Topical lidocaine for ear piercing?

[sukhakuli]

Has anyone used this for their kids? My oldest dd wants her ears pierced, but she is afraid of the pain, and I would prefer that she not get hurt, as well. I'm thinking about grabbing some OTC topical lidocaine for her. My dh says it won't harm her (he's an MD) but he's skeptical if it is actually going to keep it from hurting. So, does it work for ear piercing?

 

[jacksmomma]

Honestly, it does not really hurt. It is a pinch and it is done. It hurts much less than a shot.

 

[SoniaO]

Just my opinion here, but maybe she shouldn't get her ears pierced if she can't handle it? Have her wait a year or two...

 

[Sarahlovy]

I would not think that it would really help that much because I do not believe it would penetrate through the entire ear lobe. It really does not hurt that bad, and it is very brief. I know one requirement for me to get my ears pierced when I was a kid (I had them pierced at 7 and re-pierced at 18) was understanding and accepting that it would hurt.

 

[sukhakuli]

You people have obviously never met my dd. She has an anxiety disorder and gets really hopped up about stuff like this. Honestly, if I'd been smart I would have pierced them when she was a baby, and then she'd never have to go through the experience. It is going to be really traumatic for her. I don't feel that she has to be brave enough to deal with something painful just to show she is mature enough to have it.

I wonder if it will give her enough confidence to do it (placebo), or maybe take enough of the edge off that it won't be so bad. I can totally see her getting one side done, and then completely losing it, and refusing to get the other. I always get IV's with EMLA cream, why feel pain if you don't have to? And they work great. The emergency IV's I have had were horribly painful, but using the EMLA cream for the ones when I was in labor were great. But I'm unsure if it can numb all the way through the earlobe. Guess it's worth a shot (ha, ha), but I was hoping for some personal experiences.

 

[RMulieri]

You can try but I don't think it will numb completely thru the ear lobe.You can try applying it to the front and back of the ear.But She will still feel it.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

Find somewhere that will do them both at the same time.

Thats what we did for DD

 

[VirataMama4]

I don't think it will really help much, but if it would build her confidence enough then I'd do it... I would also shop around for a place that has 2 people available to pierce both ears at the same time. This has worked for both of my DDs.

 

[fnkyyellow]

I used a cream for My DD (8) just 2 weeks ago. It was the third time we tried, second time I filled out all the paperwork, and she again she wanted to chicken out! She said she could still feel her ear, when I pinched it it hurt.

Long story short, she went ahead with it and it went very well. My DD doesn't have anxiety BUT can get herself worked up about needles etc. (Stitches last fall were a nightmare!) She was surprised how quick it was and that it didn't really hurt. No tears either!

Good Luck

 

[Hannathy]

How is she going to handle the cleaning of them while they are healing? that can be more painful than the piercing.

Has she had the cream before? It isn't going to do anything to help with the pain because it doesn't numb anymore than the surface and also because it is so quick, and anytime you use another medication you always open the door for some sort of reaction to the additional medication.

I agree with if she is that anxious let her wait till she is ready to accept what has to be done to get it.

 

[kellyw8863]

We use it on DD for her weekly gamma globulin infusions, and the only thing it helps with is the initial poke. It doesn't do anything for under the surface. I wouldn't bother with it for something like an ear piercing.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I'm all for anything that can help reduce her anxiety, but as some mentioned, the turning and care of the ears AFTER the piercing can be tough too. Does SHE really want them done??

I would be sure that she can handle the care or at least let you handle the care. I would also ask the person that is going to do the ears if they would allow the cream. They follow certain protocol and might not be able to accommodate you. I know some doctors do kids ears, maybe her dad could do her and find a way to numb them for her.

 

[sukhakuli]

That's a good idea about having them both done at once. I had mine done one at a time. And I am guessing that ear piercing has come a long way since I had them done over 20 years ago. Gah I feel old.

She definitely wants them done. We never even mentioned it, but lately she talks about it all the time. We told her that she can have them done whenever she wants to, and we've gone over the process, keeping them from getting infected, etc etc. She's ready to be brave, but I know her, and she's going to flip out. After they are done she should be fine, but the fear of the pain coming is going to set her off.

I guess I'll try the cream, it can't hurt. Unfortunately, dh refuses to prescribe EMLA, so I'm stuck going OTC. He's such a stickler. (just a joke)

 

[tlbwriter]

I can see why it would help her worry less about the procedure, even if it only numbs the skin. You might try an ice cube as well.

 

[NYEmomma]

I can't imagine it would actually help, but the placebo effect is very powerful so I bet it will help her calm down.

