What to expect getting my ears pierced?

[Foxhound3857]

The earrings you picked are very pretty

If starter earrings are required then it's probably moot to consider those ones. Ideally I'd go for 14k White Gold with 1.5ct-2ct Rainbow Moonstones, round cut. Probably looking at around $300+ for such an item.

But I'd also be hesitant to lose them, so if they're available in a slightly bigger cut for sterling silver (6-8mm instead of 4mm), I'd consider that too.

 

[dizneegirl]

Generally starter studs have thicker posts, very small fronts and are all metal. You don't want something that would get caught on anything, and since they have to stay in 24/7 for quite a while, you want something easy to clean (and keep clean). If you get it done somewhere like the mall, they have earrings you'll choose from there.

Decide where you want to get the piercing done, and then find out what they offer and/or recommend. I wouldn't buy anything without doing that homework first.

 

[DaBarretts]

How exciting!

 

[Foxhound3857]

Generally starter studs have thicker posts, very small fronts and are all metal. You don't want something that would get caught on anything, and since they have to stay in 24/7 for quite a while, you want something easy to clean (and keep clean). If you get it done somewhere like the mall, they have earrings you'll choose from there.

Decide where you want to get the piercing done, and then find out what they offer and/or recommend. I wouldn't buy anything without doing that homework first.

So the parlor provides the earrings you're supposed to wear until they've healed?

Guess I'll postpone buying the ones I want for now then. I'm gonna try to get some info after work tonight.

 

[dizneegirl]

Depends on where you get them pierced. Check with the place(s) you think you might want to do it.

 

[Foxhound3857]

Depends on where you get them pierced. Check with the place(s) you think you might want to do it.

I'm going to get information from this place called the Tattoo Image on Wednesday. It's on the way to work and I can stop there on the way home.

 

[Princess Me]

I was only 4 when my ears were pierced for the first time, so I don’t remember anything about it. My mom says I begged for it, and took me to a mall kiosk. I still have those holes today with zero problems. Probably because my mom took care of them for me. When I was 16 my bff and I got second holes in our ears done at Claire’s. I remember it hurting a bit, and I didn’t take proper care of them and eventually let them grow closed. When I turned 40, I decided I wanted second earring holes again. My niece took me to her favorite tattoo and piercing shop where a nice goth girl pierced them with a giant needle. The first one hurt so much I yelled a high value curse word, but I was more prepared for the second ear. She had a few different earrings for me to choose from, they all had extra long posts to make it easier to turn them and take care of the holes. I left those studs in for several months before changing to some I really liked. It’s been six years now, and I’ve never had any problems with these holes, but I never go more than a day or two without earrings in them.
I like the moonstone studs you’ve chosen! As long as you turn them frequently, keep them in for a good while, and use whatever solution your piercer recommends then I’m sure you’ll do great!

 

[Foxhound3857]

I was only 4 when my ears were pierced for the first time, so I don’t remember anything about it. My mom says I begged for it, and took me to a mall kiosk. I still have those holes today with zero problems. Probably because my mom took care of them for me. When I was 16 my bff and I got second holes in our ears done at Claire’s. I remember it hurting a bit, and I didn’t take proper care of them and eventually let them grow closed. When I turned 40, I decided I wanted second earring holes again. My niece took me to her favorite tattoo and piercing shop where a nice goth girl pierced them with a giant needle. The first one hurt so much I yelled a high value curse word, but I was more prepared for the second ear. She had a few different earrings for me to choose from, they all had extra long posts to make it easier to turn them and take care of the holes. I left those studs in for several months before changing to some I really liked. It’s been six years now, and I’ve never had any problems with these holes, but I never go more than a day or two without earrings in them.
I like the moonstone studs you’ve chosen! As long as you turn them frequently, keep them in for a good while, and use whatever solution your piercer recommends then I’m sure you’ll do great!

Apparently my birth month, June, has three different birthstones, maybe the only month that does. Pearl doesn't suit me, and good luck affording Alexandrite, I've heard it commands even higher prices than Diamond. But Moonstone is pretty and I like the way its color shifts when light hits it, almost like Opal.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I was three when I had my ears pierced and the reason why I got my ears pierced was because my mom wanted me to wear earrings because she thought i'd look pretty in them. And where I got my ears pierced was at Claire's and I don't remember much because I was little but I do remember my mom was given the ear spray which she had to put on my ears every night and then I got diamond earrings and today I have only one pierced ear because my other ear lost it's hole

 

[NannyBeBe]

Apparently my birth month, June, has three different birthstones, maybe the only month that does. Pearl doesn't suit me, and good luck affording Alexandrite, I've heard it commands even higher prices than Diamond. But Moonstone is pretty and I like the way its color shifts when light hits it, almost like Opal.

Alexandrite was my grandmother's birthstone. I have a beautiful lab-created Alexandrite ring that is as lovely as the real thing. You might be able to find something that you like in lab-created.

