Pain is a large factor with body modifications. That's not to say that stretching doesn't have the ability to have no pain. In my experience with stretching for over ten years, I've come up with three categories that help you determine how your body is reacting to stretching up to the next sizes.
No pain: This is a factor that all of us are striving for. Not everyone can achieve this though. I'm aware that stretching too fast could also affect this, but overall, getting to the point that you feel no pain from stretching is more uncommon than you think. It is possible though. It's a good indication that your body modification has adjusted to the jewelry completely. It's awesome if you can reach this level every time you stretch
Slight pain and discomfort: This is a more common response to stretching; not too painful, but just enough discomfort to slightly bother you. With all of my experience on stretching I've experienced this level more than the other two, except when I messed up and caused a tear. This level can be both bad or good though. Sometimes the discomfort is a sign that something went wrong and that there is a small tear. You can tell if this has happened when you slightly touch the jewelry and it's more of a shooting pain. Even aching pain can be an indictor to go back down a size from where you stretched because your body isn't ready to try and go to the next size. Overall, just monitor how your body reacts with the stretching you've done in the next couple of days. If the pain is extremely persistent then I recommend going down a size.
Extreme pain: This is a HUGE sign that you've stretched too fast and it can lead to huge tears, infections, and swelling; along with an excessive amount of pain. I've been here more times that I can admit, but aftercare is an amazing tool to have. Other signs include severe redness around the edges of the jewelry, or the area that you've stretched is extremely hot. These are also signs that you need to go back a size or two and come back another time when your body is more prepared to get to the next size. Causing a severe tear can determine how many sizes you need to go down.(As stated above.) I know that this can be a huge pain, especially because you have a goal to reach; but the best option to do when you've caused a lot of trauma to the area is to downsize to prevent further trauma, infections, or swelling.
I've had to keep these three stages in mind every time I decide to stretch up, so that I can determine the situation and how my body is reacting to everything. It's extremely important to listen to your body when you're stretching, because none of us want a severe blowout to completely damage our body mods beyond repair. It's also a good idea to always have backup jewelry, and a strong line of aftercare in the case that you have stretched too far and caused a lot off trauma to that area.
Aftercare: I have a massive line of products that I use or make when I've had a blowout. I recommend an antibacterial bar of soap, a soft washcloth, chilled saline wash, chilled chamomile tea for swelling, and then a line of antibacterial ointments. The idea is to reverse the damage as much as you can, and although extremely tedious and annoying to repeat all of these steps every day, it's better than letting an infection set in and cause you to wait even longer to get to the next size.
Backup sizes: I make it a habit to always buy one pair of the size I'm going up to, so in case of a blowout I have something smaller to put in. Yes, this is expensive, but it's a good idea in the long run. I call the extra sets of jewelry my throw away pairs. This doesn't mean that I throw the jewelry away, but they're something I won't use again unless needed.
Materials to stick to with a blowout: The materials you want to stick to are metal and glass. Metal and glass are very sanitary and easy to clean so that you prevent the chance of infection. Having easy comfortable materials like these will also prevent any further agitation to the blowout.
There's always a chance of a blow out or infection with body modification. That's just something you sign up for when you decide to go through with everything. I'm not saying it's always going to happen, but mistakes happen, and then you have to find a way to correct the damage. Too much scar tissue from constant damage to the area will make it harder to stretch up to the next size, and it will be a lot more painful. Some of us have an ability to heal extremely fast and we don't have to worry about too much scar tissue, but scar tissue can also be prevented with your constant use of aftercare.
ALWAYS clean your jewelry, body mods, and keep the stretched area properly moisturized. Some of the reasons that blowouts occur is because the area is dry and cracked. This can also happen because of the weather or the environment you're in at the time.
- Happy stretching!
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