I find mine aren't so bad if I clean them once a day. I know for a fact too if you stay at 0 or under, your ears will heal just fine after you take them out.

I plan on going up to a 0 at some point, but I'm too broke to buy 2s now, haha.

@ Roah: Yeah I have heard that zero is about the size to stop if you plan on them closing at all again.
I try to clean my ears once a day anyway.
Although I am not sure if I want to go any bigger.
I mean, if I cried about a eighteen to fourteen taper, I cannot imagine how bad it would be to go bigger, faster.
Ack. >.<

When it comes to stuff like this that is a fad of the moment, you have to think about the long term. You're doing something to your body that is going to be there for life...long after the fad is over.