AIBU Claire's ears piercing

[cindersrella]

So I have just been to Claire to get my children's ears pierced (they wanted them done) my older daughter (9) begged and begged to have them done, I told her yes..
So the earring were got out put in the gun and she went into melt down.

To cut a long story short after encouragement from one assistant who was lovely to the manager who had had enough for the day (her attitude was shit once my daughter had started to get itchy feet) she didn't have them done. However I have still had to pay for them as they came out of the pack and were no longer sterile

So I have basically just paid £75 for one pair of ears to be pierced with earrings, a pair of earrings which are possibly never going to be worn and some solution.

AIBU to feel really pissed off at been charge £37.50 for some 9ct gold earrings ?

They could have just charged for the earrings, which would have cost hardly anything. How they can justify charging £37.50 anyway for piercing is ludicrous! My friend years ago did ear piercing as part of her beauty course, the gun and 100 sets of earrings were so cheap, and the training wasn't very long at all. Insurance wouldn't be that much for a multinational either. Piercing studios etc are much better- cheaper, more experienced and more likely to know how to make it easier for someone.

I had mine done at Claire's and it was fine! Mumsnet hates Clares.
But yes, the minute the earrings were opened you would have to pay. Did you bring them home?

I had my ears pierced by gun not needle 25 years ago, at our local hairdresser though not at Claire’s and bloody loved it! I had a fear of needles (over it now) so wouldn’t have liked a proper piercer, had I known such things existed. If my DC want it done at any point I guess I would go to a proper piercing place with them as that’s now known to be better for them. But the gun option was actually a very good experience for me personally.
Chalk it up to experience OP, keep the earrings as she can use them as a spare pair once she eventually gets her ears pierced in a few more years.

Sandra I did bring them home yes.

Coffee this is my thoughts I will definitely never go back to Claire's, reading on the NHS site all of the aftercare they have told me is wrong which is annoying as I wouldn't have realised unless I came on here which she would than likely have gone infected.

LOL at idea that ear piercing by gun is 'blunt force trauma' ! That's the term for when you smash someone's skull with a brick. Totally different type of injury, not a good choice of words to describe a piercing.

Studs used in cartridge or gun systems are sharp. Not as sharp as a needle, but definitely not blunt.

Don't beat yourself up OP, getting a dodgy piercing in Claire's is a right of passage! Most of us did it and we're all fine, yeah it's not the best but I really wouldn't get upset about it.

I would email them and ask for a refund. Explain the full story about how rude they was, include time and shop location. Say you was never told upfront you had to buy them even though she didn’t have them pierced. If that is a policy then they should say before they take them out the packet “are you sure because once I open the packet you have to purchase them anyway”.
Like I said the same thing happened to me and no one in the shop asked me to pay for them. I wasn’t told beforehand I would have to pay and I never even thought about that fact they didn’t charge me until I read this.
You don’t have anything to loose by emailing them. Just sent a concise email and ask to return for a refund. The worst they can say is no but I would point out they need to make this clearer.
My only bugbear with Claire’s is their pricing, the earrings are on a board with no prices but I didn’t let dd pick I just asked what ones were cheapest. We did go back s year later and she had them done and they’ve been fine. Everyone I know in real life just goes to Claire’s and never has any problems. It’s only mumsnet I’ve heard everyone insist it has to be done by a piercer.

@trollopolis Errr, blunt force trauma a physical trauma to a body part, either by impact, injury or physical attack. It isn't exclusive to assault or murder.

@cindersrellav Yes, I read the thread. My comment was clearly directed at those who got their child's ear pierced with a gun because the studios said no.

Yes, agree completely that it is a physical trauma, and but it's blunt (like cosh or brick, or hitting a solid thing in a crash) not stabbing or piercing (or being impaled on a pointy thing in a crash)

Studs used with guns piercings do not cause blunt force trauma, even though they are less sharp than needles. If you hit the whole ear with the gun itself, that would be!

I researched like anything and found a body piercing place 40mins away that I took my daughter to.

It had a separate room that felt like a dentists room - clearly areas kept sterile (notices NOT to put keys or phome down on that side). My daughter felt much more reassured there than the person she'd seen in Claires ("mummy they're doing it in the window in front of everyone!")

The piercer was v calm and explained exactly what was happening, and explained about aftercare first to check she would look after it. I signed a consent form, but also she did too. I loved that they were hot on consent.

