by corazon_de_oro » Sun Jun 17, 2012 12:25 am
1. Figuring out the sizes is pretty easy when you start looking at jewelry. Your standard earrings are 20G, followed by 18G, 16G, 14G, 12G, 10G, 8G, 6G, 4G, 2G, 1G (uncommon size but 2G-0G is a huge jump and finding some 1G jewelry will make it much safer), 0G, 00G, 7/16", and 1/2". You can also think of it in millimeters: 0.8mm (20G), 1mm (18G), 1.2mm (16G), 1.6mm (14G), 2mm (12G), 2.4mm (10G), 3mm-3.2mm (8G), 4mm (6G), 5mm (4G), 6mm (2G), 7mm (1G), 8mm (0G), 9mm-10mm (00G), ~11mm (7/16"), ~12mm (1/2"). Most stretches should be 1mm except at sizes before 6G, which are smaller jumps. With sizes like 00G, make sure you get 9mm jewelry first; I actually treated that size like two separate sizes. I know it seems really confusing but once you start researching and looking at jewelry you'll get the hang of it.
2. My favorite place to get jewelry is bodyartforms.com. They have very fast shipping in the US and I know they ship to other countries as well. They have a wide range of jewelry, from cheap to expensive. The good thing about them is they have a lot of discounts and if you spend a certain amount you can get free jewelry or order credit. I actually have some discount codes for them for the rest of the year if you'd like me to message them to you.
3. A good amount of time to have in mind is 6-8 weeks between sizes. However, that's not set in stone and everyone's ears are different, so some people might need longer. If you try to stretch after 6-8 weeks and you're having pain or a lot of resistance, wait longer. Stretching should never hurt or require a lot of force.
4. It's really impossible to say how long it will take because everyone's ears are different and people will have to wait different amounts of time between sizes. But you're probably looking at around a year and a few months to a year and a half, maybe more.
Here are some other tips since you're just starting out:
-Most tapers and plugs don't come below 14G, so in 18G and 16G you'll have to find other jewelry. Try captive bead rings, labrets, or straight barbells.
-The best time to stretch is after a long, hot shower when your skin is loosened up. Use plenty of oil (the best ones to use are jojoba, vitamin E, or emu oil) to lubricate your ears and the jewelry.
-Tapers are tools for stretching, not jewelry. Many people wear them but it's actually pretty dangerous; they can put uneven pressure on your ears, causing a blowout or tear, and they're very long which allows them to get knocked easily. With every stretch (besides tiny sizes, like I said) you'll only need one taper and a pair of single-flare or no-flare plugs. Never use double-flares to stretch.
-The best materials in fresh stretches are glass, titanium, or steel if you don't have a nickel allergy. Avoid acrylic, silicone, wood, bone, stone, etc. in new stretches. It's okay to use an acrylic taper as long as you put in metal or glass plugs immediately.
Hope I helped... good luck!
I'm Lindsay.
I have 1/2" lobes and 11 piercings: left helix x2, both conches, both nostrils, septum, navel, and VCH.
My lobes are small but I know a lot about stretching and how to do it safely, so message me if you have any questions!