Ear piercing: how long to heal and a WWYD?

[oneplustwo]

11 yo DD and her best buddy have decided they want to get their ears pierced. We were hoping to go tomorrow to Claire's to do it. Everywhere we've checked it looks like it takes 6 weeks for the ears to heal and that you shouldn't take the piercing earrings out before then. Soccer season starts exactly 4 weeks after the girls would get them pierced, and soccer rules don't allow the girls to play with earrings in. We were thinking that we'd have the girls take the earrings out just for the game (about 90 minutes total) at the first two games, which would be 4 and 5 weeks after the piercing.

Has anyone had experience doing that? If your DDs have pierced ears, how long did it take for them to heal? The other mom and I could swear it took our ears about a month to heal but we don't remember for sure. Any BTDT or thoughts to share would be very helpful!

ETA: The obvious choice would be to wait till after soccer season and that's what we would normally do, but for various reasons it would be extremely difficult (family scheduling/travel, and some other things come into play) so we're trying to figure out a way to make it work now.

[BunnyBee]

You need clear, plastic "retainer" studs that are designed for sports. Something like these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0092TZ14K
Claire's may carry them.

[Globetrotter]

I would wait until after soccer season as it will be tender for some time and might be hard to get back in. They will have to turn the earrings around in their ears daily for awhile, also.

BTW, we found a local doctor who does it regularly (experience is key) and offered quality gold or gold plated earrings for the same price.

[Melaine]

I would not go to Claires...go to a nicer piercing/tattoo place. And I would wait until after soccer season.

[sarahsthreads]

I would wait until after soccer season. We still have a hard time almost an entire year later getting earrings back in DD1's ears after taking them out for an hour or two. I almost regret letting her have them pierced, honestly.

Sarah :)

[dhano923]

Our soccer league allowed girls to put band aids over their studs. Thats what we did each game.

[oneplustwo]

I would wait until after soccer season as it will be tender for some time and might be hard to get back in. They will have to turn the earrings around in their ears daily for awhile, also.

BTW, we found a local doctor who does it regularly (experience is key) and offered quality gold or gold plated earrings for the same price.

For several reasons, waiting till after soccer season would create some difficulty for the girls to do it together, so while that is normally what we'd do, it's a bit tricky in this case.

Our local ped's office does piercings, but it costs $150! The nurses do it with a gun, not a needle.


I would not go to Claires...go to a nicer piercing/tattoo place. And I would wait until after soccer season.

Can you tell me more why you wouldn't go to Claire's? A lot of people around here have gone to our local Claire's and been pretty happy with it. I haven't been able to find any tattoo/piercing place nearby that gets good reviews and seems nice/reputable/clean/appropriate to take the girls to, so that's out.


I would wait until after soccer season. We still have a hard time almost an entire year later getting earrings back in DD1's ears after taking them out for an hour or two. I almost regret letting her have them pierced, honestly.

Sarah :)

Thank you; this is the kind of BTDT I'm looking for. The soccer league's website mentions that taking earrings out for 90 minutes shouldn't be a problem but then they're not exactly experts.


So, everyone thinks that after 4 weeks the ears would still be pretty tender and not close to healed enough to take the earrings out for 90 minutes or so? You've all found the holes need the full 6 weeks to heal?

[oneplustwo]

Our soccer league allowed girls to put band aids over their studs. Thats what we did each game.

You have a nicer league than we do! Our soccer league does not allow that. They make it very clear that you cannot tape over (or put a bandaid over) studs.

[oneplustwo]

You need clear, plastic "retainer" studs that are designed for sports. Something like these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0092TZ14K
Claire's may carry them.

Those look interesting! Possible drawbacks are taking out the piercing studs to put those in when it's under the 6 week period to leave the piercing studs in and whether the sports stud material is high quality/hypoallergenic enough . . .

[Globetrotter]

We also took a group of girls together and made it a fun outing followed by a playdate, so I can understand the appeal. That said, a couple of them had a little trouble with healing. DD did fine, but it's hard to say and it's a pain to go through it again so I would hold off until after the season. I remember having a lot of trouble with mine when i was a kid.

This pedi. charged $60. inc. gold studs, 24 carat coated and 18 carat inside! She also used numbing cream so it was relatively painless. I guess that is the benefit of living in an ethnically diverse area - she is of Indian origin.

