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Original poster

Where to get 13 year old ears pierced - not Claires - Central or North London?

54 replies

loveyouradvice · 05/06/2015 19:04

Hi all ... just rung Cold Steel who seem to get rave reviews only to learn they won't pierce under 16s.... and scared me rather by saying how much damage they seen on young ears pierced with a gun (as well as being wonky cos ears still growing), and that no one reputable does under 16s.

Any idea where I can take DD where they're good and use needles?

Any other advice or tips ... realise I didnt get mine done til 16 so feels like virgin territory!

Huge thanks

OP posts:
Headdesk · 06/06/2015 08:34

Guns can't be cleaned properly, would you want the skin and blood flecks of hundreds of other people touching your ear and fresh hole of your pierced ear, gross.
My local
Pierces ears at that age with parental consent but I live down south so not really any help sorry!

broadbeanstew · 06/06/2015 08:39

DD age 7 had hers done at Claires with a gun. It all seemed very professional, everything was sterile etc. Good aftercare advice and she's had absolutely no problems with them.

Headdesk · 06/06/2015 08:42

I've worked at Claire's, it's not sterile, they wipe things over with an anti bacterial wipe, the only way to properly clean piercing equipment is with an autoclave and since Claire's guns are made out of plastic, this would melt them.

nether · 06/06/2015 08:47

Piercing has to be licenced by the borough, and Wandsworth's rules actually state that no under16s may be pierced at all save by gun to the earlobe.

So anyone looking for a reputable place in London by needle can rule out that borough. I don't know if any others have same licencing conditions.

sashh · 06/06/2015 08:54

Guns can't be cleaned properly, would you want the skin and blood flecks of hundreds of other people touching your ear and fresh hole of your pierced ear, gross

The bits that touch your ear are sterile.

Next time you have a blood test check how much of the syringe is sterile, it will be about 0% but the needle itself will be 100% sterile.

Headdesk · 06/06/2015 08:56

You mean the earring that's been sat out back in the stock room in a little plastic box?

CruCru · 06/06/2015 08:59

Hmm. Have you tried Into You? Very reputable, my friend gets all her stuff done at the Brighton one.

SquirmOfEels · 06/06/2015 09:02

The 'no-gun' cartridge method that Metal Morphosis used meant that the earring was in its clean capsule until time of piercing.

I thought there was similar plastic protection on cartridges put into guns?

Or at least that the earrings would be cleaned (as your own jewellery would need to be if needle pierced).

DepecheNO · 06/06/2015 09:06

Can't tell you where as I'm not in London, but wanted to say I had two sets done at Claire's with guns (at 10 and second set at 15). They are wonky. The first set I always lose any non-backed type earring from the same ear every time (!!) and the second set were so skew wiff that they've closed up twice and had to be re-pierced by me, first time along the original angle as guide when I was 18, and second time with a cannula at 21.

I wear a lot of Claire's jewellery as an adult (shameless), but I do not recommend them for piercings at all. As said by a PP, plastic parts cannot be cleaned by autoclave, and although they now use one-use cartridges, it's the same gun for multiple people. I don't endorse this, but honestly I'd sooner pierce my child's ears myself with sterilised needles (very cheap!) and titanium studs if no real professional in the area will do it, than trust someone less qualified to gun-pierce. Lobe piercings are not inherently particularly dangerous, with infection risk and quality of stud being the most important variables.

I would think a lot of the professionals you're asking would be willing to do it in a "backstreet" kind of way, but cannot admit this unless absolutely certain it's not a stitch-up. Do you know anyone who regularly visits tattoo places and might be able to ask when they're there anyway? (As they'd blatantly be a real client.)

