DD wants to get her ears pierced-any tips/advice?

[Pink Fairy]

I had my ears pierced at 6yo, and that was a bit to young (for me). I constantly got them caught on stuff, and they always seemed to be infected. As an adult, I haven't had much better luck, and so I stopped wearing them years ago.

 

Here are her questions-

 

1. How do they do it?

 

2. Does it hurt? If so, how bad (like a pinch? a shot? worse?)

 

My questions-

 

1. Why would you recommend she NOT get them pierced? (I always like to know the cons, and I already know the pros).

 

2. What's the safest, cleanest way to get it done? Are those stores at the mall acceptable?

 

3. Anything else I haven't thought of?

 

:bigear:

Thanks!

[JFSinIL]

They clean the lobe, mark with a washable marker where to poke the hole, ask Mom to check and mark sure the marks are level, and then with a little gun-like thingie held right next to the ear they "shoot" and when they remove the "gun" the earring is in place. Yes, it hurts for a millisecond - kinda like getting your ear stapled. Some places will do both ears at once, if they have two trained folks there to do it. I have had both my dd's done at the local Claires in the mall. Make sure you come away with the sterile cleaning solution, and have cotton balls at home, as she will need to clean and turn the earrings three times a day for a couple months or so. She will also need to keep them in all the time- even to sleep/shower/swim. My youngest got hers done just before Christmas and now can wear small dangles, various stud-types, etc. She changes back into small studs at bedtime if she has been wearing something danglely all day.

[elbac]

I don't think it really matters where you get it done. They'll wear gloves, and the starter studs come in their own sanitary package, so they aren't exposed to anything prior to being use for the piercing. So I don't think any one location is going to be any more or less sanitary than another. Now if you see them not taking necessary precautions, stop right there! My only concern, and I use the term loosely, would be to make sure it's someone with some decent experience, that's better at placing where they put the holes. We had dd's done at Claire's for that reason alone.

 

Given that you're more prone to infections, there is the possibility that your daughter may be as well.

 

I was six when I got my ears pierced. My father did quite a bit of hunting, and the only guns I'd ever seen were hunting rifles. I had envisioned the person that was going to pierce my ears standing some 30 feet away aiming with a scope, and I thought they must have some pretty impressive aim. Boy was I ever surprised! :lol:

[orangeblossom]

My dd had them done at 6. They got infected (even though we cleaned them properly, as instructed) and she was miserable, so she let them grow back in. She had them re-done at 10 and was much happier the second time. I made her pay for her own the second time around.

 

My dd is deathly afraid of shots and both times, she was fine with the piercings. She thought it just felt like a pinch.

 

Both times, she got them done at Claire's and they did a good job.

[orangeblossom]

LOL!!

[Tracey in TX]

Some dr offices will pierce ears, but we used Claire's. It was a good experience for the girls. Both ears were pierced simultaneously, and there were no tears.

I am allergic to most earrings, and the ears arbitrarily close up--while the earring is still intact. One DD has also experienced this.

Just luck and hope she enjoys this milestone to being a 'big girl' :)

[cin]

I had all mine pierced at mall stores. (I have 3 holes in each ear) The only concern I would have is that she be responsible enough for upkeep. You have to clean and rotate them daily. With my last piercing, one of my holes started getting really sore (despite the care.) I took it upon myself to take the earring out and bathe it in alcohol and soak the ear also. Hurt like the dickesn, but after a couple of days it was fine.

[Halftime Hope]

Do not read this if you are faint at heart.

 

 

You've been warned: yuck in the third paragraph.

 

 

 

 

I did not take my dd to a mall store; I took her to a tattoo/piercing shop. I did serious homework before making my decision, locating a place with a good rep, making sure there was a woman to do the piercing, and making arrangements so we could go in and out without having to look around at all the distasteful adornments and artwork.

 

They used two disposable needle instead of a gun (less blunt trauma); they autoclaved everything that was not disposable, and the instruments they used which actually touched dd (forceps) I had them autoclave while I waited. The tech wore latex gloves which went through a separate sterilization process as well, and they used implant-grade stainless steel.

 

It was overkill I suppose, but the mall places use the same gun for everyone, clean the tip which touches your ear off with an alcohol swab, although there is the potential for aerosolized body fluids to be present on the gun, due to the way the punctures are done. An instrument that can have other people's body fluids on it, making two puncture wounds into my child's head just isn't clean enough.

