TLC-X tips and tricks for low skin users

[katapaltes]

Hi guys,
I've had my TLC-X for about two weeks now and I really like it. Kudos to Ron for the engineering that went in to it and the speed with which he sent it out. I wanted to start a thread for the skin-challenged among us (CI2 and CI2/CI3 in particular) who really want to go tapeless. If anyone has any tips they'd like to share, please respond below. I can consolidate them within this original post as well. Let me know if I'm duping a thread and I'll move my comments there. It looks like we lost a lot of wisdom with the database crash and that needs to be rebuilt.

The following either helped me (or I toyed with these ideas and they might help me or you if you can improve upon them):
- Taking a warm shower first (definitely helps with both looseness of skin and adhesion between skin and cones).
- Soak inner and outer cone in warm water in sink and then dry to clean and that may help with adhesion to skin.
- Shaving (or plucking hair per Weldin') if needed to improve seal between cones and skin.
- NITRO's comment on a sister thread "to take out the pusher plate and rod and use it like that until you have enough skin."
- parsecskin's comment "to first take the retaining cone and fold it back on itself, then stick it in something like a pill tube to hold it that way." Note: This looks like how the Hope Restorer is installed by default.
- parsecskin's comment to check use a rubber grommet (parsecskin, I'd like to hear more about that as that seems like it would help hold the outer cone on in my case).
- When positioning the initial inner cone, consider angle you apply it on glans (up/down - not right/left unless you somehow need that) if underside/topside skin is in short supply.
- Strapping down to knee vs. strapping up if underside skin is tough or in short supply.
- Strapping up if topside skin is in short supply.
- If you push inner cone in towards your body quite a bit initially (due to limited skin to the point your penis is pretty much buried), let up on that pressure a bit and the skin may come forward just before you install the outer clear cone.
- Once outer cone is installed, as Ron shows in the video, gently pull out any wrinkles under the clear cone or gently "stir the pot" with the wire portion of the inner cone to do the same.
- Watch any other videos from Ron that may help (I haven't watched them all and may be repeating advice found there).
- If pulling up boxers, then pants, then bending your legs to put on socks disrupts your installation, then pre-stage your clothing: Put on socks and step into your boxers and pants before hooking up TLC-X. After hooking up, pull up pants and boxers as one unit and maybe get some silky boxers that slide better over clothing and your device. Perhaps wear shirts that don't need to be tucked in to help keep from knocking things loose. Maybe get some pants that are looser in the crotch if that helps.
- If your skin is dry and if that is impacting adhesion of the cone to your skin, perhaps use moisturizer the night before (or even upon waking up?). Anything not absorbed into the skin would be washed off during a morning shower. This one's a guess, but I've been trying it lately.
- Purchase and use some adhesive (e.g. Adhesi-Med), perhaps along with some adhesive remover (e.g. Citri-Med). I have never used these, but have heard of using medical adhesives and the two brand names mentioned are sold on eBay for use in foreskin restoration.

Finally, if you are sick and tired of taping (as I was), if you have the TLC-X but are having problems with low skin, allow yourself to look forward to a tapeless future. I dealt with tape for well over a year until I was CI2/CI3. I know have hope I can go the rest of the way without tape.

[Weldin' pipe]

All are great but I will advise one thing. Don't shave the hair away,it creates stubble which can be uncomfortable for your partner. Ron has a great video on is site about hair management. Do not shave but pluck with tweezers the hair off the shaft if you need to rid them. Had slippage issues in the past but I took the time initially to pluck all of it away and then manage the area as needed while longer toilet visits and this has worked tremendously with slippage issues. Used to fall off a lot and since I plucked all shaft hair I rarely slip off. Also wanted to add right out of the shower applications usually are the best at least for me. The slight moisture mixed with warm loosened skin seems to work great.

[Scumbag]

Thanks for the thread. I'm in the same boat, so I'm happy to read all the advice I can get.

[katapaltes]

Added some notes about clothing that I've been using successfully.

[katapaltes]

Added notes about lotion and adhesives.

[resto-mod]

I have a real hard time getting the tlc to grip right, I have a small penis so I have to push the tugger body inside me and the pull out as I put the skin cone on and it proves to be difficult to get the scar line even so i'm usually tugging the outer skin more than inner skin. Even if I can get everything even the moment I apply tension the skin starts slipping out. I figure that even though I am tugging more outer skin than inner skin, I know the inner skin is still expanding so should I just keep on with what i'm doing until I grow more skin to work with? I'm trying to do more manual tugging to, it helps compensate for lack of tension on the inner skin. Any advice?

[parsecskin]

I have a real hard time getting the tlc to grip right, I have a small penis so I have to push the tugger body inside me and the pull out as I put the skin cone on and it proves to be difficult to get the scar line even so i'm usually tugging the outer skin more than inner skin. Even if I can get everything even the moment I apply tension the skin starts slipping out. I figure that even though I am tugging more outer skin than inner skin, I know the inner skin is still expanding so should I just keep on with what i'm doing until I grow more skin to work with? I'm trying to do more manual tugging to, it helps compensate for lack of tension on the inner skin. Any advice?

