OT -- My 8 YO DD wants her ears pierced? - Page 3

ecb · 01-21-2007, 07:57 PM

all 3 of my girls got their ears done at a hair salon
I had theirs done between 6 and 10 months of age
the guy who did it was the owner of the shop, he would not allow ANY of the other people to do it, becasue he knew he would always keep it clean as he required the equiptment to be
he rubbed all surfaces with a Alcohol Swab after he sprayed full strength alcohol on the gun
he cleaned the ear lobe and marked both lobes
then hea cleaned them again (leaving a tiny bit of ink to mark the spot)

he was always surprized how quickly they stopped crying, becasue I nursed each of them when they got their ears pierced, they cried, but were unwilling to let go of the nip, and so just started nursing again to sooth themselves

we cleaned them with H2O2 for the first 10 days or so, then every week or so, and we also put neosporin (generic, NOT with the PLUS) each morning for the first week
we also put new posts in neosporin before putting them in
it makes them a bit slippery, and kills most germs living on the skin (and in the hole)

Funny story about having a baby Girl with pierced ears
She was about 9 or monthsold, and I had her in some blue and white striped osh kosh b-gosh overalls with pink thread, and a white turtle neck with a frillly edge again with pink thread

and this LITTLE old woman came up to me and with all the FURY she had in her started yelling at me "Do You think HE will appreciate you having had BOTH his ears pierced!?!?!"
she was SO angry, the only thing I could say was "No" and walk away
I am not sure I ever saw her again

Eloewien · 01-22-2007, 01:24 AM

I didn't have any trouble with mine- done at claires about 15 years ago (wow.... that is crazy... didn't realize it was that long!!) and have never had a problem. However, I agree with those that say going to a professional is a better idea. I had trouble with a belly button piercing that was done at a professional shop where the piercer was an RN. As soon as I called him, he had me come in, and had me change to a titanium ring instead since it seemed to be extra sensitive. Once we changed that out, I never had a problem again.
It was just great to know that I had nothing to worry about... also good to know I could go back if I had trouble. You may want to see if there are similar locations in your area. I know several piercers and tattoo artists that are RN's around here. It's just an added level of safety

lissalue · 01-22-2007, 02:34 AM

i got my 3 year old dd's done at walmart and have had no problem with them. it was about 6 months ago. they use a disposable gun, at least at mine they do. they opened it from a sealed package in front of me, it was already loaded with the stud, so they never touched any part of the gun except the handle. they peirced her ears, then threw it away in front of me too. she has had no infection, or any other problems, and the price for peircing included the antiseptic stuff. hope this helps in your decision.

itsjustmeghan · 01-22-2007, 02:48 AM

mom pierced my ears when i was 3 at home with surgical needles (she's a nurse, and in those days they didn't care if you took some home to pierce your kids ears), ice and a potatoe. i wore string in my ears for the first 6 weeks so we could rotate them, then i got gold studs.
i've had 7 other earring piercings done with the gun since. and i'd have to say, i'd probably go to a piercing salon/tattoo parlor if i ever get anything pierced again. i had problems with infections rising up even though i was SUPER careful about cleaning them. also, i think the guns clamp on the earrings too tight so the piercings couldn't breath. now that they've healed, those holes aren't as straight as the ones mom did. they also have more of a bump where the hole is, presumably because the gun rips through the cells, where the needle does a cleaner cut so they heal nicer.
oh, and the piercing earring suck when it comes time to take them off. your ear will be healed up, but because of the locking mechanism they have on the back of the studs, it's SO hard to get those things off! mom had to cut one of mine off because it was locked on so tight, and after all the tugging my hole hurt again!

i did hydrogen peroxide for all my piercings, and neosporine on the post and around the hole. works wonders.

as "scary" as those tattoo guys look, the ones i've been to for my tattoos have such a wonderful bedside manner, and are SO careful about sanitation it's rediculous!

aylaanne · 01-22-2007, 05:58 AM

I've gotten each of my ears pierced three times. The first time, I had both ears pierced with a gun at a store like Claire's and I was eight. I did not get an infection (although I did lose a LOT of earrings). The second time, I got them both done again in my lobes, with a gun at some boho shop in Harvard Square. I only wore my piercing studs for two months, without wearing anything in my previous piercing holes, to keep my mom from discovering it. It worked. I was 18.

