Helix piercing advice?

Honestly, it all just comes down to the individual...
For instance, I’ve got four piercings in my right ear, but getting that third one in was a total nightmare—I had to go back in eight separate times because it kept getting infected before it finally took. On my left side, I only have two, and I think I had to redo a couple of them maybe four or five times... I can't even remember exactly. I'm actually planning on adding another one to my cartilage soon so I can hit five total. 👍
I mean, I don't know who actually enjoys that... the pain shouldn't be enough to stop someone...

So I finally went through with the piercing at the jewelry shop for my $6.75 and honestly, everything’s going fine👍. It stung a little bit right at first, then it was just tender if I touched it, but now that it's been a few days, I don't feel much of anything... Just grabbed some saline solution from the drugstore and I've been rinsing it with that, and that's pretty much it

I am seriously considering getting my navel pierced, but I have my heart set on using my own jewelry for the initial placement. Does anyone happen to know what length stud I should look for to start with? My plan is to eventually switch to a smaller bar once the swelling subsides—similar to how I’d handle a belly button piercing—but I’m feeling a bit lost regarding what size to order right now. To be perfectly honest, the studio wouldn't give me a straight answer because they have this strict policy against clients bringing their own pieces, but frankly, I just don't care for their selection and would much rather pick something myself. I might even end up getting my ears done later too.
Where do you all typically source your jewelry from, and what kind of styles do you prefer?

How much does the actual procedure hurt? Just asking hypothetically...