Is Claire's no good for ear piercing. I've heard both meh stories and horror stories. Also your general advice.

[lavenderdoilly]

Dd is 9. I was 14 about 30 years ago when I had mine done. I've heard neutral and negative stories about Claire's so your comments on going there for her to have it done would be most welcome. Your gener tips and advice also welcome.
I can't remember how long mine took to heal although I do remember "turning" them and using surgical spirit. I spoke to one of her pals who said she used saltwater. Ouch generally. Dd is a bit squeamish. Also, how about sport while they are healing ? Take em out (more ow) or tape em up. Is this doable for swimming?

@ Dumbledores

Also too young to consent to heel prick test, vaccinations or disposable nappies but I made those choices for her too.

Those washes are a waste of money too.
The only thing you need to clean piercings and jewellery is warm salt water ( but not too salty as that will irritate it).
I have many piercings and years ago fell for the hype regarding the lotions.
Salt water is the best. Can even help stop infections ( i've managed to stop infections multiple times by washing my piercings with salt water).

My DD (9) has been asking. Ive told her she can have them if we can find somewhere that uses a needle. If we can't then she will wait.

I genuinely don't understand how it's not possible to wait. It isn't a life or death situation. It's a body mod for aesthetic purposes. If she's old enough to want one she's old enough to understand why she has to wait.

I have three piercings in each lobe, all done with guns- one pair at Claire's. My other 11 piercings were all with needles at a specialist piercing studio. I would say proper studio every time. More experienced, more professional, cleaner, and with privacy.

Also too young to consent to heel prick test, vaccinations or disposable nappies but I made those choices for her too.

Heel prick test and vaccinations - medical intervention to ensure the health of your child

Disposable nappies - sorry, I don't see any connnection.

I did my own with these:

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00XOEZ6DU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

MC1R that looks like something you'd use to tag cattle!

Well Pinky, it's the same kind of thing!
Have heard a needle is much better than a gun, but I had mine done on a dodgy market stall at my local InShops 30 years ago, and had my daughter's done at Claire's. No problems.

When I had my nose done with a gun...unsurprisingly there were problems!

Do NOT get your child's ears pierced at Claire's. When I was little I had mine done there, and of course, the next day, the earring disappeared under a fold of skin on my lobe and pus began to seep out. They use a piercing gun instead of an actual needle which is far more traumatic to the ear. It's less hygienic and a sign the operator isn't really a trained piercer.

I had my ears done at Claire's and was fine. My sons girlfriend had hers done at Claires twice and is also fine.

Hi ladies,
So my son is 10yrs had his ear Pierced at Claire's all fine cleaned it well ect, last night he pushed his gemstone earring into his ear lobe it was embedded he said it didn't hurt, it looked abit yukky and I panicked his earring was lost!! Trip to a and e, 2 local anesthics scelpal and scissors and millions of tears the doctor sliced his ear and it was out!! Thank god... Doctor said he was worried about califlower ear and blood clots I took his head/ear bandage off and it looks really swollen red/ bruised I need help- is this a symptoms that the doctor is worried about thanks for your help x

Never again NO Earrings!!

I personally wouldn't go to Claire's as they use guns to pierce. Find a reputable independent piercer. Salt water is just fine for the healing process.

it's best to buy gold earrings whilst they heal, as not many people are allergic to it.

That's not true. Gold is usually cut with nickel and lots and lots of people are allergic to that.

I had "gold" studs when my ears were (gun) pierced and it seemed to kick off an enormous nickel allergy. I can't wear anything but platinum now - even sterling silver isn't life enough.

