Child's earlobe piercing

littleredspot

My daughter has wanted her ears pierced for ages. We've done lots of research together and watched lots of YouTube videos, so she was happy to go to a proper piercers as opposed to the Claires/gun route.

So the big day came yesterday and off we went, what we hadn't realised was that our piercer of choice wouldn't touch her till she was 14. I'm guessing that he's not alone and I'm not disagreeing with him personally, but I'm now left with a very disappointed 7 year old and a mother who thinks Claire's will be okay.

Any opinions on the matter?

January

Claire's won't be ok. Don't bring her to get her ears pierced with a gun.

Cupcake_Crisis

I used to work in Claires, they train you for a day on a plastic head then let you loose on the public. It's not a good idea at all.

littleredspot

I agree! That's why I spent so long educating her. It's just hard to explain to a 7 year old who's been planning it for years. She asks everyone she meets where they got theirs done and the answer is always either Claire's/chemists/ice cube and a needle. Daddy and YouTube are the only ones going against the tide...

Princess Peach

Are there any other piercing studios in your area? There are some that will do ear piercings on a younger child, you could give them a call.

I got my ears pierced with a gun when I was 7 and I still remember the pain and begging my granddad not to let them do the second one :pac:

Fluorescence

Trying to get a child's ears pierced properly is a nightmare. My 8 year old cousin also wants hers done, and I'm begging her mam not to bring her to the local chemist to get them done with the gun. My family think I'm full of sh*t, that they've never heard of anywhere doing it with anything but a gun, shur back in the day they had it with a gun and it was fine (even though mine got infected, twice, with guns...) etc etc

Your best bet is to ring around plenty of local piercers and ask if they'll do the piercing for you.

P_1

Have to say I'm surprised that the studio wouldn't pierce your daughter till she was 14. I would have thought that piercers would advocate using needles rather than the Claire's shotgun approach

Hellrazer

Going to go against the flow here so to speak.

A gun is fine for lobes. But no where else.

Single use guns are the norm now. Completely sterile in one use packaging.

Its going to be very hard to get a proper studio to pierce using needles on a 7 year old.

Star Lord

Hellrazer wrote: »

Single use guns are the norm now. Completely sterile in one use packaging.

I didn't know that this was the case now. Do the usual suspects (IE. Claires etc) use these, or are they still on the old "use it till it falls apart and give it a wipe after using" ones?

Princess Peach

Guns are sooooo painful on lobes

My real gripe with the gun studios is the aftercare advice though. They will sell you a little bottle of an alcohol solution to use on it twice a day. Got an infection every damn time. Probably also due to the crappy jewelry they give you.

Also the poorly trained piercers who have no clue whatsoever on proper placement. None of mine are in line! If only I knew better then :P

January

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

I didn't know that this was the case now. Do the usual suspects (IE. Claires etc) use these, or are they still on the old "use it till it falls apart and give it a wipe after using" ones?

I think they're still using the guns... well they were the last time I passed anyway...

These are the one use only guns that Hellrazer is talking about, I think.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/2-x-Disposable-sterile-Ear-Piercing-kit-gun-plus-stainless-steel-stud-/121156481136?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Tattoos_BodyArt_SM&hash=item1c357d3070

Hellrazer

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

I didn't know that this was the case now. Do the usual suspects (IE. Claires etc) use these, or are they still on the old "use it till it falls apart and give it a wipe after using" ones?

As fas as Im aware Claires etc changed over to one use "guns" a while back.

Fluorescence

Hellrazer wrote: »

As fas as Im aware Claires etc changed over to one use "guns" a while back.

I dunno, IMO why put the child through the unnecessary extra pain that the gun involves? Also considering the amount of moving parts on a gun I'd be surprised if they were 100% sterile and disinfected. But I may be blowing it out of proportion.

The second time I had my lobes done was only 6-7 years ago in a reputed high-street jeweller. Still used a gun. Hurt like bejayzis and lo and behold, got infected again despite a meticulous aftercare routine twice a day.

That said, I am the anomaly of my peer group, most of whom got their ears gunned with little trouble afterwards.

Rod Serling

For all the complaints about Claire's etc, I'm more annoyed that whatever studio you went to wouldn't pierce your daughters ears. They surely know how many lobes are done with guns because it's cheaper and "everyone gets them done with a gun" so I thought they'd be glad to do it the right way for someone. I know age limits are there for a reason and blah blah but they know this girl is going to wind up with her lobes pierced before she's 14, more than likely with a gun if a real studio wont do it.

