Is Claire's no good for ear piercing. I've heard both meh stories and horror stories. Also your general advice.

[lavenderdoilly]

Dd is 9. I was 14 about 30 years ago when I had mine done. I've heard neutral and negative stories about Claire's so your comments on going there for her to have it done would be most welcome. Your gener tips and advice also welcome.
I can't remember how long mine took to heal although I do remember "turning" them and using surgical spirit. I spoke to one of her pals who said she used saltwater. Ouch generally. Dd is a bit squeamish. Also, how about sport while they are healing ? Take em out (more ow) or tape em up. Is this doable for swimming?

[branofthemist]

It was fine. Went in, got them pierced, got some info about taking care of them. Job done

[MrsJayy]

Both my dds have had their ears done in claires 1 dd has a few piercings i got my ear cartlidge done about 18years ago and no problems at all

[BuntyCollocks]

Claire's causes traumatic injury to their ear as the earring is forced through rather than actually pierced. Far safer and better to go to a reputable piercers. The one up by me pierces ears from 7 with parental consent.

[MrsJayy]

Both my dds got it done last day of term for summer gave them time to heal dd2 taped hers up for gym dd1 managed to take hers out

[Sunnsoo]

The gun got stuck in my aunt's ear... Wouldn't go back!

[ProjectUniverse]

Both mine had it done there - no problems with either. I was told if you book you may be able to have both ears done at the same time - stops panicing about the second ear once one is done!
Kit was all in good knick and they showed me the sterile packaging too.

[SaucyJack]

Both of my DDs had their ears done at Claire's. It was fine.

The only slightly confusing thing is the pricing structure I guess.

The piercing itself is "free" with a bottle of the overpriced and unnecessary aftercare solution (£15 IIRC), plus you have to pay for the jewellery on top.

[ProjectUniverse]

Sorry but this is a genuine question - how did the gun get stuck as it's the actual earring that's forced through the ear?

[SheHasAWildHeart]

DD ended up getting an infection despite using the overpriced aftercare solution.

[thestarryeyedsurprise]

Personally I would go to an independent piercer. Much more experience and training IMO

[MrsJayy]

I remember getting my ears done at the chemist a million years ago and it got in fected its probably just bad luck

[MajesticSeaFlapFlap]

I had mine done a few months back. It was fine

[LaurieLemons]

Piercing with a needle is better than a gun so I'd go to an actual piercer and all you need is salt water for aftercare so don't bother buying any.

[RayofFuckingSunshine]

He main problem with Clare's is that they use a gun to pierce. The earrings aren't sharp so are forced through the lobe causing trauma. The guns also aren't cleaned appropriately (no autoclave) so bacteria is rife and risk of infection is high. The staff 'training' to pierce ears is also less than ideal.

Ideally, any piercing should be done by a qualified piercer, using a sterile needle where all other equipment has been appropriately cleaned. If you contact some tattoo studios they will most likely be able to point you in the direction of someone appropriate to sort it out.

[AugustRose]

DD1 (14) had hers done at Claire's 3 years ago and it was fine. She had both ears done at the same time, we used the aftercare solution everyday - can't remember exactly how long - and she healed within a few weeks.

The earrings themselves are a bit expensive I think so if I took DD2 it would be to a local independent that had been recommended by friends.

[JimmyGreavesMoustache]

watching with interest
9yo is going to have her ears pierced next month
the local piercers I've googled don't allow under 16s on the premises.

[MrsMarsch]

I have two piercings in each earlobe and both were done at Claire's, quick, painless and no infections, it's best to buy gold earrings whilst they heal, as not many people are allergic to it. They're not terribly expensive (only gold played I think)

[MadisonAvenue]

I've had some ear piercings done there and had no problems whatsoever. I actually thought the first piercing had failed as I heard the click and a pinch but no pain.
They use the same method as used when I had the first piercings at a hair salon 40 years ago. No problem with those either.
Yes, you can book so that two people will do the piercings, one on each side at the same time so that may help a young child, more so than a professional piercer with a needle.

[BeYourselfUnlessUCanBeAUnicorn]

Out of the children I know with pierced ears, most have gone to Claire's and no one has reported any problems. But saying that, I just don't think I'd take DD there. I'd rather go to a proper piercing place.

Mine was done in our local market, everyone went there back then and they are still going strong over 20 years later. There is a specific 'stall' (it's not really a stall, it's like a shop in a permanent market). Mine was fine. I did get one set done in a beauticians and they got infected and it was in cartlidge which they did with a gun and you aren't supposed to. When I got it redone I went to a piercing studio where they did it with a needle instead.

[ImCatbug]

Actual piercers will use a small, hollow needle to pierce the ear. It slices through the flesh and leaves a neat hole without causing trauma to the area, and heals the same as any clean wound if looked after properly.
Using piercing guns, like at Claire's, causes massive trauma to the skin and flesh as instead of a hollow, sharp needle, the ear is pierced with a solid and fairly blunt earring, forced through the ear at speed. This can cause a lot of scarring, and the ear will take longer to heal.
The needles used by piercers can be sterilised in an autoclave, piercing guns cannot be fully sterilised, meaning there is a higher risk of infection, even when using new, sterilised earrings.
The people who work in Claire's are given a day or so of training for piercing, and train by using the gun on teddy bears. Professional piercers study and train for months or years, and are certified.
The cleaning solution they sell you are really bad for healing too, you should only use saline and salt water to clean. They also now sell an 'accelerated healing' 3-week treatment, claiming the piercings will be healed and the earrings can be changed in 3 weeks. This is complete nonsense, you cannot speed up the body's healing process, and especially not with their crappy cleaning solution. Lobe piercings will take 6-8 weeks to heal to the point of changing the jewellery, no matter what you use to clean them, and changing the jewellery before this is really bad for the healing process, encourages more scar tissue to form and makes for a much higher risk of infection.

Yes, you can get your ears pierced at Claire's and have no issue, but it's still a bad idea. There are far, far more horror stories about ear piercings from Claire's than from actual, professionally trained piercers.

[TheDropBear]

I recently had to tag a calf, after doing it the farmer turned to me and went "there you go, you could go work at Claires now"

Take her to a professional and get it done with a needle, guns are awful. My sister got her cartilage done recently and was told not to turn it and to sterilise with saltwater. A proper piercer will give you great after care advice though. Taping is a better option than taking them out. Get them done in the summer holiday so they're all healed by the time she's back in school.

[Savemefromwine]

It's fine at Claire's. Infections can happen anywhere.

[SaucyJack]

" all you need is salt water for aftercare so don't bother buying any."

You have to buy it at Claire's.

The piercing is advertised as "free", but they'll whack a bottle of aftercare on at the till to cover the cost.

[EveryoneElsie]

Saltwater soaks are the correct treatment for a new piercing and its painless, unlike surgical spirits. You make it with 2 teaspoons of salt and a pint of cooled boiled water.
Its what hospitals and dentists use and recommend after dental surgery.
They dont recommend surgical spirits.

Go to a proper piercing parlour and have it done with a needle. A gun compresses the flesh and creates a tunnel.
People who want to stretch their earlobes cant do that if the original hole was made with a piercing gun because of the damage it causes.
They have to re-pierce the hole with a large bore needle to remove the scar tissue.

[ghostyslovesheep]

Both my eldest went there with no issues at all