:: Stretching Tips ::

A few bits of advice that may help you on you way ::

-- Heat. The best time to stretch is after a hot bath or shower, or after using hot compresses on the area. The warmth will cause the tissue to expand and soften, making your skin stretch more easily and much more comfortably. It also increases circulation, which speeds healing.

-- Lubrication. Lubricate any tapers or new jewelry to ease insertion and minimize pain and tearing. Water-based/-soluable lubricants have less chance of irritation, and wash off easily afterwards. These include K-Y jelly, Surgilube, and soap. Oil-based lubes are also okay in moderation, but may leave behind an oily film which keeps oxygen and cleaning solutions out. Common examples are Neosporin, Bacitracin, triple-antibiotic ointment, Vaseline, and olive oil. Jojoba oil is a natural seed extract which is excellent both as a lubricant and to condition skin and organic jewelry. It is availible in health food stores.

-- Cleanliness. Keeping your piercings clean during stretching is of utmost importance! Just because it was healed doesn't mean you can leave it dirty without risk of infection/irritation. The stretching process causes irritation and tiny tears in the skin, which leave openings for bacteria. Antibacterial soap in the shower will not only kill these germs, but also remove the dead skin cells which make your holes itch and stink.

-- Patience. One more time: Go Slow! Patience is the key to healthy stretching. This is not a contest for speed and size, but an interactive experiment with your body's limits and how to extend them. Find what works for you and go with it.

-- Forethought. Do not assume this is reversible. There is no set size or time limit that divides what will shrink back and what will not. Most people's holes begin shrinking immediately after their jewelry is removed, particularly if they are irritated. However, you should never enter into any form of body modification without forethought and the understanding that you and your body will not be the same again. Fashionable as it may be at the moment, body modification is not a trend but an intrinsic way of being.

:: Resources ::

Skadsen, Erica. I Am Not My Body, issues #1, 2.

Musafar, Fakir. "Piercing Enlargement," PFIQ #18 (1983).

PFIQ #47 [the entire issue] (1996).

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Infinite Body Piercing, Inc.