All piercings can be enlarged. How much you can enlarge them depends on the part of the body that is affected and the elasticity of your skin. The size of the piercings is expressed in gauge, millimeters or inches. The gauge system proceeds for even numbers; the higher the number, the smaller the jewel (8g is the largest size after 10g). After 00 g, most jewelry is measured in inches or millimeters (the next measurement after 00 is 7/16 inches).
Steps
Step 1. Make sure you have washed your hands with antibacterial soap before touching the piercing or fistula (the hole for the piercing)
Step 2. Stretch one side at a time
The size increases as the size decreases, every two numbers (e.g. from 12g to 10g, and so on). Failure to observe this rule could lead to scar formation.
Step 3. Use a water-based lubricant or a specialized oil
Do not use petroleum jelly or any other material that can clog the piercing and trap bacteria inside it (DO NOT use Neosporin!).
Step 4. Do not use acrylic, silicone, kaos or detachable plug piercings or tunnel dilators for enlargement, as they will irritate your piercing and, in most cases, risk ear laceration
Step 5. Use a taper to enlarge the hole
Step 6. Wet the affected area with a sea salt solution to ward off the risk of infections
Advice
- Tugging or fiddling with your piercings will help the hole widen more easily. Steel, stone, and glass are slightly heavier than titanium, bone, wood, and horn, and can make it easier for your skin to loosen.
- A warm shower will help loosen the skin of your piercing before proceeding with the enlargement.
- Do not wear jewelry made of organic material (wood, bone, etc.) or acrylic for at least one month after enlargement. It would be best not to wear acrylic jewelry for a long period of time. Opinions on the suitability of silicone for a recent enlargement are divided and therefore, to be on the safe side, it would be best to avoid using it for the first month.
- Do not use double flare piercings to enlarge the hole. Use only straight single flare tube ones or other smooth jewels. Barbell piercings with internal threads are preferable to those with external threads, as this type of processing can damage the internal walls of the hole upon insertion. Double flare piercings are good for healed and loosened holes. The ends of most double flare piercings are typically one size larger.
- To enlarge your piercing, use only special piercing and taper jewelry, never homemade material. The best materials are surgical steel, titanium, glass and PTFE. Do not use pliers as a taper. Do not wear tapers as if they were piercings, as they are designed to be inserted and removed within minutes.
- Wait 1-3 months before proceeding with another enlargement; after reaching the measurement of 8 g (3mm) wait at least 3-5 months. The longer you wait, the easier it will be to enlarge your piercing.
Warnings
- Stretching too quickly or skipping intermediate sizes can cause a skin tear. If your hole is bleeding or lymphatic fluids have formed a scab, reduce the size of the piercing jewelry you are wearing to a smaller gauge and use a saline solution to keep it clean. Make a mild solution of sea salt and warm water and soak it for 5-10 minutes. Then cleanse your skin with clean water. Repeat at least once a day, until the wound has healed. Too much salt can be harmful, the prepared solution should taste the same as tears.
- Using weights is not a good way to widen your piercings, as they only put pressure on the bottom and can cause thinning of the skin. Weight earrings are suitable for wearing for a short period of time, such as a few hours or, at most, half a day. Wearing heavier materials will help your holes loosen faster, but using excessive weights is not recommended.
- Enlargement is to be regarded as permanent. There is a good chance that a piercing will shrink following an enlargement, but without any guarantees. Do not proceed with an enlargement if you are unsure whether you want to reach the measure in question. Enlargement beyond the 2g (6mm) threshold is generally considered the "tipping point", but for some people the limit is lower, for others higher.
- Blowouts are formed when the inner part of the piercing, the fistula, is pushed outwards to form a kind of "lip". They occur in case of forced enlargement, i.e. when the hole is not yet ready, or when intermediate measures are skipped. To cure a blowout, reduce the size of the piercing jewelry worn and perform holistic massages. Insert the piercings from the back to help the fistula return to its place. Blowouts can become permanent if left untreated; in that case a minor surgery will be needed to remove them.
- Scars form when the skin is damaged in the course of an enlargement. They make future enlargements more difficult and they don't look good. To reduce the scar tissue it is possible to do holistic massages and, if the scar is particularly severe, to reduce the size of the jewelry worn. A very wrinkled-looking piercing (such as a cat's butt) is likely caused by scar tissue.
- Compared to needles, piercing guns are unsafe and traumatic. To make your piercing as safe and as painless as possible, go to your professional piercer. Make sure new needles are used or all material is autoclaved.
- It is not recommended to widen cartilage piercings by following the points listed above. Larger cartilage piercings, such as internal concha piercings, are typically done to the desired size. An enlargement could result in the formation of keloids.
