First Timer Questions

[sunchild]

Hey all. I have decided to start stretching my lobes.

Background:
Firstly, before purchasing any tapers and jewellery I watched many youtube advice videos and read many articles, often articles say the same method and have the same safety advice, but I still read over twenty something articles. Next a bought my first set of surgical steel tapers, starting at 14g-8g.
I have also bought my first set of jewellery, surgical steel plugs, 14g and 12g.
Last night I took out my sleepers, had a hot shower, massaged my lobes, used vitE oil, and massaged them. I pre sterilised my jewellery. I used my first 14g taper, it went through very easily, I then followed with the 14g plug, it just slipped in, no pressure or anything like that.

Questions:
Because my first plug slipped in with no problems or pressure, should I be starting at 12g? I'm just talking about starting, not my general approach for skipping sizes.
I am also happy to wait 2weeks-1 month before going to 12g, because even though I can not feel the stretching, should I just err on the safe side?

Also, how does it feel to take it slow? If the next size up just slips in with no discomfort, no matter how subtle, is it tempting to skip a size? Or is there really stretching going on and the wait time is important no matter how easy it seems? My brother did it starting with an 8g (what a noob!) and he had pain, bleeding, problems and gave up and said it didn't work for him, he got dumb advice from a tattoo artist that told him to put a padlock in there.... He was surprised when he saw my set of tiny tapers, and I said it's going to take me months to get to an 8g! So my method is like the painless method, and the most rewarding I believe.

My approach/philosophy:
I do not have a goal for size, it's like a journey, the destination isn't really the point, though it's nice to have something in mind I'm sure, but for me, when I know my ears are ready following the healing period then I will go up, I suppose like art, is knowing when to stop! So that is my philosophy on the whole thing.
Also I am a very patient person, after three pregnancies, I'm super patient, a year to me is not a very long time. Thinking I will I have big lobes in 1-2 years is exciting and I wouldn't want it much earlier than that.

[DeluxeCameronOdom]

I personally am against skipping sizes at all. I would say that the MINIMUM you should wait to go to your 12g jewelry is 2 weeks. As you put it, erring on the side of safety is always best. Listen to your lobes! Also, what exactly do you mean by "pre-sterilizing?"

[ViolentJayne]

this is the best expailnation I have heard about why not to skip sizes......... The general reasoning behind why you should wait a minimum of a month or so to stretch all boils down to collagen and skin elasticity. Sort of long story short when you stretch your ears you are stretching out the spaces between the collagen molecules of your ear skin, your body needs time to fill back in those gaps with more collagen, when you rush and stretch before your ear has had a chance to replace those molecules you then make the gaps bigger, in turn making the areas weaker and thinner, this is what causes thin spots and weak spots, that’s why it’s imperative you do not stretch faster than your ears want you to go, and you don’t skip sizes. In the same respect when you skip sizes you are stretching those spaces out so far it takes the body wayyy longer to fill them in and sometimes just can’t at all, which is again where you get thin spots.

That being said if you have had your ears pierced for so long it would probably be ok to "skip 14" but why risk it like you said you have all the time in the world . i generally say wait 6-8 weeks between stretches but I think 2-4 would be ok for this one

[corazon_de_oro]

If I were you I'd wait about 6 weeks before trying the 12G. Give your ears some time to get used to the 14G.

To answer your question, even when you have no pain or resistance whatsoever it is still a stretch. It's just a lot easier on your body than if you were to skip a size/rush into it. So you still need to wait the full 6-8+ weeks even if your stretch went very smoothly.

I'm glad you're willing to be patient. Good luck!

[sunchild]

Thank you for the advice, much appreciated, the last thing I want to do is make a mistake while unaware of it.

Violet Jane, fantastic explanation, makes perfect sense.

My goal is not just the size of the hole, cos I want beautiful stretched lobes one day, not crazy looking ones...

I know I sort of answered my own question but I just wanted to hear it from the experts here. I have been looking around this forum and it's a really nice community!!

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