Ear piercing, best place to go?

[Loveleopardprint]

My dd who is twelve wants to get her ears pierced. Any recommendations for good places to go? Or even places to avoid! Thanks.

[mrscumberbatch]

Do not go to Claires.

Anywhere that uses a piercing gun. Avoid!

Piercing guns are not sterile (impossible to do) and the action of punching the earring into the ear damages the surrounding tissue leaving you prone to infection.

It might be slightly more intimidating but go to a piercing/tattoo parlour and get somebody properly trained to do it. They will use a piercing needle which will be sterilised via autoclave. It also hurts far less than a piercing gun.

If you let the power of MN know whereabouts in the country you are maybe somebody can recommend somewhere local. (Although if you're in London you are spoiled for choice!)

[Westcountrylovescheese]

Totally agree with MrsCumberbatch, also with her choice in men...

[mumofjust1]

Mrscumberbatch said everything I came on to say!

Dd had hers done with a needle in a piercing shop when she was 12 and we had no problems whatsoever, unlike the time she had her ears pierced at Claires. One got infected and neither healed properly.

She said the needle hurt less too :)

[WinstonWolf]

Another +1 to the advice MrsC gave.

Needles all the way.

[Loveleopardprint]

Thanks. I had a feeling that Claire's was not the way to go. I am in Exeter so any suggestions for Devon would be good.

[Westcountrylovescheese]

The tattoo/piercers place above blue banana on the top of fore street in Exeter... I haven't been there myself but know people who have and they recommend it.

[notsohot]

Any recomendations for Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire ?

[mrscumberbatch]

I got my lip pierced in the piercing shop above blue banana in Exeter when I was 14 (I looked far older and had fake iD!)

Very clean and professional

[Loveleopardprint]

Going to suss it out tomorrow. Thanks for the info.

[MrsRhettButler]

How does a needle hurt less? Doesn't it take longer going through?

[SpottyTeacakes]

I had mine done at the doctors many a few years ago

[mrscumberbatch]

It takes the same amount of time, but doesn't pierce with blunt force. It's a more gentle 'easing'. Basically it means that it doesn't aggravate the skin by punching through.

[MrsRhettButler]

Ahh ok I see

[TheReturnOfStropperella]

Does the needle-better-than-piercing-gun thing apply even when going through tough cartilage, e.g. at the top of the ear?

[Dancergirl]

I wish I'd known about the needle thing before I let my dd have her ears pierced. A year on, one side hasn't healed properly. We have changed the studs for titanium ones and bathe with saltwater but it still gets pus-sy and scabby. Do you think I should take them out and let them heal up and try again later....?

We did go to a reputable jeweller which had been recommended but it was a gun.

[hatesponge]

spottyteacakes my GP did mine too 30 odd years ago. I've never met anyone else who had their ears pierced by their dr, all my friends think I'm mad when I tell them!

[Westcountrylovescheese]

Return, with cartilage there is even more a case for using needle over a gun as a gun can shatter the cartilage! Needles cut a cleaner hole, which is most likely to heal quicker.

With infected holes you could try asking a piercer (not jewellery shop) for their advice, although if it's been that long there may be an infection that a GP would be best to advise on...

[mrscumberbatch]

I would advise to let the hole close up and wait till they've healed and try again.

Cartilage piercings with a gun is a definite no no.

The only way you can get pierced and for it to be sterile is with a needle.

[TheReturnOfStropperella]

Ahh, thanks for this info. Dd wants a top of ear piercing. I had mine done with a piercing gun nearly 30 yrs ago and it was fine, but maybe I was just lucky.

[mrscumberbatch]

I did my own with a gun and they didn't get infected but were rather squint
you can do a lot of damage to cartilage with guns though (just google- it's horrifying)

[MrsSchadenfreude]

DD1 had hers done in Selfridges in London. They use disposable guns there. The man was fab and very helpful. They do not use a needle on under 17s (not entirely sure why).

You should never do a cartilage piercing with a gun, as others have said.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

DD1 wants her nose pierced now...

[TheReturnOfStropperella]

Well, I'm glad the OP started this thread because otherwise I would not have found out about the piercing gun being a no-no until it was too late. I'm just hoping dd doesn't ask for ear stretchers for her next birthday.

[Loveleopardprint]

Ear stretchers?? What are they all about?? Think they are ugly and are there going to be lots of old people in 40 yrs time with flapping ear lobes? Blurgh!

[MrsTMD]

Definitely go to a proper piercer with needles.i have several piercing and the only one I have ever had a problem with is my ear lobes which were done with a gun.my other piercings were done at a tattoo parlour with a needle.x