OT -- My 8 YO DD wants her ears pierced?

#1

Hi everyone!

My 8 YO darling dd wants her ears pierced. I don’t mind at all and in fact am looking forward to having it done for her.

Question is – where do I get it done?

Does anyone here have experience with a place like Claire’s or another such store in the mall? I don’t know any other place to get them pierced.

My mom did mine when I turned 13 with a surgical needle (she’s a nurse) but that was a long time ago and there is no way I’m doing that to my sweet girl! My mom didn’t even use ice! She just kept telling me that it wouldn’t hurt a bit :!!!:

It did and I almost didn’t let her do the other ear!

So what do you think?

Thanks!
Susan

#2

I had mine done at Claire’s and it worked out fine. IMHO don’t buy the solution they try to sell you, just use cotton balls to clean the area every day with alcohol and turn the earrings to keep them from adhering. Don’t know that I’ve heard of having it done anywhere else…

#3

LOL, my mom did mine too! With ice and a cork behind my ear!

#4

I’m not sure if the place I had mine done is still open :rofl: I was prolly about 6 or 7 and in our mall was a store called the Earring Tree… after that I would just go my hair dresser and she would pierce them for me… I have tried wal-mart too but had problems with them although others haven’t…

#5

I had my ears peirced at a mall as a tween a LONG time ago. Places like Claire’s probably have a better selection of starter earrings.

But I did notice that my children’s pediatrician had up a little sign that they were doing ear piercings in case you wanted to go the medical route.

#6

I went to a jeweler who was recommended to me. I remember being a bit intimidated because it was a very high-end store and I was just a lowly teenager, but they were very nice.

#7

My DD had granddaughter’s ear’s done at Clair’s. She was 18 months. They did both ears at same time, with DD holding her… She didn’t cry… justlooked very shocked.
Afterward, DD kept it clean w/ alcohol and turned the earings whenever she could… ie, meals, baths, etc. No problems.

DD is just now getting hair at 2 yrs so… she is finally looking like a girl, lol.

#8

I personally do not believe piercing guns should be used at all. Granted, they’ve come a long way in what they used to be. They are never able to be completely sterilized. They are dull and can be damaging to the tissue. There are many reasons. Please read this link just to be informed. Of any option, I think going to a doctor may be the safest option. I always recommend going to a “real” piercer at a tattoo shop, but with younger children most reputable shops will not pierce their ears.

Now that I sound like a Negative Nancy… I had my ears pierced with a gun at Claire’s when I was in 2nd grade. I turned out just fine thankfully. :teehee:

#9

I got mine done at Claire’s when I was 13…no problem whatsoever.

#10

I got my ears pierced at Claire’s when I was 6…they did both at the same time because I was scared, and it turned out fine. I made sure to turn my earrings, but I never got an actual infection from the piercing itself.

I just have problems with certain types of metal, as I found out later…

#11

I got mine done at the Earring Tree, too, Dustina!! Im SURE they are no longer existant. Ive never had a problem. I got second ones and one third at places in malls, too. :shrug:

#12

I had mine done at a beauty salon when I was like 8, but then they got infected so we let them close up. My redid them the exact same way (ice cube!) when I was a little older, and she used a needle and “cat gut” (yuck! :ick: ) thread which we had to rotate back and forth in our ears. As it turns out, I’m allergic to nickel, which is probably why I had problems the first time!

I had both of my daughters’ ears done at Claire’s with absolutely no problems–it was a great experience both times. The first daughter, they were able to have two associates pierce both her ears at the same time (which worked out well because she’s quite melodramatic and probably wouldn’t have allowed them to pierce the second one after the first one was done!), but the youngest one they only had one associate, and she did both ears singly (which worked out fine because she’s the ruffian of the two and could care less about stuff like that). There were no problems as far as infection, etc.