[MamaMolly]

We were all set to do it at a piercing studio but then ended up going with Piercing Pagoda because the piercing places here skeeved me out. In hindsight I wish we'd gone to a place like Claire's where they do both ears at the same time, because the clicking noise freaked Lula out and it took a good hour before she was willing to let them do the other ear. :bag they still remember us when we walk by. Honestly I think that the big to-do over the piercing gun vs. piercing needle is more of an issue when piercing cartilage.

My sister took her DD's earring out exactly at the 4 week mark and they couldn't get the new one in, and her DD wouldn't let her try to put the stud back in. Of course, they did this in a parking lot...so not the easiest place to deal with an upset 6 yo.

Given my sister's issues, we decided to wait between 3-4 months to remove Lula's earrings. Recently we took one of her earrings out at about 8 weeks because she had hair wrapped around it and it had gotten bloody and crusty. It bled a bit, and then we had the dickens of a time getting it back in, eventually I ended up putting it in back to front (so yes, one side looks a little goofy, but it's in there!!). It has healed really nicely and no problems since then.

I would either use the sports studs or ask to use bandaids.

[jenmcadams]

Can you tell me more why you wouldn't go to Claire's? A lot of people around here have gone to our local Claire's and been pretty happy with it.

That's what we thought too, but we had a bad experience. We had my daughter's ears pierced there last spring (she was 9). The initial piercing went well - we paid for the expensive gold earrings and picked a relatively small CZ stud. We were super diligent about cleaning/turning. My DD went to visit her grandmother at about Day 8 and (according to her grandmother) she stayed on top of them there. On Day 11 (3rd day of trip to Grandma's) the front (CZ part) of the earring had disappeared overnight. The ear itself looked fine (no infection) and it just seemed like maybe the earring itself was constructed poorly and the front had fallen off (they couldn't find the front, but thought it had gotten lost in the carpet). We called our local Claires (where she'd had them pierced) and they said while they'd never had the nicer earrings have that type of problem, if the stud seemed to be visible from the front (my MIL thought she could see some metal in the hole) and it wasn't coming out the back, to just leave them in until she got back in two days. On the morning of Day 13 (she was leaving to come back home), she woke up and it looked like the other earring front was gone and that ear looked infected. They got on a plane and we went straight to Claires when they landed. They refused to try to help us get the earrings out (for liability reasons), but had me try (with the plan being they would put the new earrings in once I took the current ones out). I started with the ear that looked infected and couldn't get the earring out and it started to bleed. We immediately called our Pediatrician (who was luckily 5 min away) and they got us right in.

We ended up having to give her several shots of an anesthetic in her ears so that they could dig the earrings out. The fronts of the earrings had not fallen off, but had receded into her ears. For some reason, the first ear never got infected and was just starting to grow over the fronts of the earrings (my MIL was probably seeing the glint of the CZ which she thought was the metal of the stud) and the second one did get infected. The whole procedure of removing the earrings was super traumatic, but our Ped was amazing. We ended up having to do a course of antibiotics and she had to spend 48 hours out of the pool (she swims competitively in the summer)

After the whole crazy situation, we did some research and I think there were three potential issues: (1) the gun they use at Claire's can be traumatic to the tissue in the ears and can create a bigger hole than you might want (this seems to be person specific and some people don't have the problem); (2) we chose the smallest CZ stud offered in the nicer earrings (I think a bigger stud wouldn't have receded); (3) and finally she might have had the back on too tight (although she was able to twist them, so we don't think that was the case).

For the first few weeks after, my DD had no interest in ever re-piercing her ears, but eventually decided she'd like to try again. She was required to wait 6-9 months afterwards to try again and we're trying to decide where to go this time (we haven't been able to find a ped's office that does it, so we're thinking about a piercing place that uses a needle). She also has activity related restrictions on when she can do it - She plays competitive soccer and they don't allow bandaids or plastic studs. She also sings in a professional children's choir that takes a break over the summer. She's not allowed to wear earrings during performances, so she might be able to do the piercing the day after her final Spring concert (which is normally post-soccer season) and that would give her several months before the Fall concerts start.

[Sheila]

My daughter got her ears pierced at Piercing Pagoda on her 10th bday.

We took them out at the minimum time (6 or 8 weeks, I can't remember) because she was dying to change her earrings.

