4 year old getting pierced ears at Superdrug

[Childpiercinggate]

I was browsing in Superdrug this lunchtime and saw a small child getting their ears pierced. It was awful, the mother was holding the child down and she was yelling at the top of her lungs. I was in the makeup section at the other end of the shop and stopped in my tracks as I’ve never heard anything like it.

I asked to speak to the manager as I was so shocked that they do this in store. The manager told me it was nothing to do with me and the mother had given consent.

Ive written to the head office although I know nothing will be done.

Yes you were unreasonable - mind your own business
No you’re not unreasonable - you’re right, children of that age shouldn’t be getting piercings

YANBU I was going to suggest you contact head office but saw you already have.

As someone who has many piercings, tattoos and extreme modifications and completely agree, kids should not have their ears pierced and ESPECIALLY not in these high street shops.

I had mine done at 8 for my ‘holy communion’ in my living room and I still remember the pain and sadness of having them done, but I was expected to, to have nice earrings to wear for my communion.

If parents really want to do that to their child (weird to me) they should go to a reputable tattoo shop with a reputable piercer who has trained for years and uses the correct equipment.

Using guns is barbaric.

Of course you are not being unreasonable, and I judge any parent or piercer who would do this.

Also on a practical note, it's not a good look for the shop is it, I'm surprised they do it and risk losing customers like you. Definitely a tightly worded letter to head office is in order, to make you feel like you've said your piece aside from anything else.

Sadly, if these high street chains don’t do it, you can almost guarantee it’ll be home piercing. We don’t allow tattoos until a person has adulthood, no idea why it’s legal or even socially acceptable to mutilate a child. Should be illegal IMO

I’m so glad people agree with me that it’s awful as I mentioned it in the office when I came back and loads of people seemed to think it’s totally normal?!

The poor child! It honestly felt like I was witnessing child abuse

Thank you for being the type of person who has the guts to complain about this. I've seen similar in Claires Accessories, they were holding down a screaming young child, trying to pierce her 2nd ear after hurting her whilst doing the first one, the other assistants were just stood watching and laughing at her. The child was next to the windows and everyone walking past could see and hear her. Only my wonderful mum had the guts to confront them and was met with a load of abuse from the mother and the staff told her to mind her own business. The worst thing was, the little sister was sat waiting to have hers done next and she looked absolutely terrified.

YANBU, saw a tiny girl sat in the chair in the window at Claire’s today and shuddered as my own DD is a similar age!! lol I was traumatised as an 8 year old getting mine done, still take the mick out of my mum for telling me we couldn’t leave until the second lobe was done 😅 just awful you can get it done in these shops where people have only had minimal training. Should only be done at registered tattoo places IMO!

I’ve seen it in Claire’s. We had to leave so they could lock the shop and talk down the screaming child and shouting mother (one ear done, one to go).

I know DD would end up with just one pierced! and after witnessing that poor child I’m happy she’s decided to wait.

I was 9 and had the piercing gun in Evans. It was ok, didn’t hurt as I recall.

This was exactly what happened here. Poor kid had had one ear done and was understandably terrified of the next one and screaming the place down and wailing.

Superdrug is the absolute worst place for piercings. It's so public with so much going on. I've seen so many small children freaking out there. I'm not a fan of piercings with guns when there are gentler, cleaner methods, but the lack of privacy there is also grim.

YANBU. When I took my 10 year old DD for her ears pierced at a tattoo shop, ( after months of her asking) she had a bit of a wobble. The piercer said he couldn't pierce her ears if she was upset or didn't consent. She did calm down, got them pierced and was happy as larry. The piercer was superb, and made her feel really relaxed. This is how it should be done. I am shocked that parents are holding down screaming kids and piercers are going along with this. I would take it all the way tbh.

This must also be pretty awful for the shop staff too, surely? I can’t imagine having to knowingly perform a painful act on a small child who is clearly terrified and already in pain, that is entirely for cosmetic purposes.

and just my opinion but I think it looks shit.

This is why DD1 (who is prone to dramatics at the best of times) was put off from requests to have her ears pierced for a good year until we were relatively sure she wouldn't freak out after having the first one done and then end up with one pierced and not the other (and then we went to the proper piercing place locally).

I know several people whose daughters had their ears pierced at Claire’s and they did both ears at the same time. It’s one of their selling points.

We allowed ours at 11 the beautician doing it said they wouldn’t do under 10 whatever the parent wanted.

High street shops doing it knocks me sick

YANBU

I agree OP!

I had mine done when I was around 6 in claire's and although I don't really remember the piercing appointment itself, I do remember is getting very infected which was awful!

However, I recently got the 2nd piercing done on both lobes from a tattoo shop and they were great. The studio was quiet, very clean, pierced with a needle and everything was well explained! The aftercare was also fantastic.

I think its crazy that it's acceptable to do that to babies and children who clearly don't understand the dangers. Thank you for writing to head office.

I'd suggest that no one finds themselves in that position unwillingly. There are plenty of shop jobs, and if I needed one I would pick one which didn't involve this, as could they 🤷‍♀️ So although I'm sure it's not nice for them in these circumstances, they don't <have> to.

I was in Claire’s the other day and over heard the girl who had just pierced some kids ears why they were lob sided. 🤔

@Heatedblanky Not that day or maybe it depends on who is piercing or if the client wants them done both at one, IDK.

I honestly felt like I was witnessing child abuse

You were 😥

I took my girls to at tattoo and piercing parlour to get them done when my youngest was six and had been begging for well over a year. She was actually fine getting them done, but then wouldn't stop fiddling with them and it stopped them healing for ages so I've always advised people to wait a bit longer if they've asked my advice. My eldest was 9 and she didn't want the second one done after the first so we went for a walk around the shops and stopped in a cafe for a bit, then went back when she was ready. The lady doing it was really nice and supportive and said we could go back any time for the second one, even on another day.

I really think what you saw was very wrong. The only time you should be pinning your child down to do something painful to them is if it is medically necessary.

The kid may have wanted them done to start with, but it actually isn't in any way a problem for a child to only have one ear pierced. I admit I did gently try to persuade my daughter to go back for the second one because I knew that she'd wanted them done, but I was fully prepared for her to just have one ear done for the foreseeable future.

I knew this rang a bell. Very similar to OP's story.

metro.co.uk/2021/10/22/girl-screams-get-off-as-shes-pinned-down-to-have-her-ears-pierced-15468871/

I have heard of this. Pretty sensible I think.

Any parent who takes their 4 year old to have her ears pierced is a chavvy scumbag.