why do YOU call stretched lobe piercings gauges?

When referring to the process of stretching your lobes to a larger gauge, I use the term "gauging", because you're increasing the size from one gauge say a 4 gauge to a 2 gauge, stretching/gauging, it's the same. Then when it comes to the jewelry I call the solid stubby ones that aren't tappers "plugs" and the hallow ones "hoops", well because they look like hoops and plugs... people call them different things, but most people will pick up what you're talking about if you decide to call them something else lol

I call them stretched lobes, stretched ears, and stretched piercings.

I'm keeping an eye on this question because I'm still searching for justifiable answers to why people call them gauges, spacers, and stretchers. Mostly the gauge-people though :P

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gauge

EDIT-- I actually know of some people who stretch, know it's called stretching, but still call it gauging. For some reason, for the people who know what it's technically called but still use the gauche term, think gauge/gauging/gauges sounds cool/hardxcore and/or their friends call it all of those things so they want to fit in or something. When I've discussed stretching with some people and use the term "stretching" some of them have looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears [usually the same people who give me the same look when I say I wait months in between sizes lol].

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RE:

why do YOU call stretched lobe piercings gauges?

I'm just looking for a justifiable answer. I've come across people who are up to fractional inches who still refer to them as gauges......

people who use proper terminology can answer this too (yay two points, lol)...but I'm really looking to hear from those who don't

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Thank you times a million! I get so frustrated with the kids coming on here with blood dripping onto their shoulders and they're like, "yeah, so I've been putting Neosporin on my gauges because I think I tore something when I went from a 14g to a 2g this weekend. I'm hardcorezzz I know...anyway, so do you think it's okay if I gauge to like 1/2" by the end of the week so long as I use the peroxide and ointment to prevent infection?" Or the kids who, when you just know from their description have a blowout and you tell them to drastically downsize, they're like "eff that. I worked hard gauging from a 16 to a 00 in two weeks!" I think the worst was the kid several of us told it was a bad idea that he went from 12 to a 4 in one felled swoop (who, incidentally, was posting here because he had worn his tapers all weekend and couldn't get them out because blood and pus was stuck all over them) he said, "OMG STFU the guy at Hot Topic said it would be safe if I wore the tapers for a couple of days!" Since when did the kids who fold t-shirts at the goth shop become professional piercers or experts on stretching? I swear, sometimes I feel like when I try and give good advice to these kids it's like pissin' into the wind, you know? But yeah, one day when they split their earlobes wide open or the tissue has necrotized and their earlobes are black from all of the dead skin from bad stretching, maybe they'll think back and realize people online (whom they assumed were just dumb old grown ups ruining their fun) may have been on to something.

entangle's answer was pretty good.

the bottom line is that they don't have any idea what to call them. an 8g plug has turned in to a gauge prob because they don't understand the word gauge. i can see calling tapers stretchers, because they are. sort of. i mean, that's what they do, right? calling tunnels hoops is pretty stupid, though

it's really just based in ignorance. nothing more. unfortunately, i think that 'gauging' might just end up being a 'proper' term. i hope not cuz it's annoying, but life goes on

two points. yay me

ignorance seems to be big with the scenes nowadays -_- idk why 00g seems like a large size to alot of kids but really its not alot fo scene//fashiooncore kids do it for one reason and one reason only FASHION they could care less behind the history behind stretching and the patience it takes they know nothing about body modification except that if they "gauge" there ears there somewhat more fashionable than the next scenieweenie these are the kids who think only stretched lobes look good and rant about how labret stretching or any other form of stretching to any other piercing besides lobes is disgusting

I used to make that mistake until I did some research since at one point in time I was considering stretching my ear lobes. It drives me a bit crazy,but I try to ignore it since it's going to be a pain in the booty to try to educate people every 2 seconds.

What Are Gauges

Ahh you have touched on one of my pet peeves. I call them stretched piercings and refer to the jewelry as plugs. I hate it when people ask me "so you're gauging your ears?" No, I'm stretching them....

oh god, i used to not really care if people said "gauges" but i've seen it sooooo much on y!a and now it just bugs the hell out of me and i'm too lazy to say "they are STRETCHED not GAUGED"

and some people know it's not the proper terminology but they still insist on calling them "gauges" cause they think it sounds "cool"

personally i find them to sound uneducated