After Reading Cheryl O's Post It Has Me Wondering....

I have tattoos and like most piercings, but I cannot stand gauges! They gross me out and are unfortunately very popular where I live.

They are ear gauges. My husbands friend has them, and they are sooo big these days, its awful. No offense anyone.
But, it was funny the other day we saw him, and he had big white ones in there, and my hubby said, hey you got new dinner plates! LOL. Cracked me up.

I had gauges for a while =)
They were not huge, but a lot larger than normal earrings. Mine went almost completely back to normal, fortunately for me. It is something that some people just like, like tattoos or body piercings. Yes, they do stink!! haha.

They are called gagues or plugs depending on where you are from and how it's done. My nephew has them and I like them in him. Honestly, it is how you carry it. I am not fond of the oversized ones, but I am also not fond of the hoop earrings that go to your shoulder. So, I think it's a matter of personal taste and over all presentation. I have seen some very attractive men and women that have them and they do not distract or take away.

I think its pretty gross. Lobes get ugly when you get old and the ones with the giant holes in them will be a gnarly sight to see one day I'm sure. Hopefully the phase passes and the ears have time to heal.

Gauges, they're called gauges. Earring posts are all different gauges, just like tongue rings and belly rings and "other" rings and posts people use for piercings. I don't have the large gauges because I don't find them attractive, but a couple of friends who have had them use them as self-expression just like any other kind of piercings. They're just not as common in the American culture as the more mainstream earrings.

I can't even look at the ears. Gives me the heebie jeebies!

They make my ears hurt. I always think of the tribal people who stretch out their earlobes. Ewww!!!

my sister/best friend has had hers guaged for 10 years now, and they do not stink. She looks great with them and I actually find her to be one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen--she gets approached by photographers quite often and has actually had quite a few paid modeling jobs. She is a wonderful mother of 2 beautiful children, is active in the PTA, and is an assistant coach on her boy's softball team. She is covered in tattoos and has dreadlocks also--and she's HOT! :) Check her out:

http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k515/chabbydubbe/1631...

I like the smaller ones, I wouldn't do it because I would look ridiculous but if you can pull it off, go for it!

I know what you mean - LOL!!!

I think there are some beautiful people out there who are destroying their looks by adding these piercings!!! This is MY opinion...I know in Africa they do the lips and ears as a sign of maturity and growth....I just can't seem to wrap my head around it still!!!

I think it's weird. I have never understood that look! I am a huge fan of earrings, but I don't understand why people want to stretch their ear lobes?

I know my daughter had these things for a while. I don't remember what they are called. I know that when she took them out then her earlobes went back. I am not sure what makes them go back or what reason they don't. She has her nose pierced but I told her that getting her brow pierced would not look really feminine on her. I also told my son that he could not get his brow done.

i did put those in my ears when i was fourteen...stupidly lol. they were pretty big i had them up to a 1/2" opening.....now im trying to shrink the holes back down to size....just like piercings i had alot of facial piercings when i was 14-17 and now i regret it....theres little pock parks all over my face....on my eyebrows, my lip, my nose....grrr....lol the only thing i can do is spackle them with cover up.
oh while im at it tattoos too....i went insane when i turned 18...another stupid idea of mine....i have a few that i like and that are tasteful in content and placement and one huge one on my back that now looks like garbage.....

so if your kids ever ask for these things tell them my experience because its really not worth it in my opinion.

you know, it's very close to becoming a thing of the past. My son is 23 & did it when he was 15-18. Regrets it now....his lobes are closed, but scarred for life.

They stink.....OMG, they're smelly! Gag me! Anyway, they're called plugs & then you gauge them bigger & bigger until you achieve the look you want. I was soooo happy when my son stopped!

But honestly, it is rapidly moving into a thing of the past.....thank goodness!

I have also heard that they smell too! It looks painful too! I have no clue at to what they would do once they got older!? Great question!

I've seen some that look fine and others that look scary. Definitely not something I'm into though. I just assume that they will keep those things in forever. No? I suppose if it came down to it though they could always have cosmetics surgeon remove the stretched skin and make the ears looked as they used to.

