Ear piercing for DD

[Minikievs]

I know this topic has been covered a million times, but I would like some advice on where to get DD ears pierced, she's 10.
MN is very against guns and Claire's in particular and the general advice on here is always to go to a piercing/tattoo parlour.
But I've googled all our local ones and they all have an age limit of around 13 with some up to 16. So where to I take her 🤷‍♀️
She's been asking for about 18 months so it's not something that she's asked for on a whim. Lots of her friends have had it done so I don't think she's too young.
Superdrug do it locally but that will also be a gun. Those that recommend specific piercing places, how can I go when she's under their age limit?
Thanks

I’ve had all my piercings done by gun, as have my DD’s, and never had a problem.

I had my ears pierced with a gun in multiple places over my ears and had no issues. It was standard practice for a long time.

You say you've Googled local piercing / tattoo places, but have you actually called and spoken to the staff?

A few of our local places state a minimum age of 13 on their website for piercings, but this doesn't apply to ear lobes.

Clarify with local piercing places what their policy is for earlobes and see if they know of anywhere if they genuinely will not pierce under a certain age.

I would consider traveling a little way to another town or city for better piercing than going to Claire’s or Superdrug tbh. A teenage shop assistant with a few hours training isn’t someone I’d want to be making holes in my body.

Holier Than Thou in Manchester is one of the best studios in the UK and will pierce lobes from the age of 8. You and she must both have photo ID. Have a day trip!

I think gun piercing is generally absolutely fine for ear lobe piercing, but should not be used for any other part of the ear or parts of the body.

I have always had a mild nickel allergy - if I wear non-precious metal jewellery for more than a day or so, I come out in a local rash. I had my ears pierced with a gun 40 years ago and it didn't affect me.

Alot of people have their ears pierced with a gun, yes some have problems and many don't.

My issue with claires/superdrug is you have no idea how qualified and experienced the person is.

I took my dd to a local beauty salon who use a gun. Other parents had used them and recommended. The person had been piercing there for over 5 years. It was also in a nice quiet salon sbd not on public display.

Maybe check out if your local salons offer gun piercing.

I’ve had shit tons of piercings all over my body with guns and needles. Needles always the worst to heal! From my very scientific evidence of one 😂

I thought I’d be really nuts about it for Dd, but she’s getting her ears pierced today with a gun (and she’s 7!) and I’m not worried at all. Guns are fine for lobes, obviously never for nose or cartilage.

ETA: I found a lovely woman that comes to your home to do it which I’m far more comfortable with than taking Dd to Claire’s/Superdrug as I can really check the equipment.

Lots of piercers will pierce earlobes using the disposable guns ,no just needles ( they are about 60p when bought in bulk) and chasing £20+.
I know someone who took her children's to get ears pierced at a piercing studio thinking, it would be a needle and the piercers used one of those, it wasn't explained beforehand. So do your research as to who uses what technique .
Ring around in your area as there's no real restrictions in piercing and policies vary massively

I had my second holes in my lobes pierced this year. Went to a tattoo shop figuring that'd be safest. It was a gun🤷‍♀️I took the ones they pierced with out at 4 weeks and they kept getting infected but since I've put the originals back in, they're absolutely fine.

Not the point, I know, but I’ve heard recently of one mum who’s told a preteen dd who’s clamouring for ear piercing, that she can have it - once she starts consistently keeping her mouth closed! when eating - without being endlessly reminded.
I gather the same is going to apply to a Gdd.

Sorry for the typos in my post. I'm sure it makes sense but just noticed

Gun is fine for lobes. You will get some people on here to who like to pretend they’re really knowledgeable on piercings and act horrified at the idea of a gun but the vast majority of lobe piercing with a gun is fine. There is always the risk of infection or an allergic reaction when you put a foreign object in your body, whether that’s with a gun or a needle. That’s just risk and life.

I wouldn't use Claire's as the training is on a piece of foam a few times then the public ,also the cost is ridiculous!

Obviously not for cartilage and possibly a controversial opinion on here but I think lobes are fine with a gun. I’ve had 2 gun piercings in each lobe. DD had hers done with a gun. So have all the other females in my family except my mum whose friend did it for her with her sewing needle when she was a teen because her mum had said no 😬 I don’t know anyone else in RL that’s had a lobe piercing with a needle. Our paediatrician’s office in the US even did lobe piercings with a gun! Going for a high quality metal (solid gold or titanium) and keeping them in for at least 6 weeks and cleaning them twice a day every day is the most important thing for healing.

I would just go to a place that uses guns but make sure that they are using quality jewellery (solid 14k gold or titanium).

I don’t accept that piercing ‘guns’ are bad for non-cartlidge piercings (I say guns but Claire’s don’t actually use guns it’s a fully sterile system ). I’ve never had an issue having my ears pierced that way. My eldest daughter had hers done with the ‘gun’ at Claire’s (basically painless) and the youngest got hers done at blue banana (screamed the place down, took ages, one ear bled like crazy). I think the whole hatred of piercing guns on here is just for show tbh, it’s just a tribal snobbery thing.

As far as after-care is concerned, I would ignore the advice they give at Claire’s ( they tell you to turn the piercing) and just clean them twice daily with neilmed
and NOT touch them otherwise.

That is true, and a gun also causes more trauma to the area. But for most people a piercing to the earlobe with a gun is fine and heals well. I’m not a doctor or a piercer by the way, and I do believe a needle is the best choice anywhere other than lobes, but I have had just about everything pierced at some point. Only had one bad reaction to a silver nose stud, even though I’ve never had a reaction to silver anywhere else on my body! Weird.

Sorry I meant like not gold plated in case it wears it off whilst it’s in your ear non stop for 6 weeks and goes icky. I’ve had cheap necklaces turn my neck green after wearing them to the beach. Don’t want that in a fresh ear piercing! I think I had 9ct gold back in the day but DD had titanium which I think is also supposed to be very good.

Why don’t you find out where her friends went? I think a gun for the lobe is fine; it’s the cartilage or body piercings that need a needle. My eldest daughter had her ears pierced at H Samuel and they use the Inverness system.

I was in a shopping centre cafe for a few hours recently and Claire’s was opposite. They must pierce around a dozen (at least) people per day so they are probably far more experienced than many posters think. The staff I saw there had multiple piercings themselves and I wouldn’t be concerned about using them for a straightforward lobe piercing in the future after seeing that - different stores might vary of course.