How to stretch your ears

Ever thought about stretching your ears? Here’s the Las Tragus guide on how to do it safely and (almost!) painlessly… Don’t forget that these are just basic tips – if you’re seriously thinking about it you should go to your local piercing expert who can take a look and give you advice based on your specific requirements – some piercing experts also stretch ears, so it’s worth finding out how much it will be for a professional job. And it’s almost always best to go to an expert if you’re thinking of stretching anything other than your ear lobes!

1. Firstly, you’ll need to have a piercing in the first place. NEVER begin stretching your ears until the holes are completely healed up – it can be best to wait three times as long as it takes to heal before you even think about buying your first stretcher. It allows the skin to heal and strengthen before becoming traumatized by stretching, and will hurt a lot less!

2. Okay, so you’ve had your piercings a while and you go out to get your new stretchers. A normal piercing hole is 1.6mm in width – this can vary slightly, and it’ll be worth finding out from whoever pierced you before you buy your first stretcher.

3. An acrylic taper is probably the easiest and most comfortable way to stretch your ears (such as these here). You’ll need to know the measurements of the widest and narrowest part before you buy it. Most people tend to start stretching up to 2mm, so start with a taper that is 1.6mm at the narrowest end and 2mm at the widest point.

 4. Don’t take it too quickly! Stretching should never be too painful and it certainly shouldn’t bleed. Massaging your lobe or holding a warm damp cloth up to it before the process will help circulation and relax the tissue in the lobe. AND ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS WITH ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP IF YOU’RE STRETCHING A LOBE YOURSELF.

5. Lubricant can be used on the taper – but it’s not recommended to put too much on, as it could slip out of your hands. Water itself can be used, or perhaps a mixture of tea tree oil and vitamin E. Push the taper into your ear as far as it will comfortably go, then push it in slightly further until you can feel your lobes warming up and tingling, but not painful – they may sting slightly. Then, use the rubber “o” rings provided to hold the taper into place.

6. Well done! That’s the first step. Now it’s up to your body to decide how long it will be before you can stretch again. Everyone is different – it can take people a matter of weeks to stretch to 6mm, some people can take months. NEVER rush the process – you could end up damaging your ear for good. And never stretch too far too soon – it’ll hurt! You must always wait for your ear to heal properly before you begin stretching again.

7. Don’t forget that stretching to 8mm or over could mean risk of damage to your ears if it is not done properly, and 20mm or over and there’s no going back, (although again this can vary from person to person, so be sure a larger hole is what you want before you begin stretching to any size)! But it IS different for everyone.

8. After stretching your ear will probably be slightly inflamed and may sting a little, but as I said before – THERE SHOULD BE NO BLOOD. If your ear does bleed, it means that you have done some tissue damage and it’s best to take the taper out and to let the ear heal completely before you begin stretching again.

9. It’s really important that you keep your ear clean. Dust and skin cells build up in the enlarged hole and create a cheesey discharge (lovely!), so clean your ear with a mild saline (salt water) solution or antibacterial soap – unfragranced soap is even better because it won’t cause any irritation. Do this once or twice a day. Turn your taper gently to prevent it sticking and to clean around the inside of the hole. And always wash your hands before doing so!

Congratulations! You’ve done your first stretching – easily, cleanly and almost pain-free! Now you can go and have some fun choosing your first lot of funky stretchers – there are loads available on the market so have fun!

To ensure you get accurate advice go and see your local piercing specialist who’ll be happy to help out! And don’t forget we sell all kinds of stretchers, so check out http://lastragus.bigcartel.com/ for some ideas of what you’ll get to wear once your ears are fully healed. We’ve also got a brand new forum on our site which you can log in to via your Facebook account, so no need to sign up to use them. Pop by if you have any questions and hopefully someone will be able to help. Have fun!

How to Hide Septum Piercings

So you want your Septum pierced but don't want to piss off the grandparents or get fired from work? Have no fear, as this post will show you how to hide it. Now you can be a bad ass behind their back!

A septum piercing, commonly known as the "bull ring piercing," may not be appropriate for a work or school environment. If your workplace or school program has a handbook or set of rules that do not allow for piercings, you may consider a septum piercing, which you can hide during the healing period and after. Leaving your jewellery out of your septum piercing can cause the piercing to shrink or completely close, but there are several different types of jewelry for septum piercings and some are suitable for wearing inside your nostrils to help conceal your septum piercing.

Instructions

1. Ask your piercer to pierce your septum with a retainer or circular barbell. Septum retainers are surgical steel and have the color of silver. The retainer is shaped similar to a staple, with the horizontal end inside the septum piercing channel and the two sides of the jewellery hang down in front of the nostrils. A circular barbell is U-shaped, with a bead on each end. The piercer will open the space in between the sides of the jewelry to fit inside your nostrils.

