I would like to get up to a 00g. Right now I had a minor setback and am at a 10? g (maybe my holes shrunk back to 12 or 14...not sure). It discourages me a bit, but I want my ears done so I guess I gotta keep marchin forward.

I know someone who stretched from the smaller stretches (14 to 12, for example) in two weeks. I had wanted to attempt this, but I am so glad I did. When I put my tapers in the other day (12 g), there was a little pain, but no pop or blood or anything, so I was feeling good. I don't have my 12 g plugs yet, so I kept them in for a few hours. ...

Thank you all for the advice! Don't wear tapers as jewelry, or to sleep in :) I will buy my 12g plugs, and continue on with the knowledge.

I've looked at those. So, in other words, tapers should just be more of a temporary thing, just to make sure you can put in plugs?    Thanks :)

 Okay,I'm pretty new to this whole stretching thing. I got the tornado tapers off of here, but I think someone said it's not safe/may cause an infection if you keep these in? So that's where I get confused. Should I have bought single-flare plugs to stretch with, (as in, once I put in the tapers, I pushed the plug in as well?) Or ...