Should I? Advice and suggestions welcomed with open arms.

[SpiffyBeats]

Hi! Name's Dee and I just joined today. I was wondering if I could get some advice on stretching my ears? Unless someone replies with a gigantic "NO", then I'm pretty set on doing it so basically it's just a matter of how big would look good on my ears/face? Anything helps. Thanks!

[AmId]

Start streching and when you think its enough you can just stop!

[ast.riske]

I agree with Amid, regarding stretching to a point where you are happy, then stopping. That said, it sounds like you are looking for a little bit more direction...

I am assuming you just have standard piercings, so you're starting at an 18g. Go ahead and stretch to a 16g whenever you are feeling ready. Buy a stainless steel 18g-16g taper and a set of 16g rings of your choice in steel, or titanium, or plugs in 16g (steel, titanium or glass). Make sure whatever you buy is uniform in gauge, so no pinchers to start. Also buy some vitamin e or jojoba oil.

Spin the bottom 1/3 of your taper in the oil and then place the small end in your piercing. Continue to press it through until you meet resistance. Take a deep breath and then realease it as you carefully push the taper through until you have about 1/4 inch left remaining. At this point take your plug or ring and follow the taper through your ear with your new jewelry. Once your new jewelry is in, you're done! : )

Repeat this procedure with the other ear.

Things of note:

Never wear a taper as jewelry. It's extremely hard on your piercing.

Never force jewelry or a taper. If it doesn't fit, return to your current size and give it some time.

Stretching should not be painful. If you feel more than a little sting or warmth in your ear, your piercing isn't ready.

Stretching should be something you enjoy. : ) If you get to a point where you're no longer enjoying it, stop. There's no need to go bigger if you don't like it. Any size is the right size if you're happy with it.

Stretching should be viewed as permanent. Up to a 6g or maybe a 4g your ears have a good chance of returning to their original size, but at 2g I wouldn't count on it and definitely not 0g or above.

Here are the minimum wait times after each stretch is complete:

16g - 1 month
14g - 1 month
12g - 6 weeks
10g - 2 months
8g - 3 months
6g - 3 months
4g - 3 months
2g and up - at least 4 months.

In any fresh stretch, please limit your jewelry to implant-grade steel or titanium or glass.

Be sure to clean all of your supplies before stretching to limit the risk of infection. It's best if you can use gloves to put a clean barrier between your hands and your piercings. Once everything is in, if you have any tenderness, do warm sea salt soaks (or, at least, non-iodized salt) 1-2 times a day.

Listen to your body. You know what is or isn't working for you. If your body says no, stop.

Finally: Enjoy the journey! It's an opportunity for self-discovery and fulfillment. It's not just about the end result, but how you got there. : D

[TheGreyEyedMonster]

^Pretty much just everything he said. I would only change that there is no set time for when you are ready to size up. Listen to your ears, and remember that the longer you wait, the healthier your lobes will be.

[ast.riske]

Agreed, madam. The times I listed were simply minimum guidelines. I wholeheartedly agree that each person will have their own appropriate times. : )

[SpiffyBeats]

Awesome! Thanks for the help guys. Can't wait to start

[corazon_de_oro]

^Pretty much just everything he said. I would only change that there is no set time for when you are ready to size up. Listen to your ears, and remember that the longer you wait, the healthier your lobes will be.

This. And there is no reason why you should go faster with small sizes than large sizes. The only reason large sizes would be more difficult is that a lot of people accidentally skip sizes when they get to larger ones. That's why I always recommend sizes like 1G, 9mm, etc.

[ast.riske]

I would argue that as you get to larger sizes, up have more tissue to heal. As the diameter of the jewelry goes up, the circumference goes up even faster. By giving larger sizes longer, you are giving all that stretched tissue longer to heal. For example, stretching from 10g to 8g you are healing a little more than 9mm of tissue, while at 2g to 1g you are healing a little more than 21mm of tissue. That's significantly more tissue.

It's the rule I've heard, and that seems to me to be the best way to explain it. At then end of the day, though each gauge is about a 26% larger than the last.

All the same, slow is good. : )

[corazon_de_oro]

But if you don't skip larger sizes, it's really not that big of an increase. The problem is that most people don't use in-between sizes when they get to larger sizes.

[ast.riske]

So true. It's just a 3.141mm increase each time. : )