Ear piercing

Dh and I have finally agreed to allow our girls (ages 14 and almost 11) to get their ears pierced. We thought we'd do it this weekend at the mall, but the weekend was busy and it didn't happen. Disappointed girls.:cry:

This morning dh says, while we were discussing where to get it done, that we should check into the safety of ear piercing. So, we both head to the internet and find that the "guns" that they use at malls and such places, cannot be sterilized because they are plastic. They can be wiped, but dh and I both work in medical fields and when you talk blood-borne pathogens, we know alcohol just does not work like autoclaving.

So...now the girls are even more disappointed. They're afraid now that it will never happen. Dh is uber-safety conscious and the girls know it.

Has anyone ever gone to a place other than a mall for ear piercing? I guess my next choice is a tatoo place which I'm not entirely comfortable with. Any horror stories to share? Or maybe positive stories would be better.

TIA,
Karen

 

I think I'd be more afraid of a tatoo place!!!

When Rachael was eight and wanted pierced ears for her birthday, I had her ask her pediatrician about it at her check-up. The doctor told her that any little girl who was old enough to ask and get the information about it first was probably mature enough to have it done. The only stipulation (mine, which the doctor agreed with!) was having it done AFTER camp. I didn't want her going into lake water with her ears trying to heal up!

Both of my girls had it done at the mall; neither had ANY trouble at all!

 

Hi, I had mine done at eight and it was awful. One ear became super infected from my picking at it. It has never healed and always grows over. That said I decided that I would do it before the picking began and had my DD's done as at eight months. It was at the mall. I cleaned them everyday and and they are perfect 5 years later. Although she seems to need really good gold or she reacts to them. I think ear piercing is pretty safe. Other then the mall or tattoo parlor try a beauty salon they sometimes also do piercings.

 

Having many friends that own tattoo shops that would be your SAFEST bet.
Each needle is sealed and never reused. Ask to see that each needle ( or if same needle is used for both ears) that there are no tear marks in the package. Also check to make sure their area is clean..if they won't let you or make you wait..run from that shop!!

My oldest dd had her ears pierced at one of our friends tattoo shops when she was 8 and just last year got a second hole done at Claire's in the mall ( we live in NV our friends store is in CA and dd didn't want to wait the 6 months until we would be in his area again).
So far so good with both places.

 

I had my ears pierced when I was 10 years old and then a couple weeks later I ended up with an infection in one of those ears (so much for cleaning it daily with Sea Breeze which was what was recommended at that time)... out came the earring and treating the infection. When it healed, I went back and had it done again.

If a tatoo place is running their business based on health standards they're probably safer than the mall style piercings are but I don't make a habbit of going in to a tatoo parlor. I do believe that it's probably the safest bet...

In my brave teen years, I did decide I wanted my ears pierced again and my aunt (who used to be a nurse) offered to do it for me... oh my! Mom has a picture of me holding an ice cube on my ear while my nurse pierced my ear with a sterile needle... wouldn't recommend it BUT at least I knew it was sterile :lol:

 

I had my girls' pierced when they were about 3. They were done at the mall with no problems. I have two piercings in my ears and never any problems with them, either.

I don't think I'd have them done at a tattoo parlor. I don't even want to go in there.

 

My mom had mine done when I was about 1 at the doctors office - they don't do that anymore, hehe. My dd had hers done when she turned 6 and I think that it was either at the mall or walmart. Tattoo places for the most part very clean. That is their business so they don't want to take chances. I would just ask lots of questions wherever you decide to go. My dd also had allergies which we weren't aware of which made her ears not heal. We didn't realize it until about 9 months later, she was allergic to the metal. She now either has to wear gold earrings or she coats them with clear polish.

 

I have a total of 11 holes in my ears, done at the mall and Walmart. I never had a single problem with them. I cleaned them several times a day, as was recommended, and not a single hole got infected.

That being said, if you're worried about sterile needles, I'd go with a tattoo parlor.

 

Tattoo parlours are your most sterile choice. There are health codes that must be met. You may be surprised at the atmosphere in one of those places! I went with a friend to get some piercings done at one, and everything turned out fine.

 

Mine were done at the doctor's office when I was 14. No probs, and they've never closed up although I sometimes have gone long stretches without wearing earrings. I also have to have at least 10k gold.

 

I have not read the other responses, but I wanted to let you know that my parents had me get mine pierced at the doctor's office. It's worth asking about.

 

I had mine done at a salon when I was a kid, and had no problem. I had dd's done at wal-mart, I think. No problems there. I had my belly button done at a tattoo place and that was actually more professionally done. My cousin did piercing for a living at the tattoo place and she had to take all sorts of classes and get certified just to pierce. She was an expert in blood-born pathogens and communicable diseases, and sterilization. I think most of the problems people have with their ears are just improper after-care and have nothing to do with the method.

 

3 wholes in each of my ears & my dds got their ears pierced @ 3 & 4 yo.
No problems for any of these times.
Needle? Never had 'needles' used. All of mine & my dds piercings were done with the actual 'ear piercing' earrings. All of these were wrapped in their own sealed package. No needles to be changed.
I worked @ Claires prior to marriage & did piercing myself & NEVER had anyone to bleed.
Blood borne pathogens? Can't imagine why this would be an issue if done the way that I am experienced with. There must be other ways to do it that I have never saw(ear piercing I mean, I am aware that other piercing may be done differently).
I see no reason not to have it done @ a Claires or Walmart. Good luck!
Blessings!

 

Thank you for expressing this because I can't wrap my mind around why this is an issue in the first place. But I'm not an expert. I thought perhaps my experiences with the ear-piercing earrings were odd or local or something. But when the only part that actually touches your ear, stays in your ear... well, I can't see a problem???

(I also never had any of my piercings bleed, but again, thought maybe that was just me)

 

Another note....Dd had her ears pierced at Walmart with great results. She was 8 or 9 years old and had already been "in the chair" twice at Claire's and chickened out. At Walmart I asked if they had two guns and two employees that could do it at the same time. They did and she got her ears pierced in one brief second. No problems with bleeding or infection.

Another note on tattoo places....Dh has tats (one I even bought him for a birthday present ) and I have to say they are some of the cleanest, most sterile environments I have ever been in...and I used to do veterinary surgeries. You would know immediately if it was a place to avoid, otherwise everything in the shop should go beyond what is necessary to be safe.

 

Thats what I was thinking, that the places in the mall like Clair's is using just the ear rings to make the holes.

I'm sure they have to follow health standards too.

 

We just had them done at Clairs in the mall and they used the new earrings that came in the sealed piercing gun and threw each one away after use.

 

Yes they do use the earrings to make the holes. However my ears did bleed when I had mine done at a salon as a kid. So blood is a slight possibilty. But I would think they are pretty safe as far as things go. I mean you can get tetanus from rose thorns but you won't see me pulling them out of the garden. We can only practice so much safety.

 

YEP!!! Can't make life perfectly risk-free!

 

The tattoo parlor is DEFINITELY likely to be the clean and hygienic place to get it done. They know what they are doing. They are the real professionals.

So I say, go to the tattoo parlor.