stretching with spirals

[stashapistachio]

Wood is incredibly porous. Though its good for anti-smell its awful for fresh stretches. Just like silicone (maybe even worse), you run the risk of your skin healing into it.

Spirals aren't great to stretch with, as they increase at an uneven rate (the outside more than the middle), and carved ones are often not as nicely finished on the inside either.

Plus, I had spirals at 16mm, and they were INCREDIBLY clunky! I couldn't wear them for more than a few hours... And they stuck out at stupid angles too XD

Taping (ptfe/bondage) is a great way to stretch, and super cheap. Just make you lube properly, and tape on single/no flare plugs

[SusiMarie]

like i said, tape hates me, i could soak it in lube and it still wouldn't work. my ears are extremely picky about what i can use. i mean i cant wear silicone unless ive been healed for 2 months. and some acrylics object others dont. i can only have pure surgical steel, wood and bone don't seem to bother. heavy stuff doesn't seem to affect my ears too much, ive got tough skin.

What if i used them to stretch up a bit took them out and put in plugs? because i do have surgical steel tunnels but they dont dead stretch well and my budget for ear stuff right now is gone :/ so i cant get anything else.

[corazon_de_oro]

^ I don't see any harm in that as long as they're nice and smooth and true to size. Sometimes wood and stuff that has to be carved can be slightly off.

[SusiMarie]

it seems to be, im gonna try and do it tonight. post shower. ill be posting pix if ti works.

[SusiMarie]

yeah, no, im giving up. im going back to 12mm and staying

[corazon_de_oro]

Aw. I guess it didn't work?

[SusiMarie]

no, they werent quite the right size, but i got my spirals for 19mm and they are way too pretty not to wear so im back at 14mm and imm going to wait until january to stretch, i dont think my ears were ready.

[ViolentJayne]

no, they werent quite the right size, but i got my spirals for 19mm and they are way too pretty not to wear so im back at 14mm and imm going to wait until january to stretch, i dont think my ears were ready.

so you were trying to go from 14 mm to 19 mm ? that seems like a massive jump .. I dont have experience with large sizes but isnt there a 16 mil size between there , I would go for that next time if I were you ... good luck in the future

[ast.riske]

Indeed, Jayne, there are intermediate sizes in there. 16mm is 5/8 which is a common size.

Moreover, I know you've said taping hasn't worked for you, Susi, but I am curious, what kind of tape were you using? Plumbers tape (aka ptfe tape or Teflon tape) or bondage tape? If you tried ptfe tape and found it a bit sticky (like others have found it) try bondage tape instead. It has a smoother surface and tends to be less tacky feeling. I personally had success with ptfe tape on my septum, so I am only going by what I have heard about bondage tape.

Point being, once you start looking at 2mm or 3mm jumps which some of the larger sizes make, taping is a far safer way to go than trying to taper to the next size. See if you can't find some jewelry in the next size up and just tape to there (if my alternative suggestion works for you) and see how you feel. I would argue that nobody's ears would be ready for a 5mm jump. That's a pretty major move.

[SusiMarie]

i was going to 16mm, you miss understand. I ordered my 19mm and 16mm spirals at the same time to save on shipping costs. they arrived separately. I was going to 16mm. the 19's were a prize for finishing. I like to have pretty things to look forward to.

i may have to get bondadge tape when i get money. I was using PTFE tape, and it was sticky on my ears and i took it off for fear i wouldnt be able to later