If you are unable to wear a retainer and must leave the pierced channel open, purchase an insertion taper and use it to facilitate jewelry reinsertion as soon as you’re able to.
They look similar to needles, but there are differences. Tapers are not sharp, though they may be a little pointy in the thinner sizes. Also, they are solid, not hollow like piercing needles. The back end is formed into a concave, convex, threaded, or other shape to fit with specific types of jewelry. Using the right size and type is important to ensuring the successful transfer of jewelry into a piercing. They come in every standard jewelry gauge and are sized by the measurement at the thicker end. The thinner tip is usually two gauges smaller than the larger end to assure a smooth gradation over two inches or so of length. Tapers are commonly made of implant-grade surgical stainless steel, though other materials are also used.
Internally threaded jewelry uses a pin-coupling taper (the back end is formed into a pin that fits into the hole tapped in the jewelry) or a threaded-pin taper (the back end screws into the jewelry). Fixed bead rings, captive bead rings, and most externally threaded jewelry use a concave taper (the concave back end of the taper fits with the convex end of the jewelry). To avoid an unpleasant surprise, check the fit of your taper with your new jewelry before removing what you’re wearing.
If you want to stretch your piercing, it is important to wait until the piercing is well healed. If you want to enlarge your hole significantly it will take some time and patience. Keep the following things in mind.
✫ Every time you stretch a piercing you are creating microscopic tears in the collagen layer, and it takes a minimum of 6 weeks for that tissue to heal properly.
✫ Each stretch is bigger than the last, so the larger you go, the longer you may need to wait between sizes.
✫ Some areas are easier to stretch than others.
✫ Stretching too quickly may result in uneven tearing, scarring, or thinning of the tissue (all of which can limit future stretching.
✫ Everybodys body is different, so there is no magic answer to the question “how big can i stretch until it won’t go back?”
✫ Following the guidelines below to keep the tissue healthy is the best thing you can do to maintain elasticity, but you should never stretch a piercing if you are unwilling to accept the possibility that it will be a permanent modification.
✫ Treat a newly stretched piercing like a fresh piercing.
✫ Sea salt water soaks are extremely beneficial.
✫ Once the jewelry may be comfortably removed, tissue massage (with or without oil) will improve circulation, speed healing, and reduce scar tissue.
✫ If you experience a “blow out” or tissue damage when stretching, consider dropping to a smaller size to reduce pressure and increase circulation until the tissue is healed.
