Has anyone's child had their ears pierced at Claire's recently?

[DudeWheresMyCarSeat]

12yo DD wanting hers done in the summer before starting secondary school. She's insisting on it being in Claire's as it's her favourite shop ever so we're not looking for recommendations on other places (I've already tried to persuade her for weeks as I've heard mixed reviews of Claire's).

I'm trying to get an idea of price and what's actually included. Their website currently has an offer of free piercing when you buy a starter kit but the earrings are expensive! Around £50.

I remember paying about £10 for mine years and years ago.

So, if we just want piercing and cheap, basic studs - how much would this be? Thanks.

Piercings should be done with a sterilised needle with sterile stainless steel to avoid contamination, infection and irritation from the earrings
I have worked at a piercing studio and this is just common sense
A gun damages the tissue and can’t be cleaned thoroughly.
Most reputable piercers won’t pierce anyone under 18.

My friend paid £70 at Claire’s for piercing recently.

I was horrified. The issue with the gun isn’t so much the gun isn’t sterile, but the earring which make the hole. They are sterile in the packet, but you can’t load them into the gun without touching them with your hands. So that’s where the infection risk is. Far apart from all the other risks.

Don't go to Claire's it's awful!

Everyone I know who has been there as had trouble with dodgy service and ears becoming infected.

You'll get a better, cleaner service from a trained professional at a piercing bar or jewellers

What would she say if you told her she could have them done with a needle in a proper place or she doesn't have them done at all?

I had my ears pierced with a gun in a chemist as a child. One ear needed two attempts. Left me bleeding and sore and with two holes in my ears. Putting earring in is horrid. Sometimes they go in the wrong hole that doesn’t go through the whole ear. Makes me feel a bit sick.
Go elsewhere. Get a proper job done and she can choose pretty earrings when it’s healed.

This article published last week gives a good overview of prices metro.co.uk/2019/04/18/mum-mortified-mistake-means-pay-68-daughters-ear-piercing-claires-9256407/. Expensive is the answer to your question.

Aside from the price, their practices and certainly their ethics aren't the best to say the least. www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/04/229478/claires-children-ear-piercing-age-backlash-employee-quits

Funnily enough I had mine done at a local Claire's yesterday. It was convenient, I could get it done without an appointment and I liked the service I was provided.

My ears were pierced years ago but one of them had healed up, and no amount of stabbing/forcing an earring through would reopen it - so I needed it repierced. They wouldn't do it in the same place due to scar tissue

I was offered pricing from £20-£50. The £20 was for plain stainless steel small studs and rose up through shapes/diamanté, 9ct and 18ct options. The £50 price was the largest stud in 18cts and with a diamanté.

They didn't use a gun. It was a pre-packaged, sterilised unit, where the earring was included with a needle. It was simple and painless, though the noise of the unit was louder than I expected.

They marked my ear; took lots of time to get it straight; offered me the opportunity to check it; washed their hands/gloves with solution after every touch of me/an item/the packaging/unit; and would only do it once I could repeat the aftercare procedure back to them.

Personallyat late 30's, I thought it was great, but appreciate opinions will be different when kids are involved. I saw posters for a 'piercing party' and was a bit surprised about mind!

It’s better to take her to a reputable tattoo artist / piercer. They have far better standards.

Oh hell no. They are notorious for infections, use guns which are far more traumatic to the tissue and so take longer to heal and usually work out more expensive due to the price of the earrings.

She's insisting on it being in Claire's as it's her favourite shop ever  so we're not looking for recommendations on other places

She is 12. She either gets them done by a safe and hygienic piercer or not at all!

Jesus, you don't take risks like that because a 12yo 'insists' - if you do god help you over the next few years.

Absolutely no way to Claire's.

Most reputable piercers won’t pierce anyone under 18.

That's absolutely not true at all.

I took my daughter to a very trusted local beauty salon that does piercing.

Scroll down to see the cheaper options. From £15.

I had mine done in Claire’s in the mid-nineties and they’re totally lopsided, I can’t wear studs as it’s very noticeable. I presume it was because it was a sales assistant with minimal training and a gun - seems things haven’t changed

Both my daughters had their ears pierced at claires. I can't remember the details regarding the package but the actual experience was fine. The comments about going somewhere professional really aren't justified. People who carry out piercings have all had the same training, regardless of whether they then go on to get a job at claires or anywhere else.

Both my girls had their ears pierced at Clair's. I think it cost £30 each with the earrings, but it was approx 2 years ago.

I liked it because they do both ears at the same time. As I remember, don't they put the earrings IN the gun? So the hit that pierces the earis the earring itself and therefore sterile. Whatever.....just wash with hibiscrub every day to prevent infections. I did my piercings myself though, so maybe more of a cavalier attitude than many would be comfortable with

Had my own and DS's ears pierced at Claire's. Absolutely straightforward with no problems whatsoever during or since. The lady was perfectly competent and took her time to do a good job. It was more expensive than I had thought but I wanted studs that I would keep in 99% of the time so chose better quality. I think expecting to pay a tenner was rather optimistic!!

Had my dds done there...it was absolutely fine and no problems. They did a good job. £35 I think it cost which I thought was quite expensive.

Weird I had mine done in Claire's around 10 years ago they used a needle I don't think they use a gun anymore do they? If it's done with a needle what's the issue?

I had mine done in Claire's around 10 years ago they used a needle I don't think they use a gun anymore do they

Are you sure it was Claire's?

They don't do needle piercings

I had my second hole done by Claire's last year, happy with the experience and they healed really well.
I did pay extra for the whole 'kit' without knowing what I was getting. Personally I would use tea tree oil from Boots to keep the holes sterile and not bother with the really expensive Claire's kit. Literally just have Claire's do the piercing only.

The comments about going somewhere professional really aren't justified. People who carry out piercings have all had the same training, regardless of whether they then go on to get a job at claires or anywhere else.

No. They absolutely do not.

Professional piercers are not people who work in Claire's.

I'm an adult and have had mine done both ways - although not at Claire's. No difference in how they healed at all.
Im sure its all down to the person who doing it that determines how well it is done and the cleanliness aspect.

They haven't had the same training. Otherwise they wouldn't be using guns.

Of course they haven't. Professional piercers are just that, fully trained professionals.

Claire's piercers are the sales assistants who were willing to go on the course to use an implement to force an earring into an ear or nose.

Not quite the same thing. At all.