 

[LuvOrlando]

If starter earrings are required then it's probably moot to consider those ones. Ideally I'd go for 14k White Gold with 1.5ct-2ct Rainbow Moonstones, round cut. Probably looking at around $300+ for such an item.

But I'd also be hesitant to lose them, so if they're available in a slightly bigger cut for sterling silver (6-8mm instead of 4mm), I'd consider that too.

Why not just get whatever the cheapest starter are and then get the inexpensive ones you like for after the wait? It's only 2 months and many places use a piercing device so they will only permit certain ones anyway.

 

[Foxhound3857]

Why not just get whatever the cheapest starter are and then get the inexpensive ones you like for after the wait? It's only 2 months and many places use a piercing device so they will only permit certain ones anyway.

Now knowing how long recovery takes, that's the plan. Wait until I'm good to actually change them out, then buy the ones I want.

Shows how little I know though. I thought it was just a two minute thing at Claires and then you're set for life. I didn't know it was a lengthy process that can cause so many complications and requires high maintenance.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Please dont go to Claires or a mall shop that uses a gun. Theres so many YouTube videos explaining why this is such bad way to pierce ears and all the complications that can happen.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Don't get spooked over getting earrings, this is all just best practice. If you mean recovery as in when you can completely ignore them, that depends on how you heal and how gentle you are. As long as you clean with alcohol on a Qtip every day, spin them (and for me I used an antibiotic ointment on a qtip too) the whole process is uneventful and you just end up in the happy place of mostly ignoring quickly enough.

 

[dizneegirl]

It's not difficult. And someplace like Claire's is fine for most people. They load the gun with the studs you buy, and pop!... you're done. Had mine done that way when I was 11. My niece did it a few years ago.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

It's not difficult. And someplace like Claire's is fine for most people. They load the gun with the studs you buy, and pop!... you're done. Had mine done that way when I was 11. My niece did it a few years ago.

Theres soo many resources online that show why Claires is not a good idea. Basically with Claires and the gun, they are forcing a blunt object at high speed through cartilage, which leads to all sorts of complications. And while they are using stile un opened studs each time, the actual gun machine is not a new sterile machine, and can not be cleaned properly.

 

[dizneegirl]

There's no cartilage in an ear lobe. And my starter studs had points on them. I'm sure you can find a horror story for any situation if you look hard enough.

My mom had her ears pierced with a needle by nurses... one ended up crooked through her ear. Things can happen, but most often don't.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Chiming in a little late...

While it's been ages since I've had my piercings done, I've had several more recent ones with my girls. I made the mistake of taking them to a place with a piercing gun when they were young. DD18s were fine but DD16s got badly infected and had to come out. Since then, we have been using a really highly rated piercer at a local tattoo parlor. Tattoo parlors are usually held to a higher standard for sanitary conditions and since they do more than basic lobe piercings, they are often more accurate than the doctors that sometimes offer needle based piercings. i.e. this is their primary job, so perfection is the goal. Ours will also mark them out and let you inspect in various mirrors before any piercing occurs. Our most recent piercing with him was DD18s third hole this past summer. Here are a several things I've picked up from his process:

• Clean the piercing twice a day with saline wound wash and a Q-Tip. Special solutions, ointments, and old school turning the earing with each cleaning supposedly invites infection and prolongs the healing process.
• While my ears are sensitive and I can only wear gold, he only pierces with surgical stainless steel. I know I insisted on 14K gold when we went the piercing gun route, but it certainly didn't save DD16 from infection and she had absolutely zero issues when getting them redone years later with the piercer's stainless steel options.
• I believe it was 6 weeks before we removed the initial earrings put in after piercing. We made the mistake of having DD16s second attempt redone too close to school volleyball season one year and she had to remove them due to state rules before they'd healed. So, she actually had hers done a third time a couple of years ago when she had a decent break with school stuff.
• For what it's worth, this is our guy's aftercare instructions (assuming the link posts...if not, I can cut and paste it in if you're interested). https://www.magicneedletat2.com/piercing-aftercare

 

[mjkacmom]

It's not difficult. And someplace like Claire's is fine for most people. They load the gun with the studs you buy, and pop!... you're done. Had mine done that way when I was 11. My niece did it a few years ago.

The difference is night and day, do a quick google search. A licensed trained piercer with a sterilized needle is a much better option than a teenager with an unsterile gun. My daughters had so many infections, and uneven piercings, from the gun, much better results with the needle.

 

[mjkacmom]

There's no cartilage in an ear lobe. And my starter studs had points on them. I'm sure you can find a horror story for any situation if you look hard enough.

My mom had her ears pierced with a needle by nurses... one ended up crooked through her ear. Things can happen, but most often don't.

Why is a nurse doing piercings? Even my pediatrician said she was not qualified to pierce ears. Please stop giving such bad advice based on your one experience as an 11 year old.