Downsizing and restretching exercises! Just downsize your lobe a couple of sizes, then stretch them back up to your 18mm. Doing this multiple times over a period of time will definitely benefit you. :)

Thanks a million to both of you. I've actually already been downsizing - restretching for a bit (hence my lobes feal healthy already), but I didn't actually know why!!!

Patience has never been one of my virtues, but it appears it's one I'm going to have to learn ;D



Edited by trotskyicepick - March/10/2012 at 5:21am

To true. One question, without any jewellery in, would really good hard massage do a similar trick with regards to micro-tears? It kinda feels like it should.

Anyways, going back down to 14mm, and spend the next 12 months going between that and 18mm, see where I go from there.

BTW Cale, I absolutely love your tattoos, and those surface piercings are amazing.

Have you ever considered doing some suspensions ? By that I mean I have done several here in the UK (being hung up from my chest piercings) ala "A Man Called Horse", or if you're more familiar ala Ron Athey, actually participated in one of Ron's performances over here many moons ago.

Anyways, you look super-cool and keep up the good work, and if I don't otherwise keep communicating on this site, I'll let you know if/when I get to my desired 40mm.

Regards
Andrew

PS. I want to restart my labret to get back to 18mm, but the last jewellery I had at that size was custom made with a concave oval back-plate and was in some odd material that felt really quite waxy, very comfortable on the gums, and I have no idea what it was. Do you have any idea what it might have been?

Edit: Think I've just answered my own question regarding hard massage. I think it's probably about creating the micro-tears by stretching then wearing the larger jewellery for a time so new skin gets to develop, then down-size again. Sorry if I sound like a clutz, I'm really not

Edited by trotskyicepick - March/10/2012 at 7:14pm

Originally posted by jakethejake the material you're speaking of was most likely teflon or delrin.

Delrin sounds familiar, though I did wear the piercing for over 5 years without the material breaking down at all.

One last post on this topic, ostensibly to say thanks for your time in responding.

I have problems which mean I massively over-complicate and over-analyse everything, hence this over-long thread.

I think I've come up with a good solution though. I'm currently taking Vit E and Vit A supplements, drinking 2 ltrs plain water a day and massaging twice daily with Vit E oil. I have ordered sets of silicone eyelets ranging from 14mm upto 20mm. I intend to downsize 1 size at a time every 2 weeks, then upsize 1 size every 2 weeks until I get to 20mm, then repeat as often as necessary.

Sounds like it should do the job, but anyone with more common sense / experience can put me right.