UGH! We had tons of problems. Bottom line was her ears just never healed properly and it was traumatic every time we changed the earrings.

We ended up at the ped, and she recommended taking them out and letting the holes close. She also said that she recommends for young girls to leave the initial earrings in for 6-9 MONTHS (not weeks) because the young ears take a long time to heal.

My daughter just turned 12 last month and has zero interest in getting her ears repierced. She says the memory of the pain makes her not want to do it, plus she has lacrosse season coming up and does not want to deal with it.

Honestly, if I were you, I would wait. Even if she does not ultimately have problems, 4 weeks is way too early to take them out, even for an hour.

Good luck!

[sarahsthreads]

We ended up at the ped, and she recommended taking them out and letting the holes close. She also said that she recommends for young girls to leave the initial earrings in for 6-9 MONTHS (not weeks) because the young ears take a long time to heal.

Actually, that's a good point. I asked at DD1's well child check last October, which was a good 6 months after her ears were pierced, if it should really still be taking so long for the holes to heal and she said it was totally normal. We actually haven't tried changing her earrings in a while (I have DD1 still clean and turn her piercing studs frequently) but a few months ago when we did they were still a bit weepy - again, the pediatrician did not think this was abnormal at all (as long as her ears weren't red or swollen) and said it just takes time. I think 6 weeks is a bare, bare minimum, honestly, and I would try to time it so you had lots more time before you had to take those piercing studs out. As long as you're turning and cleaning them, I really don't think you can wait too long, kwim? (I know for DD1 this was a bit of a disappointment, because she was asking around day 2 to wear fashion earrings.)

Sarah :)

[Globetrotter]

We were told six weeks before she could take them out, then another six months with wearing only studs continuously (but she could change them).

[amatahrain]

Full disclosure: I worked for Piercing Pagoda for almost 12 years (9 of those I was a District Manager). I do not work there anymore.

Their instructions are to clean and turn 2x per day for 4-6 weeks. You can change the earring (or put in the sports plastic) after the 4-6 weeks but you need to wear something in the hole for the first 6 months.

If your league will allow DD to cover the ear with a band aid that would be ideal. At Pagoda about half of their earrings come with a covered backing. Meaning there is no exposed post to poke in to the back of DD's head if she were hit hard by a ball. This option does vary depending on what part of the country you are located. The earrings supplied by Inverness have this type of backing. The earrings supplied by Studex have an exposed post. The trick to removing the backings is to pull from both sides. No twisting/turning necessary.

Both Claire's and Pagoda have the option of 14k/10k posts. Honestly it really wouldn't matter which you chose b/c the backing is still going to be gold plated. If it were "real" non-plated gold it would crush during the piercing process b/c it is so soft. In the event of an allergic reaction you can purchase real solid gold backings for an extra fee. They just can't do the initial piercing with those.

If I were going to have DD's ears pierced I would probably choose either 14k gold or Titanium. The choices in Titanium are limited but it is surgical grade titanium and there is very little chance of an allergic reaction. It is also the more affordable choice.

All Pagodas and Claires offer "double piercings" when they have two certified piercing associates working. This means they would do both ears at the same time. Do not hesitate to ask how long they have been piercing ears. Generally they have two people working Friday nights, Saturday mid day and Sunday mid day.

I don't recommend Pagoda over Claries or a doctors office over either. It all has to do with how comfortable your daughter is (she'll need to sit still) and how comfortable and experienced the piercing associate is. I've seen HORRIBLE piercings come from all outlets - yes even tattoo parlors and doctors.

Last bit of advice. Do not be afraid to make them move the dot when they are marking the ears. Yes it gets a little annoying for the associate if they have to move it 10 times but who cares?! You are the one that will be looking at the piercing for the rest of your life. You could even mark it at home to get a idea of where you'd like it.

Have fun :cheerleader1: and take a camera for before and after shots. They don't (or are not supposed to) allow filming during the actual piercing. Oh and if you decide on Pagoda try signing up for their emails at pagoda.com. The use to send you a 20% coupon. Claire's probably has a similar offer as well.

[elephantmeg]

dd got hers pierced in May at Claires. We got the hello kitty earrings and faithfully turned them etc. No problems. She is just now willingly having me change them (usually she want to change them weekly or so), they were really tender until the last month or so. No soccer so no BTDT on that.

