Downsize

Downsize (Shorten) why is it so important?

After a fresh piercing there will be a slightly longer piece of jewelry inserted, this to give you enough space for any swelling of the skin and to heal more effectively.

Appropiate size for fresh lippiercing
(enough room for swelling)

For example, you have a lip piercing, but it feels like you have an extra antenna, this was not the expectation that you had. Why do I not have a precisely appropriate piercing jewelry ? And why is it that I can not have a ring right a way?

Irritation can cause grow out

The length and thickness of a piercing jewelry is carefully chosen for a new piercing, because of the swelling space in the first period of healing. How long a piercing jewelry is, depends on different factors, other places may have different swelling, some places just require additional space to breathe.

A ring can often reject in a fresh piercing, unless the ring has a large enough diameter and gives enough room for the swelling. The disadvantage of a ring is that the ring moves more and turns what does not advantage the healing .

Wearing a longer piercing jewelry too long can be risky for some places, for the health and the end result therefore downsize is important.
After healing you can downsize to a more appropriate fitting piercing jewelry 

Appropiate size fresh tongpiercing
( Tong can swel big)

Appropiate size for fresh helix
( enough room for swelling)

Bump/bulge

Bump/Bulge

I see a infusion bag under my piercing!
That's not a scar, keloid or infection, it is an infusion bag caused by irritation, this may be transparent or red. an infusion bag is mostly filled with fluid or blood. Many different causes can cause this bulge to form. wearing a much too long jewelry or wearing your first jewelry after it healed to long, a moving jewelry, you play with your jewelry, bump or got caught behind, sleeping on the piercing, poor after care, or too excessive aftercare as cleaning. too much touching etc

Extreem to long size jewelry

as an example a too long jewelry in a helix can give more irritation with sleep, and can by pressure also skew or grow out.
If a piercing is too thin, and gives irritation, it can be replaced for a thicker jewelry, which can help to give it some more strength and stability.

When should I downsize?
That differs for each person and healing. It's not necessary for every piercing. based on the average, a tongue and lip piercing can be shortened after two weeks, An ear piercing 2/ 3 months.

It is therefore important that you are aware that a downsize sometimes is necessary.

Good size after healing and
downsizing the jewelry

Please ask for more information about this at your piercer when or if you need to downsize.

-Text & Photos: Angie
Angie
-Published Tattoo Planet eMagazine 117/ Januari 2017