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Original poster

Ear piercing, best place to go?

71 replies

Loveleopardprint · 08/07/2012 22:03

My dd who is twelve wants to get her ears pierced. Any recommendations for good places to go? Or even places to avoid! Thanks.

OP posts:
mumofjust1 · 10/07/2012 17:57

Ear stratchers - my dd is in the process of stretching at the moment!

She's up to a 6 gauge at the moment, but wants to get to a 10 - that's the biggest you can go to and reverse afaik.

She's used tapers - its a long process, roughly a month between gauges.

boomdecker · 10/07/2012 18:20

Thank you, thank you - just about to book dd in for piercing and I had no idea about the difference between a gun and a needle.

(Do I really have to walk into a Tattoo Parlour ? Shock)

Dancergirl · 10/07/2012 19:52

But will professional piercing studios pierce children's ears?

mumofjust1 · 10/07/2012 20:28

Dancegirl - a professional studio did my dd's when she was 12 :)

mrscumberbatch · 10/07/2012 20:43

Oi I have ear plugs. (Stretchers sounds daft) I think they look lovely.

So long as tey are accompanied by a sensible adult there shouldn't be an issue with piercing ears.

Krumbum · 11/07/2012 02:48

The nose piercing gun is better though, completely different to the ear one.

Original poster
Loveleopardprint · 11/07/2012 10:49
Blush Sorry Mrs Cumberbatch! What happens though if u get bored of them? Genuinely interested.
OP posts:
mrscumberbatch · 11/07/2012 19:11

It wouldn't happen ;)

Few options, if they're small enough just downsizing jewellery mm by mm will allow them to shrink.
If they are beyond the point of new return they will still shrink down but you will be left with fairly small holes.
The other option is to have reconstructive surgery and they sew your ear back together!

Original poster
Loveleopardprint · 12/07/2012 12:53

Crazeee!Wink

OP posts:
ShotgunNotDoingThePans · 12/07/2012 13:03

Dancergirl, I had trouble with my ears for twenty-odd years - they hadn't healed up, but I'd given up hope of ever wearing earrings again. Used to wear them occasionally for evenings out, but would be back to the burning/redness again so I gave up.
But I found Wear Earrings Again and have followed their advice and so far so good. I'd definitely recommend trying it before you let your DD's heal over - there's a really good explanation of why this happens and how to fix it. For me, if the best that happens is that I have to stick to titanium/nimobium earrings forever, that's still better than before! Hated not wearing anything there at all.

Anyone know a good place in Gloucestershire for DD?

KathG · 12/07/2012 13:41

Hi any recommendtions of places to get ears pierced in Birmingham (its the start of secondary school rite of passage)?

Dancergirl · 12/07/2012 16:34

shotgun - thank you so much for that link. I have emailed her to ask for advice.

Re piercing guns - Shock OMG, why aren't they banned?? I wish I knew this a year ago, I feel guilty now for letting dd have a gun pierce her ears.

ShotgunNotDoingThePans · 12/07/2012 16:56

Good luck with it - I actually found the care page was enough for me to get sorted - but it sounds like your DD's ears are much worse than mine were.

Btw, Serenity Jewellery (UK based) is where I bought the titanium studs from.

CointreauVersial · 14/07/2012 23:03

Very fortuitous, finding this thread.....DD1 is having her ears pierced shortly, and I had no idea that guns (and Claires) were such a bad idea.

But a tattoo parlour?? Eeek. Might try my local hairdresser.

Merrylegs · 14/07/2012 23:13

Dd (11) had her ears pierced on Thurs in a local beauty salon with a gun - both ears at the same time (two people doing it). It didn't hurt at all, apparently and so far everything is fine - no swelling, nice clean piercings, no pain. Perhaps we were lucky or perhaps they will gunge up later, but so far no dramas. The whole thing was very low-key and straightforward.

sunflower · 15/07/2012 00:14

I rang a few local body piercing places near me in London, and none would do 11 year old DD's ears. V frustrating as I'd heard needles better than gun. In the end we took her to Selfridges - proper body piercing place there but they did it with a gun and also said no to using a needle. Quite pricey but would recommend. They really took their time, very clean and professional and really drilled into her the importance of cleaning her ears regularly. Totally symmetrical (my fear was they wouldn't be) and no infections. It was definitely an improvement on my own teenage experiences with piercing guns!

AuntieMaggie · 20/07/2012 21:49

loveleopardprint did you go to blue banana? someone from the exeter branch did mine in bristol

mimbies · 30/11/2012 13:53

Selfridges no longer do it and have promised DD ear piercing for bday next week. Help, any suggestions central or south london?

insertinventivenamehere · 27/04/2013 10:26

I had my ears pierced done at fenwicks- very good though a bit expensive... A gun for your ear lobes doesn't always do any damage- everyone I know has had their ear lobes done with guns and it's fine- it's just flesh if you think about it, it depends on how well you look after the piercings afterwards- remember to use the cleaning liquid they give you and you shouldn't get infected unless you are allergic to the earring or something...though for a cartilage definitely use a needle, and for most other piercings use a needle. Don't feel guilty about piercing your daughter's ears with a gun- if the gun was sterile then it should have been perfectly safe so don't get worked up! Wink

insertinventivenamehere · 27/04/2013 10:26

whoops...just realised how old this post is...

Shaboa · 24/07/2013 12:54

Old post yes, but new comers can find them interesting.

I see all these discussions about piercing babies/girls ears and most people are fearful. I guess the reason is there is no safe place in the UK to do it. You talk about jewellers and piercing/tattoo shops!!! That is insane. I want to pierce my baby daughter's ears but would never go there. As soon as I can I'll fly to Spain and get it done there. I'll go to a clinic where a doctor or a nurse does it, safely and hygienically. I guess the NHS would never provide this service as the culture in this country is to pierce girls ears when they are older.

scarlet76 · 24/07/2013 17:40

I have a number of piercings and a couple of small tattoos (Tramp Stamp Brigade I laugh in your face!)
Ears were done with a gun when I was 12 as were subsequent ones - 1 ear pierced once, the other 3 times. They are straight, evenly spaced and all healed without problem.
The rest of my piercings were done with a needle at a tattooists. I have got to know them quite well in there and as my 9 year old daughter wants her ears pierced, I asked their advice. They won't do needle piercing on a child of her age but assured me guns are fine for lobes. Lots of her friends have had them done at the local upmarket beauty salon so I will take her there,

I have also played about with ear stretchers but only as far as 4mm. You take them out and they shrink back quickly at that size.

gertrudegallops · 27/11/2013 10:32

Good to have found this post - dd wants them done today! was just googling ear piercing to find somewhere and this came up! she is 16 but I'm still nervous as never got round to getting mine done - might try it one day.

YoDiggity · 28/11/2013 04:40

Ear stretchers are grim. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking your lobes will fully close up and spring back into shape if you change your mind. They won't. You will have earlobes like those old hill tribe ladies you see in National Geographic.

YoDiggity · 28/11/2013 04:43

Mind you, most of you will be so covered in tattoos that you hate and regret with a passion by then that I'm not sure what difference having comedy sagging earlobes is going to make to your self esteem.