NWR: ear piercing

sugarsoul

When I was young, I got my ears pierced at the mall. Now that I'm older, I really hate the placing of the holes and because of this, I don't wear earrings often. In fact, it's been so long since I've worn earrings that my holes have pretty much closed up in the back.

Now that I'm getting married, I really want to get my ears re-pierced, but I'm hesitant to go to the mall or any of those commercial places where they use piercing guns. I've read that they aren't really sterile, and using a gun causes trauma to your tissue, and that can lead to infections, permanant scar tissue, etc.

I guess what I'm wondering is, have any of you been to a professional piercing studio? I'm not interested in doing anything bold (like genital piercing, or stretching, which is what it seems like people go to professionals for), and it's making me a little hesitant b/c I feel like I'll be really out of place. Have any of you ever been in m situation and could give me some feedback? Thanks. 

short version: Got my ears pierced at the mall when I was young. Don't like the placement of the holes and want to get my ears re-pierced. Is it worth it to go to a professional instead of a place like Piercing Pagoda in the mall?

p.s. I know this is really random, but I figured since the E board gets  a lot of traffic, this would the place to post in order to get the most responses

salt78

I got all my piercings done when I was in prison.

Wrkn925

Needle piercing is best for cartridge and other areas(navel, eyebrow, etc.), but gun piercings are ok for ear lobes.  I can understand you wanting to try with a needle, though.

If you go into a professional salon, they may have a professional gun to pierce your lobes with. 

I suggest that you clean your piercing with sea salt and water afterwards.  That helps it heal quickly. 
1/8th TSP sea salt to 8 ounces of warm water.

[Deleted User]

My sister and I had ours done in our pediatricians office when we were young.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Yup. I've had my ears done at a shop. I actually just went in and got new jewelry for my cartiledge piercings before my wedding. The shop will be happy to do it - and honestly (aside from the getting your money factor) most piercers at real shops are happy for you to come to them instead of going the mall piercing gun route, because of issues with experience, infection, scaring, etc.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_nwr-ear-piercing?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:05bc0dbc-5929-4e4b-b325-f15c3ec10c7bPost:86c9f635-c31d-4f2d-b196-63e2d4747791">Re: NWR: ear piercing</a>:
[QUOTE]My sister and I had ours done in our pediatricians office when we were young.
Posted by MissySue20[/QUOTE]

I did that with my first set of ear piercings, actually. I was 7.

Ready2BMrsWade

In my experience, I ended up paying $50 at a tattoo/piercing shop for my cartilage with a needle that got horribly infected and painful. I think it had something to do with an allergy to the metal but still.  Got it redone two years (after taking it out and healing) later at a Claires (with a gun) and have had no issues. I also have 2 lobe piercings in each ear, from claires and have never had any issues. The guns hurt less, at least for me, and was about $30 cheaper. So I guess it just depends on where you go. No pro shop is going to look at you crazy for just wanting ears but honestly, especially for lobes, the guns aren't bad.

kikibaby

I've gotten my ears pierced at mall shops about 10 times.  I only had a problem once, and it was from one of the kiosks.  I think I'd go to a shop if I were to do it again... but I'm pretty ear-pierced out! 

MattsPenguin

My great-aunt (who was a nurse) pierced my ears.  Do you know any nurses?

I'm sure a professional piercing place would gladly take your business.

kaederose

I've had all my 9 piercings done at various shops (Claire's, Piercing Pagoda, etc.) and never had a problem.  I watch the person doing it on someone else first if possible, then hover to make sure they sterilize well the guns.  I also used the surgical steel or gold earrings so there was less risk of irritation, and I'm happy with all of them.  I looked into getting some professionally done but decided against it due to cost.

Pros won't look at you strangely since they pierce all sorts of stuff, but as others said, they are pricier.

Celles

Don't worry about feeling out of place at a tattoo shop.  Tattoos and body piercings went mainstream a while ago.  You'll see all kinds of people there -- most of them perfectly normal.   

I had my nose pierced at a tattoo shop (Club Tattoo for those in the Phoenix area), and shopped there subsequently for new studs.  The nice thing about a tattoo shop vs. a mall retailer like Claires is that the shop will use a hollow needle which scoops out the skin or cartilege it pierces rather than leave it behind to potentially cause an infection or scar over. 

sugarsoul

Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate it. The only reason I'm hesitant to go back to a place like Claire's or Piercing Pagoda is because I don't like the placement of my original piercings. They're a little high up on the earlobe, so earrings just look funny when I put them in. Also, in my left ear, when I put an earring in, it always hurts. When I take the earring out, I always get a little clear discharge and the hole is inflamed and red. It's definitely not an infection, so it's probably scar tissue that will always be there.  I know it'll cost more to go to a professional (the place I've been recommended charges $20 for the piercing, and then extra for jewlery), but I just want it done right.

angiebear11: I didn't mean to stereotype. Those were just examples. I know people go to get their ears pierced as well, but when I was looking at lobe piercings, all I saw were pictures of people getting their lobes stretched, which I'm not interested in. I just want a regular piercing.

