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06 July 2006

A question for the hole-y in the crowd.... Sophie turns 5 on Saturday. She wants to have her ears pierced. I have questions...→[More:]I think I know the answer, but would like some feedback from you lot. I called a very reputable and well respected tattoo/piercing place. Vivienne, the helpful piercing lady, has done a 10 year old, but no one younger. She is concerned that Soph might not be willing to have the second one done, once the first one is poked through. She recommended a piercing gun place that uses disposable tips.

Some random thoughts of mine:
1) Vivienne would use a hoop, I like that idea better.
2) Soph was recently in the hospital, and went through having two IV's in her hands. She knows what that felt like, and Vivienne says piercing is WAYYY less painful. Soph was able to hold still for the IVs which she didn't want; I think she can hold still for the piercings she does want.
3) I get the feeling the place with the guns is staffed by dummies.
4) While this is the least of my concerns really, Vivienne will charge 90 bucks, while the gun place will cost about 30. Is it worth three times the cost?

Whattaya think people? Oh, and I have never been pierced at all, so I have no idea what I am talking about.

post by: richat at: 13:51 | 40 comments

Professionalism is worth the cost. Did you tell Viv about Soph's hospital fortitude to alleviate her concerns?

posted by matildaben 06 July | 13:53

My experience with a piercing parlor was painless and fine, and the people were professional and friendly. I'd say use them.

posted by jonmc 06 July | 13:53

Professional piercing is way less painful than those guns, and the results are better.

posted by small_ruminant 06 July | 13:58

I did mention the IV to Viv. She is the one who said is was WAYYY (I am sure she was speaking in upper case) less painless. I am definitely leaning this way.

posted by richat 06 July | 13:58

I'd say go for the gun. It's just her ears, which is what the gun places are for. I had my ears done three times at a gun place (once when I was six months) and it wasn't a big deal. If it were dangerous, then I'd say pay more, &c., but in this case I don't think there's a big difference.

posted by dame 06 July | 13:59

Maybe you should get one yourself at the same time!

posted by matildaben 06 July | 13:59

Yeah. Join the order, rich.

posted by jonmc 06 July | 14:06

When I worked at the mall at 16, I got to pierce with a "piercing instrument" (not a gun, guns are scary!). We did girls as long as 5. We'd say, OK, we're counting to 4, and pierce on 3. None of them ever complained about the pain. I can't imagine it's worth 3 times as much to have it done "professionally", as long as the earrings come sealed in a little cartridge.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 06 July | 14:11

as long = as young.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 06 July | 14:12

For a five year old? Go for the gun. bang and it's done. They are very nearly idiot proof, hurt more but studs may be the way to go as they won't move as much and involve the second step of inserting the hoop.
And she just needs little hols and not some 2 gage monstronsity.

posted by ethylene 06 July | 14:17

holes

posted by ethylene 06 July | 14:18

It's just her ears, which is what the gun places are for.

Yeah, it's not like she's going to care what her ears look like later in life if something goes wrong. They're practically disposable!

Piercing guns are a bad idea which should have completely gone away by now. About 25% of that is the gun's fault, and about 75% rests in the place the gun resides -- piercing's medical, not cosmetic, and you want it done by people who treat it that way. The cheap jewelry store in the mall or the corner beauty salon can't afford to care for their equipment properly when they're doing free piercings with the purchase of studs.

Maybe it'll be fine; it's a crapshoot. Aftercare instructions and the quality of the studs they put in are a crapshoot too. Some things are worth doing right, especially when they involve your kids -- swing by the piercing salon where someone who does piercing for a career will use properly-sterilized equipment to do the piercings safely, supply a good hypoallegenic stud or ring, provide good after-care advice, and be available to provide advice if the healing process isn't going well.

(I've got a chunk of scar tissue in my earlobe that still irritates me occasionally from a bad gun piercing I got in my teens. At the time my earlobe swelled up overnight like a marble and managed to scab over the ball of the stud, so getting it out involved opening it back up before pulling it through. Not fun.)

posted by mendel 06 July | 14:20

Go professional.

-Hoops are waaay easier to clean than studs.

-The guns are fine, but make you jump, which is not the best thing when wielded by a sixteen-year-old. (No offense, TPS.) I had all of my lobe piercings done with guns, and while most of them are straight, a couple are slightly crooked. She's gonna have those holes for the rest of her life, and they should be place very carefully.

posted by Specklet 06 July | 14:21

Oh, I meant to mention:

She is concerned that Soph might not be willing to have the second one done, once the first one is poked through.

That's ok! (And that might happen with the gun, too.) Being able to opt out halfway through (or come back later for the other side) has to be an option.

posted by mendel 06 July | 14:24

I have 13 holes in my ears, I do not recommend the gun. I've heard horror stories about infections from contaminated earrings and guns. I think the professional piercer is the way to go. If I had kids that's how I would get their ear's done. Also hoops are far easier to deal with during aftercare than studs.

