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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to have almost puked all over the postman when I saw his ears?

109 replies

Greensleeves · 26/04/2010 20:14

he had these massive holes in them, held open by a ring of steel the size of a £2 coin

what the fuck? Is this a new "thing"? it's repulsive!

OP posts:

PersonalClown · 27/04/2010 11:44

Mine are about this size with a second normal piercing behind. Plus a tragus and helix in my left ear!
They aren't so hard to clean. When in the shower, take the tunnels out and give them a good rinse, job done!

fortyplus · 27/04/2010 12:06

A 16 yoear old boy in my son's form is currently in the process of enlarging holes ready to accept 22mm tunnels. It's a statement, I suppose, though I'm not too sure what it says...

fortyplus · 27/04/2010 12:07

Perhaps I should clarify that they're for his ears not his genitals!

GetOrfMoiLand · 27/04/2010 12:15

They are vile - totally agree with Greensleeves.

My stepson has these tunnel thingies - about the size of a pound coin.

It's vile.

Mind you I don't like any kind of piercings (even ears) or tattoos at all. Yuk. Horrible.

Stepson likes all this stuff - he has loads of tattoos and his ears, septum, lips, eyebrows and nipples done. He showed me a site the other day that was advertising branding. Yes, stupid shapes burnt into people's arms. He think it looks cool.

Bless him he isw a lovely boy but I don't know why he likes all this. me and DP sit there and ask him why he is mutilating himself but he just says it is all about expressing himself.

expatinscotland · 27/04/2010 12:16

What if you have flesh tunnel regret? Wouldn't you need reconstructive surgery on your earlobes? I have two piercings in my ears. That's it.

No tatts because I don't like needles.

GetOrfMoiLand · 27/04/2010 12:19

I have asked my stepson this - apparently he says you can train them smaller, as you would train them to get bigger.

So you would just gradually use smaller whatsits in your ears.

I asked him if he knew anyone who did this. He says no. So it may not work.

expatinscotland · 27/04/2010 12:23

I would think it would get too stretched if you had them like that for a while.

Eewww.

Doesn't it hurt?

Getting a tatt was described as someone scratching you and then re-scratching over and over again.

OW! I don't like getting scratched.

Kaloki · 27/04/2010 12:23

I think you can train them smaller up until a certain size, but if you have really massive tunnels then the skin would be too stretched to shrink back. Much prefer normal gauge piercings.

I can understand the expressiveness of piercings and tatts (I have had 15 of the former and 4 of the latter myself) but stretching, branding and scarification are totally beyond my comprehension.

Hai1988 · 27/04/2010 12:49

i dont see the problem my brother in law has them and its his choice it just like some1 getting a tattoo or a piercing, nothing to puke over

bruffin · 27/04/2010 13:05

When I was up the westend a few weeks back in Clares, there were some young teens looking for those stretchers. They didn't sell them, but surely it can't be legal to sell them to kids so young?

Miggsie · 27/04/2010 13:09

I really cannot see why people want to force bits of metal through their flesh. Makes me feel ill as well.

Although our old Karate Sensei used to say that fighting anyone with piercings was a doddle because you just had to grab and twist...he was telling us girls about self defence on the street, but I always remembered it.

snorkie · 27/04/2010 13:12

A lad who serves in our Tesco has these. He also has a large tunnel through one side of his nose to the other & the result is that you can see right up his nose which I do find a bit bleugh. Each to their own though...

Kaloki · 27/04/2010 13:23

bruffin It's legal. Otherwise you'd have to ban the sale of earrings too.

Ripeberry · 27/04/2010 13:26

Very Amazon tribe. Now tongue piercings "shudder!"

Kaloki · 27/04/2010 13:28

Tongue piercings are fantastic!! I got mine done as a dare (yes, I know) but love it now. It feels good.

bruffin · 27/04/2010 13:31

Sorry I meant surely it can't be legal without a parents permission. These children didn't have parents with them and they had come up to Oxford Street specifically because they were told they could get the stretchers in Clares there. They were no more than 13 or 14 (i have dc that age who look old for their age, and these looked a lot younger)

A child under 18 needs parental permission for a piercing or a tattoo. Earrings don't change the whole the parent gave the permission for, these do IYSWIM

Kaloki · 27/04/2010 13:38

I do, however, they are still classed as earrings so can't have such sanctions on them. I am suprised that Claire's stocked them though. (Have never seen them in Claire's so hope they were told falsely)

Personally I'd prefer they were only sold by piercers who can advise on safety/hygiene etc.

scratchmyback · 27/04/2010 13:43

omg I just looked at KM's link - the lobe man is disgusting!

I dont like these piercings either, I don't know why people want these huge tunnels in thei ears. Surely it must hurt.

bruffin · 27/04/2010 13:45

Clares didn't sell them thankfully, kids weren't happy.

bidibidi · 27/04/2010 13:45

I saw huge ear holes on a guy in town the other day and it also made me feel quite queasy. I guess we'll have to get used to it, though!!

posieparker · 27/04/2010 13:49

Hideous practice....perhaps next time he could carry a little sick bag in each ear to assist you.

GoldenSnitch · 27/04/2010 14:03

I had my tongue stud in for 13 years. I loved it but I don't miss it now it's gone

rastababi · 27/04/2010 14:05

I have them, they are called flesh tunnels/plugs.

Sure hope we don't meet Greensleeves as I really wouldn't want to be hurled upon

Variety makes the world go round.

YABU.

FioFio · 27/04/2010 14:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

bidibidi · 27/04/2010 14:23

Why do you like them, rastabai (or anyone else with one)?
It just looks SOOOOOO permanent, painful, impractical and unnatural (in a very obvious way, at least a tongue stud can be tucked away, and even a pierced eyebrow is small). And... just not very pretty (imho).

I'm all for individual expression (my nose is pierced), but something that you can never undo and that might permanently damage an area near your face... seems quite risky.

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