I'm 14 and currently my only mods are 00g lobes and a 14g tongue web piercing. I started stretching October 2007 I believe and am greatly aware of the permanency of it all. I don't plan on any more modifications before I'm well off on my own that isn't on the ear. As for jobs and careers, I won't lie, I'm naturally smart and have a pretty good work ethic, moreso for things I enjoy. With my not so noticeable ears and practically invisible tongue web, most jobs I can get at this age through my twenties and even beyond won't conflict with it. And those that do, (very dressy, professional settings) aren't much of a possibility because those are positions that I wouldn't be comfortable in.

I know young and foolish go hand in hand. But being 18 or having a job isn't suddenly a time where you figure everything out therefore modifications are okay. It just means, oh shit now I'm fully responsible for it. I think those who suddenly decide to get all the modifications they wanted as a teenager the second they turn 18 end up regretting it more than those who wait until they're well educated and aware of its effects. People continue to learn and develop insight and maturity well into older ages and you might not reach stability or indepence until who knows when. Therefore major changes, in this context - body modifications are something I will partake in when it seems appropriate in my life, with obvious thought and consideration.

 It's really great to see so many self-possessed young people here.

I say this not to pooh-pooh what you all are saying but just to let you know. No matter how much you think you've figured out about the world, life is going to alter that view.  Some things you believe in your soul will be shaken to their foundations.  Some will be rebuilt - stronger and taller than ever.  Others will fall away.  And, if you are blessed, everything you know about yourself will be challenged and tempered by the fire of a life lived with passion, wisdom and a curiousity about the world around.

Wanna know how I know?  When I was 17, I knew everything and have forgotten it all twice over.. only to remember it again.

My piercing seem less "extreme" because 2 gauge lobes will shrink enough to not be that obvious, vertical labret will leave a small scar, and my retired eyebrow piercing isn't even noticeable anymore (although as of now I have no intention of ever removing my piercings)

 Adwoa, I risk sounding like a total lurker when I say...  I always really like reading what you have to say.  :D

I'm 17.  All I've got are 00g lobes, and I researched the shit out of stretching before I even thought about ordering my first set of jewelry from BAF 'cause I really wanted to do it right.  It really sickens me to see/hear about the kids at my school who just shove household objects or ill-fitting Hot Topic jewelry through their ears.  Of course, we all know that teenagers are invincible, so if I try to give them advice, they roll their eyes at me.  My own peers.  It's bewildering.

I've thought about how I'd raise any kids I might have down the line, and I think that, rather than letting them put holes through their faces or permanent ink in their skin, I'd suggest they mess with crazy hairstyles as a creative outlet.  Hair grows, and it can be cut.  Piercings don't always close, and tattoos are terribly difficult to remove.  When it comes time for them to get a job, if they've got rainbow-colored hair, they'll realize it's hindering them and hopefully dye it something more tame (or find a job that's accepting of that - hell, if my kid can do that, more power to him/her!!).

If they're really set on a piercing, though, I'd want them to do their research and wait at least a year or so to make sure they still want it.  Then, if the kid doesn't take care of it and it all goes to shit, I'll make them take it out, talk to them about what happened, and consider letting them get it again in a year or so.  No tattoos until they can get them on their own.  And stretching...  well, I'm not so sure about that yet, given my case

This is, of course, everything I've thought of before I have ANY idea what it's like to have a kid.  I hope that this is a good plan and that it works for both me and my family, but if life decides to teach me a lesson or two and I see that this is all wrong...  Awesome.  :3

Oi.  I've totally digressed.  In order to try to stay on topic...  I don't really know what is "too" young.  I'm not sure anyone can, since everyone matures at a slightly different rate.  Though I guess I'd define "too young" as wanting something, whether it be a piercing or a ticket to the Hannah Montana concert, because your friends want it.  "Mature" is when you start to figure out what you want for yourself - not to affect the way others see you; not to make a statement or raise a few eyebrows; but because it truly makes you happy regardless of anyone else's opinions, and because you feel like it's an important part of who you are.

 Id say anyone under 15 should wait and let it sit in the back of there minds for at least a year before stretching bigger than 14g. Im 20 and never was allowed to even get my ears pierced... a few days after i turned 18 i just decided to get my left ear pierced with no intentions of stretching.  6 months later i got the right pierced and noticed a few of my friends had stretched ears. I let the idea sit for a good 9 months before i began. After i reached 14g my parents took notice that the earrings were getting thicker and didnt approve mainly because they think it looks dumb and think what i told them was all BS. Im continuing to stretch to my goal of 0g...then im calling it quits

Any way. i know a girl soon to be 16 who has been stretching her ears since 6th grade and just recently reached her goal of 0g. she didnt want massive holes in her ears at an early age so she decided to take a really long time like 6 months between stretches. she also took really good care of her ears the entire time as well. This allowed her to stop at any time she could have wanted or if the school had made her stop... Now she is happy as hell with her 0gs

 Now this same girl has a friend a year older than her who did the exact opposite. One day we were all hanging out and i noticed she had damn 00s in her ears...dont see her often but the last time i checked (maybe a few months) her ears were at normal size so she obviously stretched really fast. The first girl told me the other day that this girl was wanting to move up another size and doesnt take  care of them like she should. most likely will want to remove them in the next year or two ending up with permanent damage to her ears.

