell fake gauges and plugs if you’re not quite ready to start stretching your ears just yet too. If you're just starting out stretching check out our collection of small ear gauges.
What size can you stretch ears to before they won't stretch back?
Those who have their ears pierced and haven’t worn an earring in a long-time will know that the hole can close back up, but where is the point that it stops happening?
Most professionals would say that size 0g (8mm) to 00g (10mm) is the absolute point of no return. But, to be on the safe side most would recommend staying under 2g because at this point most people can shrink their ears back.
It’s important to note that every body is different and with any ear stretching you can’t be 100% sure they will go back to normal.
Got a question about ear stretching sizes?
Do you still have any questions about our ear stretching kits, tapers, plugs or gauges and sizing? Let us know!
