Though tapers and stretching kits are readily available online and in stores, it is strongly advised to visit a professional piercer to assist and advise with ear stretching as mistakes during the stretching process can result in serious damage to the ear lobe.

To stretch your ears safely, follow the steps below. Please remember whilst it might be tempting to speed the process up and use a bigger taper immediately to achieve your stretched ear lobes, by not following the correct procedure you could risk potentially scarring or tearing the ear lobe completely which may require surgical correction and will prevent you from ever being able to stretch your lobes again. So it pays to be patient and follow these ear stretching guide steps:

PLEASE NOTE: You will need to have an existing, healed ear lobe piercing before you can begin the stretching process. If you have just had an ear lobe piercing you will need to wait at least 4-6 months before you attempt to stretch the ear.

Visit a piercer who will be able to help you select the appropriate taper for your ear as well as talk you through the process. Most people start with a 2mm or 3mm taper.

Apply a warm compress to the ear to relax the skin. Alternatively, just after a warm shower is a great time to stretch your ear.

Clean the ear thoroughly and ensure the taper/stretcher is sterile.

Apply a little lubricant such as Jojoba oil or vitamin E oil to the taper and remove one of the bands, keep it to hand to replace after the stretching is complete.

Gently slide the narrow end of the taper into your ear lobe piercing hole. You may feel some minor resistance and a slight stinging sensation. Gently push the taper in until the resistance is at a point where it requires any force to push through. This means you have stretched your lobe to its capacity for now. (Don't worry though, as the piercing heals again the skin will regain elasticity and you will be able to gradually increase the size of the hole.) It is strongly advisable to only stretch your ear 1 size at a time. If you are unsure about how far to stretch your piercing, please consult with a professional piercer.

Place the band onto the taper behind your ear lobe to secure it in place until you are ready to stretch again.

Leave a good amount of time in between each stretch for your skin to heal, it is recommended to wait at least a month in between stretching.

The important thing to remember is that whilst feeling a little discomfort or stinging during ear stretching is normal, it should never be unbearable or extremely painful. If the ear stretching process starts to feel very painful it means you are over-stretching your ears or stretching too quickly and you will risk tearing the lobe.

There’s plenty of options when it comes to stretched piercing jewellery from Blue Banana. Some popular styles include:

• Ear Gauges
• Ear Stretcher Tapers
• Plug Piercing

 When choosing your piercing jewellery there are a few things you should consider:

• Jewellery Size –Make sure you find out what gauge (thickness of jewellery) you have been pierced with and don’t skip any sizes when stretching your piercing as this can cause permanent damage and scarring.
• Jewellery Material – piercing materials differ not only through their look but also how they could react to your skin. Make sure you choose high quality jewellery to help reduce the risk of swelling and infection.

Aftercare Advice

• Clean the area twice daily with salt water soaks.
• If you're wearing jewellery, take it out and clean both the jewellery and the ear daily to clean out dead skin, dirt and moisture which could cause infection.
• Gently massage the ear with Jojoba oil or Vitamin E oil to prevent scarring and keep the skin moisturised.
• Only wear jewellery made from high quality materials to ensure your ear heals smoothly.

• Find Your Local BB Studio
• Age Restrictions & Prices
• Aftercare & Cleaning
• Piercing Size & Gauge Guide
• Inserting, Changing & Removing Jewellery
• Piercing Pain: The Ultimate Guide
• Piercing At Blue Banana
• Piercing Laws Around the UK