The third time, I got the cartilage pierced on the top of my right ear, with a gun at a kiosk in a mall. I didn't get an infection or even a keloid (that bump that lots of people get behind their cartilage piercings). That took about six months to heal completely, and I bought a captive-bead ring from a piercer about six weeks in to replace the stud that I was pierced with (much more comfortable).

Finally, I had my cartilage pierced on my left ear just above the lobe on the inside. I had this done by a professional piercer with a surgical needle etc. It hurt like crazy, she didn't allow my partner to come back into the piercing area with me to hold my hand, and she was rude to me. I wish I had gone elsewhere.

Take your daughter to Claire's or somewhere similar. Ask them who the piercer will be, how many times they've done it, and how they clean their supplies. If you care for the piercing correctly, she shouldn't get an infection (make sure the jewelry is surgical steel, not nickel or gold plate). And I've never heard of anyone contracting HIV or hepatitis from a mall piercer, and I work in health care. I'll ask around, though, if you want.

Good luck!

DianaM · 01-22-2007, 09:11 AM

In Mexico is traditional to get girl's ears pierced at birth. Nurses do it, so my first set of ear piercings have been with me for almost 29 years.

The second set of ear piercings was done at a jewelry shop in Mexico. The bellypiercing at a tattoo/piercing parlor.

koolbreeze · 01-22-2007, 02:53 PM

i got all 3 of my daughters done at the mall. the first one my cousin got them done cause i was too chicken to do it. she was 9 months the other 2 were 3 months and i got theirs done. no problems with none of them. now my 8 yo SON wants his done!!!

i told him he could get his done when he turns 16...is that wrong???

Kaydee · 01-22-2007, 03:59 PM

I got my ears peirced when I was 10 in a small jewelry store in my town, and they were fine, so problems at all. I got me second hole done at the same jewelry store, and they got infected so I took them out and let them close up. The first time I got them pierced my mom really helped to make sure that they were taken care of. The second time I was old enough to do it on my own, I just didn't do as good of a job as I should've. I'm sure that it'll be fine to get them done at Claire's as long as you make sure your DD keeps them clean. If you are worried though its always safe to go to a doc or a tattoo/piercing place that it reputable.

msoebel · 01-22-2007, 04:32 PM

My grandmother took me to get my ears pierced when I was 5 at a beauty parlor.

My second set of holes was done by my cousin as she was going to beauty school. (I let the second hole in the left ear close though...)

I got them pierced again at Claire's (2nd hold in left ear, 3rd hole in right ear) when I was a freshman in college...and had super long hair that was forever becoming tangled in the earrings. Both of those holes were so sensitive for so long that I let them close.

Honestly...all 3 piercing experiences have been done with a gun...and the only problems have been my fault for not taking care of the holes.

If you decide to take your daughter to a tattoo parlor to get pierced...go in ahead of time and check it out. Some of those places can be skanky and not appropriate for young eyes (when I got my tattoo, I went into about 15 different parlors before finding one that felt comfortable to me...we were in Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas at the time, so they were all pretty much side by side anyway...).

Misty

SandraEllen · 01-22-2007, 06:02 PM

No matter what, I wouldn't let them do both of the ears at the same time. I watched them do this with a younger girl at a Claire's and one of the women missed her mark by a good 1/2 inch. terrible.

That being said, i got mine done at a claire's when I was 10. No problems. I would go there again to for another lobe piercing.

I also had a cartilage piercing done at claire's and i no longer have that one. I got a nasty bump on the back and then it started growing crooked (although i think it's from constantly tucking my hair behind my ear). If i were to do that one again, I would go to a piercing place.