Ear-piercing - Stirling/Falkirk/Paisley/Greenock

one-non-blonde

Thanks for all your replies, most of which unfortunately I didn't get to read until after the deed had been done. Wish I'd remembered about it a few days earlier then maybe I could have made more of an informed choice!

We did go to Claire's but as someone else said it was expensive (a lot cheaper if you only wanted plated earrings but I didn't want to take that chance with a 10 year old) but maybe everywhere charges about the same. The girl that did it was fine, she took her time, did wear gloves and the earrings come in sealed units. Haven't had any problems so am keeping our fingers crossed that it continues that way!

When I had mine done over 20 years ago they were also done with what I call a staple gun, I wasn't aware there was any other way of having it done.

Now if my son asks to have his done when he's 10 I shall know better...

surfcat

I know it's now after the fact but I would advise against Claire's (and also other 'beauticians' using guns). If you want to get piercings done go to a long established tattoo/piercing studio - may look a bit intimidating, but they know what they're doing.

I had my ear cartilidge pierced (naively) at Claire's a few years ago and was lucky. The girl tried to get the assistance of the other one, "Is this the right place to put it through?". The other, "don't ask me..."

Also as Juno says it is impossible to autoclave (sterilize) a gun (the plastic bits on it would melt). If they're using the same gun for nose piercing then that's a whole host of extra nasty diseases you could be getting from other people.

surfcat

...and to be honest, why don't parents (not just you O.P.) wait until their children reach 16 (or 18) and let them decide whether to make potentially permanent changes to their bodies?

juno

Make sure you keep an eye on them! If there is a lot of swelling and the backs seem tight and you can't get them off them go to hospital immediately. And if they've given you their solution then chuck it and make your own. Make sure they get cleaned first thing in the morning and at night too.

surfcat

When I came to take my butterfly studs out, I found the best way to loosen the 'wings' was to put a precision screwdriver in each wing hole (the type of small thin screwdrivers you use for repairing spectacles etc), and gently push your fingers between the 2 screwdrivers, moving them apart. This should loosen the grip of the wings on the spike thing.

samanthaknd

dragonfly02 wrote:

one thing i will say about claires, when my daughter wanted her ears pierced the queue in claire's was quite long so we stood watching for a while and the hygiene inbetween wa terrible, the wiped the piercing gun down with a wipe!!! i realise they were busy but this is just terrible, the risks with piercing are exactly the same as tattooing, although the piering machine was wipped down there will still be many blood borne pathogens present including hep c and many others.
My advice, if theres a queue wait and see what they do with the machine in between piercings and if they wear gloves.

I took my daughter to blue banana in the end as their sterilisation procedures are second to none

the claires near me in motherwell are very hygenic they always wear gloves etc. some earings are more expensive than others, so if you just want a basic pair it shouldn't be more than £10. My daughter got hers done at a jewellers and had no idea of the cost before she got them done, ended up being £29.50, they also used a gun, but am sure it was a disposable one because the gun she used just came out of one of those packs. But she only got them done 3 months ago and had to take them out her ears this week due to her ears being very sore.

samanthaknd

surfcat wrote:

...and to be honest, why don't parents (not just you O.P.) wait until their children reach 16 (or 18) and let them decide whether to make potentially permanent changes to their bodies?

due to children wanting it done, I got mine pierced when I was 3 (same as my daughter, although now I know I should have waited, she just started nursery when she got them done and since all the other girls had them done she wanted them done!.) I still have them pierced among other things lol.