Im currently at 7/16. I've gone from a standard to a 6, from a 6 to a 4, then a 4 to a 00, then a 00 to my 7/16 in about 6-7 months. Pain tolerance isnt a problem and i've split my ears before but my doctors told me the hole for my ear is clean and has not scarring or problems so i just wanna make sure it's safe. My ear has bled once or twice before when gauging but it usually clears, and they've never been infected. I see no point in going one millimeter bigger to go to a 1/2 in and i'd rather skip the 5/8 if i could and jsut go to the 3/4 given that it's safe because gauges are pricy.