So obviously this can go either way but 15yrs old sounds like a good age to consider/begin stretching 

 I'm17 and I'd consider my self very well informed and responsible about my mods. I've been interested in tattoos and basic piercings for literally as long as I can remember so I guess age 4 or 5ish. I became really interested in stretching and other more "unusual" mods around age 12, and joined BAF forums a bit over four years ago when I had just turned 13. So, I guess I definitely started pretty young, but here I am four years later with just 6g lobes (never downsized just took a really long time to get here) and an 18g nostril as my only mods. I guess part of the reason I don't have more piercings is because my dad(who has custody of me) really isn't down with them while I'm under the age of 18, and my mom is more accepting but I'm never really around her. Even if I did have total freedom over my mods I really don't believe I'd have anything else except a 10g tongue piercing.

I've held a job for over a year now as a waitress, pay my own car payment and insurance, gas, food, clothes, and everything else I might need. I haven't asked for a single dime from my dad since my first day at work. It really has taught me so much about responsibility and bills and money, and that I really don't want to work minimum wage jobs the rest of my life which stops me from seriously considering mods I would otherwise love to have. I'm stopping at 0g because I feel like it'll still be fairly easy to downplay if I were to start working in a more professional environment. And I won't get any tattoos above my shoulders or below my elbows maybe ever, but definitely not until I'm 40 or so and settled down in a career.

I'm perfectly comfortable with my age and the age I started modifying myself because I feel that I have a pretty firm grasp on reality (ha although don't we all) but I definitely don't condone the greater population of young people today that are stretching and can't even bother to use the right verb. It really disgusts me the number of kids I see in my school every  day with ridiculously ugly tattoos and horribly mutilated lobes.

 If I were to ever have a child I think it would ultimately depends on the kid's personality. If I truely felt they could handle the decision maturely I'd let them stretch to a smallish size (0g or less) if they did it properly  and maybe get a piercing or two if they could take care of it. I wouldn't allow any tattos, and don't want any for myself before I'm 18, because I feel like that's a right of passage of sorts...it's what solidifies being an adult in my head, the choice to do what you please with your body. Also because like others said teenagers don't know what they really want, ha being one I know more than some how fickle we can be, if it's that important to somebody they can wait until they're of age.

 at risk of sounding self-posessed...

I'm 18, did stupid things when I was younger, learned from them. I know that my stretching is permanant and though I have a goal size, am ready to reduce that goal if it gets to the point where my ears are no longer elastic enough so that I can look normalish if need be. I feel fortunate that my lobes are the way they are.

I'm also fortunate enough that I only have to pay for basic living expenses and car insurance, and that my grandparents saved up for college for me. I decided to drop out of my tech school for multiple reasons, so now I have enough money to both pay a year of rent and to go to community college and get a basic nursing degee (in hopes of a better chance at an apprenticeship as well as having a job for money) and ASL courses (the tech school has a lot of deaf kids, and  many of them stay and work in the city) which could help me with either job if I stay in this area. 

Also, most of the mods I want are either easily hid anyway, or places employers shouldn't be looking if they don't want a sexual harassment suit. The only obvious piercing I currently have is my lip, and I planned the timing of getting it so that it would be healed enough by the time I left tech school and got a job that I could take it out if need be for said job, or at least be able to wear acrylic retainers.

Lana:

I'm honoured.

On the "things that bug me" front, here's a good one: when kids either a) aren't allowed to get a piercing or b) just don't want to pay $70 for it, they go and get 'a friend' to pierce them. I actually know a girl like this. Upon learning I have my hips pierced, she told me she wanted them, but they were so expensive so she thought she'd get her friend to do it because "she has the proper needles and everything!" This scares me - the thought of paying a 14-year-old to stab you willingly?! Not smart. Plus - if you really want the piercing, you definitely have the time to save for it.

Ohgosh... this reminds me of my hair stylist friend.  She's 19, been into mods for quite a while, and has 5/8" lobes, spiderbites, septum, and a couple tattoos.  She has an ear piercing gun that she often uses on people's ears in her shop!  You'd think someone who has been into mods for so long should know that guns are bad!

Anyway, this isn't the sad part.  We were hanging out one day, and I mentioned how I'd love to have my tragus done.  She says, "If you go to Wal-Mart and get some studs, I can gun it for ya." I was like, "WTF MAN!?"  Then, I found out that one of her lip piercings was done using this gun, and that she had gunned her 14-year-old sister's lip, as well as her best friend's.  So nooo, not letting this chick anywhere near my precious tragus.  Not even sure I'll let her do my hair...

