Begin with 14-gauge earrings in your ears, using water or Vitamin E oil as lubricant. For these smaller sizes, it is not necessary to buy tapers for the stretching process. You may instead want to buy pinchers as earrings if you intend to continue the stretching process. Pinchers are semi-circular earrings that gradually increase in thickness toward the center. Wait at least one week to restretch.
Stretch your ears to 12 gauge using tapers or pinchers. If using tapers, slide the tapers in and immediately replace them with your plugs. Wait at least one more week before stretching again.
Size up to 10-gauge earrings in your ears. At the 10-gauge level is when you will begin to see a bigger difference in gauge sizes. Because of the difference in sizes of gauges, you will need to begin to wait longer between stretching in order to make sure that your ears have fully healed. Wait 10 days until stretching to 8 gauge.
Utilize tapers to stretch your ears from 10 gauge to 8 gauge. If you do not have tapers, you can slowly begin to stretch your ears by wrapping a small strip of tape around the plugs twice. Wait a week or so and wrap another strip twice around. You should now be at the size of 8 gauge. Wait two weeks before stretching again, and only stretch if your earlobes are not sore and have no white pus.
Advance from the 8-gauge level to the 6-gauge sizing. Tape is a great option that works just as well as tapers, but using tape will increase the time needed to wait before restretching. When you work your way up to larger sizes such as 6 gauge and lower, it is necessary to wait at least one month before restretching.
Continue from 6 gauge to 4 gauge. Wait a least one month, and continue this process with 2 gauge, 0 gauge, 00 gauge and larger gauges until you reach your desired size.