Fake plugs are a truly practical invention. A fake piercing looks like a real piercing for stretched earlobes, but it's actually a stud earring. This means that when worn, it looks like you're wearing a stretching rod, a spiral, a hook, or some other intricately carved shape with a diameter of approximately 4mm to 12mm. In reality, however, fake plugs and fake spirals only have a 1mm or 1.2mm post, the thickness of a stud earring, going through your ear. A normal earlobe is perfectly sufficient for this; stretching the piercing channel isn't necessary at all. The post is made of biocompatible surgical steel, while the two ends can be made of a variety of materials and shapes.
When is a fake piercing a fake plug?
Fake piercing is the umbrella term for all forms that look like real ear stretchers but are actually just ear studs. If the fake looks like a real ear plug, then it's called a fake plug. Diameters between 4mm and 12mm are possible; at this size, fake plugs look very much like real plugs when worn. With larger sizes, it would be obvious that the ears aren't actually stretched. Fake plugs are therefore a great, practical, and inexpensive alternative to real flesh tunnels and plugs.
Reasons for fake plugs
Why would someone who loves the stretched look choose fake plugs instead of real stretchers? The reasons vary. Some are afraid that plugs are just a short-lived trend that will eventually go out of style, or that they're only a trend for young people. If you follow this trend and get older, or it goes out of fashion, your stretched ears remain. Fake plugs avoid this problem; you can be trendy, but your ear piercings stay small. Others want to keep their small ear piercings so they can continue wearing their existing hoops, studs, and earrings, which isn't possible with actually stretched earlobes. Still others choose fake plugs out of impatience, because stretching is a gradual process, and it takes time before you can wear larger tunnels and plugs. Others are afraid of the pain and want the look of plugs, but prefer to wear fake plugs without stretching. And then there are those in professions that don't allow piercings in the workplace. You can wear fake plugs in your free time and simply remove them at work; apart from the mini ear piercing, nothing will be visible.
Materials of the fake plugs
Fake earplugs are just as diverse as real flesh tunnels and earplugs. The post is always made of stainless steel and has a screw thread. The discs, on the other hand, come in a wide range of colors, from bright and vibrant to natural tones, from flat to intricately carved shapes like flowers, skulls, etc., and are made from materials such as acrylic, stainless steel, brass, horn, bone, wood, or shell.