Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh yes yes yes. Even at 14 I can get away with wearing normal earrings. You can tell the gauged earrings are thicker, and there is less variety in many cases, but it doesn't look like you have a doughnut hole in your ear. I think I will end up going to 12, there are some lovely wooden and bone carved designs I want to get, but they are really only available online or proper tattoo/piercing places. I wouldn't be able to wear them at work mind you. I just stick to bog standard small hoops with spikes on the end. The problem is when you leave the earrings out for a long period they can start to shrink and close up, but that is the same with any piercing. I leave mine in 24/7 cause I can.