Preparing For Your First Body Suspension

Body suspension is something deeply near and dear to my heart. My first suspension was nothing short of life-changing, and it’s been a calling and a passion of mine ever since. Perhaps one of the most asked questions I get from folks curious about suspension is how to prepare for their first one. As I embark on an amazing new journey, starting a team, Nexus Body Suspension, here in Seattle with some amazing folks, it seems timely to write a guide I can offer to suspendees to help them prepare for their first flight!

The Days Leading Up

No Expectations. My first and biggest piece of advice is also the hardest—try not to have any expectations. It’s easier said than done! But we have a phrase in suspension: You don’t always get the suspension you want, but you always get the suspension you need. Things may not go how you envision them, from how you get up to how long you are up to how you feel afterward.

Instead of telling yourself you’ll be up for a set amount of time or do these things while you are up or have these feelings during it….just let it be. Come to this experience curious about what it will teach you, open to whatever lessons your body teaches you, and whatever secrets the hooks choose to share. When we remove expectations, we give ourselves permission to just be, to just experience. To let this happen, however it ends up happening, and that freedom allows us to get the most out of every suspension. I can promise that your body will give you what you need at that moment, even if it isn’t what you expected. The fewer expectations you bring into it, and the more you allow it to just be, the more you can give yourself to the experience.

-Make a Playlist. If there’s music you want to listen to while you are suspending, perhaps some meaningful songs or favorite songs, put together your playlist ahead of time so you are ready to go. Music can be a huge part of suspension for many folks, and it can really set the tone. Having favorite music is a wonderful touch during a suspension.

-Stretch! Feeling flexiable, limber, and comfy in your own body really helps. Often times whar can be difficult about suspending is not the hooks, but the movement and use of your body in new ways. As an experenced suspendee, I have my best suspensions when I am regualrly working out and stretching, and my body is able to support my posture and movements well.

-Pick your Outfit! You’ll want to wear something that gives us comfortable access to the area where we will be piercing you. For a 2-4 point upper back, this may look like a thin strap tank top, a racerback with a single thinner middle strap, a tube top, a t-shirt with a hole cut in the back, or going shirtless. It’s whatever feels most comfortable for you and your body. You may want to bring a comfortable set of clothes to change into afterward; something warm is often ideal. Consider the weather and location for your suspension when deciding what to wear.

-Pick Moral Support. Having someone there who is going to support you might be very important to your experience. You also may want to go alone and have some privacy in your suspension. Both are valid choices! If bringing a guest, please prepare them for the process. Guests should be required to be respectful of other suspendees, team members, and their experiences. This means giving personal space, asking consent for ANY photos or videos, and keeping language and commentary respectful. Most teams have a zero-tolerance policy for disrespecting consent or making unkind comments, and guests will be asked to leave if this occurs.

-Eat a good meal the night before and the morning of your suspension. Something nourishing, your favorite food, something energizing! Having food and energy helps you feel more stable through the process. I suggest a protein and carb-rich meal that will fuel your body for the process.

-Hydrate! We suggest drinking plenty of water in the days leading up to your suspension.

-Get good sleep. Coming in well-rested, with your body nourished, sets you up for the best experience with this process.

Day Of

-Please plan for traffic, and parking, and arrive on time! Nothing worse than being panicked over parking or being late for your special day.

-Bring any snacks or drinks you want! We suggest having any favorite sugary treats with you, as well as a water bottle, soda or Gatorade if you’d like. Having some snacks for before and after can be very beneficial.

Aftercare

-Your team will go over any specific aftercare they suggest. Please follow that! In general, you will be sent home with bandages over your hook holes, these are designed to stay on for the first 24 hours. After 24 hours, they can be removed, and you can wash the area with a mild soap and water (Dial Gold or tattoo soap is perfect) and leave it alone. Scabs will form quickly. If there is still some bleeding, you can rebandage for another 24 hours.

-The hook holes will be itchy! Very itchy! This is normal and please resist the urge to scratch. Scratching will simply pick at the scabs and prolong healing, and can also create worse scarring.

-Once the scabs have fully fallen off and the tissue is healed, if you so choose you may use a topical like Bio Oil or Miderma to minimize any scarring. Hook scars are generally small, round, oval, or oblong scars that fade to skin tone color within 1-2 years. If you love suspending and want to keep doing it, tracing your scars well will help your skin stay healthy for a lifetime of flights.

-Post-Suspension Drop or PSD is a very real thing. Sometimes, after all the endorphins or adrenaline of a suspension, we feel an emotional lull afterward. A suspension might bring up difficult emotions, past traumas, or challenge our minds. If you feel off, depressed, or out of sorts, please reach out to your team. We are here to talk to you and support you through this time. On the opposing end, some folks may feel like they are on a high or a big manic after a suspension. Even though these are positive emotions, we still encourage you to check in with yourself emotionally and mentally, make a note of your mental state, and make cautious and smart decisions.

-We suggest not making any major life, financial, or emotional decisions for 24 hours after a suspension.

Hopefully this guide helps you prepare you for your first suspension! This is an amazing time and a wonderful adventure to undertake, and a brilliant and beautiful community to connect with. Know that I’m sending you all the love as you take flight! <3

If anyone has any suggestions or tips they use for a first suspension they want to see added to this list, please email them to lynnloheide@gmail.com!