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Original poster

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

114 replies

DudeWheresMyCarSeat · 27/04/2019 13:12

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 Hmm 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.

OP posts:
twosoups1972 · 27/04/2019 15:13

There's always someone 'WELL MY CHILD WAS FINE

Other way round here - I took dd to a professional piercing studio to have her ears pierced with a needle. They were brilliant, studio and equipment all spotlessly clean. In spite of proper after care she is still having problems a year on. And many of her friends who had gun piercings at Claire's and other places are fine!

I think it's just down to luck really.

ShinyRuby · 27/04/2019 15:15

Blimey OP, bet you wished you never asked! Some of the responses on here seem a bit on the hysterical side tbh. Shock horror, one of my dds had her ears pierced at Claire's, it was all fine. Another dd had hers done at a local beauty salon, again it was fine & had a second ear piercing at another salon a few years later. No infections, no horror stories. Where ever you end up taking her, I hope she has a good experience & enjoys showing off her earrings.

englishdictionary · 27/04/2019 15:21

Nobody is being hysterical.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Beauty Clothing
mbb1 · 27/04/2019 15:26

Both my girls had theirs done at Claires - no probs with either. All the piecing/tattoo places I've seen are skanky and there's no way I would have taken an 11 year old anywhere near them.

englishdictionary · 27/04/2019 15:28

All the piecing/tattoo places I've seen are skanky

Do you live in Blackpool Grin

Seriously though, reputable piercing/tattoo parlours are not skanky. Cheap shit ones can be, but unless you are in a seaside town or holiday resort abroad, these are few and far between.

mbb1 · 27/04/2019 15:30

No, I live in Cambridge, and yes, I do think that all piecing/tattoo places are inherently skanky,

englishdictionary · 27/04/2019 15:32

I do think that all piecing/tattoo places are inherently skanky,

How many have you visited? Perhaps a wee call to the local council to enquire as to why the standards are unusually low in their area.

mbb1 · 27/04/2019 15:35

Don't need to, thanks. Claires did the job no probs and all tats are just vile so won't ever need one of those.

AudacityOfHope · 27/04/2019 15:35

Christ, the Claire's obsession on here Grin

It may not be amazing but it's not like they're tearing holes in the flesh of babies with their bare hands Confused

OP I took my sister and it was free; the earring she chose were something like £28.

It was fine.

Oh, and I took DD to a reputable tattooist and guess what? They used a gun! Also completely fine.

tittysprinkles · 27/04/2019 15:36

I had my ears pierced at Claire's when I was 22 (some years ago now). It was fine.

CustardOmlet · 27/04/2019 15:39

How did you all get your ears pierced? I had mine done with a gun in a jewelers in 1998, then again in 2003 and 2004 in a piercing shop all done by a gun. In the 90's it was the standard option for children as it was fast and relatively painless and none of my piercings nor my friends went manky. Why do people now think guns are so dangerous?

englishdictionary · 27/04/2019 15:39

Don't need to, thanks.

I think you do. Someone might die in the skanky tattoo places in Cambridge. I reckon you have a responsibility to your fellow citizens to have them all investigated.

englishdictionary · 27/04/2019 15:41

Why do people now think guns are so dangerous?

Because with time we learn. Lots of things were ok years ago but we don't do them now. Being aware that a needle is a better method and a proper piercer is better than someone who has been in a course for the afternoon is progress. That's all.

Dizzywizz · 27/04/2019 15:42

@englishdictionary 🤣

AudacityOfHope · 27/04/2019 15:43

Dunno @CustardOmlet I've never heard of anyone not getting it done with a gun but on MN nobody would ever consider it.

One of those weird ways in which MN is nothing like real life.

mbb1 · 27/04/2019 15:45

Look, Englishdictionary, this is a thread about Claires, which I commented on. I think tats are skanky and that's my opinion and I don't care if you agree or not. I also don't care about anyone daft enough to get one, so no, I don't need to go check out anywhere, thanks.

