to think Claire’s shouldn’t be the go to place

[TDL2016]

Why do so many parents take their kids to Claire’s to get their ears pierced? You’re surely more likely to get a better and more hygienic environment, better aftercare and a better trained piercer at a specialist shop.

People choose Claire's because they sell jewellery/makeup for kids and advertise it as a service.... easy to find. I took DD to a high street shop that also does piercing and tattoos. He had been doing it for years and he used a gun. He said that guns are easier than needles, quicker and more sterile...... £25, no aftercare provided, just told to clean it with salty water.

Ears were perfectly OK, but did buy some aftercare lotion from Claire's.

Piercing a child’s ears should be illegal, causing pain by paying someone to force a needle totally unnecessarily through their bodies is sick,
I’m traumatised by my child having repeated canulars whilst in hospital and the idea of paying someone to do it for fashion is bizarre

Needles come out of a sterile pack and and binned after one use. Guns are used on multiple people multiple times. They are more sterile lol.

Professional piercers' practices are cleaner, more hygienic, change their cloves and take new needles out of the packet in front of the customer.

Piercing 'guns' are plastic, therefore can't be autoclaved at the necessary high temperatures (as piercers use for their jewellery). People are often fooled by the disclaimer 'the stud is the only thing to touch the ear'. Maybe; but the stud touches the gun and there's hence a risk of cross-contamination.

Also they should never, ever, force a blunt stud through cartilage. There's a risk it might collapse (and it would be incredibly painful to boot).

Those things should be banned.

We went to Blue Banana - they have shops in different cities one here has tattooing upstairs and the peircings in clean room at back of the clothes shop part. It wasn't visible form the street or shop - door was closed and inside it was very clean.

We had option of gun or needle and chose needle and choice about what was put in she chose studs - very professional had to sign forms for consent - she was 13 at the time.

She had no problems unlike me who had them done with a gun years ago and developed a nickle allergy - TBH is got so bad I've let them close but they are still visible years later.

Sorry they are not more sterlie

Age restrictions for most people I assume. I rang around several piercing/tattoo parlours and they wouldn't do it because of DD's age,which is entirely fair enough.

We don't shop in Claire's so enquired there too first to check if they'd do it and they said yes. That's how she ended up having them done there.

As for price it was ridiculously expensive so I don't think that's the reason people choose them.

I don't see any problem with Claire's. They use a gun like any jeweller. Yes, it's technically better to go to a tattooist but many of them won't allow children entry so they aren't really child friendly places.

I looked in to this and the problem is a piercer with a needle will then insert a sleeper rather than a stud which isn't ideal.

I had DDs ears done at a tattoo/piercing studio. She was 12 which is the youngest they would do it. They wanted proof that I was her parent and permission from DH as well. Pierced with a needle and then titanium studs (screw on ball back not butterfly). No ”upselling” of unnecessary ‘aftercare’ just advice re hygiene and salt water. Told to go back after six weeks to check that all was healed well enough to change earrings.

I often see people practically pinning tiny children down in the window of Claire’s and it makes me feel ill. I think it should be illegal to be honest.

Lot of misconceptions here about guns and claires

• The stud does not touch the gun. The stud touches a brand new sterile adapter that attaches to the gun. This adapter is single use and disposed of.
• The gun does not make a loud noise
• All adapters and studs are sterile and opened in front of the customer
• Fresh gloves are used for each customer

Also there is no upselling of 'unnecessary aftercare'. This aftercare is provided as part of any piercing sale. It also includes a 6 week check up. Probably only 5% of people come back for this check up

I’ve had multiple piercings over the years, only with a gun, no problems whatsoever. I don’t think anyone I know has ever mentioned having piercing problems.

Most 'proper' piercing/tattoo places won't pierce anyone under the age of 16

This is likely to be a local council licensing condition.

I looked in to this and the problem is a piercer with a needle will then insert a sleeper rather than a stud which isn't ideal

All the piercers I've used have inserted bars not sleepers.

I only found out about Blue Banana - DD1 had wanted them done for a while - because they were campaigning for tighter restictions in local paper - www.bluebanana.com/en/article/21535/body-piercing-information.

It was in local paper after a local scandal about pop up shops where there were concerns and they were trying to reach and test for Hep C and HIV all prior customers.

Will definitely used them in future and tell the kids to - if they want future piercings.

How quick is a needle compared to a gun?

Piercing a child’s ears should be illegal, causing pain by paying someone to force a needle totally unnecessarily through their bodies is sick,
I’m traumatised by my child having repeated canulars whilst in hospital and the idea of paying someone to do it for fashion is bizarre

You can't really compare a distressing and essential, however unwanted medical procedure to a split second nip that a child has repeatedly begged for. In DD 1's case it was 6 years of discussion. And yes we used a gun. Needle was my preference but there were a number of reasons it ended up being by gun and they are fine thankfully

Not much in it. Needle takes a bit longer. But shouldn't be enough to put you off imo

Piercing a child’s ears should be illegal, causing pain by paying someone to force a needle totally unnecessarily through their bodies is sick

Lots of children want their ears pierced. It doesn’t hurt much. I’m against it for babies but for older children, I can’t get wound up about it.

- The stud does not touch the gun. The stud touches a brand new sterile adapter that attaches to the gun. This adapter is single use and disposed of.

Once the adapter touches the gun, it isn't sterile, and cross contamination can still occur.

Years ago, I had my ears pierced by a beauty salon and got an infection. I had to let the holes close up and got re-pierced two years later. The 2nd piercing was done at a jewellers, and this lady had a gun that must have been much older than the standard equipment of the day (over 30 years ago now). Her gun was one that could be sterillised, think it was a metal gun. I had no issue with this piercing, but all subsequent piercings have been done by a piercer in a tattoo parlour.

I studied beauty therapy years ago, and was "qualified" to pierce ears even though I was never given the chance to pierce an ear! A bit worrying really

Many people don't know it's an options or the problems with guns.
My local tattoo and piercing shop will pierce children's ears (lobes) as long as they are over seven. They will not pierce any other body part including ears non-lobes until the age of 16 (or 18 for some piercings like genitals, nipples or tongue)

Don’t get me started on babies with pierced ears

Working in a school in the Med area my colleagues were appalled to see that my now daughter didn't have her ears pierced. It was the norm for their babies' ears to be pierced in hospital before going home.

Piercing a child’s ears should be illegal, causing pain by paying someone to force a needle totally unnecessarily through their bodies is sick

I am fine with that as long as the child is older (I think 7+ is a good age), able to express wanting it done and is aware it will hurt for a while.

Also I just want to point out that the problem with the gun isn't so much hygiene, but method. A needle is a straight piercing, a gun forces the earring through the ear via blunt trauma and takes longer to heal.

Most 'proper' piercing/tattoo places won't pierce anyone under the age of 16

I'm in Zone 6 , I took my DD under 16 to have her helix then tragus done (her choice)
Also her navel (because she wanted me there though she could've gone herself as she was 16+ )

Studios in London are different boroughs and their local restrictions prohibit this .
But as they said locally , piercing are not permenant unlike tattoos . DD has removed 2 of her studs and there is no scar visible (just a tiny bump at the back of her ear)