DD 15 piercing own ears

[Roaringlogfire]

My DD's friend has a piercing gun bought from the internet with sterile earrings (or so it claims in the packet) my DD has asked if her friend can pierce her ears. I've said no and said I would prefer to take her to a salon. She is not happy as friend can do it today and she'll have to wait until the weekend to have it done professionally.

AIBU to say no to home piercing?

Show her a few pictures of infected ear piercings, that should put her off until the weekend

I did my own at age 15. They were my second holes in each ear. Just rammed the studs I’d had the first ones pierced with.

I pierced my mates nose with a frozen chip and a needle when I was 15. I'm impressed that someone that age bought an actual piercing gun!

It’s a thing. One of my pupils (Y10) was excluded for a few days last year for piercing friends ears in the school loos. She had quite a queue! I’d find some gruesome pics of what can go wrong to dissuade her.

Similar to previous poster I pierced my own ear at 15, by just pushing a stud through it 🤮.
I would be pleased she talks to you about it, and do a bit of research with her.

Bless her for actually buying a gun and asking your permission!

We just got a pin out of a display board at school and, being hygienic if nothing else, stuck it in a lighter flame before shoving it through a friend’s earlobes.

Never use a gun!!! Always a needle at a tattoo parlour

I pierced my own ears age 15 using one of my mums sewing needles
Went septic
Ouch

She should have her ears pierced by a professional piercer. It really doesn’t matter who is wielding the piercing gun, they shouldn’t be used.

Yanbu at all. DS1 wanted his ear pierced. I said no until I'd researched the best place and method (and made sure he was certain). We went to a tattoo parlour a couple of weeks ago and he had a lobe and helix done. He's 17 and waited because he trusted my judgement. And he's always been a stickler for rules

That aside I assume what they've bought is the studex system which is single use. I still wouldn't trust a teen with one though!

I'd suggest she let her friend practice on someone else first before judging if it's a good idea or not....

I used to do this as a teenager, luckily never got infected but the holes still look awful now.
I had a friend who pierced her own lip, that got infected 🤢
I hope she waits until the weekend.

I pierced my own ear with a blunt earring through the cartilage when I was 9 because I was so desperate for it and my mum said no. Of course it got infected and I refused to remove it so the compromise was that I take it out and get it done on the other ear. Having said that I’ve always had my other piercings done professionally since then. You really can’t compare the two. Absolutely go professional rather than diy

Piecing guns are a rally bad idea, they can screw up the lobes and destroy the cartilage.

She needs to get it done by needle.

It will be these that the friend has. They're very popular on TikTok et al right now and stupid cheap. They are single use only and can't be used again. So pretty safe.

Book her in to a salon tomorrow/this weekend with a big treat/girly time after.

Could you tell her the reasons why you should never use a piercing gun? Ask her to wait until she can get it done with a needle by a professional piercer

I'm surprised at people who are resigned to 'teenagers will do it anyway' - there is no way mine would have done this if they asked and I said no to it. I would have (and did) happily taken them for a professional piercer but home piercing would have been a firm no. My teens would have respected that decision. Oddly I don't have a lot of strict rules that a lot of mumsnetters have, particularly with 'controlling' teens, but I would definitely say no to this

If you're not saying no to the ear piercing then YANBU. She'll get far better results at a proper piercing place with a needle instead of a gun.
That being said. There are worse things she could be doing. It does sound kinda fun in a minimal harm kind of way.

I did my own with an ice cube and a pair of sharp earrings

Thanks for all the points of view.

@KilljoysDutch
Yes those are the ones. They do seem ok but how can you tell if they are sterile? and the quality of the metal can't be great.

She has accepted the salon solution. I think we'll go to a proper piercing place to be sure.

I let my sister do mine with a piercing gun, our mum was horrified!

Could be worse. My husband’s ex bought DSD a tattoo gun for her 14th birthday and she’s been giving herself (really shit) tattoos ever since 😂

I had mine done by a friend aged 14, with an earring. They never healed properly - sort of half healed half not. Eventually I got them re-pierced properly and now they're mostly fine, but it was all fairly stupid. But then at the end of the day they're only ears and it's not really the end of the world.

Getting my nose pierced with an earring gun was a worse mistake - am very lucky nothing worse came of that!

My friend did mine when we were 15. They were fine. We didn't have handy single use guns with preloaded earrings! I've seen them and they are sterile and seem pretty safe compared to old sewing needles/second hand earrings...

It's a bit of a right of passage for teens, it's unlikely she will come to serious harm. At least she told you! Like a PP, my teens are pretty sensible and I'd let them do this. I even offered to buy DS1 a set during lockdown. Quite fancied doing mine too!