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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Please talk to me about ear piercing, its doing my head in today.

95 replies

PurpleBurtle · 13/08/2016 19:08

So my 9yrold daughter (10 next month) really wants her ears pierced. Ive been looking into it today and deciding on where and which method but I keep coming up with mixed opinions and have changed my mind a few times...I need to get this done asap so she has a good few weeks for healing before she might have to take them out for a day when she has P.E once back at school..I know Ive still left it a bit late.

Anyway Ive been looking at gun vs needle and the needle seems to be the one people say is best so thought I had decided, however I have called a few tattoo/piercing studios today and they use a gun anyway!

Im still reluctant to use the gun method but think its going to be difficult to find somewhere that will use the needle!

AIBU to hold off a bit longer or should I just go for it. Claires seems the easiest place but heard mixed views, dont really know what to expect from a tattoo studio, woman I spoke to didnt seem to know much, and said they use an air pressured gun, and they get lots of kids in and use titanium studs, dont know what the aftercare is like

Please help me decide what to do, Ive also looked at the jewellers f hinds but wont be able to get an appointment with them till next week, they use a studex 75 gun but not sure if this is the same as claires.

Its all doing my head in to be honest..maybe Im over worrying and I should just pop down to claires tomorrow get it done and do a bit of shopping after.?!? I mean it seems like alot of people use them

OP posts:

Babyzoo · 14/08/2016 15:42

Would you not tell her she will have to wait until next year now?

HerdsOfWilderbeest · 14/08/2016 16:09

Is school not back in 3 weeks? Why not wait till next summer

DrPixiePants · 14/08/2016 16:16

I was a body piercer for 7+ years.

Everything crowface said should be taken seriously.

Original poster

PurpleBurtle · 14/08/2016 16:34

Ok so we've just gone and had it done at the piercing studio, all went well, the needle was a disposal thing straight out of the packet for each ear as well as the instrument she used to hold the ear.
DD is back at school in 3 and a half weeks and I doubt she will do pe in the first few days, so hopefully it will be 4 weeks. Lady said there is a chance they will start closing if taken out to soon but it should be fine and if I do find I take them out and have troubles getting them back in a little vaseline will help.
She also said just needs to be washed with soap and water 3 times a day then apply a bit of savlon.
I'm gonna try and stop worrying about it now I'm sure it will all be fine at least I managed to avoid the 'gun'. Worse thats going to happen is im not gonna be able to get them back in if I take them out too soon but then they'll just have to heal over and she'll have to wait to have anything done again, which I've explained to her and she's fine with. She's more chilled than me thats for sure

OP posts:

blueskyinmarch · 14/08/2016 16:45

Both my DDs had their ears pierced at Claire's with a gun, as did all their friends. No one ever had an issue.

Sherlock35 · 14/08/2016 16:52

My 9 year old went to Claire's and was just fine. Honest. The people doing it put us at our ease and seemed to know what they were doing.

suit2845321oie · 14/08/2016 18:16

Claire's is so fine! DD had hers there about 3 years ago, no stress, no infection, perfect healing

DrPixiePants · 14/08/2016 18:29

Purple. If you take them out and struggle to put sh them through within a couple of days pop back to the piercing studio and they'll be able to use a taper to get it back in without having to have them done again!!

DrPixiePants · 14/08/2016 18:30

My English was awful then but you get the jist

Anonymouses · 14/08/2016 18:39

If you are near Liverpool I know a woman who is ace. Not sure if there is an age limit though as its a tattoo place as well.

I had mine done at Claire's with a gun and had so many issues. 2 piercings in each ear, both with a gun and both caused me massive issues. I need to get them redone properly by my friend.

Anonymouses · 14/08/2016 18:44

Cross post. DONT put soap on them. It's SALINE water as in salty water. If done by needle they can heal in 4-5 weeks so hopefully you will be fine.

Original poster

PurpleBurtle · 14/08/2016 20:14

Thanks for that drpixie the lady did say to come back if there's are any issues.
Why no soap? There's so many mixed opinions, I was told salt water could dry it out unless you get the quantity just right?

OP posts:

YourNewspaperIsShit · 14/08/2016 20:25

Any actual piercing studio that uses guns to pierce anything is a bad piercing studio. That's not opinion, it's fact.

YourNewspaperIsShit · 14/08/2016 20:27

Ps OP well done you for doing the right thing! Love seeing people be so sensible when it comes to these things and it will have hurt far less than if an unsterile gun got used

FindoGask · 14/08/2016 20:29

salt water is best for healing piercings - soap might irritate the skin. You can buy saline solution really cheaply (Boots own brand contact lens cleaning solution) or you can make up your own with salt and boiled (then cooled) water. The latter is especially good for healing infected or inflamed piercings.

RhiWrites · 14/08/2016 20:34

I had my ears pierced with a gun when I was 12 and a third piercing at 16. Never had any problems. Not so much as an itch. I'm sorry for those who have had but guns seem to get a terrible reputation which wasn't my experience.

CrowyMcCrowFace · 14/08/2016 20:38

Good call OP . Hope they heal nicely!

BarryTheKestrel · 14/08/2016 21:06

I have had 20+ piercings. Only my first lobe piercings were done with a gun, about 15 years ago. They are the ones I've had the most trouble with.

Glad you found someone to do it with a needle, I've always found my needle piercings to be quick and almost painless.

Clean them with salt water. I've always done a teaspoon of rock salt to a small mug of boiled water and left it to cool, then cotton budded it to avoid any bacteria from hands etc and to remove any crusties.

Dont use soap as it may irritate the wound.

Minisoksmakehardwork · 14/08/2016 21:19

Mine were done with a gun at a jewellers 26 years ago and I never had any problems then or now. Dd had hers done with a gun at a beauty place. One gun, one lady.

I'd never go to Claire's simply from seeing the state some poor children, sat in the chair at the front of the shop, got themselves worked into while everyone else gawped in the massive glass window. Friend's dd did and had to have them re-pierced twice more (2nd time also Claire's but not the third).

The needle never appealed to me for dd. Here the needle is only used in a tattoo parlour and I'm sure it's as clean as anywhere else. But again, I know people who've had problems with the size of hole the needle made (being bigger than the earring) at one particular tattooists. So going with my experience being not so bad, I told dd it would bloody hurt and she'd have to ask at the beginning of the long holiday if she wanted it. She did have them done last year and I'm glad we didn't leave it too late into the holidays as she did need to take them out quite soon after starting school. I think she was given 2 weeks grace with taped ears and then they had to be out.

missymayhemsmum · 14/08/2016 21:41

DD (also 9 nearly 10) had hers done this holiday in Claire's Cwmbran. The two ladies who did it were brilliant, kind, professional, very careful, everything was sterile, position of the 'dots' double checked before piercing, all the aftercare was clearly explained, and they asked DD twice if she was sure she wanted it done, (she did) and they had a clearly displayed policy that if a child is distressed they won't do it. Can't fault them. 10 days later with the lotion supplied and they're pretty much healed. No swelling or anything. Can't fault them

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