by corazon_de_oro » Tue Oct 11, 2011 4:14 pm
Nic, bigger lobes doesn't mean more stretching knowledge. I've been into stretching for almost as long as you, I just prefer to have smaller lobes.
What you don't understand is that when you give someone advice, with anything in life, you don't just use the example of what you did, what your friends have done, etc. When you give people advice about stretching, you need to tell them what they can do to be guaranteed healthy lobes.
Yes, you did what you did and you have healthy lobes. I'm sure they could be even healthier if you did things differently, but that's beside the point. But you don't understand that some people could take your advice and end up ruining their ears. I have seen you tell people they can stretch every other week or something because you did and "had no problems." And that's just not true. My ears have always been really slow to loosen up, and I've needed two and a half months or more between every size. If I was naive/impatient and got on this forum, and found the person who gave the advice I wanted to hear (which would be that I could get to my goal size without all the waiting) of course I would take it. And if I took that advice my lobes would look like the people on that slideshow I posted.
I'm very thankful I found people who gave good advice BEFORE I started stretching, because I had planned on starting before I knew anything about it. I was going to pierce my own ears with normal earrings and start stretching at 14G with pinchers as soon as they showed the first signs of healing. But instead I found good advice and listened to it, and I got my ears pierced by an amazing piercer and started stretching six months later. Now my ears couldn't be healthier and I'm so glad. I'm going to have stretched ears forever and I want them to look nice. That's why I give people advice; I want them to know that while some people stretch like that and get lucky, not everyone can.
I'm not saying you're wrong, don't know about stretching, etc. but when you give advice you need to tell people what they can do to get healthy lobes, not what to do to probably get a blowout and get healthy lobes if they're insanely lucky.
Keep in mind that this post isn't a personal attack toward you or anyone. People seem to get the idea that challenging someone's opinion is being "hateful," but it's not at all. So don't reply with insults like you did to SusiMarie.
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!