need help !

[kristen]

Okay so i finally decided to start streching my ears , so i went to hot topic and the guy theyre suggested i start with 16g or 14g tapers so i got 14 ! It came with a long one and short thicker ones , do i use both ? I was confused on why it came with four . Also do i take them out every night ? And how long do i keep them in for

[LucyFord]

Oh, dear.
What material are these made of?
The long ones are tapers, and the short ones are plugs. Use the tapers first. Some people suggest putting them in after a shower. If you need it, use a water-based lubricant on the taper, but I doubt you'll need it at this size. Some people say you shouldn't sleep in tapers, but I think that might also depend on the size... I've slept in mine, but I'm not a good authority on that.
When your ears heal, you can put in the plugs. How long it takes to heal is dependent on your body.

[LucyFord]

Before you decided to invest in stretching supplies, you probably should have gotten your homework done.... Though I guess you haven't done anything yet, so no big deal.

[corazon_de_oro]

The shorter ones are probably plugs, while the longer ones are tapers. I'm assuming it's a set like that, I could be wrong. The tapers are meant for the actual stretch and the plugs should be put in immediately following the taper. You should start with 16G first if you're starting from a "standard" piercing.
And no, at smaller sizes you don't need to take them out every night.

[kristen]

Before you decided to invest in stretching supplies, you probably should have gotten your homework done.... Though I guess you haven't done anything yet, so no big deal.

Welll yeah i did do some research but before i started i wanted to be extra sure ! And i forget things alot haha

[kristen]

Oh, dear.
What material are these made of?
The long ones are tapers, and the short ones are plugs. Use the tapers first. Some people suggest putting them in after a shower. If you need it, use a water-based lubricant on the taper, but I doubt you'll need it at this size. Some people say you shouldn't sleep in tapers, but I think that might also depend on the size... I've slept in mine, but I'm not a good authority on that.
When your ears heal, you can put in the plugs. How long it takes to heal is dependent on your body.

Theyre acrylic ! Thats the only ones hot topic had . But my friend told me to leave them in for like a month , so do i even have to use the plug if i just wanna keep going up a size ?

[kristen]

The shorter ones are probably plugs, while the longer ones are tapers. I'm assuming it's a set like that, I could be wrong. The tapers are meant for the actual stretch and the plugs should be put in immediately following the taper. You should start with 16G first if you're starting from a "standard" piercing.
And no, at smaller sizes you don't need to take them out every night.

So i should put the plug in like right after the first day i hav the taper in . Sorry for all the dumb questions

[ViolentJayne]

you should put the plug in directly after the taper just like 30 seconds after .. the taper is just a tool its not really jewelry but companies take advantage if people not understanding and make them very pretty and sale them in pairs when you really only need one taper in each size .. plus plugs are tricky and awkward to get in , in size under 8 .. you can use a cbr or labret stud in the very small sizes good luck

[corazon_de_oro]

^This. And you should also wait at least 6-8 weeks to go up a size, and it should never be painful. If you experience pain or a lot of resistance, wait longer. And like I said, it will be way better for your ears if you start at 16G instead of 14G.

Just to emphasize what she already said, tapers aren't meant to be worn for a long time. At small sizes it's not the worst thing you can do, but it's still not a good idea because they can move around too much and they don't distribute pressure evenly on your lobes. Also, you might want to get materials like steel, glass, or titanium instead of acrylic.

[kristen]

Okay thanks so much guys , i was so confused ! Everything totally makes sense now