They will be ugly once the plugs are removed. Same for all those body piercings and fat old people with floppy tattoos that have moved far from their original site, faded in color and stretched with the skin.

I dont min them, certain people 'pull them off' better than others, but I guess I never gave them a second thought.

i think they must work at a tatoo parlor or a bar.

I am older, never had my ears like that but had cheap dangly earings for pearced ears, kids that grabbed and pulled and made big holes in my ears. It is really embarrassing, but I am too woosey to get them stitched and it costs.
So I cover up my ears with clip earrings almost all day. The kind of holes you describe would have to be stitched up. They make me gag when I look at them. Seriously ick, sorry to anyone who has them. I am not sure why. I can handle other things but I do not want to stare at them. I have only seen one girl wear them, boys seem to wear them more around here.

Hi A A In my opinion it's a type of rebelioun and some young people don't look far enough ahead to think about the condition of their ears down the road. My kids are 27 24 and 22 and thank God they think it's disgusting J.

Oh I know. It grosses me out in a way. I've seen what had happened to my grandmother's and aunt's ear lobes of years of wearing heavy earrings. They were so stretched out and looked very unbecoming. I can't see how they will want to keep those things in their ears when they are elderly. But again, I guess it's a fashion statement. But as for me, I'll pass. :)

I have no issue with them. I don't want to gauge my ears, but we all have our own idea of beauty and I try not to be judgmental of others for how they choose to present themselves.

When you take them out or get old, you just have the hole edge opened and then sew the whole thing shut, and it heals just fine in most cases.

The huge plugs are GROSS!!! I want to vomit when I get close to someone wearing them. Cause they smell......soooooo funky! Honestly, I think its one of physical adornments that I just can't accept. I don't mind any other piercings or tattoos or body modifications. This is the one that bothers me. But, its not my body so--to each his/her own I guess! I just don't see the attraction in these.

M

Is it just me, or do they look like curtain grommets to everyone else too? I saw an interview with someone who had them for a while and then decided to get rid of them. She was stuck with massive, gaping holes in her earlobes, which she felt prevented her from getting a job. She had to get reconstructive surgery to get normal earlobes back again. Bummer.

Plugs (or gages) aren't my thing, but I have no objection to people decorating their bodies in any way they choose.

I hate them! My 21 yr old niece- who is model gorgeous insists on having them though hers are on the smaller side- and gets tons of tattoos! I wonder the same thing about how she will feel 20 yrs from now but she refuses to listen! *sigh*

Yep, what is the deal with that...How do they get jobs with that?

Personally I would never get them as I know they would not look good on me. But I've seen ones that look really great on people. To each their own really. I never judge a person by their looks. It never says anything truly about them.
I want to make a comment about the whole getting a job etc when they are older. What is considered "acceptable" in the work place is ever changing. I see more and more professionals with various body art and modifications. It is getting more and more common. Their peers are more accepting of it as they grew up with it. As one generation phases out and the next come in the rules of what is OK and what is not also phases. Who's to say you won't see a CEO of a Fortune 500 with ear plugs and a couple tattoos a few years down the line?

Yeah, not attractive.
I have no problem with body art or jewelry as a form of personal expression.
But I hate to see a young person with such drastic alterations. What is "cool" in your late teens/early 20s often does not translate well into the work world in your 30s.

IMHO

I'm just wondering why they stink. My Husband has been wearing plugs for a long time now & his don't. Is it because they don't take them out once in a while & wash them? LOL!

Not my thing, but I don't really think anything, honestly. If someone wants to express themselves that way, then who are they hurting? Honestly, I see MUCH worse when it comes to tacky, cheesy, played out ridiculous tattoos, which people often get when they are younger, and those are totally permanent. At least the gauge can be removed.

smallish ones dont bug me too much but big ones do. And when they take them out and you can see through the hole I want to vomit. My employer does not allow males to have piercings and no plugs at all. If you take them out and can see through the hole then you can't work either. We have had to say no to many individuals because of this.

well, the kids baby sitter has them-and she thinks she is going to die young, stay pretty.

Honestly, they are young, and I for them, 30 is OLD! They aren't thinking.

Hello, Hahahahahaha!!!!!! I agree.
K. K.