[SASM]

I am not sure if someone mentioned this but every time you take out the piercing studs, and then put them back in, the studs become less reliable and may lose the backing. The salesperson at Piercing Pagoda told me that they are designed to be placed and not repeatedly removed.

ETA: Regarding the tandem piercing (2 techs at once), I would go forward with this with caution. DD1 (7yo at the time) had her ears pierced this way. The dots seemed misaligned and I made this very clear. The tech said "no worries...it will be fine...it's just bigger dot". Well, I didn't notice that the person who applied the dots did the ear that I thought looked fine. The other tech fired and placed the earring too high but still supposedly within the dot. It noticeably looked misaligned, we removed the earring, and DD did not want to go back, even though she was smiling throughout the process. So...having 2 people pierce at the same time is great in theory but definitely has issues. :( Just our experience...

[sarahsthreads]

I am not sure if someone mentioned this but every time you take out the piercing studs, and then put them back in, the studs become less reliable and may lose the backing. The salesperson at Piercing Pagoda told me that they are designed to be placed and not repeatedly removed.

Really?!? The ones we got (at Claire's) are by far the sturdiest pair DD1 owns - they're the only ones we can reliably get back in (because they're pointy) so we've been taking them out and putting them back for the best part of a year now. The backs still "click" into the little indentation on the post and seem quite secure.

Sarah :)

[SASM]

Really?!? The ones we got (at Claire's) are by far the sturdiest pair DD1 owns - they're the only ones we can reliably get back in (because they're pointy) so we've been taking them out and putting them back for the best part of a year now. The backs still "click" into the little indentation on the post and seem quite secure.

Sarah :)

I know...those are my preferred pair for DD, as well. I just make sure that if we use them, they stay in for a while. My plan was to buy few pairs of those type of earrings bc they stay in but the technician told me that that they are not made to be constantly removed. :( maybe she told me that so I would buy the other earrings instead...we have since lost one of the standard earrings and stepped on another. :( We bought the protection plan for one of the pairs but misplaced the receipt (RARE for me) and now they are not covered. Grrr... So...that is our story.

[oneplustwo]

It's so helpful reading everyone's experiences and advice. We're still trying to figure out what to do. I agree that 4 weeks is really early to take the earrings out for even a short while. At the same time, waiting till soccer season is over is problematic for other reasons. We may just go for it and hope the refs for the first few games let them play and if not, see how it goes taking the posts out just for the game. The coach has said if they wait till soccer season is over, he will give them each soccer ball earrings, which I thought was sweet!

[billysmommy]

I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 20 (never had an interest until then) and it took a good year for them to completely heal and not be tender. Even now I will occasionally have tenderness if I take them out longer than a couple of hours.

[s7714]

We ended up at the ped, and she recommended taking them out and letting the holes close. She also said that she recommends for young girls to leave the initial earrings in for 6-9 MONTHS (not weeks) because the young ears take a long time to heal.

Back when I got mine pierced they said to not take them out for 6 months. I made my DD keep hers in for 6 months even though Claire's said 6 weeks. I wouldn't risk taking earrings out at 4-5 weeks, so if leaving them in isn't an option I just wouldn't do it until afterward.

Is it possible you could sign some sort of waiver about the earrings so they didn't have to remove them?

FWIW, I called around to a couple piercing/tattoo places prior to going to Claire's. Several places said they wouldn't do kids under a certain age even with parent's approval! The other places would have freaked my DD out so we just went to Claire's and have zero regrets.

[JBaxter]

It's so helpful reading everyone's experiences and advice. We're still trying to figure out what to do. I agree that 4 weeks is really early to take the earrings out for even a short while. At the same time, waiting till soccer season is over is problematic for other reasons. We may just go for it and hope the refs for the first few games let them play and if not, see how it goes taking the posts out just for the game. The coach has said if they wait till soccer season is over, he will give them each soccer ball earrings, which I thought was sweet!

Good luck our refs check each game for shin guards necklaces ear rings and bracelets. We are a co-ed U10 league.