The 'gun' at Claire's is not a gun. It's a cartridge holder that is spring loaded and can be compressed by the operator. It can't be autoclaved, but it never comes into contact with the skin. It simply holds the cartridge in place and then compresses it when the operator squeezes it. The 'gun' is thoroughly cleaned with alcohol wipes and then allowed to dry (a bit of trivia: alcohol only kills bacteria when it dries. As it dries it breaks the membrane of the bacteria and that's what kills it. Until that point the bacteria happily swims around in the alcohol). When DDs 3 & 1 had their ears pierced at Claire's two weeks ago - same branch, different piercers, different days, they were very thorough in their cleanliness and changed gloves between preparation and procedure.

Also, just to correct a point made further up thread, if you want to make a normal saline solution, as used in hospitals, (0.9%), you need one teaspoon of salt to every point of water. If you use two teaspoons you'll have a hypertonic (1.8%) saline solution.

DDs are almost 3 weeks post piercings and they haven't had a single bit of soreness, redness, weeping or crusting from them.

As the guns can't be sterilised I'm shocked they are allowed to be used.

Lots of medical equipment can't be sterilised, a Dr or nurse's hands can't be sterilised.

If you go for a blood sample to be taken both the needle and the syringe will be sterile, but as soon as the syringe is touched it is no longer sterile.

The actual tubes the blood goes in to are sterile on the inside but are often kept in a box on the Dr's desk and are not sterile on the outside.

I don't understand why the phrase 'blunt force trauma' is parroted on here and in the link - a piercing by definition isn't blunt force.

That doesn't mean I think guns are a good idea and I would not have anything other than ear lobes done with one but I do wonder how accurate the information is and also how relevant.

At a piercing studio the needle will be sterile assuming it is single use but the gloves the piercer wears will not be, the forceps (if used) may or may not be.

Also sterile is not the same thing as clean.

There is also the point that in a needle technique there are two risk points: the cannula used to pierce the ear and the earring placed in the piercing. That's two opportunities for contamination. With the gun technique, only the earring goes through the ear, so there is only one risk point. (All other risk points - cleanliness of operator, etc., being equal.)

Guns should be against the law. Someone here still uses a gun to pierce noses. yy to salt water. Best thing to use.

Nurses and Dr's use aseptic technique which helps cut infection risks cross contamination etc enormously though to.

I would never recommend Claire's for a piercing, 100% go to a reputable piercer. Claire's use gold plated earrings, which are gold plated Nickel, and Nickel allergies are more common than you think. Piercers use sterile needles and titanium or surgical steel jewellry, which will not cause a reaction.

Our recent experience with Clair's which we DO NOT recommend. Our daughter and a friend (12yeras old) went to Clair's Nov 16 to get their ears pierced. Both ended up with ear infections, as one of our daughter's earrings become internalised by the swelling of ear lobe, so had to visit A&E. when we spoke to the doctor, it appears to be a common occurrence that Clair's under trained staff and methods and poor quality aftercare solution and cheap quality earrings used for initial piercing, far to thin and short for the job. When our daughter sat in the Clair's store in the front of the shop 2 members of staff stood either side and fired piercing guns simultaneously at which point one earring stuck in the gun, the staff tried again. The whole episode was amateurish and expensive, then to add insult to injury the NHS has to pick up the consequences. 2 months later we had the procedure repeated by a properly trained person who only cost £10 and used much better equipment and quality earrings. When we recounted tale of Clair's actions they where quite astounded at the poor level of service at Clair's.

My DD had her lobes pierced at Claires (she had a 3+2 but let the 3rd heal , it kept getting a granuloma, this was after a year, not at the time it was done)

When she wanted a Helix, I searched to find somewhere that would do it (she's 14) Its not illegal, there's no age limit as its not permenant. But different boroughs have different rules.

Her ear was cleansed, a small 'clamp' put on, freeze spray, sterile packed needle. packed earring, gloves.
The only bit she was aware of was the crackling of the spray and the actual earring going in, not the needle.
Boiled saline (she sprays it with a waterspray in the shower) don't touch it, make sure her hair doesn't wrap round.
She's already planning what she's going to buy to change into (well, what I'm going to buy, titanium is ££) she's leaving it 6 months.