PurpleSwift · 06/06/2015 09:16

I got mine done at h Samuels

lessthanBeau · 06/06/2015 09:51

my 6 yr old dd got hers done a few weeks ago, in a proper piercing studio but with guns, by professional piercers, 2 guys did it for her both at the same time, a very, very tiny percentage of children have needle piercings in lobes, yet how many children are pierced with guns with no problem?
sorry its just piercers snobbery regarding the guns, and I have multiple piercings and tattoos. however I will say the guns are only for soft tissue on the lobes any cartilage piercings must be done with a needle or there will be problems, my oldest dd had her cartilage done in a tattoo studio at age 14, they would do it with parental permission.
I personally would choose needle piercings over a gun for an older child, but the guns are fine, and I would only use a professional piercing studio even with a gun.

bigTillyMint · 06/06/2015 09:59

I got mine done with a gun in a hair place and have never had a problem with them at all. DD has had two lots of lobe piercings done at Claires with a gun and has never had a problem with them.

She also had a cartilage piercing done with a needle aged 14 IIRC - I went with her to a booth in a local hair place.

mileend2bermondsey · 06/06/2015 11:51

Ahhhh, typical.. All the posters coming along to tell us how they had gun piercings and everything was fine. Erm, yeah a lot are clearly but the issue is; why would you chose to do something in a more painful, more dangerous, and less hygenic way, when there are better methods available? Makes absolutely no sense to me.

Also many people say 'nothing happened to me' but probably DID get an infection which they just chalk up as part of the healing process as they have no idea how a piercing with a needle heals in comparison to a gun.

cariadlet · 06/06/2015 14:07

I was in town this morning with 12 year old dd when she asked how old she had to be before I'd let her have her ears pierced. She's got quite grown up since she's been at secondary school and has been on her best behaviour lately, so I said she could have them done straight away.

I was so pleased that I'd read this thread earlier - thanks to the OP for starting it and to those who posted. I took dd to a tattoo parlour. I wouldn't have even thought of going there if it wasn't for the advice on her, but I'm really glad that I did. It was clean, friendly and professional and we were told that we were welcome to go back if there are any problems with her ears.

goodasitgets · 06/06/2015 14:13

Mine were done with a gun (before I knew better!)
It hurt. The butterfly bits didn't go on the back. She said she couldn't push them on and had to repierce through the hole she had just done
Others were done with a needle and no problems

Headdesk · 06/06/2015 14:26

mileend2bermondsey couldn't have said it better myself. I was training to be a piercer before I decided on a career change so I do know a lot about it, I know the proper and hygenic sterilisation process like the back of my hand and having previously worked in Claire's I know that they don't even closely follow these processes.

OddBoots · 06/06/2015 15:01

I had mine done at 15 with a gun in Bow-Bangles which then became Claire's - I had no end of problems so them them close when I was 20. I had them re-done with a needle in a good tattoo place for my 30th birthday and they have been perfectly fine. I plan to get dd's done in the same tattoo place with a needle, hopefully it is licensed here.

lizabeth0607 · 06/06/2015 15:06

Wow I didn't know of the negative problems of a gun! Makes me feel bad that I had my daughters ears pierced with a gun at Claire's a few years ago!! Eeeek Sad

OddBoots · 06/06/2015 15:19

If she hasn't had any problems with them lizabeth then they are probably fine, you would see if they were infected,wonky or failed to heal by now. Most gun piercings are fine, it is just a risk like anything else.

meglet · 06/06/2015 15:29

Into You pierced my navel and tongue (twenty years ago!), hollow needles both times iirc. Both piercers were lovely and no problems healing.

I've told dd she can have her ears done at 10 but I'm not keen on guns and CA.

mileend2bermondsey · 06/06/2015 15:45

Most gun piercings are fine, it is just a risk like anything else
Yep and it's always a better idea to take dangerous risks with your childrens wellbeing when there are safer options available.

OddBoots · 06/06/2015 15:51

All I mean is, what is done is done, there is no point feeling bad about it after the event.

DrCoconut · 06/06/2015 23:25

I think mine were done with a needle, I'm not sure as I can't remember it properly. A traditional, independent jewellers did them. I was 2 and it was 1979 (not London though).

EyesCrossedLegsAkimbo · 06/06/2015 23:46

My GP did my DD's ears, with a needle. I bought gold studs and my GP was happy not to have another infection to deal with. She didn't charge.

justcallmethefixer · 07/06/2015 00:04

Do you have a branch of blue banana locally?

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