It wasnt a tattoo place but body piercing. Theyd did all sorts as you'd expect but felt v professional and clean and I was really impressed.

£20 including the studs with a ball at the backninstead of a butterfly and a pack of rock salt to get you started.

They recommedned their sister shop that sold jeweleery but either way said in 4-6 weeks when its healed they'd change the piercing for you (free) and they'd look at it any time you're concerned (free).

She didnt see the needle - it just felt like a sharp scratch rather than the pain I'd felt with a gun. She really wasnt in any pain which surprised me!

So yesterday I spoke to several tattoo/piercing shops who have all said the pierce lobes only with both needles and guns... the needle is less traumatic on the ear as it is sharper but they all said the piercing with the gun is not a blunt object going into the ear..

My husband also spoke to Claire's as he wasn't happy with what had happened in the shop with my daughter and how upset she was and they have said as a goodwill gesture they will have a go at re doing her ears. She is very much up for it but given this thread and taking everything on board I am going to take her to a tattooist and let them do it.

Why anyone still goes to Claire's for piercings is beyond me. Using guns is very bad practice. Next time to go a proper piercing/tattoo studio who know what they're doing and won't rip you off

Mumderland that's my intention

Another one here who couldn't find a tattoo parlour who would pierce an under 16 no matter how many disclaimers you offer to sign. DD1 (11) had hers done last week at a jeweller's. White gold studs all in for £29 and the woman was brilliant. Had been piercing ears for 20 years and spent about 20 minutes going through the whole procedure with DD beforehand.

I wouldn't let my kids near Claire's but there's a little too much hysteria around ear piercing.

There is so much BS about piercing.

Piercing guns are designed to pierce ear lobes. A gun has recently been developed for nose piercing.

Ear piercing courses are typically 1 day and yes they may well practice on teddies because on the course you only actually pierce one pair of lobes.

Tattoo and piercing studios open a packet with a sterile needle, which they then take out with a non sterile gloved hand. So no the piercing is not done with a sterile needle.

There are studios that will offer training but there is no 'official' training.

If you were to prep an area for piercing with the same skill as before something like a steroid injection then the area to be pierced should be swabbed with alcohol and allowed to air dry three times.

A sterile field should also be established and the piercer should do a full 10 min scrub and be wearing a sterile gown and gloves.

tropolis is correct, a stud is not blunt force trauma. Another 'myth' bandied about on here and at some piercing studios.

Having seen the hygiene at the local Claire's, I prefer to stick with the piercer at my tattooist with 27 years experience.

You can get cheaper ear piercing at Claire's, the price was high because you chose the 9ct gold ones. They should have warned you before they started that once the earrings were opened you'd have to pay.
I couldn't find a professional piercer who used a needle or would use one on a child, they all used guns.
Guns are a lot more gentle than they used to be and the earrings are sterile, pre loaded into sterile cartridges which are disposed of after the piercing. The ear does not touch the gun. I agree the staff at Claire's won't have the best training or experience but there's a lot of scaremongering on here.

Wow the piercers around here wont touch guns and are vocally bery anti!

Wow the piercers around here wont touch guns and are vocally bery anti!

Ask them what training they have had.

I love how ignorant some people are. I don’t mean those who genuinely didn’t know (OP, for example). I mean some of those commenting, with things such as “many are fine so it’s okay!”. Yes, and many people are shot and survive but that doesn’t mean a gun shot wound is a mere scratch. Dramatic analogy I know, but the leap in logic betweeen “I’m okay” and “therefore this thing is fine to do going forward” is quite astounding.

OP, you’re right to look for somewhere that uses needles. They will be sterile, and they will cause significantly less trauma.

Yes, and many people are shot and survive but that doesn’t mean a gun shot wound is a mere scratch.

Oh, do come off it. You could make the same stupid argument about any number of things that carry a risk. At the end of the day, it's a cosmetic body modification that is entirely unnecessary and many of those pierced with a sterile needle still end up with infections. Safest option? Don't have it done. Either way, it is not analogus to a gunshot wound.

The leap between, 'this method may carry a slightly increased risk of a relatively minor infection developing' and 'gun shot wound' is quite astounding.

OP has already had one daughter pierced with a gun and, yes, it's not ideal but it's also statistically unlikely to result in a problem. Acting like it's the end of the world isn't helpful to anyone.

None of my piercings have ever got infected but my claires ones are wonky and full of scar tissue. Guns are never great but their aftercare is fucking terrible- that solution stuff and being encouraged to move them about.