# Ear piercing, what do I need to know?



## damililove (Aug 25, 2007)

For my daughters 13th birthday this year we are going to get her ears pierced and I wondering:
-since she had them pierced before(at age 1, closed up by 2) will that be a problem
-I vaguely remember needing "special" earrings at first, what kind and how long before she can have different ones.

I was planning to go to her doctor for the procedure but wanted to get her the earrings before hand so I wanted to know what to buy. Thanks for any insight.

Ayana


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## scsigrl (Oct 22, 2006)

The ones they start with have very sharp post so it can go through the ear. They use to say you needed to keep those in for 6 weeks. They need to be turned a few times a day.

I will ass this, do not get ones with to small a front. I did that when I too got them done for my 13th Birthday. I got little gold balls and the ball went through the hole and was stuck in my ear. Because the holes were so new they healed over and my Mom had to dig it out







NOT fun!


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## onyxravnos (Dec 30, 2006)

do not not not not *not* go and get her ears peirced at the mall or any of those types of places. Using a peircing gun is a sure fire way to have constent issues with infection as well as to pretty much insure they don't heal corectly. Take her to a professional peircer (IE like a tattoo shop) they are trained and licenced to pireced and care for piercings unlike the mall people.
The other good thing about going there instead is the jewelry is much better quality.


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## mommajb (Mar 4, 2005)

Take any adverse reaction seriously.

I have always had sensitive skin but after my ears were pierced it developed into a full blown allergy. I have tested + against several metals (including cobalt and nickel). These metals are used in buttons on jeans, door knobs, most watch backings, etc. I can deal with no jewelry but the severity of the reaction to other everyday things is irritating not to mention the initial reaction and ER visit.


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## imahappymama (Feb 17, 2007)

I second the professional piercing studios. They have access to good equipment, high-quality jewelry and will show you how everything has been sterilized prior to being used on your daughter. NO MALLS!!! ALso, I had my ears pierced when I was younger and also let them close up. The piercer knew this and avoided any scar tissue that I had in my lobes.


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## PoppyMama (Jul 1, 2004)

3rding (is that a word?) the advice to go to a professional piercer. Make sure they show their clean technique too.


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## Simplicity (Mar 24, 2004)

I agree, I'd only go to a professional piercer to have this done.

Visit the Association of Professional Piercers webpage for tons of information and to find a shop in your area.

safepiercing.org


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## mikaela (Oct 3, 2007)

Where are we here... I'm either fourth-ing or fifth-ing the professional piercing recommendation









Having said that, you should also know that it may take a bit of research to find a piercer who will pierce a 13-year-old. It took me about a month to find someone willing to pierce my underage son. Most reputable places just will not pierce someone under 18, whether the parent is there or not. I can't actually say that this a bad policy, but it was a PITA and a bit ironic when I couldn't take my son to the studio that I myself use.

If you know a fabulous piercer, start there; otherwise, you can start by doing a search at the Association of Professional Piercers.

There's also the option of just doing it yourself. Lobe piercing is probably the safest and easiest piercing to do at home - and what a cool experience for you and your girl to share









Whatever you decide, make sure you post some "after" pics for us!


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## UnschoolnMa (Jun 14, 2004)

We went to a piercer for ears and Dd's nose peircing. We had no trouble getting them done (Dd is 14). Dd has kept it clean and it's doing great.


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## LaLaLaLa (Oct 29, 2007)

I'd like to reiterate going with high quality (actual gold) earrings. I'm allergic to anything silver, or whatever it is that they mix silver with to make an alloy, so have never been able to wear anything except gold earrings without my piercings getting itchy and oozy. Goes to prove I'm a classy girl, right? If your dd has an allergic reaction right off the bat to silver, as I've heard is not uncommon, that might dampen the enthusiasm for the whole experience.


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## damililove (Aug 25, 2007)

Thank you all so much for all the information. Wow have times changed. So I guess people don't put straws in their holes any more to keep them from closing up. Thanks so much for the website. I found a place in my area that I am familiar with, and come to find out I need a birth certificate because me and dd have different last names. Good thing I asked this question or I would be totally clueless. Had no idea there was such a thing as a professional piercer. Thanks again for all the info, dd is going to be so surprised.


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## laoxinat (Sep 17, 2007)

DS is a professional piercer and recommends the following:
Do NOT touch the piercing. At.all.
Shower daily and run clean water over both sides of each piercing
Do NOT touch the piercing. At.all.
Be sure to rinse away all traces of conditioner, etc.
Do NOT touch the piercing. At.all.
No alcohol, peroxide or triple antibiotic ointment.
Do NOT touch the piercing. At.all.
Be ready for dd to want more more more! We talked at length about placement and people's judgement. (We are all pretty...pierced)
Our stock answer to rude stares/comments is- "The difference b/t pierced people and unpierced is pierced people don't judge you for NOT being pierced"
hth!


