Basic Stretching Information

Stretching or enlarging piercings has been practiced by people all over the world for thousands of years. Today, it has become a very popular form of body modification and can be encountered pretty much everywhere. While almost any piercing can be stretched, I am going to focus this blog post on ear lobe stretching.

Every day I discuss the proper methods and risks involved in expanding lobes, based on what is considered the industry standard. Often improperly referred to as “gauging”, the stretching of ones earlobes should not be entered into lightly, without knowledge, or even worse, going by what your friends say. Each person’s body is different, and while there are suggested timeframes to wait and what aftercare to use, these may not work for everyone.

When you stretch your ears, you separate tissue from its natural state on a microscopic level. These separations or tears are formed in the collagen layer around the circumference of the piercing. These tears take time to heal; in most cases a minimum of 6-8 weeks provided the stretch is cared for properly – 2 or 3 months is often better. If a piercing is stretched too fast or too far, the tears move past the collagen layer which is more likely to form hypertrophic scar tissue. This type of tissue takes much longer to heal and complicates stretching to further sizes.

Many people think there is some sort of magic “point-of-no-return”. They can stretch as fast as they want, to whatever size they want, and their ears will just go back to normal whenever they decide, as long as they don’t go past a certain size. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We measure jewelry in the diameter, but your body will react on circumference. Even in the smaller sizes it is imperative to wait in order to avoid doing what could potentially be irreversible damage. STRETCHING IS NOT A RACE!

A stretch should be preformed and treated in the same manner as a fresh piercing. This means you need to clean and prep the skin, and use the appropriate equipment and materials. Tapers are a common method of stretching piercings. These are not jewelry and are not meant to be worn as such. Jewelry needs to be biocompatible and suited for use in both a fresh piercing and a stretch. Plastic or acrylic should NOT be used. This is also the same for organic jewelry such as wood, bone or horn. These types of jewelry should be saved for after the stretch has healed.

Once a stretch is performed, industry standard aftercare is crucial. A stretch is a wound that requires care and attention. Even if your stretched lobe piercing is healed, it is a good idea to massage and condition the area daily. The use of certain types of oils can be highly beneficial.  If you have stretched a piercing you know about “the smell”; that is called sebum, and is produced by your body’s sebaceous glads. While perfectly normal, it does tend to have an unpleasant odor. Try out jojoba oil! Not only does it make your lobes feel great, but it displaces sebum. Be sure to check the label, organic and unscented is best, and of course check for allergies as well.

If you have questions about stretching stop by and see myself or one of our friendly neighborhood body modifiers!

Best,

Myke

Apprentice News

Our piercing apprentice, Chris is now training on and taking appointments for the following piercings (EACH FOR THE COST OF JEWELRY!):

• Marilyn
• Medusa
• Septum
• Bridge
• Daith
• Anti-tragus
• Snug

Our Tattoo apprentice, Tyler is still taking apointments for tattoos for $25