Teflon tape is my new best friend.

So aside from being a Mummy, and doing domestic things like baking, I'm also really into body modification. A few years back I was an apprentice tattooist, and although it was fun at the time, I realised I enjoy being tattooed more than I enjoy doing the tattooing, so that career path is out for me. I've had a fair few piercings over the years too, most of which have been retired, but I still have a few (double tongue, navel and lobes), the latter being the point of this entry.
I've been stretching my lobes for about 4 years now. I started out with standard piercing gauge which is teeny tiny, and I stretched up to 8mm which I stayed at for aaaages. Eventually I did the 8-10mm stretch and I was satisfied with that size. In October 2009 I moved into my current home, and during the moving process I knocked one of my glass tunnels out of my ear and I lost it :( Those tunnels were the only comfortable jewellery I had at that size (I did also have glass spirals but they're too heavy for everyday wear) so I had to downsize to my 8mm plugs. Time went on and I just never stretched up again, despite finding my (now chipped) glass tunnel, but after a trip to Nirvana body piercing (Glasgow) at the end of 2010, I was reinspired to start stretching again. My Mum bought me a gorgeous pair of buffalo horn tunnels in 12mm, and I was all set to start stretching again.
I thought the stretch back to 10mm would be easy. Generally the lobes stretch slightly of their own accord, and from experience with previous stretches that had been far apart, the taper generally slides right through with no resistance. This was not the case! I ended up wearing my heavy glass spirals overnight and finally got my double flare glass tunnels in again the next day. I let them heal over Christmas and then I was ready for the stretch to 12mm! What I didn't know is that it's possible to get jewellery in 11mm (7/16ths if you're American) and that going from 10-12mm was skipping a size. I got the taper through one ear and it HURT. Like, a lot. I tried to follow through with the jewellery (single flare stainless steel tunnel as my gorgeous buffalo horn plugs are double flare) and it just wasn't happening. 2 days with the taper in and I finally managed to get the tunnel through. My ear was not happy. Sea salt soaks eased it but it was still complaining. I tapered the other ear anyway, and again couldn't follow through with the jewellery. Left it in for a couple of days and then while cleaning round the jewellery I discovered I'd torn my right lobe. I had to downsize :( Sad times! So I downsized to my 10mm tunnels again and that's where I've been til today! Luckily I avoided any blowouts though which is one good thing at least.

12mm taper in first ear!

I've decided I'm done with tapers and what's best for my ears is gradual stretching so I'm going for the teflon tape method. Today I wrapped my tunnels with 4 wraps of the tape which my ears took to comfortably. From now on I'm gonna be doing ONE wrap per day or so til I can get my 11mm tunnels in, then a nice long rest and I'll tape til I can get my 12mm beauties in!

The goal is 20mm I think, but we'll see when I get there if I decide to stay at that size. It's addictive you know ;)