2. Wash your hands with soap and water. Avoid touching any surface or skin to prevent transferring dirt or bacteria to your septum jewelry and piercing. Dry your hands with a paper towel and dispose of the towel in the trash. If you are wearing a circular barbell, tighten the beads on the ends by turning the beads to the right.

3. Open your mouth as wide as possible. Curl your upper lip over your top row of teeth. Making these motions with mouth will cause your septum to stretch and become thinner in the center of your nostrils. Push the visible ends of your septum piercing jewelry up and into your nostrils. Relax your face and observe that no part of the septum jewelry is visible! Ta-da!

Lower Than Atlantis Spreading Festive Cheer!

Ho Ho Ho! 

On the countdown to Christmas Lower Than Atlantis are spreading the festive cheer in this bouncy bauble-buster! Give it a listen and pretend you're on Santa’s Good list when really you've been very naughty this year!

Body Piercing Aftercare - How To Clean Your Body Piercing

Congratulations on your new piercing! This post will give you guidance on how to look after it.

 

General Aftercare Routine

 Saline solution

Wash your hands thoroughly before cleaning or handling any piercing, especially if the piercing is 'fresh', or experiencing complications.

The best and simplest kind of cleaning solution is Saline solution, which is 99% sterile water and 1% pure salt (SodiumChloride). Saline can be purchased at a Chemist, a Pharmacy or made at home. If you make saline at home then you will need to boil some water in a clean pot or pan, pour the freshly boiled water into a container with a lid and then add less than ¼ tea-spoon of pure Sea or Mineral Salt.

Use cotton buds to apply the solution to the area of your piercing and to wipe away any excess fluid or crust that has formed there. Try to make sure that your piercing stays dry.

 

New Piercing Cleaning Routine

You should clean your piercing regularly, at least twice a day and sometimes more if you have exerted yourself (i.e. exercise) or if it is hot and you are perspiring/sweating throughout the day.

Be attentive to the changes in your piercing. Catching signs of problems early on is the best time to deal with them quickly. It's also a good way of making sure that you're not over cleaning your piercing.

 

Once Your Piercing Has Healed

Once the piercing has healed, you will have an artificial tunnel inside your flesh. This is called a fistula and it also benefits from regular cleaning. Infections can often begin as bacterial growth inside the fistula, so flushing it with saline solution every three or four months (slightly more frequently in the summer months) can help inhibit the build up of germs and bacteria that lead to fungal infections or thrush. Some people's fistula close quite quickly once jewellery is removed so its best to have sterilised jewellery and cleaning solutions to hand so the job gets done quicker. Lubricate the tip, or the 'thread', of the jewellery with a water-based, antiseptic lubricant; approach your piercer, or doctor for suggestions.

Taking a bath soaks an abdominal piercing in bath-water, which gets dirty very quickly, and could clog a fresh piercing with nasty germs. A shower is preferable because it is a constant stream of fresh water, washing dirt, grime and germs away from your body. Swimming in chlorinated pools is likely to irritate your piercing so it's best avoided until the piercing has healed; though seawater is, technically, great for your skin, it would be wise to avoid bathing in beaches with a reputation for having high concentrations of pollutants.

 

Day To Day With Your Piercing

Your clothing can interfere with your piercing in a few ways. If an item of clothing fits too tightly over the area that is pierced, rubbing it, then the piercing becomes aggravated, inflamed and sore to the touch. It will produce a clear puss-like liquid and the skin around the piercing might be encouraged to reject the jewellery. If the clothing you wear is not loose enough to allow fresh air to enter and exit the area around the piercing then the area can overheat enough to allow germs and bacteria to develop and cause you problems. Bear in mind that the location of the piercing might suffer the stresses of everyday activities. People who have their navel pierced, for example, but do sit-ups regularly would be advised that this strenuous activity will aggravate the piercing. Another example might be a parcel courier with a nipple piercing might have to switch the side of the body they hang their bag from.

To give a piercing the best chance to heal you should consider the fact that your body requires certain nutrients and minerals to help it heal effectively. If you can honestly say that you eat a healthy diet then you are already providing your body with what it needs. If you don't eat healthily then it might be advisable to supplement you diet with Multivitamins and minerals which can be purchased at a chemist, a pharmacy or heath shop. The bottom line is; that a healthier person stands a better chance of healing more quickly than an unhealthy one. 

Fitting new jewellery

Once the piercing is fully healed, you can now try out some different body jewellery. We have a great selection in our store to get you started, so why not take at the Las Tragus store now!