Hellrazer

Fluorescence wrote: »

I dunno, IMO why put the child through the unnecessary extra pain that the gun involves?

Always found a needle more painful than a gun on lobes to be honest.

Also considering the amount of moving parts on a gun I'd be surprised if they were 100% sterile and disinfected. But I may be blowing it out of proportion.

See Januarys picture above.Theres little or no moving parts.

The second time I had my lobes done was only 6-7 years ago in a reputed high-street jeweller. Still used a gun. Hurt like bejayzis and lo and behold, got infected again despite a meticulous aftercare routine twice a day.

That said, I am the anomaly of my peer group, most of whom got their ears gunned with little trouble afterwards.

Ive never gotten an infection on lobes with a gun.

Or really anyone else I know.
Except for that one time when there was a bloke in Fibbers doing piercings for free with an old school gun.
Mate got his nipple done and we had to dig out the stud a few days later..now THAT was an infection!!!!

Star Lord

Hellrazer wrote: »

Ive never gotten an infection on lobes with a gun.

Or really anyone else I know.
Except for that one time when there was a bloke in Fibbers doing piercings for free with an old school gun.
Mate got his nipple done and we had to dig out the stud a few days later..now THAT was an infection!!!!

I think the majority of the time that people get infections in the lobes, it's because the piercing gets irritated by whatever that chemical crap they give to take care of the piercing, swells, and can't get rid of any nasties.

Ms. Koi

I had all my ears done with a gun, massive infections every time. I got an abcess at the back of one ear that the scars are still there from.
I have three each lobe, then the top of one ear. Each piercing got so swollen, infected. It was awful.

My belly button and Tragus were both done in a studio. Belly button was so sore for a long time, same thing. Tragus blew up the entire side of my face, had to get it out after a week. Turns out I might be allergic to whatever material is used to actually Pierce with, which might explain a little more. But my body hates piercins.

Angron

I was in Dublin 2 weeks ago or so, and my family was in Claires. There was a little girl getting her ears done, she looked around 5ish I guess, and they used a gun. Wasn't one of the disposable ones that January posted a pic of though, it was more like one of these (but in plastic):

endacl

Would you consider getting her some pretty little clip-on earrings OP? It might be the jewelry she's keen on, as opposed to the piercing? Daddy and youtube will have no problem with that.

Sidestep the problem.

gillapino

I know this is controversial and slightly off topic, but my friend wants to get her daughters ears pierced, the thing is she's 6 months old nearly 7 months! The daughter is my boyfriends niece, and he's been convincing my friend and his brother not to get her ears pierced! and to wait till she's older! They seem really keen to do it now tho! But does anyone know of any places that pierce baby's ears? I'll be definitely warning them off Claires!

endacl

gillapino wrote: »

I know this is controversial and slightly off topic, but my friend wants to get her daughters ears pierced, the thing is she's 6 months old nearly 7 months! The daughter is my boyfriends niece, and he's been convincing my friend and his brother not to get her ears pierced! and to wait till she's older! They seem really keen to do it now tho! But does anyone know of any places that pierce baby's ears? I'll be definitely warning them off Claires!

Mexico. Very popular there. Sorry if that sounds a bit smartarse. Gut response to the pierced babies thing...

Borboletinha

gillapino wrote: »

I know this is controversial and slightly off topic, but my friend wants to get her daughters ears pierced, the thing is she's 6 months old nearly 7 months! The daughter is my boyfriends niece, and he's been convincing my friend and his brother not to get her ears pierced! and to wait till she's older! They seem really keen to do it now tho! But does anyone know of any places that pierce baby's ears? I'll be definitely warning them off Claires!

Got my daughters done in clare' s . All fine no problems at all. Shes two now never pulled or tugged at her earlobes or anything like that. Now Im not Irish and where I'm from it's the most normal thing in the world no subject of discussion as it is here, it's done in the hospital before you leave. And I've never heard of anybody EVER friends or relatives (and mind you they ALL have their ears pierced ) having an infected earlobe. They might be allergic to crap jewelry which does not happen to little girls since the earings provided are pearls usually, sometimes gold. Anyway never thought people in the tattoo and piercing forum would be so against it since as much as I love my tattoos they would be way more frowned upon than my little girls earlobes where I come from. Just posting this cause it seems to irish people piercing your babies ears borders on child abuse whereas in some countries is the norm.

