You only need one taper, that's used to insert 16g jewelry. That 16g jewelry stays in 4-6 weeks.

Tapers are not meant to be worn as jewelry. You are supposed to use them simply to get the hole to the right size, then immediately put the plug or hoop or whatever you are going to be wearing in right afterwards. Then you wait a month and repeat the process. So you need the tapers AND normal earrings.