[mom2binsd]

11 yo DD and her best buddy have decided they want to get their ears pierced. We were hoping to go tomorrow to Claire's to do it. Everywhere we've checked it looks like it takes 6 weeks for the ears to heal and that you shouldn't take the piercing earrings out before then. Soccer season starts exactly 4 weeks after the girls would get them pierced, and soccer rules don't allow the girls to play with earrings in. We were thinking that we'd have the girls take the earrings out just for the game (about 90 minutes total) at the first two games, which would be 4 and 5 weeks after the piercing.

Has anyone had experience doing that? If your DDs have pierced ears, how long did it take for them to heal? The other mom and I could swear it took our ears about a month to heal but we don't remember for sure. Any BTDT or thoughts to share would be very helpful!

ETA: The obvious choice would be to wait till after soccer season and that's what we would normally do, but for various reasons it would be extremely difficult (family scheduling/travel, and some other things come into play) so we're trying to figure out a way to make it work now.

DD had hers in for 6 weeks, we turned them etc as per directions, and when we took them out we couldn't get anything back in, we tried immediately and I guess her ears hadn't healed. It was a very traumatic experience and now DD, who was 9, has decided to wait till she's older.

I've learned a lot about ear piercing on another forum, I guess there's a lot of controversy and many suggest going to to tatoo place. There's also a lot of discussion about not turning them and not using the solution, if you google you'll find lots of info.

So, I'm not sure I'd count on the holes being "ready" in 4 weeks, I've heard 8 weeks is a better window.

[JamiMac]

I would wait until soccer is over. I know our league and the volleyball league don't allow "taping" them, they must be removed. It's kind of traumatic for the kids to take them out and replace them, especially since they've been told not to do that from the piercing place. I would totally go to Claire's too. We went with both of my DD's. They are geared for young girls, so they are comfortable there. It's very sanitary and the piercing earrings are quite sturdy. We got the 14k for both of mine.

[Tondi G]

I took my god daughter to Claires. It was a great experience. She had no trouble at all. My neighbors took their DD to another Claires and had a fine experience with the piercing itself but they let their DD change to different earrings at 6 weeks and she ended up with sore and weeping holes. She put the piercing studs back in and cleaned them religiously like she had for the first 6 weeks and eventually her ears healed up and she was able to change her earrings without issues. 6 weeks is the bare minimum. If you do decide to get them done before soccer, I would get those sports retainers to take the place of the piercing studs and put the studs back in asap.

[ladysoapmaker]

I haven't pierced either of DDs ears yet. We have a strict rule in the house of no piercing until age 12. (you have to be old enough to take care of them yourself). I have a friend who does piercings and she's willing to do it. I personally am not comfortable with the piercing guns even though I used them for 2 sets of piercings on my ears. I have had a set of 3rd holes which were done by needle. I personally liked it better, it hurt a lot less.

On all my holes it took over 6 months for my ears to heal. I have found that if I take my earrings out for a while I have to use the hypo-allergenic earrings when I put them back in and it will take about 2 months to heal again. the 3rd set closed up when I took out my earrings years ago for job that only allowed 2 holes maximum.

Whatever you decide good luck and i hope they heal quickly.
Jen

[edurnemk]

We ended up at the ped, and she recommended taking them out and letting the holes close. She also said that she recommends for young girls to leave the initial earrings in for 6-9 MONTHS (not weeks) because the young ears take a long time to heal.



We had DD's ears pierced (please don't flame me), they did it at the Ped's office. The nurse said not to take them out for 6 weeks. After the 6 week period, on a couple of occasions I took them out, cleaned them and put them back in immediately without issue. Well, when DD had to have a CAT scan loooong after that (like 4 months after piercing), they took them out and I tried to put them back in later that day (after a few hours) and I couldn't put the right one in. I tried again the next day, and no luck. I took her to the Ped's office 3 days later and the nurse had to pierce it again because it had closed. She didn't seem surprised by the fact that it had started closing a few hours after taking them out.

[StantonHyde]

At the local well respected piercing studio, they put in studs with flat backs and you don't touch them for 6 months! Look into a piercing studio. Yes, the look of the people who work there is so not me, but their infection control practices are amazing. So that is where we will be going. I would wait till after soccer--you will be inviting a bad outcome otherwise.

[oneplustwo]

So many people recommend a piercing/tattoo place, but I'm beginning to think that option depends on what part of the country you live in. There is only one certified piercing professional within a decent drive of us, and they have a minimum age of 13 years for piercing earlobes ~ that's with parental consent and with a parent/guardian present. I cannot find any other reputable/well respected piercing place nearby.

