Stretching (body piercing)

Stretching, in the context ofbody piercing, is a process whereby a hole created by piercing, is gradually increased in size to accomodate larger guage jewellery, possibly including specialised jewellery such asear plugs andflesh tunnels. The effects of stretching can be achieved more rapidly by the technique ofscalpelling.

A drawback of stretching is that often the skin is stretched beyond its ability to return to its original shape, making this a potentially permanent form ofbody modification.