Sailors once pierced their ears believing it gave them better eyesight, while Romans associated ear piercing with wealth and luxury. South American and African tribes pierced ears and stretched the hole, similar to the flesh tunnels you see now. The bigger the hole, the higher your social standing.

Ear piercings heal more quickly and more comfortably when a body jewelry style ring is worn. Body jewelry is easier to clean and more comfortable than ear piercing studs. Piercing studs are of one length and too short to accommodate swelling or earlobes which are thicker than average. Piercing studs are difficult to clean. The butterfly clip backing can become clogged with discharge, dirt, and bacteria. Studs also have a tendency to become wrapped with hair, embedding the hair in the piercing.

Initial jewelry: Captive bead rings, bead rings, circular barbells in 20 to 8ga, 3/8" to 5/8" in diameter. In larger gauges circular barbells in stainless steel may be too heavy for comfortable healing. If a barbell is chosen the length should be 1/16" wider than the width of the piercing to allow for swelling and cleaning.

We would like to thank all-body-piercing.com for this information