At A Glance Author aniorange Contact aniorange@bme.anon IAM aniorange When Five years ago You see, it all started here at Dogstar Tattoo. I decided I wanted to get a genital piercing, and worked up the nerve to do so. It was a worthwhile experience, but what next. I don't know what made me want to do it, but I decided I should try and stretch my PA. I remember reading stories online of a lot of people that had PAs larger than 14-gauge. I think also another part of it was I would be able to experience stretching on my own, in secret. I could do what I want without the world seeing. It was kind of like dying your pubic hair before you try it out on your head. Yeah, you know what I mean.
I decided to just take it one step at a time. I did not think stretching would be at all that big a deal. I had accidentally stretched my eyebrow piercing from 16 to 14-gauge. It is kind of a story in itself, but it mostly centered around my lack of knowledge or education on piercing and gauges. I had also read several stories about how some people with PAs would get a pinching sensation and that a lot of them resolved the issue with larger gauge jewelry. That was one symptom I was starting to experience.
I went out and picked up a 12-gauge captive bead ring a local head shop. I took my new jewelry home and in the privacy of my own bathroom, started to change out the jewelry. I should probably mention that by this point the piercing was quite healed. It had been a couple of months since I had it pierced. I did not really do anything to prepare for the stretch. At the time I did not think anything of changing out jewelry, and had no idea that any extra cleaning would be a good idea. I took out my 14-gauge captive bead ring and sat it aside. I took the 12-gauge captive bead ring and started to snap the ball out so I could insert the jewelry. Well that proved to be difficult. I tried and tried and was having trouble getting it out. I did not have any ring opening pliers so I went and found a pair of needle nose pliers. I thought I could the needle part in the middle of the jewelry and pull on the handles to open the ring up a bit. It occurred to me that this might scratch the ring which would cause not only pain, but damage to my piercing. I decided to get some masking tape and wrap it around each side of the pliers gripping end. I thought this would keep from having direct metal-to-metal contact and eliminate (I hoped) any chance of scratching. Do not do this at home people. After I taped it up, I tried to open up the ring a bit. It took a few tries. The first one saw the ring slide right of the end of the pliers and across the room. I then took to using one hand to hold the ring on the pliers and trying to pry the handle apart at the same time. After a few tries, the ball slipped out and fell to the floor.
I rescued the ball from the floor and rinsed it off a bit. I positioned the jewelry to put it into the piercing and turned it around. I had no problem slipping the jewelry it. I could feel a little tightness. It was very easy. I wish I could say the same for getting the ball snapped back in. I tried and I tried and just could not get it. I thought maybe I could use the same trick I used to get it out, to get it back in. In my moment of wisdom, I decided to try this little trick with the pliers, with the jewelry in. One quick pinch and I gave that idea up. Then, Duh, It occurred to me to take the jewelry out. I held the ring on the end of the pliers and tugged on it and went to put the ball in. Well, I tugged too much, the ball just slipped right though. So now, here I am trying to squeeze it back shut just a little with the same needle nose pliers. No easy task.
It took some work, but I finally got the ring stretch and compressed to a point where I could easily put the ball in place, but not easily fall out. I re inserted the jewelry back into my piercing and this time easily snapped the ball in. There it was. The stretch was nothing. The trouble was getting the jewelry back together again.
After a couple of months, I decided it was time to go one more step higher. I went out and purchased a 10-gauge captive bead ring. I had the same kind of trouble snapping the ball out. It amazes me how tough it can be to snap a ball out of a captive bead ring. I pulled out my still taped up needle nose pliers and tried to stretch open the ring to get the ball out. It did not take long to come loose. I thought this time I tested to see how hard it was to get the ball back in before I insert the jewelry. It was not easy, so I worked on making my adjustments, stretching the ring open just a little at a time till the ball snapped right in, but was still firm. I took out my 12-gauge ring and sat it to the side, and just like before, I slid the 10-gauge right in. I did not use any kind of lube or taper. It went right in with just a little resistance. I felt the same tightness as before, but not big deal. I snapped the ball back in and that was it.
About two months later, like before, I was thinking of taking the next stretch. I had noticed the pinching sensation like in the stories I had read. It would go away when I stretched, but soon came back a little later. I was enjoying the stretching and it was going so well, I would just keep on going. I went to another of many shops to pick up an 8-gauge ring. I wanted to get a banana or bent barbell but they where so much more expensive and I was not sure when I would stop stretching.
I went back to the privacy of my bathroom again, and took out my 10-gauge jewelry. I tested the ability to get the ball out of the new 8-gauge jewelry and back in. I once again had to use my homemade ring opener slash needle nose pliers and adjusted things to my satisfaction. I went to slide the 8-gauge jewelry in, I felt a tad more resistance than before. Everything was quite dry, so I ran the ring under the water for a second to get it wet and tried again. I pretty much slid right in. I felt, once again, the same tightness as before. I never took any extra care to clean the piercings after a stretch. I did not have any bleeding or swelling. I did not think much of it. I did not feel like there was anything to heal, just needed to give it time to get comfortable.
It was a little longer this time before I stretched it again. The jewelry was getting expensive. I went out and picked up a 6-gauge circular bar bell from a new place in town. I almost could not afford it. When I took this one home and went into the bathroom, I really had a hard time getting the ball unsnapped. Seeing as how the jewelry was getting thicker and thicker, it was starting to get tougher to pry it open with my needle nose pliers. It really took a while to get the ball out and stretch the jewelry enough to get the ball snapped in and out. It was not easy, but before, it was impossible. As many times before I took the previous jewelry, this time 8-gauge, out. I got the new 6-gauge jewelry a little wet, with water, not lube and started to slide it in. This time I was met with noticeably more resistant. It hurt just a tad, and took a little bit of time instead of the usual slip right in as before. I did get it though, and in just a couple of minutes. I worked to snap the ball on and thought, wow, that was a little tough. It's going to be a while before I am ready for my next stretch.
Healing was no big deal, things where tight for a week or so then started to loosen up. I did not do that much to keep it clean mostly because I was still in the mindset that stretching did not need special care. I still had that pinching sensation. Sometimes I could cure it with a bit of readjustment. Other times it seemed to never go away. I would wake up often and my PA would be sore and dry. I thought perhaps stretching it would help, but the feeling keep coming back.
After stretching to 6-gauge, sex was a bit dangerous. It was uncomfortable for my partner and ended up tearing her at one point. I started taking it out before sex and would sometimes leave it out. I did go back down to 8-gauge and leave it there for a while. I still would take it out for intercourse at times. We where afraid of it tearing the condom and were not ready for more kids.
In my forgetfulness I often forgot about it and left it out for days at a time. This eventually turned into weeks. Once or twice I left it out for a few months. The hole never closed up however. I was not able to just shove my 6-gauge jewelry back in but the 8-gauge fit a little tight.
I have been wearing the 8-gauge ring for some time now without taking it out and forgetting it. I have no problems with it and my current partner. Over time, the pinching sensation has, for the most part, faded away. I rarely ever notice any pinching or soreness with it anymore.
I love my PA, though I don not talk about it much. Really, who wants to sit around and talk about that sort of thing? Well, seeing as most of my friends are not pierced, you get the idea. I wear it just for my own pleasure and satisfaction. I just plain like having piercings, it does not matter if people can see it or not.