If there are two piercers at this place, maybe you could get them to do your daughter's ears simultaneously. Just a thought.

posted by LunaticFringe 06 July | 14:27

Go for the real piercing parlor. Piercing guns are more traumatic, and who knows how badly the gun-operators may have been trained? At a real piercing parlor, all of the equipment is very carefully sterilized, the piercers have experience, and they'll be able to give good advice about aftercare. Piercings done at a real piercing place go pretty fast as well, particularly for something as simple & common as ear-lobe piercings. Every piercing I've gotten has started out with hoops. Much, much easier to take care of and clean, though a little more likely to get knocked around. Many professional piercers will insist on initially using hoops in most locations. [Honestly, I'm sort of surprised that someone working in a piercing shop would recommend a piercing gun and initial studs for anyone.]

It's worth the extra money to get it done well by someone who's experienced - and you'll have someone to go back and talk to if the piercings don't heal well. If Sophie doesn't want to do the second one right away - that's ok. It's not like she won't be able to get her other ear pierced later.

posted by ubersturm 06 July | 14:33

Wow, interesting viewpoints. Thanks a ton everyone. I think we have decided to go and see Vivienne tonight and see what Sophie thinks. I also sort of think that the tattoo parlour atmosphere will make it more of an experience for her.

I really do appreciate all the input you guys. Oh, and I will be sure to let you know what happens!

posted by richat 06 July | 14:35

Although I had all my ear piercings done with a gun (aged 6, 11, 15, 18), I would recommend the other way. The gun *hurts*. for a long time afterward, as well.

What I don't agree with is the hoops afterward. For a 5 year old? I ripped a hoop out of my ears playing (running through trees, branch got caught, ear got ripped) when I was 7. That wouldn't happen with a stud.

posted by gaspode 06 July | 14:35

I want photos! I want to see her little face when she takes in the tattoo parlo(u)r atmosphere!

posted by matildaben 06 July | 14:49

Yeah...I was going to say the same thing as gaspode. My cousin ripped her ear open when she got her hoop caught on the end of a desk. It's something to consider.

posted by jrossi4r 06 July | 14:49

When you mentioned that Sophie's already done some hospital time, it reminded me of when I went in for kidney surgery when I was 11. My parents and I were talking to the docs/anesthesiologist and before they could stop me, I asked them if they could pierce my ears while I was under since I hate pain. They did, it came out a bit crooked and I had surgical thread in my lobes instead of non-allergic studs or hoops. ^_^

Most ironic part of all? I rarely wear earrings these days. And I wonder if the hospital charged my parents for the procedure and if so, how much.

posted by TrishaLynn 06 July | 15:00

Funny, I liked the idea of a hoop, because to the no post to stab her and stuff. I think we will be looking at the smallest hoop possible. And thanks for reminding me about the camera, bean!

posted by richat 06 July | 15:01

The kid's five? Tell her she can wait.

Or, failing that, go see Vivienne (or is it Vyvyn?)

posted by box 06 July | 15:06

I want photos! I want to see her little face when she takes in the tattoo parlo(u)r atmosphere!

Maybe she'll suprise you with what she wants for her sixth birthday.

posted by jonmc 06 July | 15:07

Damn jon, don't scare me. I am alrady struggling with this. Seems as my kids get older, I notice that I am aging too.

As for telling her she can wait, box, I had already told my lovely wife that I wanted to wait until she could ask for it. And understand what was involved. And here it is. So, we shall see what she thinks tonight!

posted by richat 06 July | 15:12

Vyvyn is in Seattle. It would be cool if Richat were in Seattle, but he's not.

posted by matildaben 06 July | 15:17

Just one more anti-gun voice here. All my earring piercings (5) except for the upper-ear-cartilage one were done with guns. Sure, they're mostly OK, but one isn't straight and one developed a lot of scar tissue. YOu can't see it, but it's annoying, and it was unncessary. I agree that the professional body-modder is the way to go.

posted by Miko 06 July | 15:18

Yikes! Poking holes in oneself intentionally still strikes me as barbaric. Yet another reason I hope not to have daughters (sons are usually old enough to take care of it themselves by the time the desire manifests).

posted by Eideteker 06 July | 15:42

I was four years old the summer when I really cranked up the nag factor on mom and begged, daily about a thousand billion times, for my ears pierced. My mother kept insisting "next summer, when you turn 5" and I always replied. "but moooooom, by that time I will have forgotten!"