January

It's not the age we really have a problem with (well... really small babies with their ears pierced is just something I don't like to see) it's the method most commonly used.

gillapino

January wrote: »

It's not the age we really have a problem with (well... really small babies with their ears pierced is just something I don't like to see) it's the method most commonly used.

Well I wondering did anyone know any places that would pierce a baby's ears properly? She's nearly 7 months

Star Lord

Borboletinha wrote: »

They might be allergic to crap jewelry which does not happen to little girls since the earings provided are pearls usually, sometimes gold.

Gold isn't a great material to use in piercings. Particularly fresh piercings.

Borboletinha

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

Gold isn't a great material to use in piercings. Particularly fresh piercings.

I meant women who cannot wear anything but gold jewelry because of allergy. My daughter has pearls, same as I got when I was born same as my mom got when she was born you get the gist. No problems at all. My daughters pearls were a gift from my aunt when I was 6 months pregnant, as soon as I found out I was having a girl she got them, that's how normal it is for us.

RhoDoDenDron

Borboletinha wrote: »

I meant women who cannot wear anything but gold jewelry because of allergy. My daughter has pearls, same as I got when I was born same as my mom got when she was born you get the gist. No problems at all. My daughters pearls were a gift from my aunt when I was 6 months pregnant, as soon as I found out I was having a girl she got them, that's how normal it is for us.

That's a myth. Neither gold nor silver, despite how high the quality, are particularly suitable for body piercings. Titanium and niobium are your best bet for hypo-allergenic body jewellery, along with certain plastics like PTFE(Teflon). None of these have ANY nickel content, which is the metal that reacts with people. Gold alloys contain nickel 99% of the time to the best of my knowledge, as does silver, which has the additional problem of tarnishing. Neither titanium nor niobium have ANY nickel.

Borboletinha

RhoDoDenDron wrote: »

That's a myth. Neither gold nor silver, despite how high the quality, are particularly suitable for body piercings. Titanium and niobium are your best bet for hypo-allergenic body jewellery, along with certain plastics like PTFE(Teflon). None of these have ANY nickel content, which is the metal that reacts with people. Gold alloys contain nickel 99% of the time to the best of my knowledge, as does silver, which has the additional problem of tarnishing. Neither titanium nor niobium have ANY nickel.

What is a myth? Being allergic to jewelry that's not gold? Might be. It's what Ive been told by the only women ive met with earlobe related issues. Most women where I'm from have their ears pierced with pearl earings when they are born before they leave the hospital with no problems whatsoever. That's all I meant.

Star Lord

He meant this bit:

Borboletinha wrote: »

women who cannot wear anything but gold jewelry because of allergy.

Titanium jewellery, and Niobium jewellery are the best for preventing allergies. Gold is a soft metal, prone to pitting that can cause issues for piercings. As Rhododendron also stated, it's the nickel content that most often causes the allergy issues with piercings.

RhoDoDenDron

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

He meant this bit:

Titanium jewellery, and Niobium jewellery are the best for preventing allergies. Gold is a soft metal, prone to pitting that can cause issues for piercings. As Rhododendron also stated, it's the nickel content that most often causes the allergy issues with piercings.

Exactly.

Just for the record, there is good gold jewellery out there, but it's rather expensive. The higher the karat, the softer the gold, and the more it is prone to scratches, etc. which harbour bacteria. The lower the karat, the more non-gold metals have to be in the alloy. BVLA (Body Vision) are the only company I can think of off the top of my head that make top-notch gold jewellery, and they're very expensive.

Not that a lot of gold isn't fine, it's just that "fine" doesn't cut it when you have sensitive ears, despite what people in pharmacies or Claire's may say/think.

CamillaRhodes

To OP, just a note on whether your daughter should be allowed to get her ears pierced at all (whether gun or needle):

I badly wanted my ears pierced as a kid, from I guess about the age of 7 on. My parents told me I wasn't allowed until I was a teenager. On my 13th birthday I got my lobes pierced (with a gun); by 15, I had four studs in each ear and a navel piercing (all also with guns, in George's Market Arcade *shudder*); by 17 I had my nose done too (thankfully by now had learned to go proper salons for needles) as well as my first tattoo, and it's only continued from there (long) into adulthood. Moral of the story - if you don't let her get her ears pierced now, she'll probably end up only wanting them more and more. Now, that's not necessarily a problem, just FYI