Child ear piercing gone wrong - help me with what to say

[formula3]

DD8 had ears pierced today at Claire’s. All went fine, until we got home and she said “my earring has fallen out” and after initially telling her that was impossible l looked, and sure enough there was no earring in right ear. She hadn’t fiddled with them in the 3 hours they had been pierced and we got home, and I found the earring itself in the hood of her coat, no sign of the back so assume it was loose from start and is still somewhere in the shopping centre.
she was very upset, obviously, as she’s 8 and was panicking due to some blood around hole. I called Claire’s and explained what happened, the lady I spoke to sounded very shocked and said she had never had this happen and she needed to call her senior. She called back to say they were very sorry, that it must have been a fault with the earring (though it looks fine) and all that can be done is to leave it a week to heal over and they will pierce it again and as an apology not make me pay again!

I was too shocked to really process it other than to say that I didn’t think she’d want to come back there given she’d been brave to get it done in the first place and was now very upset, and said I had to go as had a very upset little girl to sort out but Could someone senior get back to me. That didn’t happen by the end of the day.

what do I do now? Contact head office? I spent £68 on good quality piercing earrings and about £15 on the piercing aftercare which for me is a lot but it was a special occasion that has gone really wrong. I’d like a refund because I feel I’ve paid for a service that has been poor (be it the fault of the equipment, or staff not checking the back was secure). My daughter is upset she only has one earring (fair enough) and I will try and encourage her to get it re-done elsewhere but right now there’s no way she’d agree to being pierced again.

I don’t write very well- could someone help me word an email and what I should say/ask for? I mainly want to stop this happening to someone other child but I’d also like my money back, not just free new piercing which can’t be goof
for her ear after a week? ☹️

thank you X

I had no idea the issues that could arise from ear piercing! I had mine pierced for the first time around age 7, if I remember right. Piercing gun no issues. I did have a problem with the top of my ear being pierced, it was like it never healed and after a year I finally took it out and never tried again. That was also a piercing gun. Anyway, I just googled a bit and found this which I though very interesting.

https://safepiercing.org/piercing-guns/

Had a bad experience with Claire's last year too. Took her to a local tattoo and piercing parlour and they were fab and so kind. Cleaned ears, put totally different earrings in (the claires ones are too short and the back is too tight so no room for the inevitable swelling). Haven't had a minute's problem since then. And they were a fraction of the cost! And didn't hurt her at all and she was scared.

So why come out with your judgemental comment? Not your child, not your decision. The OP is looking for advice, not to be made to feel like shit.

So true.

And not get your ear pierced in Claire's to begin with

The single use ones from Amazon? Awful things! DD15 and her friends use them on each other at sleepovers etc.

Most reputable piercing salons won't pierce the ears of under-11s on the basis that they'll be more able to manage the following discomfort/pain and necessary aftercare.

Yes, Guns put so much trauma onto the ear- Needles are much gentler.

Don’t ever, EVER take children to Claire’s for piercings. It’s a Saturday girl with a staple gun and their training is a 20 min YouTube video. Gun piercings are forcing a blunt earring through the tissue. It causes more trauma, heals crooked most of the time and will be more prone to bleeding and infection. Take the other earring out, let them heal, and if she decides she wants them done again DO YOUR RESEARCH and take her to a reputable piercing and tattoo studio to have it done properly with a needle.

I took my daughter who is 16 to a tattoo studio to get her ears, upper ear and nose pierced a few months ago. Not a 'stepped' earring as a pp stated but rather thick posts that the backs screw on to. I also got a couple of piercings whilst there - not planned but I had thought about it and wanted them so even though I didn't have an appointment I jumped at the opportunity when asked. Maybe contact a studio and see if they can look at the piercing for your daughter they may have some useful advice as to when to get it redone. I don't understand people saying to take out the other piercing. Why when your daughter wants both ears pierced.