There are a few pediatrician offices that I know of that do ear piercings, and they all use the piercing gun, not needles.

[MMMommy]

Both my DDs had their ears pierced at Claire's a couple of years ago. Their after-care instructions are here:

http://www.claires.com/images/earpiercing/en_US/Earrings_step4.pdf

I remember that we had to clean the ears with the antiseptic solution two or three times a day for the first 6 weeks. After the first 6 weeks, you can change the earrings to another pair of earrings. But they say you have to wear post type earrings in the ear for the first 6 months.

Like a PP mentioned, I would pick the 14k gold plated starter earrings from Claire's to be safe. I know that I am allergic to certain metals (and my skin reacts to them), so I made sure to pick the 14k gold plated earrings - the birth stone ones that they have. I also used those well beyond the first 6 weeks just as a precautionary measure.

[citymama]

DD1 had her ears pierced at Claire's last Sept when she was 6.5 years old. She has had no problem at all with the earrings - we went for the 14K gold birthstone earrings. Did them one at a time and talked through that with her before hand. She was so motivated to get her ears pierced she dealt with it bravely and even excitedly.

Re Claire's v. other places - there's a big difference between each individual franchise. If you know people who've had good experiences at a particular store, that counts for a lot. I chose a store that had good Yelp reviews - didn't know anyone who'd been there. I would recommend you even find out the specific staff person who they liked and find out what day of the week she will be there! We agreed that DD would keep the earrings in for 6 months, till her 7th birthday, which is around the corner. I'm inclined to leave them in even longer. In your shoes, I would undoubtedly wait. The risks just aren't worth the special joy of having friends do this together - it's a health and safety issue. Try and reschedule the friends experience for after soccer season.

And I agree with the PP who advised advocating for yourself at the Claire's or wherever else you go. I had her redo the marker where she was going to put the second hole in - and I'm glad I did. Don't let them rush you.

[oneplustwo]

Thanks again to everyone weighing in. We went to Claire's today to check it out. The woman doing the piercings was awesome (turns out she's a mom too and is the main person doing piercing at this Claire's). We asked her about the aftercare and healing period, and she said that in her experience it takes a good 8 weeks for the ears to heal enough to take out the piercing earrings. She also said that she's seen a lot of people who take the earrings out before the 6-week mark just for an hour, like for a soccer game, and the holes close up enough that they have to be re-pierced, which of course can lead to a whole host of issues. And she said what many wise BBBers have said, that taking the earrings out even for a short time before 8 weeks can lead to holes closing and other problems. So the other mom and I agreed the girls need to wait till after soccer season; we'll make sure to see this woman for the piercing too as we all liked her. Meanwhile, DD and her friend got to see a 9-yo get her ears pierced while we were there. DD is fine waiting and said soccer and being there for her team is more important than having her ears pierced right now.

[oneplustwo]

DD1 had her ears pierced at Claire's last Sept when she was 6.5 years old. She has had no problem at all with the earrings - we went for the 14K gold birthstone earrings. Did them one at a time and talked through that with her before hand. She was so motivated to get her ears pierced she dealt with it bravely and even excitedly.

Re Claire's v. other places - there's a big difference between each individual franchise. If you know people who've had good experiences at a particular store, that counts for a lot. I chose a store that had good Yelp reviews - didn't know anyone who'd been there. I would recommend you even find out the specific staff person who they liked and find out what day of the week she will be there! We agreed that DD would keep the earrings in for 6 months, till her 7th birthday, which is around the corner. I'm inclined to leave them in even longer. In your shoes, I would undoubtedly wait. The risks just aren't worth the special joy of having friends do this together - it's a health and safety issue. Try and reschedule the friends experience for after soccer season.

And I agree with the PP who advised advocating for yourself at the Claire's or wherever else you go. I had her redo the marker where she was going to put the second hole in - and I'm glad I did. Don't let them rush you.

Thanks for all this. Yes, one of the reasons we were thinking of Claire's is because we know a bunch of people who have used this particular one. That's a really good idea to ask about a specific staff person ~ I have a feeling they may not remember though. The woman we did see at Claire's seems very knowledgeable and we saw her do one piercing already; and yes, I liked that she was my age and not one of the young gals working there. :) We'll be sure to do the piercing after soccer season when we know she will be in the store. She sure has high volume ~ she said she expected to do 30 ear piercings today!