 

That is all. And, no,:smilielol5:I'm not neurotic about germs as a general rule.

[KAR120C]

I did not take my dd to a mall store; I took her to a tattoo/piercing shop.

I had my own done at a tattoo parlor for similar reasons -- both because I trusted them more and also because I have a long history of difficulties with earrings (and a lot of scar tissue where they had been pierced before) and wanted a) the neater hole made with the needle rather than the piercing gun, and b) the better quality earrings.

 

I have a larger gauge hole than usual because of all that (removed some of the scar tissue) but it's been three years now and I've had none of the problems I had with the previous piercings.

 

Most people don't have any problem at all with Claire's or whatever mall place they choose, but if you have a history of allergies or infections I would highly recommend a good tattoo parlor, and particularly one that is happy to let you watch them disinfect everything. It does hurt though, and quite a lot more than the piercing guns!

[unsinkable]

Piercings are an adult decision, IMO.

 

You are letting a child decide whether she wants either permanent holes in her body or permanent scars.

 

6 year olds don't understand the permancy of piercings.

[Pink Fairy]

Actually, my dd will be 11yo at the end of the month.:) I'm the one who was pierced at 6yo.

 

If it were something that I consider more serious--like she wanted to get a tattoo--it would be a different story. But she's responsible, and doesn't show an excessive concern about how she looks. I buy all her clothes and shoes, and she's happy to wear whatever I get her. So I think it's rather sweet that she wants to get earrings--my baby is growing up! But I do appreciate the alternative viewpoint. :001_smile:

 

Thanks for all the input, ladies. We've discussed what you all said/suggested, and she thinks she wants to do it. My parents usually take the kids out for their birthdays, so I suggested to dd that they might consider making this part of her "field trip."

[unsinkable]

Best wishes! It is such a personal decision...even though we don't agree, I hope your dd enjoys her earrings and birthday! :D

[Halftime Hope]

It does hurt though, and quite a lot more than the piercing guns!

 

You know, I was concerned about that, but dd, who was 13 at the time said it didn't hurt at all. I was surprised, but I credit it to the fact that the lady was very fast, and they had iced it well.

 

The next poster down referred to it being an adult decision. My dd was responsible and ready from the time she was ten or so. I would have let her do it then, feeling that she had made an "adult decision", except that she did not want to go without swimming for the six or so weeks they said it needed to be kept dry. She chose to wait.

[Pata]

My dd just got hers done about a month ago and she didn't flinch, but she's tough. We also got her's done at Claire's. Her's got a little red and tender the first week but we cleaned them 3 times a day and they got better and now they look great. I am prone to ear infection and have to use only 14kt gold or above, so we had hers done with 14kt studs, they now have them. Maybe that would help?

[Kuovonne]

I second the recommendation on 14kt gold or above earrings, at least to start. When I was a kid, I got my ears pierced at the mall. They were fine, until I started wearing "fashion" earrings. I didn't realize it, but my ears got infected. They got puffy and tender. Even so-called "hypo-allergenic" earrings irratated my ears, and I couldn't wear them for more than an hour or so. After years of not wearing ear-rings, I found out about metal allergies and got a pair of earrings with 14kt gold posts. I can now wear them all the time and they don't hurt.

 

The daughter of a friend of mine had a similar experience. She got her ears pierced with gold studs and they were fine until she switched to regular earrings. Then her ears got swollen and painful. She chose to stop wearing earrings and let her holes close up.

 

When my daughter gets her ears pierced, it will be with gold studs. When she is able to switch to other earrings (non-gold) I'll watch ear ears carefully and if they get tender, I'll switch her back to gold.

[Tea 4 Three]

My dad pierced mine with an ice cube (to numb the lobe), a sterile needle and a potato on the back of my lobe to make sure the needle didn't go through to my scalp... Wouldn't recommend that method:ack2:

 

I second the two guns at once...it went very smoothly for my dd (10). The posts bout the body fluids on the guns really got to me. I am considering the tattoo parlor for my next dd.

[Tap]

Please use a tattoo/piercing parlor!

 

Call and talk to a piercing parlor about the benefits of a parlor over a boutique. They will enlighten you about the dangers of exposing your child unnecessarily to many contagious diseases, improperly placed holes, and the infections caused by poor quality earrings.

