stretching is definitely pretty permanent as you get large. i've got a very large septum piercing (9/16"[14.3mm]) and the dent in my "hard" cartilage is almost a complete "C" shape. it feels pretty interesting though, and i don't mind at all. as stretching began to get into that area though, it was very painful and touchy during healing. stretching itself wasn't that bad, it was just so tender a few days later and for a while. any tiny whack to my face was enough to make me stop whatever i was doing and just clench in pain.