Ear Piercing

[MmeMorrible]

So the time has come. DD(11) wants to get her ears pierced and foolishly, many years ago when she first asked about it, I said she could have it done in the summer holidays before going to secondary school.

Where is best to get the deed done? I vaguely remember someone saying not to go to Claire's Accessories but I'm not sure why, or where else to go.

Any advice?

[victoryinthekitchen]

We went to Claire's for dd(10), the staff were lovely and made it fun, gave her a lolly afterwards etc, also free aftercare and a voucher for future earrings. Mine was one of the last in her class to have them done so well done for hanging on until 11!! Maybe Claire's was expensive, I know some people had theirs done at the hairdressers.

[CastilianHhhhidalgo]

Go to a proper piercing studio that uses needles rather than the gun.

It's less painful and a far better way of having them done. You'll also get much better aftercare advice.

[Angelto5]

Iirc at Claire's last year for my dd it cost £24 but depends on the studs you pick. also didn't realise till she started high school in the sept that earrings weren't allowed-thankfully they had pretty much healed by the time she started & she only took them out for school.

[DidoTheDodo]

I had my ears pierced at the grand old age of 49 at Claire's (yes, very embarrassing) because, although I tried really hard to get them done elsewhere (anywhere else, really) I was given the message that Claire's had cleaned up on that particular market and no-one else did it any more!

My ears were fine.

[bigTillyMint]

DD had hers done at Claires at the start of the summer hols before secondary school. They did both at once and were very careful and gave good advice. No problems whatsoever. So good that she went back a couple of years later to get her second lobe piercings.

I would definitely recommend them.

[GobblersKnob]

I would only ever have them done at a proper piercers with a needle, never a gun.

[AuntieStella]

Planning ahead, for the summer between primary and secondary for DD.

How long after piercing can you swim? I've googled, and the answers vary enormously depending on nationality of site, plus whether pool or sea.

[SublimeCorpse]

Please don't go to Claire's!

Get them done with a needle in a piercing studio. Neat holes that heal easily, I've had 2 done with a gun and 1 with a needle and the needle holes are far far better.

[KittiesInsane]

Our local piercing studios all said they still use a gun anyway for under 16s.

I can imagine how well it's going to go down if you ask her to wait another four years...

[bigTillyMint]

Auntie Stella, we went on holiday immediately after and DD was swimming every day, no problem.

I had gun piercings done about 35 years ago, never had a problem with them.

[CointreauVersial]

We went to our local hairdresser for DD1, and they did a brilliant job. I've just booked DD2 for hers.

[MmeMorrible]

Thanks all. Will have a look in town and see what's available, but it sounds like Claire's might be the only option.

Definitely can't see DD wearing another 4 year wait for needle piercings.

[BloodFlower]

Please at least ask around the piercing studios. I've never heard of the use of guns for under 16s. If you get her ears pierced with a gun you're running a far, far higher risk of infection. Your call...

[Pangaea]

Claire's did mine, they are fine.

[ApocalypseNowt]

A lot of people will have been to Claire's and been fine but there are a lot who have been there and haven't been fine. I know this for a fact so i'd definitely recommend going to a piercing studio if you can.

[Cocolepew]

Claires did both my DDs, DD2 has 3 piercings , they have been fine.
I had mine done 4 times with a gun over 30 years ago and have never had a problem.

[TooOldForGlitter]

I was going to start a thread in Chat about this exact subject. My daughter is also 11 and I said she could have them done after finishing primary. Our local, highly regarded, tattoo parlour will pierce with a needle for under 16s if parent/guardian is present.

Why are needles better?

[FreddieStarrAteMyHamster]

DD got hers done at a reputable beauty salon. It was very clean, done carefully and in a private room. The piercer took time to explain all the training she had undergone, procedure, aftercare. They only pierced with titanium and we have had zero problems. I looked into a proper piercing place but none would do under 16's with a needle. I suspect most problems occur with upper ear cartilage piercings than the lower ear lobe, which is just fleshy.

[CastilianHhhhidalgo]

Why are needles better?

It's like the difference between using a hole punch to put a hole in a piece of paper versus shoving a blunt pencil through it.

The needles used for piercings are hollow and remove a small tunnel of flesh which leaves a perfectly sized gap to allow the jewellery (which should be either surgical steel or titanium, nothing else) to sit within the piercing without causing any pressure on surrounding tissue.

Piercing guns force a blunt stud through the flesh, pushing it aside and creating pressure round the jewellery.

I had my first ear piercings done with a gun and had endless problems with them because rather than a clean tunnel through my lobe the inside is a ragged mess that's difficult to get earrings through.

I used to be a piercer at a proper studio and it wasn't unusual at all to get people in wanting their ears re-pierced with a needle to remove the problems caused by them having been done with a gun.

[TooOldForGlitter]

Crikey, sounds horrible when you think about it like that. I had my piercings done sat on a stool at the jewellery stall on the market!

Will go to tattoo place for DD, thanks for info.

[willowisp]

My dd (almost 11) had her ears pierced at a local hairdressers.with a gun

I was really impressed, they made sure I was happy with the positioning & explained they don't do both ears at the same time because people invariably jun& it's not accurate.

Now I don't know if my dd has been exceptionally good at keeping them clean, but she's had NO problems at all. Unlike me 34 Yeats ago, where I can remember pus & crusting.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My DD is 12 and had hers done a year ago (at Claires)

She had done all the reading up, and asked her friends.
The important thing to remember too is the aftercare. Make sure your DD is scrupulous at keeping them clean as directed.

DD was pierced with 18ct gold (I had allergies to metal as a teen)
She is having another piercing when she finishes school, again a high carat gold or titanium.

[Pangaea]

Completely agree with everyone talking about aftercare.

My sister has numerous piercings and the only ear one to ever become infected was pierced with a needle. This was solely because she failed to keep it clean.

I was living with her at the time. It was all manky and bloody stunk!

[CointreauVersial]

Piercing studios need to improve their image if I'm going to take my 11yo DD there to have her ears pierced. The one in our local town is a dark and dingy tattoo dungeon. It's perhaps not surprising that I will feel a lot more comfortable in a beauty salon, gun or no gun.

[velourvoyageur]

Are you sure there's not a bit of exaggeration that a gun is so much worse than a needle?
I have six piercings in my ears and all inc the cartilage one were done by a gun, healed quickly and are all fine.

I got most done where I had my tats done- clean well lit parlour. I would have thought it great fun to go to a tattoo place at her age!