When my daughters had their ears done, the ear cleaning solution at Claire’s was part of the ear-piercing package so there was nothing further to buy; since it was included, we used this to clean the piercings twice a day for those first six weeks or so. I believe the active ingredient in the solution was hydrogen peroxide, but I think either alcohol or peroxide would work to keep the ears clean and infection free.

Good luck, and congratulations to your daughter on this big step! :muah:

#13

Please, please, please do not go to Claire’s! Before taking your daughter to get her ears pierced, read this article Here about why piercing guns are unsafe and cause alot of short and long-term problems. I don’t know what the laws are regarding parental consent and getting ears pierced at, say, a reputable tattoo/body piercing studio but that is the best way to go. They are not some sixteen year old girl wielding a piercing gun. They are trained professionals who only do piercings. They use a packaged, sterilized surgical steel needle to do the piercing and it actually hurts less than the gun.

#14

I’ve had mine pierced 7 times in one ear and 9 in the other with piercing guns at places like Claire’s. I know the guns are bad for anything above just the lobe, but I didn’t know that in high school when I got all these done and I never ended up with those icky bumps or got any infections.
My friend started working at one of those places and learned to pierce ears, so I went in and made her do mine because I know she’s squeamish. :twisted: I haven’t worn earrings in over a year, though, so my top holes are gone, I’m sure. I still have my very first ones that I got when I was three (at a kiosk in the mall), though! :cheering:

#15

I had my ears pierced at a mall store and they became infected and were not at the same angle–theywere at the same heighth but one was at an odd angle and a drop earring would turn into my face. I have since read about the unsanitary and blunt force of the gun and would never choose that option again. I looked on-line at one tatoo/piercing shop and they would not pierce younger than 10 years old, so I don’t know if that is across the board or not. You do have to bring proof that you are the mom, so both kid and mom have to bring ID. I do trust their sanitation, equipment and training over the 16 year old girl at the mall. It is possible that you could find a decent piercing shop that would pierce your daughter’s ears. I would also ask when you could come at a time they weren’t too busy–they do have a different clientele compared to the mall!!

#16

I think stores like Claires are fine as long as you follow up with the recommended treatment and take her to a doctor if you see any unusual redness or swelling.

I used the antiseptic they game me because alcohol is so drying. Either will work though.

#17

Find a piercing and/or tattoo place that’s clean and reputable (I know, sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s doable) and have it done with needles, not a piercing gun. My two cents’. I had my first two holes done by a doctor with a needle (long time ago… 1973, when I was 11), my third done at a jewelry store with a gun (1985), and my nostril piercing (2002, I think) by a needle at a piercing place. I second what’s been said above about the dangers of gun piercing (although I actually had no trouble with mine).

#18

my first pair was done with a gun at a jewelry store (Zales) when I was 16. I used alcohol to clean the holes and surrounding area. no infection, no problems. the only thing is the woman who did them said I could take them out after 4 weeks. well, that didn’t seem quite right to me, so I waited 2 more weeks.

I did my other 6 myself, with ice, sterile gloves, and by soaking my piercing studs in isopropyl alcohol first. I thankfully never got infected and did them pretty evenly and straight through, but I don’t recommend anyone do this because of risk of infection or worse, like hep or HIV. took me a while but now I know why my mom had an absolute s*** fit when I did this.

the hesitation I would have about letting my young kids get pierced is I would worry about their personal hygiene and how rough they play, etc.

#19

I had my first pair done at 5 at a beauty salon, while I had my second in Claire’s at 14. I definitely find the second pair are more prone to (mild) infection and will still close over fairly quickly if I leave earrings out. The first pair I never have any problems with…I’ve even worn paper clips in them before without any problems (don’t ask).

This could of course be due to my mother taking better care of them when I was little than I took of them when I was 14… but take from it what you like.

#20

I have a total of 14 ear piercings, and I’ve either gone to Claires, Afterthoughts (do they still exist?) or done them myself.

I recommend going to a professional piercer for other embellishments–eyebrow, tongue, etc-- but hopefully you’re 8 year old DD isn’t into that yet :teehee: