ear piercing... advice please

[TooPatient]

"A" will be 15 next month. She had her ears pierced before (twice?!?) with her mother but she REALLY wasn't ready yet. (had to have been 8-10 or so, no hygiene, and a mother who didn't know how to clean them)

She's been doing very well showering, washing her hair, etc. The only thing we're still having big issues with is brushing her teeth. She does wash her face every morning and again before bed. She is also washing her hands (most of the time) without prompting.

I am quite sure she would do okay with earrings.

My own ear piercing experience was not so good. I got them done at something like 7 or 8 at the same time I got a hair cut. They pierced my ears and THEN washed my hair and did the cut The soap and little hairs got all over my ears and hurt.


So....

Where do you take a 15 year old to get them pierced? (she sees a general practitioner not a pediatrician)

What should she get them pierced with? A nice-ish pair or just something plain?

If something plain, what? When do you swap them out for another pair?

 

[tyty333]

We have a Claires and a Merle Normans in the mall that do them. I would trust either of those places.

I dont think it matters if you get a niceish pair or just a plain pair. She does have to wear them for I think 6 weeks
(or is it longer...cant remember). I think more plain/generic then when she can wear other pairs get her what she
really likes.

I just wanted to give you a heads up that nobody told me. When you are able to switch from the ones that she got
her ears pierced with to regular earrings go with small hoops/huggies that allow air to get close to the hole. Flat
ones that block the air from the hole just keep the hole wet all the time and you get gunky stuff around the earring/hole
that keeps the hole from healing. If you use small hoops it lets the ear hole dry up and move on to healing faster.

I think 15 is plenty old enough. Good luck!

 

[TooPatient]

Great to know about the hoops! I didn't realize that.

Her holes healed so perfectly last time that I can't see any marks or anything at all on her ears. I wouldn't have known if she hadn't mentioned.

Anything in particular to look for in the earrings to use initially or should I just get what they sell at the place that does it? (Do they still sell them?)

 

[tyty333]

I just bought these tiny flowers that my daughter liked at the place where they do them. The girl did them lopsided. I tried to tell
the girl they were off but she double checked and said she didnt think so. Then after they did them, I took another look and said,
"Yep, they're off." We let them heal and havent gone back to have them redone. So...go with your gut...if you dont think they
look even...make them fix them until you're happy. I wont have them redone until my daughter wants to do it again.

 

[packrat]

I would recommend a reputable piercing parlor-sometimes found in tattoo shops, but not always. It's less traumatic on your earlobes and better for your ear all around. They have more experience and training than someone at a hair salon or at a junk jewelry store. When I get mine redone, it will be by an actual piercer, and when London decides she wants hers done as well.

 

[momhappy]

Yes, Claires (in most malls) does ear piercing. I got my second hole piercing at a Claire's in my early 30's.

 

[sonnyjane]

Yes, Claires (in most malls) does ear piercing. I got my second hole piercing at a Claire's in my early 30's.

I was a Claire's girl too haha. I was 21 when I got my ears pierced! I'm not a very good "girl" though - I only wear earrings a handful of times a year.

 

[TooPatient]

I think I need to go visit a few places in the next couple of weeks and see where I feel good about and see what sort of earring selection they have.

I'm thinking we'll let her pick the pair to put in to start (assuming good selection) and then also give her a couple of pairs so she has a few to switch between when ready -- including a pair of little hoops

 

[lambskin]

I had mine done at Claire's when I was 40 years old. (Long story for the old age/wait). They were a tad off which really, really bugged me so I let them close up and a few years later I re -did them. The scar tissue from the first bad piercing affected the new hole so it is at a weird angle to put in an earring-especially one with a thicker post. But the price was right and no infection -both times. I now have two pre- teens-11 and 12- who want their ears pierced. All of their friends have them by now. But I am using it as a carrot for straight A's in eighth grade or freshman year. My older girls is more responsible and can handle the cleaning responsibility but the younger one not so much.

 

[Indylady]

I agree, 15 should be fine.

 

[AGBF]

I would recommend a reputable piercing parlor-sometimes found in tattoo shops, but not always. It's less traumatic on your earlobes and better for your ear all around. They have more experience and training than someone at a hair salon or at a junk jewelry store. When I get mine redone, it will be by an actual piercer, and when London decides she wants hers done as well.

Speaking as the mother of a pincushion, I would like to paraphrase kenny on this one: it varies. A good person who does piercing in a tattoo parlour is the best person to pierce. Not every person who does piercing in a tattoo parlour is the greatest, however. We have been lucky to have found one superlative woman and keep returning to her now, but we have made the rounds, and in different states. Some people at Claire's aren't the best, but others are absolutely top of the line FABULOUS. If you luck out there you may get the best, most beautiful ear piercing you will ever have. One woman there drew marks on my daughter's ears and measured and looked until the spots were perfectly aligned. No piercer in a tattoo parlour ever did that, although at Claire's they cannot pierce tongues and bellybuttons and whatnot! Worst, in my experience, are dermatologists. You won't get dieseases from them, but you have a fair chance of having uneven ear holes.

Deb

 

[TooPatient]

Looking at these as possible earrings for after she can take out the originals:

peridot drops

blue topaz drops

silver hoops

 

[packrat]

I would recommend a reputable piercing parlor-sometimes found in tattoo shops, but not always. It's less traumatic on your earlobes and better for your ear all around. They have more experience and training than someone at a hair salon or at a junk jewelry store. When I get mine redone, it will be by an actual piercer, and when London decides she wants hers done as well.

Speaking as the mother of a pincushion, I would like to paraphrase kenny on this one: it varies. A good person who does piercing in a tattoo parlour is the best person to pierce. Not every person who does piercing in a tattoo parlour is the greatest, however. We have been lucky to have found one superlative woman and keep returning to her now, but we have made the rounds, and in different states. Some people at Claire's aren't the best, but others are absolutely top of the line FABULOUS. If you luck out there you may get the best, most beautiful ear piercing you will ever have. One woman there drew marks on my daughter's ears and measured and looked until the spots were perfectly aligned. No piercer in a tattoo parlour ever did that, although at Claire's they cannot pierce tongues and bellybuttons and whatnot! Worst, in my experience, are dermatologists. You won't get dieseases from them, but you have a fair chance of having uneven ear holes.

Deb

S'why I made sure to say *reputable*. I believe an actual piercer (a good one, yes, not just Frankie who says he is a piercer) is a better option for our lobes, b/c of the equipment used. I would research my future ear piercing the same way I researched my tattoos. Claire's is a fine option for some. Just as the local hair salon is fine for some. That's where I had mine done 30 years ago, but the options were different back in the day. I had my second and third in my left ear done at Claire's in high school b/c I could just walk in and the random sales girl could do it. I don't so much want to go that route now. That's why I through the option out there.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I got my ears pierced at a department store called Buffums that is no longer in business. I would be cautious going to any kind of store-I don't think the people are always well trained in ear piercing and can make mistakes. That said, I am not really sure where you would go that the people would really know what they are doing. I was in my teens when I had my years pierced sooooo many years ago.

 

[HopeDream]

When I had my ears pierced at a salon (age 12), my mom made the piercer mark dots on my ears in marker first to make sure they were even before the actual piercing. My sister was 9 and got to have her ears pierced at the same time, even though my mom had made me wait until I was 12

I'm sure 15 is old enough to look after pierced ears properly.

 

[mrs jam]

Make sure she gets them pierced with a piercing needle rather than a gun. Much less traumatic, much more hygienic, and the holes will be much neater. I think that after you spend a few minutes Googling piercing with a needle vs. a gun, you'll be convinced that a piercing needle is the way to go.

 

[LaraOnline]

I would recommend a reputable piercing parlor-sometimes found in tattoo shops, but not always. It's less traumatic on your earlobes and better for your ear all around. They have more experience and training than someone at a hair salon or at a junk jewelry store. When I get mine redone, it will be by an actual piercer, and when London decides she wants hers done as well.

Yes I took my child to a 'family friendly' professional piercing-only place that was not associated with tattoo or other forms of permanent physical adornment. They had two girls do the piercing at the same time, and they used a needle, not guns. One of the girls looked pretty out there, but the other one was relatively G-rated visible piercing wise! And they were very used to mothers and daughters, and gave me great service, I felt happy with my choice and would go back again if my younger daughter wants to get her ears pierced eventually.

 

[AGBF]

I would recommend a reputable piercing parlor-sometimes found in tattoo shops, but not always. It's less traumatic on your earlobes and better for your ear all around. They have more experience and training than someone at a hair salon or at a junk jewelry store. When I get mine redone, it will be by an actual piercer, and when London decides she wants hers done as well.

Yes I took my child to a 'family friendly' professional piercing-only place that was not associated with tattoo or other forms of permanent physical adornment. They had two girls do the piercing at the same time, and they used a needle, not guns. One of the girls looked pretty out there, but the other one was relatively G-rated visible piercing wise! And they were very used to mothers and daughters, and gave me great service, I felt happy with my choice and would go back again if my younger daughter wants to get her ears pierced eventually.

Well...the question was not (I am glad) where did you have your daughter's ears pierced? Lara, you were about 1,000 light years ahead of me in wisdom about ear piercing, which isn't surprising, given that I had only had my own ears pierced for the first time at age 48! And I had had mine done by the dermatologist in an excess of caution. (No, they have never been right!)

I took my daughter to a dermatologist, too. But I was shocked that the first dermatologist suggested she not have them pierced at all! He was afraid that she might have a problem and that the earrings would rip her earlobes. He did not do ear piercing routinely and did not have a gun. (For those of you who know my daughter's story, you may recall that she was seen by orthopedists and a geneticist and was once suspected of having Marfan's Syndrome and Ehler's Danlos Syndrome.)

Whether or not my daughter has Ehler's Danlos Syndrome III, she has had her ears pierced many times since then, sometimes having three holes at a time. She has also had a Monroe piercing; a tongue piercing (that lasted for less than 24 hours); nose piercings on both sides of her nose (not at the same time); and upper and lower bellybutton piercings. Nothing ever ripped. Some piercings got infected and had to be abandoned, however. For someone (I) who never expected to pierce her ears, I travelled a long road to the tattoo parlours I ended up frequenting!

Deb/AGBF

 

[LaraOnline]

Sorry AGBF I have only my own experience to give so I'm not sure how else I could have more generously responded to the thread.
Eta: am typing all this on my phone. I am laughing with you and your tale of tattoo parlours well do e the things we do for our kids!!

But I will chime in again and say definitely go for the hypoallergenic earrings that will be on offer at the studio. They will be comfortable using the style they use frequently and there should be something of a range.
Also I feel it is wise to wait much longer than the six weeks before changing the earrings!
I made my daughter wait months and months and months ( her piercing earrings were sweet cz studs arranged like a flower)

Then when we did swap we went for sweet bluebird kids style earrings in silver - which caused a dreadful reaction and her ears swelled up terribly. So... Back to the original earrings and then when we did swap out again only went for hypoallergenic style earrings.

 

[momhappy]

I would recommend a reputable piercing parlor-sometimes found in tattoo shops, but not always. It's less traumatic on your earlobes and better for your ear all around. They have more experience and training than someone at a hair salon or at a junk jewelry store. When I get mine redone, it will be by an actual piercer, and when London decides she wants hers done as well.

Speaking as the mother of a pincushion, I would like to paraphrase kenny on this one: it varies. A good person who does piercing in a tattoo parlour is the best person to pierce. Not every person who does piercing in a tattoo parlour is the greatest, however. We have been lucky to have found one superlative woman and keep returning to her now, but we have made the rounds, and in different states. Some people at Claire's aren't the best, but others are absolutely top of the line FABULOUS. If you luck out there you may get the best, most beautiful ear piercing you will ever have. One woman there drew marks on my daughter's ears and measured and looked until the spots were perfectly aligned. No piercer in a tattoo parlour ever did that, although at Claire's they cannot pierce tongues and bellybuttons and whatnot! Worst, in my experience, are dermatologists. You won't get dieseases from them, but you have a fair chance of having uneven ear holes.

Deb

I agree with this. An individual performing piercings in a tattoo parlor may be no better than someone working at Claire's (and vice versa). Personally, I would call Claire's and inquire specifically about ear-piercing. Ask which staff has the most experience with it and when they are scheduled to work next. If, however, you feel more comfortable at a tattoo parlor, then go that route. I suggested Claire's because it seems more like a mother-daughter ear-piercing experience (Claire's is pretty "girly" and I'd make a lunch date out of it or something special along those lines). A tattoo parlor, although fine, is a more "grown-up" place to be and not as teen friendly (but still perfectly fine if you choose to go that route).

 

[packrat]

I think it all kind of depends. I am comfortable at tattoo shops. More so than when I went to Claire's to let London pick out earrings b/c she was *positive* she was getting her ears pierced. Giggling teenies and boy band things and hello kitty explosions..oofda, Claire's is different than when I was young, when everything was skulls and ripped jeans ha! We can bond just as well at a piercing parlor. And I want her to see it as a grown up thing, it's body modification, even if it's hello kitty or the big eyed cutesy squirrel and owls she picked out. And never used. Doesn't matter, she's scared of any sort of pain, and isn't to the point yet that the want of something supersedes the pain of it. *I'm* just more comfortable w/someone who has had much more extensive training and experience, someone who has a portfolio, someone who does that for a living, and does it with properly sterilized equipment etc, rather than someone ringing up a purchase and then coming over to slip on some gloves and have at it w/the stud gun that's been sitting there. It might be different now of course, my Claire's experience as 20 some years ago. They may very well have a full time professional piercer and an autoclave.

 

[marymm]

I echo the posters who have suggested choosing the needle-piercing method as opposed to the piercing gun - while the gun may seem the quicker or easier or less scary or more precise, I think it more often results in an angled piercing, so while the piercings on each ear are symmetrical in terms of position on the ear, the piercing itself is angled through the ear rather than straight. In my case, I didn't realize this had occurred until I tried to wear earring drops and gemstone hoops and discovered they hung facing out at an angle rather than facing straight forward.

 

[rainydaze]

I took my daughter when she was six. She had been begging me since she was three and had demonstrated that she was capable of the responsibility.

I have plenty of friends whose daughters went to Claire's or Piercing Pagoda and had perfectly fine experiences. However, I do know people (myself included) who did not have good experiences. They included infections and difficult hearings, as well as very poorly aligned piercings. I chose a piercing studio (i.e. tattoo parlor type place) because that style of piercing is more hygienic and the method causes less trauma to the ear and better healing. Some quick googling will explain why this is the case.

I also went with titanium studs (they had a colored bead in them, so they were still kid-appropriate and cute) because it had the least possible risk of allergic reaction or irritation. We used a salt water solution to clean them, NOT hydrogen peroxide or alcohol. It is very important for proper healing and less painful to use the right method for cleaning the piercings.

She had a great experience and her piercings healed perfectly without complications.

I will say this: make sure the holes are positioned to your liking before they pierce, and if you go the route of a professional (needle) piercing, the angle they go in with the needle matters. One of my daughters holes is angled upwards, but she didn't want to let it heal up and wait to start over. When I take my other daughter, I will mention that they make sure the needle is angled just right in addition to making sure the hole marks are perfect. We went to a reputable studio and I checked credentials, but even so.

 

[monarch64]

sorry, double post

 

[monarch64]

I had mine done at a kiosk in the mall that sold nothing but earrings. They used a gun and piercing studs with surgical steel posts or whatever. Apparently they also contained nickel, to which I was highly allergic but did not know at the time. The holes healed fine, but my lymph nodes all over my neck and head swelled so they were visible and I had to go through a barrage of tests because there was a suspicion I might have Hodgkins disease or cancer of the lymph nodes. For that reason only, I would never recommend a mall store. I don't care how highly trained a Claire's associate is, would you be that serious about your job when you're making $8/hour part time selling chotchkes and hair bows? I don't know...

 

[chemgirl]

I wouldn't do Claire's if I were you. A highschool friend had a part time job as the piercer there and the training was very basic. She pierced several people in my social circle and they were uneven. So some Claire's could have good piercers, but no guarantees

I would try calling some reputable looking piercing places or tattoo parlors. They use the needle instead of the gun so tend to be more accurate.

 

[MMtwo]

Mine were 35 years ago by the RN next door with a needle and a bar of soap. The 2nd hole took a LOT of convincing. I was okay to be lopsided. Dd pierced her own nose in the mirror with a needle and her own hudspah at 15.

Her ears were at Claire's at 12. They did a fine job. It was an older woman who took her time and marked them first. She had me "okay" the placement.

 

[AGBF]

I echo the posters who have suggested choosing the needle-piercing method as opposed to the piercing gun - while the gun may seem the quicker or easier or less scary or more precise, I think it more often results in an angled piercing, so while the piercings on each ear are symmetrical in terms of position on the ear, the piercing itself is angled through the ear rather than straight. In my case, I didn't realize this had occurred until I tried to wear earring drops and gemstone hoops and discovered they hung facing out at an angle rather than facing straight forward.

I never knew what was wrong with the way my ears were pierced. All I knew was that when I put on non-stud (i.e. dangling) earrings they did not hang straight. They turned out in two different directions. The woman who worked at my local jeweler's had to fix each pair so that the gems would show correctly when they dangled. Now I am inferring that my dermatologist did not know how to wield her piercing gun. Or that a piercing gun is inherently bad. But I have certainly suffered with the ear piercings. I often have a lot of trouble getting earrings into the ear holes, too, since even the studs do not go straight in. I have learned never to hold my ear lobe. When I used to do that, the darn stud would never go in! So, yes, angle matters!

Deb

 

[lyra]

I can never stress this enough. Ear piercings are something women usually have for life. Get it done RIGHT. Find a professional piercer in your area on this vetted site:

http://www.safepiercing.org/locate-a-member/

They will offer you high grade implant quality initial jewelry, perfect lobe placement, the best aftercare instructions, and the best and least painful piercing experience. Do not go to the mall to get ear piercings. Piercing guns are outlawed in some countries. They are not sterile. This is a case where you want to do your homework, not just make a quick decision. A professional piercing will probably run over $100 with good jewelry, which you will get with an APP member piercer.

 

[caf]

Check with her general practitioner. My daughter's pediatrician's office (a RN) does it. Charge is minimal and they tell you what to do, give you a handout, etc. And they were pretty accurate about placement. I would be her gp does it or they can refer you to someone who does it - or you could just call a pediatrician's office and ask.