Planning to get your ear lobes stretched? There are two popular accessories used for this body modification--the plugs and tunnels.

Both are often randomly used and might give you the impression that they are more or less the same. Although they do have similarities they are two very different pieces of jewelry.

The biggest difference is the look of the accessory. An ear tunnel, as its literal meaning, is hollow on the inside. One should be able to look through the jewel which emphasizes the inside of the ear. A plug, on the other hand, is solid and fills the entire ear emphasizing the front.

To give you more idea, here are the most popular types of plugs and tunnels:

Tunnel/Flesh

This one is a hollow, tube-shaped plug. You can see directly through a tunnel for a stretched or scalpelled piercing. However, the smaller the gauge the smaller the effect to see through the plug becomes.

Straight Taper 

This is a straight piece that is small on one side and larger on the other. When you insert a taper it will increase the size of your piercing. O-rings are generally included to keep your lobe at the desired area on the taper and allowing you to slide to a larger part when straight

Screw Fit

For this one, the threaded ends will be removed/unscrewed to allow for ease in insertion. Take note that double flared ends can be a challenge for the wearer to get in especially if they are at a new size/gauge. The threaded ends can be internally threaded or externally threaded.

Saddle Plugs 

This type have a smooth curved flare to join onto the wearable area. It’s similar to a double flare style but the flared ends are not as abrupt and often times slightly smaller, making for an easier insertion.