So one day, we're in town, grandma looks away, mom looks away, I grab my purse (yes I had a purse, I also had money in it!) and dash off to the hairdressers around the corner - by the time my mother found me the gun was going for the second ear. "Too late ma! I got my piercings anyway! Haha! Grandma said I could!" I'm still not sure what I said to get this hairdresser to do this without any adults/guardians present.

Since I remember this all so well, I think a gun is the best option. The first "bang!" didn't hurt really, it's the quick snap of the gun that is a little jarring. By the second I knew what was coming so I was fine holding still. My rather upset mother dragged me to a nearby jewlerer to get pure gold earrings at once (since I was allergic to pretty much anything) and the silly earrings that I got at the hairdressers had to go. The first changing of earrings was a bit weird feeling, but after that everything was fine. No inflammations, allergic reactions or anything like that. ANd the holes are still there, right in the center where they should be, though to be honest I got a little bored withearrings by the time I was seven. ;)

posted by dabitch 06 July | 15:51

ooh, mendel's story about a bad gun piercing sounds no fun.

Just wanted to add, I was never allowed hoops at that age. Mom put her foot down "not until you're 13" and this time I obeyed. See, I had long hair and climbed trees and she thought I'd get it caught in something and rip my earlobe. Maybe she was overprotective but I had plenty of studs to amuse me, until 13 when I went hoop-crazy.

posted by dabitch 06 July | 15:59

(oh, by hoops I mean big dangly things, not wee tiny hoops. Those were okayed by mum and yes, easier to clean)

posted by dabitch 06 July | 16:02

When I was about five, my sister and I and a friend of ours went to get our ears pierced. I was getting them done at the same time as our friend, and the gun got jammed in the friend's ear, and she screamed bloody murder, scaring me half to death. I have a scar from the one hole they managed to do before she started howling. I'm 25 and my ears aren't pierced, because I was a coward and now I'm just stubborn.

So, maybe take her on her own. :)

posted by heatherann 06 July | 16:20

Oh, and I'm firmly in the pro-needle, anti-gun contingent.

posted by box 06 July | 16:41

I was over 20 when I got my first ear piercing. As with many things, a late bloomer, who made up for it in quantity and quality later.

posted by matildaben 06 July | 17:09

Couple other two cents:

The only metal you should put in new piercings is surgical stainless steel. I used to think that advice was a load of bunk, until I got my upper ear cartilage pierced and had a horrible reaction to some 14K gold. (Incidentally, it's not the gold that folks react to; it's the metals they mix with it.)

Also, (and I know you're talking about lobe piercing for Sophie, this is just for anyone else) do NOT EVER use a gun for ear cartilage piercings. Any un-hollow needle will SPLIT the cartilage instead of puncturing it, and you'll end up with scar tissue and an ear that will take forever to heal.

posted by Specklet 06 July | 17:15

For what it's worth, I was 12 when I first had my ears pierced. Went to one of those piercing places, with the gun, and it went fine. They marked the spots first with a Sharpie, so you could see where the holes would go. Click, click and it was done. I did have trouble when I had second holes put in, but I just figured it's something that happens, waited for them to heal, and did them again.
Hoops will get caught, but mostly I remember being told to rotate the studs in my ears to help it heal correctly. You obviously can't rotate hoops, so that's another thing to consider.

posted by redvixen 06 July | 17:31

To be clear: by "hoops" I meant small stainless-steel captive-bead rings - the same sort of thing you see in facial piercings. That's the only sort of "hoop" that a professional piercer would use in a new piercing. I doubt that they're more likely to get caught in long hair than the back of a stud [I've quite a few piercings and have never had much of a problem with things getting caught - you can rotate it easily to get hair unstuck, unlike a stud, where the hair might be caught on the stuff in the back.] The ease of cleaning's worth it, in my opinion, and well-cared for piercings heal faster and better. [You can and do rotate a captive-bead ring - you rotate it through the hole, making it much easier to move than a stud, particularly in the early days when the area around a new piercing may still be tender and even swollen.]

Good luck!

posted by ubersturm 06 July | 17:56

When I had my ears pierced at age 7, we found a place that would do them both at the same time (to avoid the possibility of my refusal to continue after the first ear was done). One person stood on either side of me and they each had a gun, and I think (this was quite a long time ago) they just counted to three and went for it.

posted by amro 06 July | 18:43

Just a quick update for anyone still tuning in;

They are done! She did amazing, and while I was mildly disappointed in the cool factor of our local parlour, they girls there were great and Sophie is pleased as punch. My drama queen flinched only a little and is very happy with her tiny captive bead hoops, with little, little red beads. I will post pics when I get the chance (I am back at work wrestling with a server this evening...)

posted by richat 06 July | 21:15

Yeay! welcome to the pierced crowd little Sophie! Start saving for those big diamonds studs you'll want when you're older now. ;)

posted by dabitch 07 July | 04:28

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