The Rise Of The Split/Stretched Lobe


Well, it hasn’t even been a week since we first noted Micah‘s pretty ingenious prostheses he developed to address a necessary but unfortunate lobe split (we also shamefully misspelled his name not once, but twice. Guhhh), and now, be it inspiration or coincidence, Helsinki-based klitoris has fashioned himself a similar set-up. He, of course, has opted for some danglier (or “blingier,” to hear him tell it) jewelry. The original posting was a bit controversial among the commentariat, and the fact that this idea is SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE is sure to fire up some lively debate, so let’s do our best to set the terms, shall we? Is this an example of the cleverness and ingenuity that makes this community great, or is it an insidious trend that will destroy body modification as we know it? The truth is likely somewhere in between. (Or maybe just the first one.)

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See more in Ear Stretching (past 1/2″) (Ear Piercing)

55 thoughts on “The Rise Of The Split/Stretched Lobe

  1. Personally, I just don’t think I like the way it looks. Clever? Yes.

    I just can’t decide if I like it or not.

  2. haha I love this thing!

    I’m just wondering if it isn’t too heavy for the tiny gauge piercings that are holding it.

  3. Scotty: I guess the question, then, is what is the “purpose” of having plugs in the first place?

  4. (Just to make note of it, I didn’t put “purpose” in quotes to point out the typo, but rather just to address the idea that there is some sort of singular reason why a person would wear plugs/stretch their ears/etc.)

  5. I don’t find it as aesthetically pleasing as stretched ears.
    But it is still quite clever.

    It does look a bit heavy for just the two piercings.
    I wonder, is the jewelry always worn in it, or just sometimes?

  6. I personally think it’s a great idea for anyone like Micah who was experiencing circulation problems or people whose lobes have already experienced a split. I’m not sure how I’d feel about people with healthy lobes splitting their ears on purpose just to do something like this- but then again, if it makes them happy, I say go for it.

    Not sure what the story is behind this guy, if his lobes were split prior to this or not, but I think it looks pretty cool. I’m assuming the plug can be removed when one is not out and about to lessen the stress on the piercings holding it in place.

  7. looks weird.
    better to reconstruct earlobes, heal them and massage for a long time (5 month or even more), and after stretch lobes again slowly and carefully.

  8. I don’t think that the aim was to reproduce the photo published several days ago given that ends of the lob healed, it does not seem to be a fresh mod… Perhaps it is a ‘copy’ (who ‘copied’ who ? 😉 ) but not due to Modblog ;).
    Aesthetically, I don’t like… But I don’t have to do it, so who cares! 😉

  9. I like how it looks aesthetically. I’m a person that may actually do something like that. Its interesting, innovative and new.

  10. Personally, I’m not a fan but I guess it could cater to some others’ interests…
    I’m a bit miffed he’s only 16.

  11. @#3 and #6 – Not exactly the “purpose” of having plugs, I can’t describe it but its like when people ask me why I do suspensions when I could do the exact same thing (swing around like a crazy person) wearing a harness instead of hanging from my skin.

  12. Scotty, you don’t get it. Its not about purpose, its about making the best out of what you have.

  13. @ 16 – “wrong”? This is a different type of mod from stretched ears entirely…obviously wasn’t GOING for the stretched ear thing….

    I don’t like the flashy jewelry (I’m more of a fan of simple jewelry) but I do think the bottom of the lobe looks kind of cute haha like two tiny fingers giving an upside down peace sign…but since it’s upside down, I guess it would be a “war” sign? lol even better 🙂

  14. Banana Bread – it that because it’s a “I had really fucking blown out lobes, and they split” type of mod?

  15. I don’t know about this. It looks quite cool, with the jewellery in.. I’d imagine it looks pretty damn awful were the jewellery to be removed – at least stretched lobes look ok-ish if you take the plugs out.

    It also feels a bit like cheating to me, in a funny kind of way – to get the look of bigger plugs, just attach a longer bit of chain/cord/whatever. I don’t know.

    It worries me that a 16-year old would do this to themselves, and I bet I’m not the only one worried. His list of retired mods etc – sorry, but that’s not the work of a healthy person.

  16. #30 hahah me too!!

    unfortuntaly this is going to go both ways. for those of us who have lobes that we cant put plugs in anymore through to bad circulation etc and its also going to be a way for the younger generation to go up to large gauge sizes in an instant.

    at the end of the day whatever new body mod comes out theres always going to be both sides to it…shrug it off people can do do what they want to themselves as long as you no why you do these things thats all that matters

  17. I don’t see this as ‘cheating’, because it in no way looks as nice as a properly stretched lobe, so I don’t see many people jumping on this as anything but an interesting and clever solution for people whose lobes have already been damaged.

  18. I think the lack of flow between the split lobe and the second hole is ruining it for me.

  19. I think its a wonderful idea!
    I know I would miss my lobes something awful if I had a split, god forbid…this is an awesome way to be able to wear jewelry again after the tragedy!

    definitely ingenious in my opinion.

  20. Jesus, people freak out too much over things. When your first concern is if this will become trendy or not, aren’t you the one giving in to mainstream ideas? This may come and go or it may be the new craze (doubtful..) but why should we be throwing a fit about it if we’re secure in our own modifications?
    I think people just don’t want someone looking as badass as they do with big lobes without working for it. But come on, should this really be about that?

  21. I’m pretty sure this website is still about people expressing themselves through body modification however they see fit…..anyone who thinks this looks “gross”- well, all our modifications look “gross” depending on who you ask. And judging peoples’ motive for body modification is silly- I personally don’t care if someone got this way to be trendy, or because they fucked their ear up stretching like a spaz. I have no right to tell them they are less valid than my own ways.

  22. I think it’s a neat idea for anyone who has to do it out of neccessity (analogies being someone with a missing eye getting a blingy glass eye, or someone missing a hand getting an over the top pirate hook) but to do it intentionally does come off as cheating. That’s not to say that the person’s intentions are to cheat, just that’s the way it comes off, because as mentioned by #32 someone could take a 1/2 stretched lobe, *snip snip*, add a foot of strap, and BAM, they look “hardcore.” (I use that term jokingly; I think anyone who uses words like “hardcore” to describe themselves are just lame, but that’s another post…)

  23. I think its an interesting idea and we all modify our body’s in ways we find pleasing weather its by accident or not,i think its great.

  24. Is this really new? I’ve only been into body mod for a few years, but this seems like such a natural reaction to split lobes that I’ve got to think someone’s done it before. IMHO, btw, it looks effing awesome (ILEA?).

  25. I think it’s a great option for people whose lobes split due to either bad luck or bad stretching and can’t afford a reconstruction. And I think it looks cool as hell. While I think it’s not for everyone, I’m surprised to see elite mod-snobs downing it already. It makes me sad since I work in the industry that there are so many mod-snobs on here 🙁

  26. @27 – well, this type of mod could be done without any blow out – and even if it was done after improper ear stretching, it’s an improvise. It’s still a mod, similar to having a badly done tattoo covered up into something you like.

  27. Replying to #39:

    I dont agree that all our mods look gross – AT ALL – as well i enjoy my free speach and i think that it looks disgusting and not at all asthetically pleasing. that is just my opinion, i dont know this person, so i will say what i actually think, but to each their own, this comment section is for our COMMENTS, ie: opinions. And that is mine. I think that there are at least 20+ mods that look 100% better than this.

  28. split lobes look like gross. and i thought you said Micah snipped his lobes and that they didn’t tear? make up the mind.

  29. I really like the jewelry and the idea behind it. Like, if I had large guage ears I would invest in some nice jewelry. Subsequently, spliting the lobe would be sad for me, and a loss of earrings I could potentially wear. At least this way you get to keep your initial investment and not have gross dangly flaps hanging down.

    this person’s lobes split accidentally. what better way to pretty up a war wound?

  30. I think this method looks cool. Limitless possibilities. At a certain point stretched lobes look a little…squicky.

  31. Read Klitoris’s page. The lobes weren’t split accidentally and they are only 16. I feel uneasy about it.

  32. There’s really nothing someone can do for a split other than this, or have it repaired. Many people simply don’t have the money for this.
    But I would like to think that just because it’s different…people aren’t going to go out and split their lobes for this. Splitting your lobes isn’t healthy for them or, for that matter, the community.
    …not to mention. The general population seems to think split lobes are disgusting, in terms of aesthetics, and spend a lot of their time AVOIDING splits. 😛

  33. Sorry for the double-post, but I forgot to include…
    Someone who has snipped their ears at half an inch, and then strapped in a plug at say, two inches, does not have two inch lobes. That’s…ridiculous. The actual lobes are still the same size, if not smaller.
    There is no easy way to get there.:)

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