Questions from a 2-day stretcher!

[Boo]

So, about 2 days ago, I purchased my first ear stretching taper (3mm) from my local beauty/chemist/peircer/etc. and somehow managed to get it in relatively painlessly! (mind you, it did take me half an hour! )

Anyway, It was hurting a little bit and I couldn't twist it in my ear, so when I got home today, I decided to take it out.

I'm wanting to leave about...5-7 days for it to heal before I start stretching it again, just to be sure. But before I start again, there are a few questions I'd like answered!

Firstly, as a first time stretcher, where you can't exactly purchace plugs, is it alright to sleep in your taper?

Secondly, can you shower with it in with no problems?

Thirdly, The taper that I purchased (which was recommended for me from the store clerk who had 3 STRETCHERS! ) is an acrylic pink 3mm taper. Should I throw this out and see if I can purchace a stainless steel one of the same size?

Fourth, are you supposed to be able to twist the taper in your ear after your first day with it in? Because I haven't been able to twist it at all....

And finally, when I first put in the taper, I didn't use any lube, because I didn't have any, and so I used my ear-ring disenfectant spray. Could this be the cause of my now slightly infected ear?

Any answers for any of these questions I would really appreciate! Thank you lots!! <3

[ViolentJayne]

ok for starters you made alot of mistakes .. its ok .. nothing thats not fixable .. first off you skipped straight away to 3 mm /8 ga thats way to big of a jump . I am guessing you started with standard earrings which are 18-20ga which is about 1.2mm , you should never skip sizes you need to go back and get a 16 ga taper and a 16 ga cbr ( plugs are hard to find and hard to get in until about 3mm /8 ga so stick with CBRs till then ) 2nd as for tapers material doesnt really matter because you shouldnt leave them in for more than a few min the taper is a tool to open the hole for the plug/ jewelry ( sort of like how a shoe horn is a tool to put on a tight shoe .. if that makes since ) acrylic tapers are fine as long as you fallow it directly with a plug /cbr . 3rd . use LUBE LOTS of LUBE I like vit e oil but if you have nothing else antibiotic ointment will work ok to and most people have some in the old medicine cabinet anyway . 4th stop with the earring spray its to harsh to clean your ears . simply wash them in the shower with a gently soap and then after the shower do a 10 min sea salt soak ( 1/4 the teaspoon salt to each cup of water .. no saltier or it will cause drying ) for the first 2 weeks of a new stretch just leave your plugs/cbr in while you shower do not try and TWIST it at anytime just gently wash around them ..just leave it be .. after the first 2 weeks take them out for a few min in the shower and use that time to really soap up and clean the plug itself then get out and dry off and massage your ears with some lube ( hopefully vit e oil by then if not some un scented lotion and put your plugs back in its pretty quick and simple once you get the routine down ..and make sure you do this every day to avoid smelly ears !

I think your best bet is to wait a full month to let your ears truely recover ( even if they feel and look fine sooner. the human body can play tricks on us so dont go rushing just cause your ears "feel ok " wait the full month ).. then start out with a 16 ga taper and cbr or horse shoe bar or even labret stud wear this for at least 6 weeks then if all has gone well repeat the process with a 14 taper and cbr again wait at least 6 weeks then move to 12ga and so one once you get to 8 ga the jumps get a lil bigger up till 8 ga you will be increasing by about half a mm each time .. once you get to 8 ga the increase jumps to 1 full mm per size so starting at 8 alot of people including me like to wait 2-3 months before moving up ...

tops tips
1. stretching shouldnt hurt ! its should be no different than just changing jewelry .. if you feel pain or resistance stop ! put your current size back in and wait 2 more weeks and try again ....just remember your ears will loosen naturally on their own when they are ready ( dont rush )

2. if you see blood there is a rip ! and no matter how small a rip must be addressed and babied and will add on healing time before you can do your next stretch

3. dont skip sizes even in small sizes... setting a good foundation will help your ears to stay thick and healthy through out your stretching journey and keep your ears looking good for years to come ( rushing causes thin ugly lobes in the future , even if they seem fine at the time )

4. maintain them well _ wich means washing everyday ! and oiling them every day aswell
oil does more than make them feel nice it actually promotes thickening and breaks down scar tissue - so dont skip the oils and massaging !

5 . THIS IS A BIGGIE - NO double flares ! . do not wear double flares in a new stretch the flare will force your ear to actually stretch another size so if you have a plug thats 8 ga double flare the flares are really 6 to 4 ga ! ouch ! its crazy and I really dont know why they even make them .. I wouldnt wear double flares in a stretch till its a least 6 months old and by then you will have most likely moved up in sizes by then . in general I wouldnt use double flares till you get to your final goal and have been there for at least 6 months

ok I think I covered pretty much everything I can thin of ... good luck with your stretching

main thing is wait 4 -6 weeks from now then start with a 16 ga and take it slow and you should have great lobes

[SassafrasChelsea]

basically she said it all XD definitely wait a couple of months before going up in sizes (esp. when you're in the bigger sizes), I know a lot of people are probably going to disagree with this advice but if you've had a standard piercing in for YEARS, the hole should already be stretchy and you could just go to the biggest size that will COMFORTABLY fit through the ear (slides in with no resistance, obviously 8 g was too big for you)...like I had 3 standard piercings on my lobes (1 for 15 yrs, the other 2 for 5 years) and I could fit a 10g in with no resistance at all so I started from there (I have healthy fat lobes too, you can see my pics ) but if your standard piercing is relatively new, do what the girl above me said XD start with 16g and work your way up happy stretching lol