How Do I Stretch my Piercing?

This is a fantastic guide.  (actually its two guides I smooshed into one) It helped me learn a lot while I stretched and saved me a lot of pain and suffering.  I did NOT write this however, this was written by the good people at BodyArtForms.com where I buy most of my non-organic jewelry.  (well the first basic guide is, and the second one about stretching with ptfe tape is made by a forum poster on their forums) the original posting on their website can be found right here ^^ and here

How do I stretch my piercing?

Before reading this.. let’s link out to some stuff that can and probably will happen if you stretch too fast or skip gauges:

#1 BLOWOUTS:
http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Piercing_Blow-out

#2 CAT BUTT EFFECT:
http://www.molokosynthemesc.com/sear…am00033624.jpg
The skin on the inside of your ears starts to look like the wrinkles around a butthole. Nice.

#3 TEARING TISSUE (which leads to blowouts and cat butt effect):
http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Earlobe_Tearing

#4 THINNING LOBES:
http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Piercing_Thinning

#5 UNEVEN TISSUE:
http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Uneven_Stretching

Stretching Guide
How to properly use tapers to stretch your piercings

For jewelry you will need to start with a taper that has a flat or concave back, and a non-flare plug (with a flat end) OR a single flare eyelet. DO NOT stretch with a double flare eyelet because that will essentially stretch you two sizes at once. ONLY use steel, titanium, or glass jewelry in your piercing after the fresh stretch while it heals. DO NOT use organics or acrylic. Do not use pinchers or claws to stretch because it’s uneven and doesn’t flatten out at a certain gauge like a taper does.

Everyone has a goal in how far they want to stretch their piercing. And you want to get there as quickly as possible, but stretching takes time and patience. Only stretch up one gauge at a time. NEVER skip a gauge! This could rip your piercing, cause infection, and just overall make your piercing very ugly and nasty looking! Listen to your body. Stretching does sting a bit, but there should absolutely be no blood or excess tearing. DO NOT force or shove a taper through your piercing! Estimated healing time chart between stretches

Fresh piercing to first stretch: Approx 5 to 6 months
16g to 14g - 1 month
14g to 12g - 1 month
12g to 10g - 1.5 months
10g to 8g - 2 months
8g to 6g - 3 months
6g to 4g - 3 month
4g to 2g - 3 months
2g to 0g - 4 months
0g to 00g - 4 months

Soak your piercing in warm water (or take a shower) to help relax and soften the tissue right before you stretch.

Get some lubricant (For a natural approach use jojoba oil, vitamin E oil, or emu oil. For a basic approach use Neosporin or similar products) and spin the tip of the taper 1/3 into the lubricant and remove any excess. Having too much excess lubricant can make your taper and jewelry slippery to hold onto.

Put the small end of the taper in the piercing and SLOWLY push it forward to the larger end until you meet some resistance. Look in the mirror and if the taper is more than halfway through the stretch should be fairly easy. Take a deep breath and as you exhale slowly push the taper until you only have about ¼" of the taper left to go. You should now be sitting on the level end of the taper. Your stretch is done and you’re ready to put the jewelry in. Do not take the taper out. If you feel a small burning or stinging feeling then your stretch was perfect, but it should not be causing excessive pain.

Line up your plug to the end and slowly use the plug as a way to push the rest of the taper out. This way you have a clean stretch from the taper to the plug.

Your done! Treat your newly stretched piercing as a new piercing. Wash it daily with an antibacterial soap. Do not touch it with your hands throughout the day.

This is for people who have stretched and then may one day decide to let their piercings close up.
Keep in mind that everyone’s body is different, so this is not a set in stone rule, just a general guide to most people.

If you are at smaller gauges (say 10g, 8g, 6g MAYBE 4g) then your chances of it closing are pretty good.

Most people agree that 2g is the “point of no return”. If you go to a 2g, expect it to be permanent. If you do take it out, it might shrink down to a 6g or 8g.

Just remember, any type of stretching should be viewed as a permanent modification. Think about it very hard before you make these choices, ESPECIALLY before going to the larger gauges like 2g and up

How to Stretch Using the Taping Method

BEFORE TAPING OR STRETCHING WITH ANY METHOD PLEASE READ THIS THREAD: http://forums.bodyartforms.com/forums/t/5641.aspx

While it does not specifically note taping, many of the same suggestions apply, such as potential damage, wait times, and listening to your body, which is the most important part of stretching. Remember, if it hurts, that’s your body’s way of telling you that it isn’t ready to stretch. Time is the best tool for stretching well and stretching healthily.

Taping is a method of stretching your piercing by wrapping one or more layers of non-stick, non-porous tape around a suitable piece of jewelry, then using it to gradually stretch your piercing by adding more tape every few days.



Recommended Tapes :
• Plumber’s Tape/Teflon Tape/ PTFE Tape: This can be found in your local hardware store’s plumbing section, and generally costs under $2 a roll. It is a plastic tape that contains no toxic adhesives. It’s very thin, and can sometimes be difficult to work with, but that does make it very easy to smooth out any wrinkles.

• Bondage Tape: This tape can be found in sex shops or ordered online. Many people prefer it because it because it’s a little thicker, so it takes less wraps to achieve the size you want, although that does make it slightly sharper. Obviously, it can be hard to get a hold of if you are under 18.

• Do NOT use electric tape. It’s adhesive contains carcinogens and other potentially harmful chemicals.



Recommended Lubricants :
Lubricating the tape after wrapping it around your jewelry is very important, as it can prevent damage by making insertion easier and can prevent the tape from sticking to your ears. Emu oil and Jojoba oil are two popular oils. You can read about some of their benefits on their product pages:

• Emu oil: http://www.bodyartforms.com/productd…ProductID=2187. Emu oil IS made from emu fats, so it is not a vegan-friendly oil.

• Jojoba oil: http://www.bodyartforms.com/productd…ProductID=3033. This is a noncomedogenic plant oil, very close in composition to your skin’s natural sebum.

• Mineral oil:This is a medical grade oil that will not go rancid, unlike the other two. It is, however, comedogenic, unlike the other two oils, and is not as easily absorbed by the skin.

*Please be aware that you could have sensitivity or an allergic reaction to any of these oils if you are not familiar with them, so please do a patch test somewhere OTHER than inside of your piercing before you use it!*



The Process:
Begin with appropriate jewelry: single or no flare, non porous jewelry is recommended - titanium, niobium (except matte black), glass or steel.

Wrap one or two layers of tape around the jewelry as smoothly as you can. Once you have done that, slather the tape in oil. Really work it in, because the tape will absorb the oil. If you can insert the jewelry into your piercing easily, do so. If you cannot, it is either A) because you have used too much tape; remove some, or B) you have not used enough oil. If in doubt, always go with A. You should never, EVER, have to force a piece of jewelry into your piercing.

After several days (a minimum of 4-5 is recommended) add more tape. Some people wrap new layers around the original tape with no ill effects; some replace all of the tape so that they can thoroughly clean everything. Keep repeating this until you reach the next size, at which point you should stop and give your ears time to rest and heal before starting the taping process again.

There is no definitive answer to “How many wraps of tape will I need to get to such-and-such gauge?” All the variables are different every time so it is impossible to answer. Your best bet is to invest in a pair of calipers and measure for yourself. It is also advisable to invest in a pair of plugs in the aforementioned materials at each size to aid in healing and make it easier to continue taping.