I have a standard cartilage piercing and i want to go up a size.?

Question

i wana know how long i should wait from the time i got it pierced to how i should go about a size up.

Answer 1

You will need to let the piercing fully heal, which will take about a year, maybe a little more if you had issues during the healing.

Stretching cartilage can be painful and difficult, I would recommend having a pro do it for you, especially since you want to go up only one size. If you want to do it yourself, you will need a taper and proper jewelry in the next size. (sizes go 18ga, 16, 14, 12, 10, etc) Use a water based lubricant (KY jelly or surgilube work well and are available at most drug stores). Remove your current jewelry. Lube up the taper and new jewelry. Push the taper through the piercing with steady pressure until it's about 3/4 of the way through. Butt the new jewelry against the taper (some are big enough to allow you to insert the jewelry in the end of the taper) and push the rest of the way through. It will be uncomfortable. If the pain is bad, stop and wait a few weeks before attempting to stretch. It should not bleed.

Jewelry needs to be implant grade stainless steel or titanium. No organics or acrylics for fresh stretches. You will need to do sea salt soaks 2-3 times per day for a few weeks, just like a new piercing.

If you plan to stretch further, you need to wait at least a few months between stretches to allow time to heal. If you're planning on going up many sizes, you may want to look at getting the piercing dermal punched, it will be less traumatic on your ear and will be much faster and easier. (not recommended for lobes, only cartilage)  

Answer 2

if your just going one size bigger, you could do it whenever you want, but it will hurt less if you let it completely heel. then do it.  just whenever it doesnt hurt to twist or move around or play with it is healed.

Answer 3

if its fully healed you can but its not healed i wouldn't cause it might get sore and red and it might get infected! if you want to go up a size get an 18g and then wait for a month or two and then you notice your ears start to be itchy about 2 weeks or 3 just depends on your body and then that means they are healing and then after that they are fully healed then you can move up to an 16g! but don't move up to a bigger size really soon cause you might blow out your ear!