To lessen the pain, I'd recommend having them professionally pierced. All of my professional piercings have been MUCH less painful than the piercings I've had done with a gun at the mall. The procedure is a lot less traumatic when using a sharp, clean needle than it is using a gun that can jam (and can't by sterilized) and starter earrings. Like others have said, have them both done at one time. The second piercing ALWAYS hurts more (in my experience, lol) than the first.

Also, when healing the piercings there's absolutely no need to turn them. If they're just ear lobe piercings, there should be no pain at all during the healing process. Soak them in salt water 4 times a day and keep make-up, hairspray, other gunk away from them (also stay out of the pool). If it's a cartilage piercing, she can expect tenderness for 4 weeks up to 4 months.

Hope she does well with it!

 

[sukhakuli]

Ruh-roh, she can't go swimming? That's gonna be a deal breaker... My kids practically live in our pool.

Maybe we should wait until "winter" hits in December/Jan and we aren't swimming anyway. That will be after our trip, though, and she might want to have her new earrings on our trip. Hmmm... Decisions.

Why can't you swim? Is it just the whole keep 'em dry thing?

I'll check out needle piercing, also. Can you do both at the same time? How do they handle wiggly and scared 8/9 year olds? Those places are usually for adults, right? I have noticed a lot of adults tend to get quickly annoyed with the emotional needs of pre-teen girls.

 

[NYEmomma]

Ruh-roh, she can't go swimming? That's gonna be a deal breaker... My kids practically live in our pool.

Maybe we should wait until "winter" hits in December/Jan and we aren't swimming anyway. That will be after our trip, though, and she might want to have her new earrings on our trip. Hmmm... Decisions.

Why can't you swim? Is it just the whole keep 'em dry thing?

I'll check out needle piercing, also. Can you do both at the same time? How do they handle wiggly and scared 8/9 year olds? Those places are usually for adults, right? I have noticed a lot of adults tend to get quickly annoyed with the emotional needs of pre-teen girls.

It's the chemicals in chlorinated pools & general nastiness, lol, of rivers, lakes & oceans (the bacteria, if you want to be technical ) that you want to avoid with new piercings. At the VERY least for 3 weeks but preferably for 6 weeks after the piercings.

Yes, piercing places are typically for adults, but they're professional piercers that know how to handle nervous people of ALL ages (you should've seen me with my first one -- I'm SUCH a wuss when it comes to pain!). You'll have to do some searching because not all places will pierce children but there are quite a few out there that will do ear lobe piercings on kids 7+ or 9+ with the parent's consent. They can definitely do them at the same time (though typically when they talk about this they're referring too nipple piercings ) but you'll more than likely need to make an appt in advance so that you can be there at a time that there's two piercers on duty.

I LOVE piercings and eagerly await the day that my daughter wants to get her ears pierced. She'll be able to have anything pierced that she wants in the future but my ONE rule about piercing is that it doesn't happen until she's able to have it done at a professional piercer. I'll gladly sign the paperwork for whatever she wants done, just as long as it's done at a reputable piercing shop. The trauma & lack of hygiene involved in gun piercings (at the mall, at the doctor's office, wherever) is a total deal breaker for me.

 

[dimndgal1]

I had my ears pierced by my doctor and he said I could go swimming as soon as we were sure there was no allergic reaction -- I just had to clean my ears when I got out. I was back in the pool 48 hours post piercing. We did the same thing with DD -- once we were sure no reaction, she was back in the water.

As for pain, I will warn you that if she is nervous with the initial piercing and has a low pain tolerance, the cleaning and turning might be a lot for her. DD does allergy shots twice a week, so her ears were no biggie but turning the posts made them sore and she loathed it each night.

 

[kellyw8863]

Keep in mind that what you're buying OTC is not the same thing that you got at the hospital prior to IV placement. I belive that you can only get 2.5% OTC, and it's pretty much a useless concentration. We use 5% for DD's infusions, and it's only available by prescription. Without insurance coverage, it's about $75 for a small tube of it.

 

[kimkoz]

No real help on if the cream will help or not but wishing Good Luck to you and your DD. Most places around here do them both at the same time. Thats your best bet. Maybe try and find a place that isn't so exposed to other people too. I never understood the ones at the mall that do it in front of everyone.. poor children, most of the time they are scared because everyone is watching or you get the on lookers that don't agree.. But for some reason those on lookers still stop.. if you don't like little girls ears pierced don't stop and look.. lol

I'm sure she'll love them. I've never heard the swimming thing either.