I'D LIKE TO STRETCH MY PIERCING! WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?
The history of stretched piercings
Stretching is a ritual that has been performed in countless cultures for thousands of years. When done correctly, it can be a very rewarding process. It is not, however, something to be taken lightly. Proper technique and forethought are required for any successful stretch.
The number one thing to remember about enlarging piercings is to listen to your body! Your body knows when something isn't working, and learning to hear what it's telling you is important.
How should I begin?
Remember, stretching a piercing takes time and patience. Scar tissue can build up and create ugly, problematic piercings that can be difficult to stretch. A good general rule is to wait three times as long as it took to heal before the first stretch. This allows the new skin some time to thicken and toughen up before it gets traumatized by the enlarging process. Stretching should only be done on a fully healed piercing, but you can get a head start on the process by beginning the piercing in a large gauge (via scalpelling, dermal punching, or using a large-gauge piercing needle).
Contrary to popular belief, a needle does not remove tissue — it cuts a crescent-shaped incision. Assuming that the body part is large enough, there is no real limit as to how large you can start. When performed by a skilled piercer, an initial scalpelled 12mm lobe heals as quickly as a 14ga (1.6mm) lobe.
Most people can stretch to at least 2ga (6mm) and still have the tissue more or less return to normal when they remove the jewelry, but there really are no guarantees. Don't stretch your ears unless you are certain you'll want it forever. Once the elastic limit of the skin has been passed, or a large amount of additional tissue has been built up, the hole will not close again completely. However, in some cases the stretched tissue can simply be cut off — for example, in ear stretching, the lobe can often be cut off and sutured, and once healed looks virtually normal. In addition, plastic surgeons can rebuild a stretched ear.
When you're ready to begin stretching, it's wise to see a professional piercer. The stretching procedure should be completed following the same aseptic techniques used during the piercing procedure. Even though a piercing is healed, the skin can become so thin that it can become susceptible to infection or even rip. If you are going to stretch your own piercings, be sure to wash your hands with hot water and a liquid, antibacterial soap.
When jewellery is measured in gauges, each new size becomes larger exponentially. 10ga (2.4mm diameter) to 8ga (3.2mm diameter) doesn't seem like much, but your piercing feels the circumference of the jewellery, not the diameter! The larger your hole, the more time you should allow between stretches. Start out with a month or two between stretches and, as you get larger, begin extending that time frame. Stretching piercings can be traumatic and sometimes painful, but it doesn't have to be. Since lobes are the most commonly stretched piercings, special attention must be paid to them. Lobes get plenty of circulation so they tend to heal quickly and grow new cells easily. But it's also easy to injure the soft tissues of the lobe. To avoid injury, soak the tissue in hot water prior to stretching to increase circulation and soften and relax the tissue. Massage with oils to help the tissue relax.
Methods of stretching
Weights are probably the most common way to stretch lobes, but they're not always the best way. Unless the weight is distributed to all the tissue inside, the piercing the only stretching going on is where the weights actually touch the skin. This can cause thinning of the tissue and if left too long, tearing of the skin from the weight of the jewellery.
Using insertion tapers is the fastest way to stretch a piercing, but not always the easiest – it’s very easy to do a lot of damage with tapers if used inappropriately, and tapers should NOT be worn as jewellery and “pushed through a little more each day”. A taper is a long, needle-like tool that gradually thickens to the size you desire. There are tapers available in every size that jewellery is, and longer taper is more desirable - the more gradual the taper, the less traumatic the stretch. Some form of lubricant must be used to ease the larger jewellery into the tissue. Water-based lubricants are not recommended for home use unless the stretching is taking place in the mouth, or is an easy, quick stretch, as they tend to absorb and liquefy very quickly and unless you know what you’re doing, stretching usually takes a bit of time. Other lubricants frequently recommended are oils such as emu oil, extra-virgin olive oil or jojoba oil (avoid vegetable cooking oil or mineral oil!). Whatever sort of lubricant you choose, be sure to clean it off of your newly stretched piercing and, again, listen to your body, as some people develop allergies or sensitivities to these products. Only enough lubricant to ensure a smooth insertion should be used - too much can make the jewellery too slippery to hold on to.
