So I've been gauging my ears for almost two years now and I've moved at a relatively fast pace. Never gotten advice from anyone other than my friend who is at 3/4. Well, I've had my 5/8 in for about 3 months now and they're at that point where when I sleep my double flares end up falling out. So I decided to gauge up to 3/4 since I couldn't find any 11/16 at ANY store I went to. If I could find them, then skipping a size would definetaly not have been my choice. I decided that this round I would try Silicon earrings and they went in without too much of a hassle. But when I cleaned them later that day, they were bleeding. I immediately put my 5/8 back after a thorough cleaning and a little bit of antibacterial soap to prevent infection. The next morning I woke up and my left gauge had fallen out and my right gauge was halfway through cutting up the inside of my ear(stainless steel flares). SO, my question is, how long should I let them heal? There's already been a sufficient amount of damage done to my ear. But 3/4 has been my final goal since I started and I'd hate to have to stop at this point when I've already come so far. Would it be even remotely safe to let them heal and continue, or shove the bigger ones in and let them heal that way? Which I know probably wouldn't be the BEST idea of all of them. 

Downsize, downsize, downsize. Leave your lobes naked for about 6 months or at least to 1/2 an inch. Do some sea salt soaks (one fourth teaspoon to eight ounces of water) and baby your lobes.

edit: http://forums.bodyartforms.com/forums/p/5641/82737.aspx#82737

1) You've been stretching for almost two years...not gauging.

2) never stretch with silicone (or put it in a new or freshly stretched piercing. Stainless steel or glass are the way to go.

3) You need to either remove the jewelry or downsize significantly, probably even smaller than 5/8. This will put as little pressure as possible on the fistula and allow it to heal the best it possibly can.

4) I personally would wait 5-6 months before trying to stretch again. Having ripped open your lobe, it's essentially like having a new piercing again and you need to wait until it's completely healed to stretch again, not just until it "feels OK."

5) After awhile you can do massages with jojoba oil/emu oil/etc to soften some of the accumulated scar tissue. This will give you the best chance of being able to stretch up to 3/4 successfully.

6) Lucky for you, BAF sells 11/16 plugs, so when the time comes you can stretch the right way. And there are more than a few threads on here devoted to stretching, I'd check them out.

 I would say 6 months considering the state of your ears.  No more silicone for stretching.  Baby them babies!

 I would love to go lower than 5/8 but I'm presented with an unfortunate circumstance. I'm visiting family, I have none of my other gauges to downsize with. And I'm basically broke and have no car. So should I just tough it out and take care of my ears until I get back home down size?

Just leave them naked then. That is the BEST thing you can do. BUT, you could leave the 5/8s in and downsize as SOON as you have access to smaller sizes.

 Alright, and when it comes to oils. Is there any certain kind I shouldn't use. I'm my situation I'm somewhat 'limited'.

 Emu, jojoba, coconut, or vitamin e are all good choices. 

Since your skin is broken emu oil is the only oil suitable. When your ears are "healed" (about two, three weeks) you can use any oil you like (jojoba, shea butter, holy butt'r, etc...) or even plain, unscented hand lotion. The most important act is the massage itself. It promotes blood circulation and cell growth. But make sure your ears are "healed" because if they're not the massages will further irratate your lobes.

 Alright, sounds good. Thanks for all the advice everybody. It's taken a load off my worried mind.

Your welcome :) I'm sure your lobes are saying thanks as well

PS: Welcome to the boards :)

LifeIsArt:

PS: Welcome to the boards :)

Agreed! Welcome and happy healing (let us know how it goes)!

You can buy Liquid Vitamin-E pills at like CVS, or walgreens, and it's just oil in there, so just poke a hole in them, and massage your lobes with it.

ffrvnoob:

You can buy Liquid Vitamin-E pills at like CVS, or walgreens, and it's just oil in there, so just poke a hole in them, and massage your lobes with it.

Not for broken skin. As lifeisart said, only emu oil can be used in this situation.

Oooh! Pirate, you're right.

then Sea salt soaks, and emu oil would be the best....