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## jul511riv (Mar 16, 2006)

dd's been asking and she'll be 3 next month...so I've been thinking. I was 4 or 5...and she is being persistnat, even though I told her it COULD hurt a bit.

Thoughts?


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## PoppyMama (Jul 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *laoxinat* 
DS is a professional piercer and recommends the following:
Do NOT touch the piercing. At.all.
Shower daily and run clean water over both sides of each piercing
Do NOT touch the piercing. At.all.
Be sure to rinse away all traces of conditioner, etc.
Do NOT touch the piercing. At.all.
No alcohol, peroxide or triple antibiotic ointment.
Do NOT touch the piercing. At.all.
Be ready for dd to want more more more! We talked at length about placement and people's judgement. (We are all pretty...pierced)
Our stock answer to rude stares/comments is- "The difference b/t pierced people and unpierced is pierced people don't judge you for NOT being pierced"
hth!

My DP is also a professional piercer and that sounds pretty much like his advice. I can't remember if he uses saline rinses for these types of piercings. He is always appalled that the "walmart" ear piercers have you rotate the earings.


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## PoppyMama (Jul 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jul511riv* 
dd's been asking and she'll be 3 next month...so I've been thinking. I was 4 or 5...and she is being persistnat, even though I told her it COULD hurt a bit.

Thoughts?

My DD got hers done for her 4th birthday. We went the "walmart" piercer route and she ended up with lots of infections and they took about 4 months to heal properly. If you can't get a Pro to do it at her age I would go to the doctor.


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## Viewfinder (Sep 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mommajb* 
Take any adverse reaction seriously.

I have always had sensitive skin but after my ears were pierced it developed into a full blown allergy. I have tested + against several metals (including cobalt and nickel). These metals are used in buttons on jeans, door knobs, most watch backings, etc. I can deal with no jewelry but the severity of the reaction to other everyday things is irritating not to mention the initial reaction and ER visit.

This is the first time I've ever heard of anyone else having this reaction.

Me: 16, ears pierced with sewing needle, whisky, and potato. Never healed, gave up and let it close. (The adventure was exciting and fun and memorable, though! The people who were there, family party, adults and teen kids, and younger--the whole thing was great).

My skin: Allergic to metals from then on.

I suggest that YOU put a spot where YOU think the hole should be, and where it should go through to. A pro shouldn't mind you doing that... there have been plenty before you who were. It's YOUR kids' ears.

Have fun.

VF


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## CookieMonsterMommy (Oct 15, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mikaela* 
There's also the option of just doing it yourself. Lobe piercing is probably the safest and easiest piercing to do at home - and what a cool experience for you and your girl to share









This "wiki how to" thing has a LOT of crap in it, please don't follow this for advice.


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## mommajb (Mar 4, 2005)

*viewfinder*, most people think its crazy that I am so allergic to so many metals. I feel so validated on this now.

OP, please report back on how all this goes and with pictures.







:


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## mikaela (Oct 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CookieMonsterMommy* 
This "wiki how to" thing has a LOT of crap in it

Care to elaborate?


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## CookieMonsterMommy (Oct 15, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mikaela* 
Care to elaborate?

Sure thing!

Quote:

Get a real piercing needle, but if not, a sewing needle or piercing earring (with sharp edge) works best
Except that sewing needles are often made of cheap (read: irritating, allergy producing) metals and are usually MUCH smaller than the earing post you'll be using. You're causing more tissue damage then necessary.

Quote:

rubbing alcohol will not sterilize the needle, earring, or your ear unless you leave them soaking in the alcohol all day
Misinformation

Quote:

Put something sturdy on the back of your ear like a slice of potato. This is so when you push the needle in, you have something to push against, rather than tugging the skin.
That's great, but no mention is made of making sure not to handle the potato in order to prevent spread of germs

Quote:

Stick whatever you chose slowly through your ear until all the way through.
I guess this is debatable, and obviously you don't want to chuck a spear at someone, but "slowly"? Ow!

Quote:

Twist needle on daily basis so that it doesn't get stuck in one position
Or even better, don't. Leave it alone. That's what most professional piercers recommend-with good reason.

Quote:

Don't let it become infected! If it does, do not remove the piercing! *Doing so will seal the infection within the earlobe,* which can cause many problems.
That's just insanely inaccurate, for so many reasons... (bolding mine)

The discussion page also has some good arguments as to the accuracy of the info given.


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## jul511riv (Mar 16, 2006)

so, uh, that about sums it up then. Thanks.


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## mikaela (Oct 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CookieMonsterMommy* 
Sure thing!

Thank you! You should repost your response on the Wiki page


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## Organicavocado (Mar 15, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CookieMonsterMommy* 
Sure thing!

