Swollen ears

[Odaramaria;]

So I've been on the process of gauging my ears for a year now. I've started with 14g worked my way to 10g.
I recently skipped 8g and got 6g which didn't hurt or did anything to my ears negatively...
However, a couple days ago I got a set of tapers 6g-0g and I tried to put the 4g through my lobe and it would go half way through. A friend advised me to push it through under the hot shower water....I tried that and it hurt incredibly bad but now my ears are swollen and I still have the taper on. I've been cleaning it to keep it sterilized also.
I've read a couple comments on here that leaving tapers on is not recommended.

So, is it normal for your ears to swallow after jumping from 6g to 4g? and do I take the tapers out and put in 4g jewelry?
Any advice is appreciated..

[WindowLicker]

So, is it normal for your ears to swallow after jumping from 6g to 4g?

Normal? No. Good? Yes...spitters are quitters.

So I've been on the process of gauging my ears for a year now. I've started with 14g worked my way to 10g.
I recently skipped 8g and got 6g which didn't hurt or did anything to my ears negatively...
However, a couple days ago I got a set of tapers 6g-0g and I tried to put the 4g through my lobe and it would go half way through. A friend advised me to push it through under the hot shower water....I tried that and it hurt incredibly bad but now my ears are swollen and I still have the taper on. I've been cleaning it to keep it sterilized also.
I've read a couple comments on here that leaving tapers on is not recommended.

So, is it normal for your ears to swallow after jumping from 6g to 4g? and do I take the tapers out and put in 4g jewelry?
Any advice is appreciated..

Well first of all you've screwed up skipping a size. You may not think it did anything, but trust me it did. How long were you at 6g before goin to 4? If it only went in halfway you definitely weren't ready and have screwed your ears up even more by shoving the taper in anyway. Take out the tapers and never wear tapers again as jewerly. Downsize back to an 8, baby the heck out of your ear, stay at an 8 for the next couple months and try again THE RIGHT WAY! I know that's not what you want to hear, but that's basically the advice you'll get from anyone on here that knows what they're doing. Happy stretching.

[Odaramaria;]

I was at 6g for a month and a couple weeks. I've read several places it is the minimum recommended amount of time to leave them in for it to heal safely.
I do appreciate the advice and I will surely follow it.