 

The guns used in boutiques like Clair's literally take a sharpened stud and force it through the ear. It rips a jagged hole that is prone to infection, and future rips that leave permanent scars. The guns are made of plastic, are simply wiped down to be cleaned, and are used on hundreds of people. You are absolutely at the mercy of the last person who cleaned it. I am sure there are many good, thorough people who work there, but are you really willing to risk your dd getting Hepatitis or another life long blood born disease on the safety of a stranger who works at a mall? Think about this....would you allow this same person, in the same store to give your child an immunization with the same gun? Would you allow a teenager with a few hours of training to give your dd a couple of immunizations with a plastic, wiped down, gun? Would you allow them to cram a piece of metal, the size of a stud into your dd's arm, to inject her with a serum that could potentially save her life?

 

The parlor will use a single use hollow needle that will cut a small core of the ear out. It will leave a near perfect hole, and then they will put a surgical grade or better loop in her ear. The hole will heal easier, will be much less prone to infection and will scar cleaner and with smoother edges which are much less likely to tear as an adult. The process is strictly regulated and every step is sterile. The person who does the piercing has devoted their life and career to making sure that the industry is safe. Nothing is reused without being autoclaved in between patients. There is a reason that piercing studios don't use guns! Think about it, it would be cheaper and easier, but they know the dangers and they aren't willing to risk it, so why would you?

 

The earrings used in the first few months are vastly different also. Boutiques use a traditional stud, with a butterfly back. They are full of crevices for the bacteria, dead skin and scabs to collect, which is why they get infected so easily. The solution they will give you to clean the ear is to dry out the site and to sanitize it. This solution is not usually recommended by the more qualified parlors. They will instruct you on what is good and bad for the open wound. If you have a parlor pierce her they will most likely recommend loops with a tiny ball on the end. They are very clean and easy to care for as there are virtually no crevices. Since you can keep them clean easier, you don't need to sanitize them! Think of having a wound on your arm...do you pour alcohol on it daily, for six weeks? If you have to, wouldn't you wonder why it isn't healing properly? It is the same for piercings. If you keep the wound on your arm clean, and dry, it should heal almost without effort. The parlor will likely recommend a soak 2x daily with a sea salt solution. The sea salt will gently clean the holes and will gently dry them. You may get a different procedure but make sure to ask how and why they recommend the method they do. They will be happy to explain, if not, find a different piercer. The other huge benefit of the loop is that it will not catch on bedding or in her hair, ripping a larger hole in the ear. Many kids lose an earring in the middle of the night and can't find it soon enough before the wound heals. Then the parent either has to force it back though or have it repierced later.

 

 

I would call around in your area and see what age a parlor will do piercings. Some may refuse because of her age but that is fine. They take their job seriously and that is why you want a parlor! Keep calling and find one who will pierce her and then talk to them about your options for loops, general prices, and what her maintenance during the healing cycle will be. Expect it to cost about $50 to $100. They will only be able to give you vague prices on the loops until you make a decision about size and quality. This is not a time to go cheap, but you can be realistic. One other benefit of the loops is that you can reuse them if someone else decides to get a piercing later. They are designed to be sterilized with minimal effort. You will get different opinions about the maintenance at different parlors but by asking you will also get a good feel for the piercer. This is a person who is performing minor surgery on your child, you want to understand and feel comfortable with them.

 

One final benefit is the placement of the holes. A parlor will consider the growth of the child. They will likely place the holes a little higher up because the ear lobe grows from the top down. A 10yo still has a bit of growing to do, so the difference may or may not be really noticeable. If a younger child is pierced, and the hole placed in the center of the lobe, the earlobe will grow and the hole will be too low as an adult. I see it quite often in women who were pierced as infants themselves.

 

 

I hope this didn't come across to harsh but I really feel strongly about a choice your daughter is making and your efforts to make it as safe as possible for her.

 

PS Please forgive the many grammatical errors, it is 2:30am, I have been up all night with a cranky baby and I am too tired to edit.

 

Good night, God bless, and I hope all goes well for you no matter what choice you make.

 

Tap (mom of a dd9 who was pierced at 6yo in a parlor...infection and irritation free from day 1) :D

[freethinkermom]

I am another recomendation for using a professional studio. Tap explained it all very well. I just want to give an aditional opion on the pain aspect. I have had my ears done both ways. The professional needle peircing was much less painful!

 

And this bit is icky, so I am warning before going on....

