Ear piercing for 10 year old DD

[Goofygirl17]

My DD wants to get her ears pierced. I'd like to take her somewhere that uses two guns so both ears get done at the same time. I think Claire's does that but I'm leary about getting them done there. I have friends who only take their daughters to the pediatrician for ear piercing. We tried that about 6 months ago but DD got nervous and decided to wait. The pedi only has 1 gun and I picture DD getting 1 ear done and not wanting the other one.

Any thoughts or recommendations? Anyone had a good/bad experience at Claire's or other piercing place?

Thanks!

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

My Claire's was wonderful with us. DD (7 at the time) really wanted them done but when she got to the store she started chickening out. They agreed to pierce them simultaneously. My DD is the type that you have to drag her on to a ride crying only to have her get off screaming "Let's go again!!" I knew if we walked out of the store without them being done she would cry hysterically and want to go back. This would go on for awhile so I stood in front of her and they stood on either side and pierced her ears. And yes, she was crying while she had them done. I had one mother tell me that I shouldn't force her and started in on me. I'm NEVER rude to anyone in public but I turned to her and told her to mind her business (and not in nice words).

Anyway, the second they were done she said that it wasn't that bad and had no idea why she was so upset. Tears dried within seconds and she proudly showed them off to the 2 boys that wanted theirs done (her age). She told them it didn't hurt but they chickened out and DD laughed after they left the store. We kept the posts in for almost a year as her ears took some time to be able to handle something other than gold. She is now, 2 years later, able to wear whatever earring she wants. But the first year we would test new earrings and by the end of the day they would be red. We would clean and put in the piercing earrings and they would clear right up.

Claire's is really good and the earrings are never touched and the piercing thing fits right into the gun. It was very sanitary. Oh and I had my ears double pierced the same day to show her that it didn't hurt.

 

[Angelhalo]

I got mine done at Claires when I was like 8 or 9. I am now 30 and have never ever had a single problem with them.

 

[java]

Piercing Pagoda was where DD got hers done when she was 10. She got them both done same time and she said it wasn't so bad. I thought they did a GREAT job. Had a bigger selection of earrings than our Clair's. We were very happy with them.

 

[HM]

We had my daughter's done at the dermatologist's office. The doctor took good time in getting her comfortable and marked out the spots before so they'd be even (since ears are never even). She had absolutely no trouble with the process. And the earrings they used were really good quality. She's never had trouble in the six years since (it was a 8 yr birthday present).

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

Here's a thread with the exact questions you have. May make you rethink Claire's. Hope it helps.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2263435

 

[Angelhalo]

I was just thinking.....I actually have 6 holes now and they were all done at Claire's. The only one I got done anywhere but Claire's was my cartilage piercing. There are a lot of Claire's haters but the true fact is that everyone's experiences are going to be different. Some people have great experiences at Claire's and some people have bad, same as anywhere else you might go, so you just kind of have to jump in and pick one. Good luck OP!

 

[Darsa]

DD13 had her ears pierced at Claire's when she was 7. It was pretty scary for her at first, walked by the store a couple of times... then she went in! They did both ears at once, she cried a little but afterward she confessed that she was more startled by the noise of the piercing guns snapping so close to her ears than anything else. She also got TWO lollipops out of it, since she couldn't decide which flavor she wanted, lol.

In the six years since she had them done she's never had a problem with them. She can wear any earrings.

 

[MoonFaerie]

When I got my ears pierced, it was at Claires or some similar place that uses a gun. All my other piercings were done by a licensed piercer with a needle. When dd or ds want her/his ears pierced, it will absolutely not be at a mall type place.

My anecdata - the gun piercings hurt way worse and took way longer to heal. Also, my ears, done at mall when I was 12, not even at all.

ETA: I'd also stay away from gold earrings if you do go with a Claires type place. Stick to surgical steel at the very least. I'm actually sensitive to surgical steel, but my piercer will special order new jewelry for me in surgical titanium. They won't use gold at all. When my kid(s) are ready, I'll go ahead and have them pieced with titanium, just in case.

 

[Goofygirl17]

Thanks everyone. I still haven't decided where to take her. I called a local jewelery store where we know the owner but she only has 1 gun. She recommended Claire's too. I called the local one and they can do both ears at the same time. I'm still not sure what to do. I might call my dermatologist's office and see if they do ear piercing.

I got my first piercing using hoops called "sleepers" in 4th grade. They were hoops that you put on your ears and they eventually went through. I had to keep turning them. I don't think they make them anymore.

My roommate at college (a nursing major) did my second set. She used syringes from the nursing lab.

I had the third set done at Claire's in the mall.

Given all that you wouldn't think I'd be obsessing about where to get DD's ears done!

 

[swanmom]

Another good experience at Claire's. The 'piercer' was professional, calm and very careful. Station and instruments were clean and she was careful to keep everything sterile. No problems afterwards, either.

Except DD kep losing one of each set of earrings.............but I don't think that's Claire's fault!

 

[Goofygirl17]

Losing one of each set is a good excuse to get an odd number of piercings!

 

[wvjules]

Taking children to a peditrician to get their ears pierced? And here I thought they were doctors.

 

[mtemm]

we went to claire's when we got my dd's done (she was 4). everything was sterile and it was great! make sure you call to make sure they have 2 people working that can pierce so it can be done at the same time. the day we had hers done, only one person was working at the claires closest to me. my dd didn't mind at all having them done one at a time, but I also knew ahead of time that she wouldn't mind/wouldn't have a problem (even as an infant she was amazingly calm and nonchalant about shots and things).

eta, since my nieces all have nickel allergies and I wasn't sure if my dd would have one, we went with the titanium choice at claires. good choice for us, no problems at all. and hers are even. they mark them with a pen first and showed me them so I was happy even before they pierced.

 

[Angelhalo]

Taking children to a peditrician to get their ears pierced? And here I thought they were doctors.

I find it odd too, but too each their own I guess

 

[swanmom]

Losing one of each set is a good excuse to get an odd number of piercings!

OMG !!! .........don't give her any ideas !!!!

 

[KAMLEM]

Taking children to a peditrician to get their ears pierced? And here I thought they were doctors.

Plenty of pediatricians pierce ears. My pediatrician told me to make sure I brought DD's to him if we were going to get their ears pierced. He said he has seen too many bad things happen when people get them done elsewhere.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

Another ggo Claries experience here.

They did both of dds at the same time - otherwise she woudl have only done one

 

[Goofygirl17]

I think we're going to Claire's. Thanks for all the responses!

 

[maelstrom]

I've had my ears pierced at a beauty salon, the pediatrician's office, by my aunt (she's a licensed beautician), and at the Piercing Pagoda (for my cartilage). My main concern is the metal used. Come to find out, I'm allergic to nickel (there's nickel in gold), and that's why my first set of piercings never healed and was always a problem. Subsequent piercings were done with surgical steel or plastic (at the pediatrician's office). I had my eyebrow piercing done at a tattoo shop with a needle and a surgical steel curved bar. I cannot wear gold earrings or eyebrow jewelry. I wear surgical steel earrings and either surgical steel, titanium, or palladium in my eyebrow. Bioplast is another option for body piercings, but I'm not sure if they make bioplast earrings.

All of my piercings, save for the eyebrow, were done with a piercing gun. However, if I were to get more piercings, I would most definitely have them done with a needle. It is much less traumatic for the area being pierced.