My ears have three piercings, all in the lobe. I'd had fourth holes in each ear off and on through out the years. The fourth one begins to get into the hard cartilage. The piercing would become infected and irritated more easily because of the location. So ultimately, I decided to just remove them, and not go for any cartilage piercings again.
At A Glance Author Hannah Contact iamformccoy@yahoo.com When A month ago Artist me Studio my house Location Hellabama So I began stretching with the decision that I would stop as large as I could go without losing my second and third holes. I initially thought I would stop at 0 gauge, since it seemed a nice rounded place to stop.
I read up on how to stretch. To take it slow, let it heal in between. The only problem is that I am terribly impatient.
I had stretched my ears years ago up to about a twelve gauge, but usually kept 14 gauge earrings in. I was able to stretch rather quickly. I have large lobes (as you could tell by all three piercings being in the squishy part, and not in the hard cartilage yet.) I stretched quickly. I went from 12 to 0 gauge in about two months. And kept my second and third piercings.
My other half hates them and all piercings. So I couldn't scream when I stretched too quickly, or show him the bleeding. I order talons to stretch with--a kit with talons in all sizes up to zero gauge. I would push them through from the back of my piercing, so the would look more like hoop earrings (for work).
By far, the worst stretching was from 2 gauge to 0. I had the 0 talons in about half way through. The talons were impossibly heavy and were causing my ears more pain than an acrylic taper would have caused. So, one night, I just went into the bathroom, and decided to see if I could push it all the way to the zero part of the talon. I rubbed baby oil on the remainder of the talon, and got ready to push. I went for my left ear first, since it proves to be the more painful and difficult. I pushed and it slide through, but hurt like bloody hell. I leaned over double and bit my tongue to keep from screaming. How the hell was I supposed to do that to the other now?! I did slow, meditative breathing for a long time. I finally had the courage to push the other one through. It hardly hurt with my right ear. The next few nights were shear and utter hell when it came to sleeping. I have to sleep on my sides, so sleeping on a freshly and too quickly stretched lobe sucked. I would have to hold my ear I was laying on just to stop the throbbing. Tylenol doesn't help with the pain by the way.
As I said, I'm impatient, and instead of waiting for the skin to heal inside the hole, I just kept stretching. It's been a month since 2 to 0, and it still bleeds off and on. I leave my eyelets out for a little bit and have to push to get it back in.
I clean my ears with soap and hot water, since it's really smelly. I use lavender baby oil to help with the stretching.
I'm letting my ears rest for now. I ordered tapers for the stretch from 0 to 00, and then to 7/16" and then the 1/2". I ordered plugs for the 1/2". (over 100 bucks worth...)
So, all in all, my bit of advice is to make sure if you are stretching as quickly as I am, make sure you don't have a blow out (ickey nasty butthole looking piercing). Make sure it's healing properly, and that you aren't getting an infection. Also, make sure that you have a rounded stretch. If it is lopsided, downsize and start again after it's healed. Mine stretched because the lobes are huge to begin with, and very elastic. Mine are rounded, and are healing without many problems. I should have taken it slower, but all in all, I'm glad I have gone so quickly.
I've also had problems with 'O' rings. They are irritating to fresh stretchings, and when the ear is swelling, and they are in the way of the swelling, it can become extra painful. So, I usually go for an eyelet after a stretch, at least for a few days, and then go back to plugs with 'O' rings.
Now if I can only stop when I reach 1/2". I'll keep you posted with the progress of my stretches. Hope I don't loose my other lobe piercings. I've been considering stretching those as well. Not to the same extent, but stretching just the same. I've been considering a dermal punch for my upper ear, but as I've mentioned, cartilage and I don't get along.