CustardOmlet · 27/04/2019 15:47

@englishdictionary

But we are not talking about cannabis or drinking whilst pregnant, which are excellent examples of evidence based changes in practice, else piercing guns and piercing in Claire's would be banned. There are far more factors involved, such as individuals sensitivity to the materials used or good aftercare.

twosoups1972 · 27/04/2019 15:54

Whether you go to Claire's or not, there is logic in having a piercing done with a needle rather than a gun. With a gun piercing, you are forcing an earring post through the ear. It has a pointy back but it's not particularly sharp. A needle is much finer and extremely sharp. It makes a cleaner neater hole.

hsegfiugseskufh · 27/04/2019 15:55

I had mine done in Clairs about 15 years ago and to be fair it was fine. BUT! I wouldnt take my child there and honestly its cheaper to go get it done where i had my tattoos done by a lovely and qualified lady! And they give really good aftercare advice too.

CryHavoc · 27/04/2019 15:57

My daughter had the 18 ct gold studs in the newspaper article above a few years ago, I paid £60, they healed quickly with no issues.
I got a third set of piercings in my lobes at Claire's earlier this year and paid £15 because I had stainless steel studs (I'm old, and know my ears tolerate steel). It's anecdotal, but I've never had a problem with piercings with a gun.

OddBoots · 27/04/2019 15:59

"How did you all get your ears pierced?"

First time with a gun, they never healed and were painful whatever I did so I took the earrings out after 10 years and a few months later they were closed up with a lump of granular tissue in the lobe.

10 more years after that I went to a proper place and they did them in a different part of my lobe with needles, this time they healed fine, I can go for a few months with no earrings and the holes stay open and there is no pain.

hsegfiugseskufh · 27/04/2019 15:59

Also some peoples piercings never heal and it just doesnt agree with them regardless of how / where they get it done.

3luckystars · 27/04/2019 16:03

My daughter got her ears pierced at Claire's a year ago. They took ages and made sure everything was 100% and we had a lovely experience. Her ears are perfect.

I have had a good lot of piercings and I dont see what is wrong with using a gun, they did a great job.

It cost a lot more than I expected though! €63 despite it being free with the earings!
I haven't a bad word to say about it otherwise though.

Original poster
DudeWheresMyCarSeat · 27/04/2019 16:09

Wow. A lot of people do not like Claire's!

Like a previous poster said, the Claire's website state they use sterilised equipment and the gun does not come into contact with the skin:

*At Claire's we pride ourselves on providing a sterile and hygienic piercing service.

All our ear piercings use a high quality Studex System 75 instrument. This means you can benefit from a system which offers:

Fully disposable, single use, sterilised cartridges for hygienic and effective piercing
Pre-sterilized earring cartridges which require no human contact - resulting in the highest hygiene standards
The piercing instrument does not come into contact with the ear at any time, only the pre-sterilised, preloaded cartridge.
The piercing back is automatically installed onto the piercing with no need to adjust after piercing - for your ultimate comfort and safety*

I live rurally and Claire's is the closest ear piercing place. The next closest is a 90 minute drive away beauty salon and they also use a gun.

I didn't realise that guns were considered so bad for peircing. it's what was used when I was younger. In all honesty, are people's experiences so bad when a gun was used that it's worth the time and expense to do a day trip with my dd into a city centre to book somewhere that uses a needle? I'm not in any way trying to act like I don't care about my daughter's safety, but I'd like to make sure all the extra effort and expense of finding somewhere that uses a needle is actually justified. From my esperience and DD's friends' experiences of our local Claire's, nobody has had any issues whatsoever (they all had theirs perced several years ago which is why I was asking for more recent info).

Our local Claire's don't appear to answer the phone and their pricing on their website is vague - "starts from £15" - but I wasn't sure what that included which is why I asked on here.

Thanks for the responses.

OP posts:
englishdictionary · 27/04/2019 16:14

But we are not talking about cannabis or drinking whilst pregnant, which are excellent examples of evidence based changes in practice, else piercing guns and piercing in Claire's would be banned

You have lost me. I never mentioned these things?

There are lots of examples of things we have learned over the years. None of them are banned. But I didn't go into specifics, I merely mentioned that it's progress that tells us guns are not the better way.

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