the best place to get ears pierced?

[mom at home]

My dd wants her ears pierced for her birthday next week. From what I've read on MDC over the years it seems that the mall type places with the gun are not the best option. Where do you get it done with a needle? At a piercing/tatoo place? One friend suggested I do it myself, but no way could I do it. I had mine done as a kid at the mall and they were mostly fine but it seems like those guns would be more likely to cause trauma to the tissue than a needle.

Any suggestions/thoughts etc?

TIA

[annakiss]

Piercing/tattoo place is where you get it done with needles.

[Mama J Rock]

Some pediatricians/doctors will do it for you in the office. Of course you'd have to get the earrings in advance to take with you but at least you would know it's sanitary.

[MelMel]

I regretably know a bit about this as we pierced our baby's ears last year. next time we will wait till a child is older like your's and they ask to have them done

anyway, not sure what its like in Idaho (think thats where your from ) but in Ohio (or at least this county...not sure how far these types of regulations stretch or where they start) we could'nt have her ears peirced at ANY tattoo/piercing shop. they all said 12 and over. I have alot of work done, and my tattoo artists' peircer wouldnt do it...and a good friend who is also a piercer/tattoo artist wouldnt either (well, not in the shop)

the only places that would is the stands in the mall which wasnt an option.

so we found the one medical piercer in the area. she does needle/cork or direct earing piercing, and cosmetic tattooing as well. so look up those types of people/business in your area.....they are very clean and safe and skilled.

it was very expensive though....but worth it for quality and safety assurance

[wemoon]

In Minnesota a person must be 18 to have their ears pierced in a tattoo/piercing studio. So you will want to check on that, just call the studio and see what they say.

[weebitty2]

Idaho has no current regulatory status on body piercings and tattoos - although legislation is in the works on it.

Find a body piercing/tattoo studio, and MAKE SURE it's certified by your local board of health AND the APP ( Association of Professional Piercers). Ask about their sterilisation techniques, and if they use an autoclave, ask to see CURRENT spore test results.

Currently there are 3 APP certified piercing studios in ID - you can find the listing at :

http://www.safepiercing.org/

It also gives lists of what to look for in reputable piercing studios, and questions to ask your piercer before having anything done.

[CortLong]

If I did it over again- I would take DD to the doc/ped. to get it done.

[srain]

One of my friends had an acupuncturist mark the best spots for the holes before going to a body piercer.

[Eman'smom]

Oh srain that is a good idea.

Ok I know about the dangers of the gun, but with that it's quick (that's how my ears were done). My navel was done with the needle and that takes longer. Wouldn't on some level it be better to find someone who uses a sterile gun?

[weebitty2]

Originally Posted by Eman'smom

Oh srain that is a good idea.

Ok I know about the dangers of the gun, but with that it's quick (that's how my ears were done). My navel was done with the needle and that takes longer. Wouldn't on some level it be better to find someone who uses a sterile gun?

Most definitely NO.

A gun will shove the earring through the tissue of the ear, causing tissue damage, which increases the likelihood of infection or rejection of the piercing.

A needle is either hollow, or has an arrow shaped tip, which will separate the skin and tissue instead of causing blunt force trauma to it.

[mom at home]

Thanks for all of your replies, Mama's. Weebitty, thanks for the link. Unfortunately, we live on the other side of the state from where the 3 APP one's are. Hmm. I'll call the peds office, but I bet they will think I'm a nutcase.

Alison

[SharonAnne]

I got mine done when I was about 13, at a jewelry store (not one of those teeny bopper mall ones :LOL). The guy used a gun, BUT I bought what were called "starter earrings" to be used with the gun. They had a point at the end, like a needle, that was snipped off after the earring was in my ear. I never had a problem with my piercings. If you prefer the gun, I highly suggest finding a pair of starter earrings with those points. Much better than blunt earrings.

[mom at home]

I decided I'm going to take her to a piercing/tatoo place. I talked to a place that sounded very knowledgable. It doesn't sound like they have any rules about age. The woman said as long as my dd is comfortable with the situation and not going to freak out, then it's fine. She said they use titanium hoops because it's better for keeping them clean and to keep the earrings moving. Does that sound right, for all you knowledgeable about piercing? It sounded good to me, but my knowledge is pretty limited.

[weebitty2]

Titanium hoops are THE most hyperallergenic earrings out there - there's almost no chance of an allergy to the jewelry, unlike with surgical stainless steel, gold, or sterling silver. Hoops in general are MUCH easier to keep clean, because there's no "pocket" between the front of the earring and the ear, and/or the earring back and the ear. I have 19 piercings left out of 27, and the only ones I didn't react to were titanium.

[maya44]

Our ped who has four little girls herself pierced my oldest one's ears. At that time she told me she was keeping a record of kids with problems and whre they got pierced. When I went in two years later for my middle DD she told me that the local earings place had an excellent record with very few problems and was going to take her younger DD's there herself. Thought this was interesting.

[srmina]

We had my dd done by her ped at age 12mo. She had a special gun with cartridges so it was very sanitary. The cartridges come preset with the earrings...they are the super pointy ones, and it also puts a special back on the earring that is plastic and covers the entire point of the earring. They are designed for infants. My dd is super sensitive to things and these earings do not bother her a bit. She also vomits on her ears while lying down pretty much every night and they have not gotten infected at all. (I do clean them up quickly each time.)

For moms who want to have very young children get their ears pierced I would highly recommend these special infant earrings. In our culture it is normal to pierce at about 6weeks-3mo, so for that age I would definitely recommend these earrings.

[kavamamakava]

Originally Posted by srain

One of my friends had an acupuncturist mark the best spots for the holes before going to a body piercer.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO DO THIS!!
My SIL had horrible horrible period cramps and went to an accupuncturist and they told her to remove her earrings and never use those holes. She got better within a couple of months.
This is why I won't pierce my daughter's ears until she is older. I know that her ears will grow and the spot where they are pierced may end up not being a good one. Mine were done when I was 3 and I think that was old enough to not have them grow out into a really weird spot. I also requested a nose ring at age 4 and my mother let me get it done. Both piercings were done by hand and with a needle.
My mother recently came back from India with a pair of ruby earrings for my daughter and was suprised to discover that her ears aren't pierced. LOL
There is a safe place at the bottom of the lobe where earrings can sit. But there are many pressure points along the ear lobe that should never be pierced.
My younger relatives have all had their ears pierced at a jeweler's.

[mom at home]

Just wanted to let you all know that she got it done yesterday and it went great. We did it at a good piercing/tatoo place. I am so happy we did it there and not with that dreadful gun at the mall.

Thanks for all your imput. It really helped!

Alison

[its_our_family]

I'm glad it went well!! Those guns are just NASTY!!! Yay for needles!!!

webitty-- How ya been??? Check my link...

[weebitty2]

Yay! I'm SO glad it went well!

OMG Megan! You just keep goin' :LOL Looks awesome! Loved that pic of you and the boys, btw, it was adorable!