Post # 1
Member
7596 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
So this isn’t a post about piercing babies ears too early/without their consent etc. Lord knows the Bee has had enough of those in its time. This is a post about children are old enough and who can verbalize wanting to get their ears pierced.
You know how you are supposed to go to a reputable piercer instead of letting some teenager at the mall pierce your ears? Well, reputable piercers won’t do children’s ears – at least not at any of the multiple places I have called in my area. Maryland doesn’t have any law against children’s ears being pierced (with parental permission)- it is just the individual shop’s policies. Most of the shops I called have an age limit of 15 or 16. So my 2 daughters want to get their ears pierced- and I now need to decide whether to just suck it up and take them to the mall, or to make them wait -anywhere from 5 to 12 years respectively until they are old enough to go to the tattoo/piercing shop. Any thoughts?
Post # 2
Member
2024 posts
Buzzing bee
Ask your doctor’s office. My mother had mine and my sister’s done when we were babies at the doctor’s office. Much safer (and obviously cleaner) than the mall. For the record, I love that I’ve had my ears pierced for my whole life even if it was done ‘without my permission’.
Post # 2
Member
1634 posts
Bumble bee
My dermatologist pierced my ears after my Claire’s piercing closed
Post # 4
Member
9139 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
- Wedding: November 2013 - St. Augustine Beach, FL
Go to the mall and try to pick a shop with actual adults working. Make sure they use clean instruments and pay for the more expensive gold earrings which are less likely to cause infections.
The only criticism I will give is that when my step daughter had this done at 4 years of age she accidentally had an earring pulled out at daycare (yes, even with a locking back). The daycare did not call anyone about it so by the time she was picked up, the piercing had closed. This meant we had to take her back to the store to have it repierced which was horribly traumatic for her and us. As a result I am a big believer in getting them done young enough so the baby can’t pull them out or waiting until they are old enough to care for them on their own (around 8 or so depending on the child’s maturity.)
Post # 5
Member
7596 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
I have heard of people getting it done at their Dr’s office… but I don’t know- I suppose I can call and ask if they do it there. I feel a little funny because when I take my girls to the Dr our visits are usually super serious and this is so cosmetic! But I suppose I would be taking them to the Dr. if an infection developed- so maybe they have an vested intereset in it being done well.
Post # 6
Member
2375 posts
Buzzing bee
I had my ears pierced at my doctor’s office when I was a child. Try asking their pediatrician, I’m sure they can do it, or recommend someone that does.
Post # 7
Member
77 posts
Worker bee
I just had my DD’s ears done at a Piercing Pagoda where two older ladies were working and they did an excellent job. I was nervous after reading so many things about professional piercers and mall piercers, but the chance to have both at the same time overcame that. She’s six and she wanted them done so bad. Sometimes clearning them was a fight because she just didn’t want to, but *knock on wood* it’s been six weeks and they’ve healed beautifully.
Post # 8
Member
3339 posts
Sugar bee
- Wedding: April 2013 - Rhode Island
I got my ears pierced at the mall when I was a kid and I didn’t die. Since when is this taboo?
Post # 9
Member
4907 posts
Honey bee
My left ear is permanently f***ed up from a mall piercing. It’s worth it to look into getting it done properly no matter where you have to go. May seem like a PITA right now, but better safe than .. having a f***ed up ear for life.
Post # 10
Member
149 posts
Blushing bee
Avoid at all costs going to the mall. Yes, lots of us had it done that way and didn’t die, but it isn’t worth the risk.
Guns are unsanitary, much more painful than piercing needles, and have the potential of causing horrible, disfiguring scar tissue on the ears.
And even if only for cosmetic purposes, guns make it hard for the “piercer” to see because there is a contraption obstructing their view, which can result in some seriously non-symmetrical piercings.
Either keep calling or wait until a pro will do their ears. Maybe call a doctor since people are suggesting it, but I’ve never heard of a doctor doing it before. If they pull out a gun, though, don’t go through with it.
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This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by
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Post # 11
Member
2772 posts
Sugar bee
eeniebeans: Don’t go to a kiosk or anything, but Claires at the mall is pretty reputable. <br />
Post # 12
Member
176 posts
Blushing bee
My mom used to ask my pediatricians office when I was little(around 7) to do it but they always scared me out of it for some reason. Then I was 13 and we just went to piercing pagoda and had it done and it was fine. A woman in her 20’s or 30’s did it not a teenager. i dont think they can actually pierce parts without being 18 first but I could be wrong. The doctor’s office used a piercing gun and so did the store so it’s the same thing just the mall store was cheaper and didn’t give me all these scary warnings.
Post # 13
Member
7596 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
Christy42213: Yeah, it didn’t used to be a big deal- I think we women of a certain age all got our ears done at the mall. But as some PP have mentioned, there are some downsides to it and I thought that I would try the other route that seems safer. You know, the whole “when you know better, you do better” thing.
Post # 14
Member
3339 posts
Sugar bee
- Wedding: April 2013 - Rhode Island
eeniebeans: Hmm, I guess I’m still in the dark then. LOL! But good for you doing the research. How old are your daughters? I wanted my ears pierced really badly as a kid and my mom made me wait a year till I was a more appropriate age (and until I earned it. I had to rack up 100 good points!). Maybe if your girls are really young, waiting will help solve the problem of figuring out where to go. Just a thought.
Post # 15
Member
982 posts
Busy bee
eeniebeans: Try a jewelers, not just Claire’s. I think that may be where my mom took me for the first ones – not sure, don’t entirely remember. But when I was older and wanted 2nd holes, we DID go to a local jeweler. Cost more than Claire’s, but we trusted him.
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