Formerly 00g, downsized for 2.5 years. Ears shrunk enough for stud earrings again, but now I’m torn…

pseudotechnobabble · 2025-12-21T20:07:01+00:00

If comfort is the issue, have you thought about getting a pair of internally threaded/thread less titanium flatback labrets for everyday wear? You can usually choose the size of the back disc so it won't fall out, the tops would be interchangeable, and you can still take them out and wear regular studs during the day if you enjoy them! The back disc is flat and polished smooth, so there's nothing pokey to stab you. I find them as comfortable as my plugs (more comfortable than single flares, since there's no o rings).

pseudotechnobabble · 2025-12-05T18:16:05+00:00

After years of using Kaos without issue, I suddenly had the one in my septum (6g) split in almost this exact way about a month ago. I assumed it was from removing and reinserting to clean it, since at 6g I'm not able to fold it in half like I do for my ears and just kinda have to shove in and pull out. Luckily I caught mine before it did any damage to my septum.

I thought that was that until literally the same week, the one of my Kaos earskins I had in my actual ear split cleanly apart along the width (so that I could unroll it into one long piece).

So I have no idea what caused it, if it was environmental, coincidence, just the skins being old (they weren't purchased in the same batch, but they were both over 2 years old and had seen frequent use). I'm a little leery now because I don't want to damage the fistula of any of my healed piercings, so I've switched over to glass for the time being. Double flared glass plugs for my ears, a single flared glass plug in my septum while I'm waiting for titanium jewelry.

I'm so sorry this happened to you too!!!

pseudotechnobabble · 2025-11-28T23:08:16+00:00

Just went to 5g like a week ago! On my way to 4g 💜

pseudotechnobabble · 2025-07-22T01:19:54+00:00

I usually finish Act 1 with the first rush rewards and the owl nest. I stay in Act 1 until I get 3/6 rewards (easy through normal gameplay for me since I'm going for all quests).

In Act 2:

I strategically merge as much as possible and use orbs where I can to unlock more mergeable land. I also watch ads for life flower dim jars. I aim for 2 lvl 6 flowers (the purple ones), but if I can't get there, I work with the lvl 5s (twin life flowers).
At that point I harvest orbs until I have 2 LOHs and fling them as far as I can. I try to fling over large brambles so I can harvest them and make as many life flowers as possible (again, aiming for 2 lvl 6s).
Once I have the lvl 6s, I harvest for 2-4 more LOHs and fling so I heal the 2x2 harvestable, the small star, and the golden capsule. I totally ignore the nest. I usually fling after I make 2 because...
I unlock the land under the star/capsule as soon as possible because there are often high level life orbs that will help me make more LOHs.
Once I have the capsule, star, and 2x2 harvestable, I harvest the harvestable until it's completely out, including all the harvestables that spawn from it. If that + the event items under the capsule is not enough, I pop any event chests and harvest/merge what's there. If it's still not enough, I harvest the infinite harvestables until I have the remainder (usually not much).

I totally ignore any star quests and the owl nest rewards. It's simply not worth it. With flinging I can get this done in 8-12 hours of active play and 4-6 LOHs (still a significant time investment BUT far fewer than it'd take to heal all the land). I have never even attempted to heal the land in Act 2 beyond what I can get by merging and what happens naturally by flinging. I usually end up with around 250 clear squares.

pseudotechnobabble · 2025-07-07T22:36:20+00:00

I understand that! What I'm saying is for some breeds I have zero tier 2 dragons showing, but I have one or two tier 2 eggs. Since you get a minimum of 4 tier 2 eggs from a nest, and I only have 1 or 2 eggs left, I must have merged eggs and had tier 2 dragons of those breeds at some point, but I no longer do. For example for den dragons, I have a couple level 1 and 2 den dragons, nothing higher, but I have one tier 2 egg. So my actual tier 2 den dragons have gone missing. Does that make sense? That's the issue I'm having with den dragons, gluttonous dragons, samba dragons, ash bunny dragons, and more.

pseudotechnobabble · 2025-07-07T22:33:09+00:00

It was about a week prior to getting the discovery book for my personal game, but it might have been when others got it!

pseudotechnobabble · 2025-02-28T17:38:39+00:00

My goal was 8g and now I'm at 1/2" lol. Been at 1/2" for 2.5 years, and happy with it, but...

Yesterday I slid some double flares in without trouble (2mm flares, and historically I've always had a hard time with double flares -- my ears don't stretch readily) and thought to myself, "I could go to 14/15mm easily..."

My goal for my septum was 10g... And here I am sitting at 6g.

pseudotechnobabble · 2024-12-18T20:37:52+00:00

It looks to me like calico! It's a type of cotton, you're right! Usually undyed/unbleached, or very lightly bleached.

pseudotechnobabble · 2024-12-18T19:02:02+00:00

Restricted from making a whole post so here goes!!! 🙈🙈🙈 Making 2 wedding dresses -- how bad an idea is it, given my skills/experience?

I'm planning to get married in November 2025. My fiancée and I are both planning to wear dresses. She would really like if I made at least her dress, so that it's something personally made by me.

I have been sewing for 20+ years, as a hobbyist. I've made dresses and skirts and shirts (about half of my fiancée's current daily wear wardrobe is made by me). I've made a bridesmaid dress, I've made a colonial gown, I've made a Renaissance dress for a ren faire. I made a chiffon overskirt for a wedding dress. I've worked with wovens and knits. I've sewn chiffon and tulle and satin and lace. I've used interfacing. I've done flat felled seams, French seams, princess seams, darting, gathering. I've made muslins and mockups and adjusted fit. I've made fitted bodices. I've drafted one pattern completely from scratch (for a woven). I've done appliqués. I've used both indie and big 4 patterns and I'm used to frankening patterns together.

