Apr
04
2021
This week I progressed from 4mm to 4.5mm, it is not much in diameter but still a 1.57mm circumference growth which at my size is 12.5% growth, not negligeable.
Because the ear stretchers I was using have 1mm steps, I used the tips of kniting needles to have something that measures 4.5mm. I cut just their tip and used some shrink tubing on the cut end to act as a stopper. However a 0.5mm step in one single transition is still a lot for me at this stage. So I follow a trick I learned reading the Phimosis Journey blog and wrapped a piece of teflon tape around the 4mm to slowly get closer and closer to 4.5mm until the next size could fit. Teflon is non-stick and has no glue, it is very thin so you can easily adjust how much diameter you add by simpling counting how many turns you wrap it around. It worked nice but it is less slipery than I was thinking it would be. The metarial compresses and it creates a ridge at the tighest spot (the phimotic ring) which makes it a bit hard to remove when you no longer want to wear the stretcher. This scared me a bit and I discontinue using teflon after this experience. It did help me transitino from 4mm to 4.5mm though, for if I was starting over, I might find other solutions instead.
I also had a notification to go pick up my secret package (Phimoheal silicon stretching rings). I ordered that on amazon and had them shipped to the post office to keep the package a bit more private than getting it at home where someone else might have opened it and ask questions. I was very existed to go pick it up and try it.
Ends up I really did not like the product. The product description and pictures and what I received did not really match in size variety. But I got 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm and then it goes up by 2mm steps until 38mm. Soo, I am currently at 4.5mm and to provide any stretching I should use the 5mm. I got that out and there is no way this would get in, it's a bit of a hard silicon. Read a bit on how to actually use such rings and you are supposed to pinch the silicon ring towards the middle to shape it like a heart and then hold it that way to insert it, it would then unfold trying to get it's original shape back, thus providing that stretching force which should be a gentle push outwards. That is the theory at least, in practice, there is no way to fold anything under 8mm into a heart shape and to hold it into that shape, and if you do, you better be quick inserting that because it's very slipery and you need a lot of force to hold it in that shape. I did manager to get it into that shape long enough to measure it's folded diameter with a vernier. Guess what, it is larger folded than unfolded due to the odd shape and pressure on it to hold it into that shape.
For that reason, I though I would just try the 4mm just to get a sense of how that will feel like later on when I can use such rings. Ends up the rim on those rings is so large that the 4mm has 6mm diameter, there is also no way to get that in as you can't hold it folded. So I got the very smallest one in the kit (3mm) and I did manage barely to glide it in, the problem is that once it was in, it was not providing any stretching force since I am now at 4.5mm. Taking it out was not easy with it's large rim, pushing is easy but for pulling, you need a grip and the material is very slipery. I had to use some tweezers to get it out, it was not very hard but still hard.
Long story short I was very disapointed in the product so far. Hoping this will get useful at larger sizes later on.