Tapers are surgical stainless steel tools that look similar to solid, blunt-ended piercing needles. They range in size from very thin 18-gauge versions to 00 gauge or larger. The blunt point of the taper is the size of your current piercing, and the larger end is the size of the plug you want to insert. Piercers lubricate tapers with water-based lube or surgical scrub before pushing them through your piercings. It is generally suggested that you do not try to stretch more than two plug sizes at once, or more than one when you reach larger gauges.
Once you stretch your piercing past a 00 gauge, taping the plug with Teflon tape (also called PTFE or plumber's tape) allows you to continue increasing the size of the piercing very gradually. By wrapping your plugs with one revolution of tape every day or two, you can stretch to the next size plug without feeling the pain of taper stretching. If you have plugs one size too large to fit, you can stretch your earlobes to accommodate them over several days or weeks using Teflon tape.
Silicone plugs are an option for stretching piercings slightly too small to accommodate the plugs you want to wear. Because you can fold silicone plugs, you can insert them into a piercing without using a taper. When you let go of the plug, it will unfold and expand to fit your piercing. Buy a pair of silicone plugs the same size as the hard plugs you want to wear and insert them into your piercing to gently stretch it. Do not insert silicone plugs more than one size larger than your current piercing.
Stretching with glass jewelry is an alternative to taper stretching. Glass spirals and talons have a pointed end and gradually increase in size along the length of the jewelry. Pyrex glass is autoclave-safe, meaning it can be sterilized using the same method as steel jewelry and tapers. Lubricate glass jewelry before inserting it into your piercing, just as you would lubricate a talon. Because glass and metal have the potential to tear skin if the stretch is done too quickly, be conservative when performing your own stretches with glass jewelry.