 We were all young once, and I remember girls piercing one another's ears in the bathroom at school and at slumber parties.  Yeah, it seemed innocent enough at the time and we laugh about it now.  But letting a friend give you hip piercings?  That's a surface piercing, which can easily get screwed up even when a pro does it and does it right!  This I find sad.

i got my ears pierced when i was like, 10 months old with a gun at the mall. i really wanted to stretch my ears at 13ish, but waited a year until i was sure i still wanted it. i waited till i was 16 to go larger than 0g. and i was absolutely paranoid of scarring up my lobes for fear they wouldn't downsize as well as i wanted them to.

i see a lot of my friends who are 18-20 who are closing up their holes, or at least trying to because they want to get better jobs or because they got sick of taking care of them.

i see more and more people stretching, and with the coming fad comes less educated people who are delving into body modification younger and younger without realizing what they're actually doing; changing their body. all body modification is permanent to some extent, and i think you have to realize that its going to change your body.

 that being said, i don't think there is any given age where someone realizes that their decisions are going to effect the rest of their lives, but i think that people 17-18ish and younger generally will not be as responsible with stretching. i definitely wasn't when i started :/

i eventually went to a new piercing shop, and the girl there sat down and talked to me about stretching. she explained how long to wait, how to take care of it, the basic facts, and what stretching is to her. she said "stretching isn't about looking cool and getting to your goal size fastest. it's a lot of learning about yourself and your body. you push your body to its limits with stretching, and you learn when to not let it go past it's limits for that time. you come to peace with your body. and you only have one body, so take care of it. whether it's stretching, or piercings, take care of it."

those words have stuck in my head since. since then, she's helped me stretch to a 4g the proper way, and my ears have been perfect (where with the first shop, i had minor tears going from 14-10 [since they said to skip] and also from 10-6.) i do blame myself for not doing the research before stretching, but now that i have i'm doing everything right.

so, I was one of those stupid young kids who did it just for the look and didn't do any research. it makes me feel like an idiot, and if i had the opportunity, i'd redo everything.

also, thanks BAF because i've learned SO much from this site. i found you guys before i got my septum pierced, and this is where i learned more than i could have imagined. thanks :)

I'm 17, with my only mods being 8g lobes. At times I really want to just keep going, especially when nobody even notices that my ears are stretched at all. Despite that, I can't say I know I'm gonna want stretched ears for the rest of my life (as much as I want to,) because I'm just too young to be able to make such a permanent decision. I've promised myself to stay where I am until either I know that it won't interfere with my career, or until I'm old enough to decide if I will want them for the rest of my life, however long that takes. I've also planned out a tattoo for myself that I've thought over carefully for the last 2-3 years and even now, I keep changing bits and pieces of it every once in a while. If I would have gotten it last year it wouldn't have been nearly as special to me because I've added so many personal elements to it since then. So even though I could get it in less than a year if I wanted to, I want to wait until I'm at least 19 or 20, so the concept can further develop into something I'll love a hundred times more. :) 

"if you really want it now, you'll still want it later."

The most important thing at any age is to do your research and know what you're getting yourself into. If you did that and you're prepared to deal with the good and the bad then have at it  

 Adwoa, you always have really great and wise things to say. =D

But what I'd like to chime in, is that we're all different and things happen for everyone at different ages. I'll avoid creating arguments and leave it at that ^_^.

leeanananana:

i eventually went to a new piercing shop, and the girl there sat down and talked to me about stretching. she explained how long to wait, how to take care of it, the basic facts, and what stretching is to her. she said "stretching isn't about looking cool and getting to your goal size fastest. it's a lot of learning about yourself and your body. you push your body to its limits with stretching, and you learn when to not let it go past it's limits for that time. you come to peace with your body. and you only have one body, so take care of it. whether it's stretching, or piercings, take care of it."

I like the piercer's way of thinking!  And I'm really glad to see some responsible young folks out there.  Where I come from, there are a lot of kids who really don't give a crap... then again, I think a lot of people know people like that, young AND old.

miss elaineous:

leeanananana:

i eventually went to a new piercing shop, and the girl there sat down and talked to me about stretching. she explained how long to wait, how to take care of it, the basic facts, and what stretching is to her. she said "stretching isn't about looking cool and getting to your goal size fastest. it's a lot of learning about yourself and your body. you push your body to its limits with stretching, and you learn when to not let it go past it's limits for that time. you come to peace with your body. and you only have one body, so take care of it. whether it's stretching, or piercings, take care of it."

I like the piercer's way of thinking!  And I'm really glad to see some responsible young folks out there.  Where I come from, there are a lot of kids who really don't give a crap... then again, I think a lot of people know people like that, young AND old.

well thank you! i am responsible about it (now), and when i give my friends the RIGHT advice they all think i'm stupid. like this girl, she was at 5/8 and had a blow out, and only downsized to 9/16. this happened yesterday and she is putting back in the 5/8 tomorrow! i told her to downsize dramastically and then stretch slowly back up, but she thinks i'm stupid.

-_- ugh it's because kids like her that make the rest of us look stupid