Different people have different ear sizes. What looks good on others might not give you the same result. To better understand the art of ear stretching and how it would give your ear fashion statement the best look, it’s best to know the typical ear gauge sizes.

For starters, the sizes increase as the number decreases. Most newbies at ear stretching starts at 20ga, going down to 18ga and so on. There are plenty of young adults, though, who shun the standards and dive directly into getting the 18ga, and later on skip sizes like from 18ga to 12ga. But for those who cannot withstand the pain that comes with skipping gauges, then have your ear stretched gradually from 20ga down to the largest hole or stretch you can manage.

The biggest sizes for ear gauging are pegged at 0ga and double 0ga. The measurements are actually based also on the jewelry you choose to place on the pierced ear, or for other cases, body parts. While these are the standard measurements for professionals, there are other skilled ear stretching pros who gauge by millimeters, like those in most European countries and Australia.

Note that the 20ga is like any other ear piercing in size, normally the stretching to begin with. With the 20ga, you could already use common earring pieces like jewelry. With 18ga, you get 5/128” or 1.0 mm hole and get rings or tunnels with equivalent size. This goes the same for all the bigger gauges you plan to get later.

Before you jump to another size, be aware that there are gauges where your ear lobes will be less likely to heal. So it is important that you consider stretching one size at a time, and the methods for gauging your ears are completely safe and free of risks.

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