When I first started using my TLC X I had the same problem. Until you grow enough skin to apply it like Ron shows in the video, try applying it this way: First, pull your skin up around your head and hold it there on the underside where the transition zone from inner to outer is. Next, take the tugger body and place it on your head. You may have to insert it into your skin and pull the skin up on to the tugger body as high as possible and hold it there with an OK sign type of grip. Next, take the retaining cone, which you have previously folded back on itself halfway. You'll have to do this FIRST and find something like a film canister or pill tube to hold it there while you apply the tugger body. Now, while holding your skin and tugger body with one hand, take the other and pick up the retaining cone with your fingertips of the other hand, lower it into position and with one fluid quick move release your grip on your skin and flip the sides of the retaining cone down. This will give you the extra split second of time needed to trap more skin under the cone. Then even up the skin all the way around and tug away! I suggest using a rubber grommet in between the wire bail and the top of the retaining cone. You can get one at the hardware store. See pic. I know this sounds complicated, but it's not. It does take some practice tho tho get it right.

[resto-mod]

When I first started using my TLC X I had the same problem. Until you grow enough skin to apply it like Ron shows in the video, try applying it this way: First, pull your skin up around your head and hold it there on the underside where the transition zone from inner to outer is. Next, take the tugger body and place it on your head. You may have to insert it into your skin and pull the skin up on to the tugger body as high as possible and hold it there with an OK sign type of grip. Next, take the retaining cone, which you have previously folded back on itself halfway. You'll have to do this FIRST and find something like a film canister or pill tube to hold it there while you apply the tugger body. Now, while holding your skin and tugger body with one hand, take the other and pick up the retaining cone with your fingertips of the other hand, lower it into position and with one fluid quick move release your grip on your skin and flip the sides of the retaining cone down. This will give you the extra split second of time needed to trap more skin under the cone. Then even up the skin all the way around and tug away! I suggest using a rubber grommet in between the wire bail and the top of the retaining cone. You can get one at the hardware store. See pic. I know this sounds complicated, but it's not. It does take some practice tho tho get it right.

That sounds like a good idea I just gotta find a tube that will hold the cone, I also use a clothes pin to hold the retaining cone on similar to the grommet you use (theres no hardware store in my town anymore -_-). I'll try this today and i'll report back to talk about if it works or not for me.

[parsecskin]

No hardware store in town? Where do you live?

[WoodyHoody]

All are great but I will advise one thing. Don't shave the hair away,it creates stubble which can be uncomfortable for your partner. Ron has a great video on is site about hair management. Do not shave but pluck with tweezers the hair off the shaft if you need to rid them. Had slippage issues in the past but I took the time initially to pluck all of it away and then manage the area as needed while longer toilet visits and this has worked tremendously with slippage issues. Used to fall off a lot and since I plucked all shaft hair I rarely slip off. Also wanted to add right out of the shower applications usually are the best at least for me. The slight moisture mixed with warm loosened skin seems to work great.

Plucking is the way to go. My wife will do this for me just to inflict the pain :-)

[resto-mod]

No hardware store in town? Where do you live?

I live in Ohio, enough said. lol
actually I used to have a hardware store in my town but it went out of business and they clearanced everything off, I tried grabbing a few grommets and o-rings but none of them fit the tugger and the next nearest hardware store is like 20 minutes away so I figure it's not worth driving to another city just to get a grommet. I use a clothes pin to hold the cone on for now and it works pretty well, I don't tug with clothes on so I don't worry about if I got any sort of crazy contraption hanging off my dick since i'm just sitting in my room. I can also use the clothes pin as a secondary anchor for rubber bands so I can attach the rubber bands clear back by the cone and use higher tension in the dual tension setup.

[resto-mod]

All are great but I will advise one thing. Don't shave the hair away,it creates stubble which can be uncomfortable for your partner. Ron has a great video on is site about hair management. Do not shave but pluck with tweezers the hair off the shaft if you need to rid them. Had slippage issues in the past but I took the time initially to pluck all of it away and then manage the area as needed while longer toilet visits and this has worked tremendously with slippage issues. Used to fall off a lot and since I plucked all shaft hair I rarely slip off. Also wanted to add right out of the shower applications usually are the best at least for me. The slight moisture mixed with warm loosened skin seems to work great.

I always wondered why people pluck pube hair, I don't have a partner so I don't have to worry about irritable stubble lol. I usually use one of those little micro touch trimmers to shave any hair around and on the shaft and the rest I just trim with small scissors, I got kind of a funky 80s porn star bush going on but at least I don't have to deal with the pain or razor burn or pimples that going full smoothie would cause. I guess it's one of those "to each his own" kinda things.

[resto-mod]

First, pull your skin up around your head and hold it there on the underside where the transition zone from inner to outer is. Next, take the tugger body and place it on your head. You may have to insert it into your skin and pull the skin up on to the tugger body as high as possible and hold it there with an OK sign type of grip.

I'm having trouble trying to do this part. When I hold my skin from the under side and try to insert the tugger it doesn't seem to want to go in. I fumble around with trying to pull the skin up onto the tugger body and end up just kind of pushing the tugger body inward until the skin kind of "swallows" it up. Am I doing it right? On the other hand though I seem to be able to fold back my skin cone half way and it will stay like that without having to use a film canister or pill bottle, and it makes it much easier to snap the skin cone down (kinda like a dtr) and it traps the skin more evenly without pushing it off of the tugger. I'm still trying to work on figuring out a way to make it tug at the scar line but right now the best I can seem to do is tugging at about half an inch from the scar line. Should I just keep tugging like this for now? I'm going for somewhere around a CI9 or even CI10+ so I got a lot of skin that needs growing!

[parsecskin]

Doesn't matter how you get the device body on as long as you DO get it on. Whatever works for YOU.
Ideally you want to be tugging at the scarline, but this is dependent upon how much inner skin you have. When you get the device body on, pull your skin up as high as you can while rolling your inner skin outwards. This will expose as much outer skin as possible. However, BE CAREFUL with pusher pressure on your inner skin. You don't want tears.