Help, please! I need advice.

[Ilovedinosaurs]

I've had my steel 10g plugs in for about a week now, and I'm wondering how long I should wait before going to 8g. (I think my 8g plugs are acrylic) The earrings can both spin and slide in and out of my holes very easily, and my holes aren't swollen, but they still look red. I tried to put in my 8g plugs this morning, but it didn't want go in and I didn't want to push it. (I really don't want a blowout lol)
So how long should I wait before sticking these in? What should my holes look like? How should I go about putting the bigger size in? Should I be using tapers? Should it hurt or sting when I put the bigger size in? My roommate (she's wearing the size above 00g right now; I don't know what it's called ) says that I should be waiting until the point where my ears are now, but that it'll sting when I put the new plugs in, until about 4g; then it will hurt.
Thanks for the advice!

[Acacia]

Have a look at the guide sticky at the top of this subforum) or do a search, you'll find a lot of info, for example:

http://www.howtostretchyourears.com/str ... s-faqs.php

[corazon_de_oro]

There's no reason it should hurt at bigger sizes more than smaller ones unless you're not waiting long enough between sizes. A week isn't nearly long enough to wait, either, and your ears shouldn't be red. If they are, stop twisting the jewelry around! Wait about 6+ weeks, or until you can put 8G in with little to no resistance and no pain. It's easier after a shower with some type of oil or lube.

[Ilovedinosaurs]

Thanks! I'll wait until next month to try again then. I'd like to do this the right way. How often should I be cleaning my ears, and what should I use? I've always used rubbing alcohol before.

[TheGreyEyedMonster]

ah, dont do that! rubbing alcohol will dry out your ears. just use sea salt soaks if its sore. but really just cleaning them everyday in the shower with a little soap and water is fine.

[twosharks]

It may take 3 months or more for your ears to be ready for 8g. The point is to listen to your ears and not stretch if it's painful or terribly uncomfortable. Whether it's sooner or later, listen to your body.

In a perfect world, the inside of your piercing will look like the outside. Smooth, flesh colored, etc. Shininess, redness, wrinkles, or other signs of irritation are not desirable. The closer your piercing looks to regular skin, the healthier they are. So if they're red, they're angry. Stop moving your jewelry and leave it alone.

You should be using tapers, or teflon taping, to insert the jewelry at each size, and the jewelry should be metal, glass, or teflon for the first month, never acrylic. Tapers should never be worn as jewelry. They're only insertion tools so you just need one.

If it hurts or stings or feels like anything more than a brief warmth or twinge, then it's too soon, just wait longer. Proper stretching never hurts. As for cleaning, nothing harsh like rubbing alcohol. Soap and water is fine, some people like saline soaks for a few weeks. Alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and iodine are all no nos, as are all ointments.