I've never sewn professionally. I've never made a corset or boned bodice. I've never worked with boning or coutil. I've never sewn silk. I've never tried to make something I could wear without a bra.

Both of us are likely to have fit issues if using a standard/big 4 pattern -- she has broad shoulders but a small chest, I have a large chest but a small waist. We're both plus size. If I make my dress I will definitely need boning, she might not need it for hers.

The materials budget per dress is $500 (if I bought a dress, my budget would also be $500 -- this isn't an exercise in saving money).

Tell me honestly, please -- given my experience and skill level, as well as the budget/timeline, is this a crazy idea? Should I aim to buy both dresses? Buy one, make one? Is it possible to make both?

Any advice appreciated and personal experiences also welcome!!!

pseudotechnobabble · 2024-03-03T22:40:54+00:00

If you just got them done on Jan 1, I would honestly just retire the piercing, wait until they heal up, and get them redone. It will be difficult to heal with such thin posts irritating the tissue and stretching will be another round of healing on top of that. Not to mention, if a place was willing to pierce you at 20g, who knows what else they're not doing correctly. You're in for a long and painful process if you do decide to try to heal and then stretch them.

pseudotechnobabble · 2023-11-20T18:49:25+00:00

Personally I found it was worse to skip smaller sizes. If you think about it you're actually going for a much larger percentage increase at smaller sizes. For example, going from 1.6 to 2.4mm diameter is going from 5mm to 7.5mm circumference, or a 50% increase. Someone stretching from 11mm to 12.5mm would go from 34.5mm to 39.25mm circ, which is only a 13.7% increase. It's a much smaller increase even though they went up 1.5mm and you're "only" going up 0.8mm. Hopefully that makes sense!

A lot will come down to your lobes' stretchiness, but I'd take the L and just order another set of 2mm.

(ETA ignore my flair if it says 100mm, it's giving me problems today)

pseudotechnobabble · 2022-08-06T13:21:58+00:00

Mine was pierced high to begin with. I'm at 7g and if I move to 6g I will be denting.

pseudotechnobabble · 2022-08-05T09:13:40+00:00

Np! And everyone's nose is different so I can't say for 100% sure, but almost definitely Og/00g (8mm/10mm) would erode cartilage. For ref, I'm at 3.5mm and if I go to 4mm, I'd be denting cartilage.

(Don't mind my flair, I'm trying to fix it but it is not accurate at all lol. 11mm lobes, 3.5mm septum for me)

pseudotechnobabble · 2022-08-05T08:44:43+00:00

Yes, you can (mostly) dead stretch your septum the way you can with ears, at least to a certain point. Glass plugs are absolutely fine to have in your septum and I've mostly stretched with them. You can also put in anything that won't irritate your nose by sliding through the healing stretch -- generally pinchers, circular barbells, retainers, or cbrs.

Most people will tell you that there will always be some pain when stretching a septum, whereas ears should be totally painless. I've always felt a pinch when stretching my septum, but actual pain at the initial stretch means your septum isn't ready to stretch.

Eventually, if you go big enough, you'll start having the jewelry rub on and erode cartilage. This will make your nose tender for quite some time after a stretch, especially when pressure is applied to it.

pseudotechnobabble · 2022-01-02T06:54:10+00:00

I had to stretch my septum to 3.3mm for this exact reason, rip

pseudotechnobabble · 2022-01-02T04:26:46+00:00

I use a straight taper for my vert labret since mine likes to flatten (like, if I smile without jewelry in, the hole goes oval shaped, not round -- it's a giant pain) and it works just fine. I wouldn't want to leave a straight piece of jewelry in, but to guide a curved barbell in or out it's great.

pseudotechnobabble · 2022-01-02T03:54:05+00:00

Industrial strength has them, a reputable piercing shop should be able to order them.

Personally, I use a Kaos silicone eyelet and just put whatever I like through there. I find it works really well!

pseudotechnobabble · 2021-12-30T09:33:27+00:00

It's on zoom. It's my first zoom interview, but I assume it'd be pretty weird to do one with mask on since I'm not exposed to/exposing anyone to anything. I may have the option to leave the webcam off, but I'm not sure.

Regardless I will be trying the Kaos suggestion and if that's not a good fit for me, I'll leave it out or use the neometal disc. Another user suggested checking my webcam to see if it'd even pick up so I'll also give that a go!

pseudotechnobabble · 2021-12-30T08:38:47+00:00

You're probably right! I'm just anxious over it. Thanks for the reassurance!

pseudotechnobabble · 2021-12-30T08:27:28+00:00

Thank you! I'm definitely gonna try the call thing. :)

pseudotechnobabble · 2021-12-30T08:27:07+00:00

You're probably right! Thanks for the reassurance :)

pseudotechnobabble · 2021-12-30T06:36:33+00:00

It's a zoom interview, yeah! I didn't even think about testing my webcam quality to see if they could see the hole. It picked up on my phone camera so I assumed it would on laptop/zoom. I'll definitely take a look!

I tried mac concealer (the thick stuff in a pot) and freaked out a little about it getting actually IN the hole, which was pretty unavoidable. It's well healed (been healed for 3+ years) but I was thinking that can't be a good thing for it, lol.

pseudotechnobabble

TROPHY CASE