I’m going to start off with some important things to remember. Ear stretching can be VERY painful if not done correctly. I rushed mine a few times and it was HORRIBLE! Another consideration is what @chyna is talking about. Any job where you are around people or deal with the public can be counted out of the question.
It’s generally accepted that if a person stretches larger than a 00 gauge (about 3/8in or 9.266mm) than the hole will never naturally close up. That’s another thing to take into consideration when deciding how big to go. I’m here to tell you, stretching can become addicting. I’m out of my piercing phase and I still catch myself wanting to stretch up to a larger gauge.
The process is for stretching is simple. Most piercers don’t do it for you but they tell you how. It all starts with the first piercing. Most piercings are done with a 14ga or 16ga needle. From there, you heal it like you normally would which can take anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. Then you purchase the next size up, which is actually a smaller number, and stick it in. Then you repeat the process.
Like a fresh piercing, a fresh stretch will quickly close during the healing process. Once they are healed and stretched to a size for a few weeks, they won’t close too quickly.
The smell is caused by sebum which is an oily/waxy matter used to lubricate the skin. The sebum begins to break down under the jewelry and it reeks! The best way to deter the smell is to use organic jewelry (Wood, bone and other porous material). Be careful when stretching with porous material though because bacteria can invade the pores and cause infections which cause a serious problem with any piercing.
I’m currently at 5/8in and here’s a picture of the jewelry in and here’s
one out so that you have sort of an idea of sizing.