Child ear piercing gone wrong - help me with what to say

my piercer will only do lobe piercings on under 18s, any other piercing is off limits.

You can ask around, there will be one that does it and is happy to with a parent present.

I had my ears pierced at a jewellers, when I was 13. The butterfly back, was so tight to my ear, I had a blood blister and swelling. My Mum had to take both earrings out, bathe the bad ear lobe twice a day. Eventually both holes healed over but it totally put me off having my earrings pierced again. I decided at 30, to brave it, and this time, went to a proper piercing shop, where it was all done correctly. My advice would be to remove the other earring and let your daughter's ear lobes heal over. Leave it for a few years and ask her if she'd like to try again. If she doesn't, then ask her to tell you when or if she feels ready, but she can decide when she's an adult if she wishes.

I meant the earring cassette {?} devices that Claires used to fire an earring into an ear..they were supposedly a sealed unit to stop blood Bourne disease.

The green hypodermic needles I pierced son's lobes with were definitely ''single use only'' {I put them in the wood burner after use to dispose of them}

Didn't rtft but wanted to reassure you that I live in a country where the custom is to pierce baby girl's ears as newborns. Everyone thinks my daughter is a boy because she doesn't have earrings. So medically there is no "too young" to have ears pierced. Culturally, obviously, everyone will have an opinion on that. Personally I think it's fine so long as it's something the child wants and is old enough to decide, as earlobe holes will heal without leaving much of a mark, unlike a tattoo or a piercing !

My 17 year old had her belly pierced at blue banana a few weeks ago, claimed she needed floating belly piercing ( ridiculous money as well) came out first night so the next day I took her to my usual piercer. They'd pierced far to much skin and wasn't much could be done other than taking it out. She was devastated, I did pay for her to get it redone by my usual piercer yesterday. Apparently there it's 2 weeks training and that's it. I wouldn't go near blue banana ever again. The piercer was the manager and customer service couldn't care less

I took my daughter who is 16 to a tattoo studio to get her ears, upper ear and nose pierced a few months ago. Not a 'stepped' earring as a pp stated but rather thick posts that the backs screw on to. I also got a couple of piercings whilst there - not planned but I had thought about it and wanted them so even though I didn't have an appointment I jumped at the opportunity when asked. Maybe contact a studio and see if they can look at the piercing for your daughter they may have some useful advice as to when to get it redone. I don't understand people saying to take out the other piercing. Why when your daughter wants both ears pierced.

Don’t ever, EVER take children to Claire’s for piercings. It’s a Saturday girl with a staple gun and their training is a 20 min YouTube video. Gun piercings are forcing a blunt earring through the tissue. It causes more trauma, heals crooked most of the time and will be more prone to bleeding and infection. Take the other earring out, let them heal, and if she decides she wants them done again DO YOUR RESEARCH and take her to a reputable piercing and tattoo studio to have it done properly with a needle.

Yes, Guns put so much trauma onto the ear- Needles are much gentler.

Most reputable piercing salons won't pierce the ears of under-11s on the basis that they'll be more able to manage the following discomfort/pain and necessary aftercare.

The single use ones from Amazon? Awful things! DD15 and her friends use them on each other at sleepovers etc.

So true.

And not get your ear pierced in Claire's to begin with

So why come out with your judgemental comment? Not your child, not your decision. The OP is looking for advice, not to be made to feel like shit.

Had a bad experience with Claire's last year too. Took her to a local tattoo and piercing parlour and they were fab and so kind. Cleaned ears, put totally different earrings in (the claires ones are too short and the back is too tight so no room for the inevitable swelling). Haven't had a minute's problem since then. And they were a fraction of the cost! And didn't hurt her at all and she was scared.

I had no idea the issues that could arise from ear piercing! I had mine pierced for the first time around age 7, if I remember right. Piercing gun no issues. I did have a problem with the top of my ear being pierced, it was like it never healed and after a year I finally took it out and never tried again. That was also a piercing gun. Anyway, I just googled a bit and found this which I though very interesting.

https://safepiercing.org/piercing-guns/

Don't distress the poor kid any further. Leave it out, don't force it back through. It will cause more damage to already sensitive skin and likely take longer to heal or get infected. Either leave her with one or (if she'll let you) take the other one out and let it heal. Now she knows what it feels like let her decide if/ when she want to try it again. Poor kid!

@TheWombatleague you got lucky! I would ask if the hairdresser was on a YTS, but I'm not sure they were a thing 45 years ago.

@formula3 Here is a beautiful job which shows a needle..

You were fortunate it didn’t shatter the cartilage.

This studio, one of the few I would trust to pierce me allows it from 8+ with caveats. I’ve attached their FAQs which explain it.

www.holier-than-thou.co.uk/services/piercing-faqs/

You will never get a safe or good quality piercing with a gun at Claire’s.
i would take DD to see a proper, qualified piercer who uses a needle and ask for advice. Lots will see children with a parent carrying ID, so long as the child can verbally consent ie not a baby or toddler. Both of my kids have been to a piercer before 18
please do not take her back to Claire’s

I'd second everyone who has suggested taking the other earring out and then waiting and getting them re-pierced after a minimum of 6 months at a proper piercing parlour. No judgement on taking her to Claire's in the first place; they advertise in the window and it seems so child-friendly, there's no reason as a mum without any experience with piercings would guess there's a problem! For next time, a piercing shop who use needles will be safer, the earring more secure (they should use a proper titanium stud and fasten the back by hand) and, in many people's experience, hurt a lot less than a gun piercing.

As far as the pain goes, taking the other earring out might hurt for a few minutes but it shouldn't last much longer. Earlobes heal over quickly, especially with such a new piercing, that if you're lucky she'll hardly be able to feel where they were in a few days' time. Clean them with saline if you can- boiled water with some salt is an easy solution to prepare at home. I know seeing your kids in any sort of pain is horrible, but it shouldn't last for long and by the time she comes around to the idea of having earrings again she'll be all the more ready for it.

A lot of reputable places will take kids younger than 18. OP, when it’s redone, it’s worth waiting until the start of the school summer holidays as it gives it time to heal before swimming lessons / school PE lessons where it would have to be taped over if the earrings can’t be removed

They will. That’s a myth. The (excellent) piercer where I took DD will pierce over 5s, lobes only, if they are accompanied by a parent (who needs photo ID and proof of parental responsibility).