Regular oil massages are said to have a lot of benefits for stretched ears, including increasing blood flow, promoting tissue growth, and breaking up scar tissue.
Scientific studies on massage are a bit lacking, and whether all these benefits are true is questionable.
But anecdotally, many people the ear stretching community have found that regular massages help to keep their stretched lobes thick and healthy.
If you’re interested in giving it a try, here’s how.
What You’ll Need
- oil (jojoba oil or emu oil are popular choices)
…That’s it!
Step-By-Step Stretched Ear Oil Massage
It’s pretty self-explanatory, but here’s exactly how to massage stretched lobes:
- Wash your hands (always a good idea before handling piercings)
- Remove your jewelry
- Apply oil to your fingertips
- Rub your lobes with the oil in continuous, circular motions for 5 minutes
- Wipe or wash off excess oil from your ears & hands.
You could do both lobes at the same time, but it’s easier to do one at a time if you want to do other things at the same time, liking watching TV. You don’t want to get oil all over your remote 🙂
FAQs
When should I do oil massages?
Only massage lobes that are 100% perfectly healed! If you have any pain or swelling, or suspect infection, massage may exacerbate the problem. Instead, try regular sea salt soaks until your ears are healed.
How often should I do oil massages?
Anywhere from once a day to once a week is fine, if you want to start doing it on a regular basis. More than once a day and you might irritate your lobes.
What kind of oil should I use?
Jojoba oil or emu oil are popular choices, but it’s really the motion of the massage that matters, not the specific oil. The oil just acts as a lubricant. You can also use olive oil, coconut oil, or vitamin e oil if you prefer.
You’ll want to choose an oil that is good for your skin, and doesn’t absorb too quickly so that it will last for the whole massage (which is why we use oil instead of lotion, which absorbs too quickly).
If your skin is prone to breakouts, stay away from non-comedogenic oils like olive oil or coconut oil, which can clog your pores.
Are regular oil massages necessary?
Nope, you can have healthy stretched lobes without regular oil massages.
However, some people have reported that regular massages helps to thicken their lobes and prepare them to stretch to larger sizes. If you’re having difficulty stretching up, try doing regular oil massages for a month or two, and then try again.
Can oil massages heal my blowout?
Some people have reported seeing great improvements in reducing their blowouts thanks to daily oil massages, after several months. For more info, check out these related posts:
Be sure to only use massage on 100% healed lobes! If your blowout is still fresh, downsize and use sea salt soaks until it’s healed. If it persists, then try regular oil massages.
Can I use essential oils?
Essential oils can be great for your skin, but not undiluted. It’s best to add a couple of drops of essential oil to a carrier oil, like the ones listed above. Using undiluted essential oils directly on your skin can cause rashes and irritation, so be careful!
If you’d like to try adding essential oils to your massages, check out Top 3 Essential Oils for Ear Stretching.
References
- http://www.ninacheriephd.com/you-your-body-and-your-health/does-massage-therapy-really-improve-blood-flow?start=1
- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1524-4725.2011.02201.x/abstract;jsessionid=32364D06AC092C750845BC60ECD9AB6C.f03t02
- https://www.painscience.com/articles/does-massage-work.php
Leave a Reply