 

I am what the piercer called a bleeder. When my ears are nicked they gush. So when I did have the Claire's gun piercing done I guarantee there was plenty of my blood on that gun when they were done and they did nothing but wipe it off with alcohol when done. Now I am a healthy person with no blood born diseases, but there is no way you can be sure that someone else did not bleed just as much that was not so healthy. Oh, and the gun piercings never healed, hence the professional piercing later.

[ConnieB]

One of the reasons I've resisted my dd's request for ear piercings is that I don't want it done at the mall....for all the reasons that have been listed here....unsanitary, teenagers, worry about lopsided holes (I have those so I no longer wear earrings), etc etc etc.

 

And while everything Tap says makes me much more comfortable about the procedure....I gotta be honest....I'm not thrilled about the idea of my very sheltered 10yo going into a tatoo parlor. I've never been in one myself, so perhaps it's all MY misconceptions about what they're like. My only "pictures in my head" are probably from movies.....lots of wall art of naked people, graphic scary-to-my-baby skulls and whatnot. And, while I know many wonderful people have tatoos nowadays, the fact remains that my brain still conjures up scary people when I think of the tatoo parlor.

 

So....what's a clearly prejudiced and probably without true merit, mom supposed to do? Can you call ahead and ask them to clear off the walls for you, :lol:.....is going early in the day less likely to have those scary stereotypes around (aren't they all sleeping during the day, or too hung over to go out?).

 

Obviously, some of this is tongue in cheek and certainly not meant to offend anyone....I KNOW it's my problem....but how do I get over it??

[Plaid Dad]

Connie, you might be able to find a piercer who will come to your house. I knew several people in the San Francisco Bay Area who did that. You'd need to be prepared to pay them a bit more for their trouble, but it might be worth it. It's true that tattoo parlors are generally not what you'd call child-friendly environments. ;)

[Tap]

One of the reasons I've resisted my dd's request for ear piercings is that I don't want it done at the mall....for all the reasons that have been listed here....unsanitary, teenagers, worry about lopsided holes (I have those so I no longer wear earrings), etc etc etc.

 

And while everything Tap says makes me much more comfortable about the procedure....I gotta be honest....I'm not thrilled about the idea of my very sheltered 10yo going into a tattoo parlor. I've never been in one myself, so perhaps it's all MY misconceptions about what they're like. My only "pictures in my head" are probably from movies.....lots of wall art of naked people, graphic scary-to-my-baby skulls and whatnot. And, while I know many wonderful people have tattoos nowadays, the fact remains that my brain still conjures up scary people when I think of the tattoo parlor.

 

So....what's a clearly prejudiced and probably without true merit, mom supposed to do? Can you call ahead and ask them to clear off the walls for you, :lol:.....is going early in the day less likely to have those scary stereotypes around (aren't they all sleeping during the day, or too hung over to go out?).

 

Obviously, some of this is tongue in cheek and certainly not meant to offend anyone....I KNOW it's my problem....but how do I get over it??

 

 

Just go in ahead of time and check it out. The tattoo parlor we went to had interesting professional, framed, pictures that a child would not understand on the walls. A picture of an orange with piercing (navel piercing), a boot tongue pierced (tongue piercing), a hot dog pierced (ha, ha) .... The other walls were covered in regular art work. All the the tattoo art was in books. The piercing room was very sterile and looked like a doctor's office.

 

The piercer was covered in tats and piercings. He was very interesting looking but an incredibly nice guy. He was so sweet with my dd. I actually thing that his adornments helped to keep her distracted.

[KAR120C]

So....what's a clearly prejudiced and probably without true merit, mom supposed to do? Can you call ahead and ask them to clear off the walls for you, :lol:.....is going early in the day less likely to have those scary stereotypes around (aren't they all sleeping during the day, or too hung over to go out?).

I did go early when I got mine done (like 2pm) and it was VERY QUIET there. Just two or three employees, no hangers-on, no other customers. There wasn't anything terribly weird or disturbing in the decor (okay I don't know that I'd actually call it "decor" though... LOL) There were tattoo pictures on the walls like you might choose from, and there was a big glass case of jewelry. There was probably skull jewelry, but not really huge or obvious, kwim? Like Tap, tap, tap said, the guy was very decorated himself, but nothing particularly objectionable. When I came in he was on the phone to his wife talking about their toddler and teething problems... LOL

 

I think if I were thinking of taking my child to get earrings, I'd definitely drop in first a couple days in advance, just to ask about it. They should be happy to tell you all their procedures for sterilizing things, and they should appreciate your concern. And at the same time you can be judging the "feel" of the place.