Warning: This article contains graphic images.
Not so long ago, ear stretching was the body piercing trend that divided the nation.
But now, one man has revealed exactly what happens when you grow tired of having your earlobes stretched bigger than a 50 pence piece. And it's pretty gruesome.
For Kurt Barnett, his stretched earlobes became a safety hazard at work after his protective gas mask wouldn't fit around his head properly.
Barnett decided enough was enough after noticing gas masks wouldn't fit around his ear spacers.
So, he decided it was time to remove his ear gauges - also known as plugs, spacers or flesh tunnels - and get the huge holes in his ears sewn up by specialists.
In 2014, repairing stretched earlobes was one of the fastest growing forms of cosmetic surgery in the UK.
Dr Julie Khanna, from the Institute of Cosmetic and Laser Surgery, says that more and more people are opting for this kind of surgery "because the peak of earlobe spacers was about 5-10 years ago".
Khanna believes the earlobe stretching trend has well and truly passed.
Now, she says that the group of people who had their earlobes stretched are out of high school and looking for work. So they're opting for corrective surgery.
Watch the above video as Barnett undertakes surgery to sew up his gaping lobes. We're warning you now, this footage from CBC News is not for the faint hearted.
Barnett has part of his earlobe cut off so that doctors can stitch it back together.
Yes ladies and gents, this is a piece of actual earlobe.
Kurt shows off his newly stitched lobes after surgery.
Following surgery, Kurt reveals that he's really pleased with the finished result.
"It feels good," he says. "I don’t have to look at these big holes in my ears anymore."
SEE ALSO:
Cosmetic Surgery To Repair Stretched Earlobes AKA 'Flesh Tunnels' Is On The Increase
Tattoo Disasters UK: Woman Reveals How An Infected Ear Bar Left Her Fighting For Her Life
Marilyn Monroe Facial Piercing Makes 22-Year-Old Look Like Pete Burns (VIDEO)
Insane Piercings and Implants (Graphic)
[H/T BuzzFeed]