Ear Gauges

Lately, I've been taking notice to more and more types of jewelry trends. I've been getting excited about buying more necklaces and earrings to wear with the new clothes I bought during the colder months. I love bold statement necklaces and cartilage piercings on the ear because they give personality. But trend I can't get over is ear gauges. This is something I have never understood and every time I see someone wearing them I question why they would do that to their body. On reason for this may be that I am extremely squeamish around anything regarding the human body.
Body jewelry is a great way to express yourself, but permanently altering the shape and size of your earlobe? It seems a bit extreme. I suppose the same could be argued about getting a regular ear piercing because for the most part, the hold will remain there for many years, if not the rest of your life. But while this may be true, it is hardly noticeable when you don't have earrings in, so it's not disruptive to your appearance if you were to decide you don't want to wear earrings.
I have a single ear piercing on the middle of my earlobe, like most girls I know, so to me it seems normal. I have also considered getting more piercings on other spots on my ear or even on my belly button. But ear gauges are something that make me extremely uncomfortable because unlike a regular piecing, they can't be easily hidden or taken out. There is a sizing guide created for people who want to start the process, and going above a size 2 can create permanent damage to your earlobe. When you walk into an interview for your first major job, you don't want to have the first impression on you interviewer be the fact that you have a half inch hole in your earlobe.
Not only does the hole itself bother me, but the entire process of creating it, starting smaller and working your way up. Once you cross a certain point of stretching and you decide it isn't for you, the only option you have if surgery. I'm usually the kind of person who leans on the side of trying not to judge people for their choices of self expression, but this is one of those things I will just never understand. I don't think I will ever try anything related to ear gauges.

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