Stretching originated in Asian, African and South Pacific cultures for decorative purposes. Tribes such as the Thai hill tribe stretched earlobes for both men and women.
Fakir Musafar is credited with founding the "modern primitive" movement. This movement is often credited with the popularization of the stretched earlobe in current culture.
Tapering is a method traditionally used to stretch earlobes. This uses a tapered metal or glass rod to open the pierced ear to allow for the insertion of larger jewelry.
A second traditional method of stretching piercings is to use weights. Heavy jewelry or a weight is attached to the piercing, using gravity to increase the stretch of the piercing.
If stretches are improperly done or are too large, the piercing will not close when jewelry is removed.