The easiest and certainly most traditional way to stretch piercings is to be patient. After each stretch, the tissue will heal and relax, and if jewellery is worn 24/7 in the piercing, it will eventually become looser and the next size jewellery may be inserted with only slight pressure and some lubricant. Damage to the piercing is minimized and there should be very little (if any) discomfort. This process can be accelerated somewhat very safely by wrapping plugs in adhesive-free Teflon (PTFE) plumbing tape – apply a few wraps to a clean, dry plug, then roll the plug on a hard surface (such as a glass table) to “pack” the tape down and reduce the stickiness. Oil the plug well and re-insert it. Assuming your piercings are responding well (no redness, soreness or lymphing), this process can be repeated every few days to a week, adding just a few more wraps of tape each time.
Using tapers to stretch
Spin the taper’s front 1/3 in lubricant and then wipe off any excess onto the back of your glove. Begin by pushing the taper into the piercing gently until it meets resistance. Take a slow, deep breath and, as you exhale, push the taper through until only about 8mm is left. There should be some resistance. If there is no resistance or, if you feel no burning or pressure, you can probably try the next size. If you do feel a burning sensation, or even slight discomfort, then the stretch was perfect. It's better to allow the skin to thicken and heal before attempting to stretch further.
If the jewellery requires 0-rings, then have the one furthest from the taper already in place. Making sure that the jewellery is the same gauge as the taper, and that just the tip of the jewelry is lubricated, begin to breathe again. While exhaling, and while supporting the surrounding tissue just like a new piercing, insert the jewellery. Now place the other o-ring onto the taper and push it all the way down to the thickest end of the taper. Place that end up against the other side of the jewelry and make sure you have a very good connection. Push the o-ring right onto the jewelry.
When inserting eyelets or plugs, a tight connection between the jewellery and the taper is essential to avoid cutting the tight tissue. Once the jewellery is in, clean off excess lubricant and make sure the jewellery is long enough to accommodate any swelling that may occur.
It is a good idea to soak newly stretched piercings in hot salt water twice a day, and generally treat them just like a new piercing (just in case the skin is susceptible to infection). After a week or two the piercing should feel good and healthy.
Sometimes the skin can tear during a stretching session. If this happens, you should consider putting the original smaller jewellery back in to allow for healing. Wait a month or two and try again. In some cases the torn tissue will heal just fine with the tighter jewelry, but if healing isn't happening quickly the jewellery should be downsized.
If you are going to use tapers more than once, wash them off under hot water with anti-microbial soap before each subsequent use. It is not a good idea to share acrylic tapers as they are not sterisable!
Aftercare and troubleshooting problems
The larger your holes get, the more dead skin, moisture, bacteria, and dust can collect in them. This smelly, oily substance which forms (called sebum) needs to be cleaned out on a regular basis. To clean, take out your jewellery, wash your skin and the jewellery with anti-bacterial soap, and then dry thoroughly. Find out how to take care of your jewellery-some need to be oiled, others cannot get wet, and others require their own, unique care.
If you tear a piercing during stretching, you will usually know immediately. You will often get some bleeding, and the piece that was so hard to push through a moment ago suddenly slides easily. If this happens, soak the piercing in warm non-iodized salt water for a few days, until it seems better. Once it is no longer scabbing or crusty, start massaging the skin with jojoba oil, vitamin E or emu oil several times a day. This will speed healing and soften any developing scar tissue.
A blow-out is an uneven distribution of skin and/or scar tissue from stretching too far too fast. It may look like your piercing is turned inside-out.These generally happen during or immediately proceeding (within 48hrs) a stretch. A blowout occurs when the pressure on the insides of the piercing is too great, and the hole deforms itself by twisting inside out, resulting in the "blowout," or section of tissue that appears as a flap on the backside of the piercing. There are a few things you can do to try and recover from a blowout. First a foremost, you must downsize immediately. Being stubborn and not taking this action could result in the blowout healing, which almost always requires surgery to fix. Second of all, the piercing absolutely must be treated like a brand new piercing. This means sea salt soaks and aftercare. Blowouts go hand in hand with tears, and most blowouts result in at least minimal tears to the lobe, so the aftercare becomes especially important. The soaking and massaging methods described above will come in handy here, but you may still end up with permanent scar tissue. Once healed, start your next stretch from the other side, so you are "tucking in" the excess tissue. And if you do tear or blow-out your holes, take it as a reminder to stretch more slowly next time.
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