to pierce or not to peiece?

Quote:

---

Originally posted by popcornbird

Ps. I noticed several people here that got it done late had problems with infections? I know that most kids that get it done as babies don't have such problems.

---

I'm sure there are reasons, but I would guess one of them is that a baby isn't going toplay with it where as by the age of 4 or older, kids play inthe dirt and then play with their earrings. Also, while the parents properly care for a babie earrings, a teenager is more likely to do (or raher not do) it themselves.

I got my first holes done in about 3rd grade, the second ones a few years later, and did the third myself in 8th or 9th grade. Finally, I got my left ear pierced at the top (with my mom) when we were picking out the material for the bridesmaids dresses in my wedding. I wear earrings so seldom, I think I can only get earrings in the first holes and the single one.

the latest twist on ear piercing is 'gauging'

what that is is the placement of a tube into the earhole
to enlarge the diameter of the 'pierce'........

pretty funny to think that these people are going to spend money
on getting the holes closed when they get older.....

Yup that would be me. But I've gotten my ears gauged very slowly as in I wait several months between each new gauge and after going up one more size I'm going to stop. If you do it over a long period of time and stop at a certain size they will close on their own. So while I hate waiting months in between I do realize then in a few years I'm going to say "why in the world did I do this!?"

Quote:

---

pretty funny to think that these people are going to spend money

---

Don't they just close up on their own?

depends...

once the 'gauge' comes out the bottom of the ear droops.
it hangs because of the hole...check out some pics in a Nat'l.
Geo book on the african tribes folks and look at some of
the gauging that's gone on there.

Heck even those big a$$, heavy earrings my mom wore in the 70's and 80's stretched her ear lobes out. :)

Quote:

---

Don't they just close up on their own?

---

It actually depends on a number of things, such as the amount of time waited in between stretches. If you do it to quickly as in within a few weeks the scar tissue will cause the ear no not shrink back, which is why I waited several months in between for the ear to fully heal. The jewlry also makes a difference, large hoops weigh the ear down causing it to stretch more where as plugs don't weigh it down and work simply as a spacer. How large you stretch to also makes a difference.