New TLC-X User: Should I Depress Rod?

[ryanjpreston]

Hi, new* user of the TLC-X (just got it in mail yesterday) and have a question.

Question Background:
I am pretty tightly cut and don't have much slack skin. When I apply the device, following the video guide from the TLC website, I notice Ron say something like "the goal is to get the skin up around the top of the tugger cone"...he then gets out the wrinkles and maybe an 1/8 inch of the white of the tugger is showing afterwards. When I do this, my skin is quite a bit further down on the tugger, especially after I get any wrinkles out...about halfway down I would say....

So...here's the question:
Should I leave the pusher rod disabled (i.e., don't push it in) until such time as I have enough skin to pull all the way up the tugger, as demonstrated in the instructional video?

I'm thinking so but just want to confirm.

Thanks!

*: I say "new" but I tried tugging a few years ago but always ended up with skin tears and discomfort because I was too eager to get results. I spoke with Ron at the NoCirc symposium in Colorado and the answer was "use way less tension"...so I'm starting over and taking it gently. Previously, using some other tapeless device, I was depressing the pusher an inch or so but in retrospect, I'm thinking pushing was entirely too premature.

[admin]

When I apply the device, following the video guide from the TLC website, I notice Ron say something like "the goal is to get the skin up around the top of the tugger cone"...he then gets out the wrinkles and maybe an 1/8 inch of the white of the tugger is showing afterwards. When I do this, my skin is quite a bit further down on the tugger, especially after I get any wrinkles out...about halfway down I would say....

So...here's the question:
Should I leave the pusher rod disabled (i.e., don't push it in) until such time as I have enough skin to pull all the way up the tugger

We fine-tune the tugging tension by the 4-Hour Rule experimental protocol. It's basically saying if it never gets uncomfortable within your desired wear duration you could probably use more tension, and if it always gets uncomfortable you must use less tension. But it requires carefully stepping the tension up by known increments. For pushing, tension is analogous to the distance the rod is extended. For strapping, tension is analogous to how much the strap is shortened. You can use both strap and Pushing tension, but it will be harder to know which is really contributing to whatever discomfort has you violating the 4-Hour Rule.

[jahpunk]

I found myself too eager at first w the tlcx as far as using the tensioner...ended up w really painful indentation on my glans from the pusher cone...I do think you can use the push rod as soon as now if you have enough skin it won't slip off...and like Ron says take it incrementally and find what works within those parameters...I love the IDEA of dual tension...but now I only use tlcx w weights and not in dual tension because I just don't want to risk those wounds again (my damn impatience ha)

[parsecskin]

I found myself too eager at first w the tlcx as far as using the tensioner...ended up w really painful indentation on my glans from the pusher cone...I do think you can use the push rod as soon as now if you have enough skin it won't slip off...and like Ron says take it incrementally and find what works within those parameters...I love the IDEA of dual tension...but now I only use tlcx w weights and not in dual tension because I just don't want to risk those wounds again (my damn impatience ha)

Absolutely. I too started with too much tension and had some minor setbacks. I am using much less weight and much less pusher pressure. Less IS more in this case. No more than 1 pound is needed to grow skin, usually less. I use only 5-8 ounces and it works great.

[mjwise]

Hi, new* user of the TLC-X (just got it in mail yesterday) and have a question.

So...here's the question:
Should I leave the pusher rod disabled (i.e., don't push it in) until such time as I have enough skin to pull all the way up the tugger, as demonstrated in the instructional video?

I'm thinking so but just want to confirm.

Thanks!

*: I say "new" but I tried tugging a few years ago but always ended up with skin tears and discomfort because I was too eager to get results. I spoke with Ron at the NoCirc symposium in Colorado and the answer was "use way less tension"...so I'm starting over and taking it gently. Previously, using some other tapeless device, I was depressing the pusher an inch or so but in retrospect, I'm thinking pushing was entirely too premature.

The 4 hour rule is your friend here. You should wear the TLC-X sans ANY added tension for at least one 4 hour period. A TLC-X without any added tension may be enough tension for some beginners to grow some skin. If all is well after wearing it with no added tension, then you can start incrementally adding tension and checking how you're doing over a four hour period. I personally aim for tension levels so that I'm definitely ready for a break after 3-4 hours - not in pain, mind you, but just ready for a break from tension.

[ryanjpreston]

Thanks for the feed back. I have an additional complication....On the underside of my penis, around the location my scar is, there is a little strange mass of scar tissue that tears a lot quicker than the rest of my skin. Overall, I would say the rest of my skin responds really well to stretching...but that one little area....its like the princess and the pea....it seems like no matter what I do, I introduce little tears in that area long before the rest of my skin is tired and/or needs a break....It is a bottleneck to my progress I think. Hopefully I can find a way to work around it....