If you want to stretch an existing piercing it is important to wait until it is well healed. If you want to enlarge the hole significantly it will take some time and patience. You will need to go one size (gauge) at a time, and keep the following in mind:
- Every time you stretch a piercing you create 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 piercings are easier to stretch than others.
- Stretching too quickly can result in uneven tearing, scarring, or thinning of the tissue (all of which can limit future stretching).
Everyone’s 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.
Posted in: Stretching