Rewind back to the year 2000, Leeds music festival, and the first time I had ever seen stretched ear lobes. I don't know what it was about seeing that guy with his clipper lighter pushed through his ear, but I was absolutely fascinated. It was by far the greatest thing I had ever seen done to a body... And I had to have it done.
At A Glance Author benk Contact benk@bme.anon When A month ago Artist marcus Studio holier than thou Location manchester, england Well it's been 9 years since then, a lot of procrastinating, and doing the responsible thing and making sure I was sure... Well on April the 27th of this year, I took the plunge. I don't know what finally pushed me to doing it after all this time, but I knew it was right to do.
I had previously been into Holier than Thou in Manchester and had met Marcus the piercer, so I had no hesitations in choosing the studio. Ultra clean, modern, very friendly, exactly what I was looking for. So on the bank holiday Monday I walked in there and told him what we were doing, beginning my stretching.
I wasn't fully sure how the piercing would be done, as I have never had my lobes pierced before for normal earrings, and my internet research had shown me that they would probably need to be scalpelled. Although I had to come to terms with having my ears sliced open in order to start the procedure, when Marcus told me that that wasn't the method he would use, I was rather pleased.
He explained that he would simply pierce my lobes and taper them straight up to 6mm. I had hoped to go bigger but he advised that was the best I would get, so I told him to go for it. 30 minutes later when the plugs I had chosen were autoclaved clean, in I went to the torture room (I mean piercing room) and sat myself down.
Through-out light hearted conversation, and Marcus explaining why my mate wasn't allowed to film the procedure, my ears were marked out with a pen and we were ready to go.
I was told to take a deep breath and on my exhale the needle was going through. So I breathed in, breathed out, and oh my god... No pain, just a bit of a sting, but that sound was god awful. Really really horrible sound. I turned round to see that my mate had gone sheet white though the sound, which up until that point I had presumed only I had heard. Marcus explained that it was a normal sound and nothing was wrong. And then the tapering began.
I shan't mention the expletives that came out of my mouth as my newly pierced ear was stretched straight up to 6mm, but I wouldn't want my Nan to hear them.
But that was it, and on to the next ear. Which was a breeze. No hideous sound with the needle, I was prepared for the taper this time, and then plug was in. The second we were done, I was up and looking in the mirror. I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face. Two freshly stretched ears in the space of about 10 minutes.
Overall, I'd describe the pain as being about the same as when you get punched in the ear when it's cold. Sore, throbbing, but completely bearable. There wasn't even any real blood. The tiniest bit, but hardly any at all.
It's strange to say, but I felt a little closer to the real me at that point than I had been when I walked into the shop that lunchtime. Its nothing to do with 'cool', something I know nothing about. It's nothing to do with fitting in, nothing to do with fashion. I don't know what it is to do with.
All I do know is that when I first saw stretched lobes, I had to have them, and a mere 9 years later, I have them.
I sit here writing this with my new 7mm tunnels in, changed on Saturday, and I'm like a kid on Christmas. I can't stop looking at my ears in the mirror. Unfortunately I also can't stop fiddling with them. But (touch wood), I haven't had a single problem with them so far. They've healed quickly. The swelling went down very quickly, about 2 days. I've cleaned them twice a day. To start with, I used saline solution, and then for convenience swapped to Savlon spray.
And in the post, ordered yesterday, are my 8, 9, and 10 mm tunnels to keep me busy for the next couple of months.
Interestingly, my initial goal was to stretch to about 10mm. Now I can see myself ending up at an inch or so. My plan is to slowly go up, not get to giddy, and figure out when I'm comfortable with the sizes.
For anyone reading this, planning to begin stretching their ears, I honestly say, go for it! And for anyone in the north-west of England into any body-mods, go and check out Holier than Thou on Oldham Street in Manchester, you really won't be disappointed.
And if any of them read this, thank you all!!!
So there it is, the beginning of my ear stretching journey.