All About Septum Stretching
How To Stretch a Septum Piercing
While ear stretching has become common, some people are still shocked at the idea of stretching a septum piercing. The truth is you can stretch any piercing! Septum’s are a popular choice to stretch because the size of the piercing stays un-noticeable, doesn’t add to anything like drooling as a lip might, however, it can actually alter the way the structure of your nose appearence.
I started stretching my septum years ago. It’s a common myth that you can stretch up to your ideal size in a couple weeks. It takes months between sizes to safely stretch! This was because I loved the look of a thick band that neatly wrapped around the middle section of the nose. But there are so many more reasons to stretch!
If you’re interested in stretching your own septum (or to get inspiration for stretching other piercings) this is your go to guide. You’ll be stretching in no time!
The Equipment
When it comes to stretching your septum there are a couple things you 100% need.
Firstly, you need a healed septum piercing. Obviously! If you’re not down with getting your septum pierced, maybe fake septum clickers are more your style.
Piercing jewelry in a size up from your current piercing. Make sure it’s easy to open and close. It’s decidedly awful tugging on and struggling to insert a ball closure into a practically freshly healing piercing. Stick to single flare jewelry or a ring.
Stainless steel tapers. Do not – and I repeat – do not try to shove a larger piece of jewelry straight into your septum. Or any other piercing for that matter! This is so harmful. It can tear and extremely irritate the site. When stretching make sure you have an appropriately sized taper on hand that ends at the size of the jewelry you are sizing up to.
Some form of lubricant such as JoJoba Oil.
Time! Make sure you have enough time that you aren’t rushing yourself. I can’t say this enough! You should be stretching at most up a single size once every one or two months, depending on how well your piercing has healed at that size and taking into account that larger sizes take longer to heal. The longer you wait the better. It's safer to wait to make sure that you aren't rushing your body!
The Stretch!
Take out your current jewelry, lube up the taper (make sure you can still hold it securely) and slide it into the place your piercing once was. Don’t rush! Start small with the taper, and let it settle into each point on the gradient until you reach the next size / gauge. Never skip sizes! I can't stress that enough.
Should I Stretch with a Piercer?
Many people go to their piercer to stretch piercings as this is the safer option. It's a good idea because they'll allow you to stretch to your desired size with the least amount of pain. If you stretch at home, you need to know how the stretching process works before you start.
Cartilage Distortion
Stretching your septum is a little bit different than stretching your ears, because you have the thick cartilage to worry about. When stretching up to bigger sizes you will often get the cartilage backing up against itself and distorting the way your nose looks. If you're worried about cartilage distortion and you want to go to a larger size than say a 2g, you can always go to your piercer and get it punched straight to the size you want, safely.
What do you think? Do you like the look of a stretched septum? Let us know! Always stretch safely, give it time and go to your piercer at the first sign of worry!