Except that sewing needles are often made of cheap (read: irritating, allergy producing) metals and are usually MUCH smaller than the earing post you'll be using. You're causing more tissue damage then necessary.

Beyond this, instead of actually creating a tube to heal, its just pushing skin out and around the piercing, which will cause excessive scarring. This is also an issue with piercing guns (all you need to do is google "piercing guns" to see why you don't wanna go down that road), which not only pushes the skin around but RIPS a hole through the ear.

If ANY EARRING ever gets "STUCK" anywhere, this is a sign of a POOR QUALITY EARRING. *Don't use gold, don't use silver, don't use nickel, use SURGICAL STAINLESS STEEL* and nothing else. If you have a reaction to it, it's not surgical stainless steel. There's no reason to have an adverse reaction to SSS and a reputable, reliable piercer will never put anything else in your ears (nose, navel, etc).

(Piercing guns never use real SSS earrings.)

However, they are right that you should not remove (a good piece of) jewelry from a truly infected (some piercings just weep) piercing. A smooth piece of SSS jewelry will act as a drain for an infection whereas removing the jewelry can, and usually does, trap pus and nasties inside the lobe. The infection can "eat away" at fresh tissue and.. well, its not pretty. This is why you DO NOT touch, twist, etc. a new piercing.

Don't go to a doctor. I would never, ever go to a doctor to do a piercing. Professional piercers spend so much time learning about proper care of piercings and dermatological issues that may arise (like keloids, blowouts, etc). Kind of like midwives knowing normal women, babies, births.. Piercers know piercings. Doctors know a lotttt more about other stuff, not so much anything about piercings at all... before I knew better, my doc royally screwed up a piercing that had developed a tiny zit alongside of it. He gave me some cream, told me to pop it, etc. He decided it was a keloid and was going to schedule me for steroid shots. Freaked, I went back to my piercer, who shrieked and made me wash the cream off and told me to leave it the heck alone. A week or two later it went down completely, but has left a permanent scar on my nostril. It wasn't a keloid. It was a blocked off pore, and he knew it as soon as I got within a few feet of him. He said "Doctors who do piercings rarely know what they're doing. We have to correct so many things that come up like this, you wouldn't believe it." As I grew into myself and started getting more involved in "the piercing industry" (if you will), I heard this reiterated so many times it's not even cute.

Hope this helps.


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## the sunshine (Jul 31, 2003)

This is all very interesting. I just took my ten year old to a tattoo/piercing shop for her ears. I had no problem with her age, just that certain people wouldn't do it (for their own reasons, I assume). The guy who did it was very mellow and DID advise her to spin and wash the ears twice a day. She healed just fine.

I, on the other hand, got mine pierced at a store when i was ten and had infections, and took about 8 months to heal. Which is why I took her to a professional.


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## heidirk (Oct 19, 2007)

I got mine done with titanium studs, and had no problems, but I did annoint my earlobes with tea tree oil occasionally.


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## llamalluv (Aug 24, 2007)

I had mine done at a jewelers (a "real" jewelry store, not just Claire's) when I was 5. I didn't have any problems with my studs (they were gold, IIRC). I started to have problems when I began wearing cheapie earrings, though. As long as I remove them after 8-10 hours, though, the irritation goes away.


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## onyxravnos (Dec 30, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Organicavocado* 
*Don't use gold, don't use silver, don't use nickel, use SURGICAL STAINLESS STEEL* and nothing else. If you have a reaction to it, it's not surgical stainless steel. There's no reason to have an adverse reaction to SSS and a reputable, reliable piercer will never put anything else in your ears (nose, navel, etc).
.

I disagree. SSS does have some nickle in it it's a pretty small amount but some people (like me) still have issues.

the safeist metals to use in general are titanium and niobium. almost nobody reacts to these two.


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## kennedy444 (Aug 2, 2002)

We had my dd1 ears pierced at a mall store with no adverse effects. I do know that some of her friends have had it done at the peds office.

Keep turning the earrings, keep the area clean and don't change them for 6 wks or so are all pretty standard rules.


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## damililove (Aug 25, 2007)

I apologize for taking so long to post, but it has been a little hectic since dd birthday. So after running around town getting id's, and birth certificates, signing release forms etc. it turns out that dds holes were not even closed! All that the piercer had to do was insert a tool to help open them up a little more. She was so happy to have earrings. It really was a birthday to remember. Again thanks for all the info, I was really pleased with the professionalism of the staff where we went and I wouldn't have thought to go there had I not found them under professional piercers.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z...e/HPIM0652.jpg


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## CookieMonsterMommy (Oct 15, 2002)

Thanks for the update! I'm glad!

Cute kid...and look at that cake! Mmmmm


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