My 17 year old had her belly pierced at blue banana a few weeks ago, claimed she needed floating belly piercing ( ridiculous money as well) came out first night so the next day I took her to my usual piercer. They'd pierced far to much skin and wasn't much could be done other than taking it out. She was devastated, I did pay for her to get it redone by my usual piercer yesterday. Apparently there it's 2 weeks training and that's it. I wouldn't go near blue banana ever again. The piercer was the manager and customer service couldn't care less

Didn't rtft but wanted to reassure you that I live in a country where the custom is to pierce baby girl's ears as newborns. Everyone thinks my daughter is a boy because she doesn't have earrings. So medically there is no "too young" to have ears pierced. Culturally, obviously, everyone will have an opinion on that. Personally I think it's fine so long as it's something the child wants and is old enough to decide, as earlobe holes will heal without leaving much of a mark, unlike a tattoo or a piercing !

I meant the earring cassette {?} devices that Claires used to fire an earring into an ear..they were supposedly a sealed unit to stop blood Bourne disease.

The green hypodermic needles I pierced son's lobes with were definitely ''single use only'' {I put them in the wood burner after use to dispose of them}

I had my ears pierced at a jewellers, when I was 13. The butterfly back, was so tight to my ear, I had a blood blister and swelling. My Mum had to take both earrings out, bathe the bad ear lobe twice a day. Eventually both holes healed over but it totally put me off having my earrings pierced again. I decided at 30, to brave it, and this time, went to a proper piercing shop, where it was all done correctly. My advice would be to remove the other earring and let your daughter's ear lobes heal over. Leave it for a few years and ask her if she'd like to try again. If she doesn't, then ask her to tell you when or if she feels ready, but she can decide when she's an adult if she wishes.

my piercer will only do lobe piercings on under 18s, any other piercing is off limits.

You can ask around, there will be one that does it and is happy to with a parent present.

She does know what she wants…her ears pierced. She’s envied her classmates earrings for 2/3 years now and waited patiently to be signed off medically to get them done, fantastic. It’s not as if she announced she’d like to set up a crack den in my garden shed.
shes mature, understands the importance of keeping wounds clean, no pain worries as has had lots of blood draws, she’s more than ready and the only problem was the earring falling out, and all I asked for was advice on how to word my complaint. Fairly sure I know how to keep her safe.

I thought sleeper earrings had to be used when the ears are pierced. I remember being told to turn them a little every so often and bathe the areas in a cleansing solution 2-3 times a day. Sounds like you made the wrong choice of ear piercer.

I agree with this.
Take the other ear ring out and allow both to fully heal .

Then in a few months time go to a reputable piercing shop ( not claires) and get them done properly.

And yes demand ( politely) a full refund for both the piercing and the ear rings ) don't accept vouchers / credit. They are trying to get you back in to spend more money .

You seem oddly emotional about this, even swearing🤷‍♀️it absolutely matters she knows what she does and doesn’t want - her body, her rules. She wanted her ears pierced, it’s not neglect (which is what failing to keep your child safe falls under). I took her to the place everyone else I spoke to had a positive experience with. Sadly not my daughter and we won’t go there again and hopefully this helps others too.

This thread isn't about the age of the child, or if it was appropriate for them to get their ears pierced at that age.. and people feeling the need to judge the OP is not required.

The OP simply wanted advice on what to do about the now lopsided piercing, and how to handle claires.

I don't understand why people keep piping up with their personal opinion on the appropriate age for getting ears pierced.

In fairness it’s confusing because you keep saying she can handle the pain and discomfort so is old enough to get it done but then say she’s so distressed that she won’t allow you near her ear to attempt to put the earring back in and was upset at the blood 🤷🏻‍♀️

@MinnieBalloon

Unnecessarily harsh and out of bounds on the inability to keep your child safe comment. Jesus. 🤦‍♀️

If the back came off, either they sold a defective earring or they didn't secure it properly. Either way, it's their fault.

Thank you to all the helpful comments. I feel it’s derailing on the age theme here which wasn’t what I asked. Whether she had them done at 1 month old or 16 my issue would be the same; one earring fell out and she’s left with 1 pierced ear. That, to me, is not ok and nor is tryin to shove an earring back in when it’s sore (again not age related simply I don’t know what I’m doing and don’t want to cause trauma to the tissue).