[AnnieW625]

Gosh reading some of those posts makes me think I should have done the kids ears when they were infants;). I had my first holes done at a local piercing place like Claire's almost 26 yrs ago, when I was 10. I didn't have any sensitivity problems until my late 20s (after a good 10 yrs. of wearing cheap heavy pearl like earrings 24/7 for the better part of 10 yrs., now I wear smaller 14k real pearl earrings with no problems). I got my second holes done at Merle Norman when I was 24. I would have gotten them done at piercing place, but it was also in the local tattoo parlor and the sound of the tattoo needle is like fingers on a chalk board to me.

My plan with DD is to offer getting her ears pierced next May when it is time for her first communion.

[calebsmama03]

For the first few weeks after, my DD had no interest in ever re-piercing her ears, but eventually decided she'd like to try again. She was required to wait 6-9 months afterwards to try again and we're trying to decide where to go this time (we haven't been able to find a ped's office that does it, so we're thinking about a piercing place that uses a needle). She also has activity related restrictions on when she can do it - She plays competitive soccer and they don't allow bandaids or plastic studs. She also sings in a professional children's choir that takes a break over the summer. She's not allowed to wear earrings during performances, so she might be able to do the piercing the day after her final Spring concert (which is normally post-soccer season) and that would give her several months before the Fall concerts start.

That sounds like an utter nightmare!! FWIW, our ped does them (Foothills Pediatrics in Boulder - not sure where in CO you are). I have no idea cost or particulars as we told DD she could do it at age 10 so we've got a few more years to wait but when I asked out doc about it she did say they do them there. You can message me if you want the number and I'll get it for you.

[jenmcadams]

That sounds like an utter nightmare!! FWIW, our ped does them (Foothills Pediatrics in Boulder - not sure where in CO you are). I have no idea cost or particulars as we told DD she could do it at age 10 so we've got a few more years to wait but when I asked out doc about it she did say they do them there. You can message me if you want the number and I'll get it for you.

We're in Golden and would totally love that number -- I'll PM you...THANKS!!

[KrisM]

Gosh reading some of those posts makes me think I should have done the kids ears when they were infants;). I had my first holes done at a local piercing place like Claire's almost 26 yrs ago, when I was 10. I didn't have any sensitivity problems until my late 20s (after a good 10 yrs. of wearing cheap heavy pearl like earrings 24/7 for the better part of 10 yrs., now I wear smaller 14k real pearl earrings with no problems). I got my second holes done at Merle Norman when I was 24. I would have gotten them done at piercing place, but it was also in the local tattoo parlor and the sound of the tattoo needle is like fingers on a chalk board to me.

My plan with DD is to offer getting her ears pierced next May when it is time for her first communion.

I live in a small town, so that might affect things. But, DD went to a tattoo place and we went at about 1pm and there was no one there. The only customer was DD. when I was asking questions, the piercer told me not to come in evenings or on weekends if I wanted to likely avoid people getting tattoos.

[AnnieW625]

I live in a small town, so that might affect things. But, DD went to a tattoo place and we went at about 1pm and there was no one there. The only customer was DD. when I was asking questions, the piercer told me not to come in evenings or on weekends if I wanted to likely avoid people getting tattoos.

I went on a weekend and the tattoo parlor was kind of busy. The city at the time had about 50,000 residents. It was litteraly a spur of the moment decision to get them done. I went to the tattoo parlor first, and the Merle Norman was a block away.

[ladysoapmaker]

I just wanted to add the other reason I'm against piercing guns. I had forgotten about it until DD#1 started pestering again about getting her ears pierced this weekend.

I am one of the people who have had the piercing gun snag an earring when piercing. I had removed all the other earrings and it snagged on the one that was just put into my ear. Luckily the young lady piercing my ear was able to work the earring free but it was a very long 5 minutes to do that.

Jen

[Melaine]

I have had issues ever since my ears were pierced (at Claires, with a gun) and now have an allergy that prevents me from wearing any metal jewelry at all. If and when we let the girls get theirs done, I'll be doing it with a needle at a reputable place and with surgical stainless steel or something else non allergenic.