Thanks again. I'm probably overthinking this, but I'm just afraid of getting my ears pierced a second time and it still not turning out ok.

sarah0725

You've got plenty of other stories here, but I'll throw in mine.

I had my ears pierced for the first time at Claire's with a gun when I was 12. I have really thin earlobes, and they placedthe holes too low, and eventually the somewhat heavy earrings I was wearing caused one of my holes to stretch so far that it ripped out. Thankfully it grew back together, and for many years I had no earrings at all. When I was 20, I decided to start over, but this time I went to a professional piercing studio. They were perfectly understanding about it, and I didn't feel out of place at all. I now have four earlobe holes, one cartilage, and one navel piercing. I'd never see anyone other than a pro.

aleighk1

You should definitely go to a shop. Using a needle is much cleaner/safer to pierce your ears. Don't worry, they won't laugh at you.

katiewhompus

I got my second holes from a kiosk in the mall and they were great. They actually didn't use a gun, but individually sterilized, plastic wrapped ear pusher things. They opened the packaging in front, put a little dot on each ear and confirmed if that spot was ok. Then the thing basically just pushed through my ear completely silently.

I would ask the person doing the piercing if you could see the hole location before they go through with it to make sure it's where you like it. Also make sure to clean the holes (old and new) really well. Also make sure to clean any earrings before putting them in, maybe that's the cause of infection. If you are getting them years after getting pierced to begin with it isn't really the piercers fault.

qwerty777

I've got 9 piercings in my ears, all done at Claire's or a similar store. Several of mine became infected BUT I'm also allergic to nickel, which I didn't find out until years later. I have no idea if my starter earrings were nickel free or not, so that may have been why.

leia1979

Definitely go to a shop that makes you feel comfortable.

I've only ever had my ears pierced with the gun and pointy earrings (5 holes total). The only issue I ever had was the highest one. It had a tendency to get infected, so I finally let it just heal up completely. I went back a couple years later to get it repierced. The lady thought maybe it was just too close to the cartilidge, so she put the new hole about one milimeter lower.

Seven years later, and I've never had an issue with the re-piercing.

bel138

That discharge and redness is a metal allergy. Classic. I have no idea who told you it was scar tissue, because that makes no sense at all. And of course there will be scar tissue with any piercing. If scar tissue didn't form, you wouldn't have a patent hole.

Kniblet

My mom had my ears pierced when I was a baby at the mall.  I think at a Merle Norman.  In 5th grade, she took me to Claire's and let me get a second hole in each ear.  IN 8th grade, she took me to Claire's again and I got a third hole in each ear.

I let the third grow up, not meaning to, and had it re-pierced at a Claire's in college.

Never had an infection from piercing.

Oh, and I got my naval pierced at a tattoo shop.  No infection there either.

Ciaram22

The discharge and redness to the ear is definitely a metal allergy. I have the same problem. I can only wear 14K or higher white gold in my ears ohterwise they turn bright red, get hot and feel like my ear loves are going to fall off. I hate it but its what i have to do.

I had my ears pierced by a claires when I was like 5 years old I think. I don't remember anything about it other than I was so scared of it hurting. I did get my cartilage pierced when I was 18 and about 3 months after I did it got really infected and I had a puss bubble at the back of the stud. I took that one out and never put it back in.

Birdie1483

If I don't wear earrings for a long period of time, my earlobes will burn and get really uncomfortable. I just have to kind of suffer through it for a bit with a nice pair of earrings and my ears usually adjust.

This might be a stupid question, but are you wanting to pierce your ears just to wear earrings on your wedding day? Because if you don't plan on wearing earrings much after your wedding, you could also invest in a nice pair of clip on earrings. I've seen some jewelry makers, like Lia Sophia, make a couple pairs of nice clip ons. You can't even really tell that they aren't studded.

kayakrunhike

I've had my earlobes pierced twice at a piercing pagoda, and three times in my upper ears as well.  I had problems with infections in the beginning, but it turned out it was bc I was allergic to whatever is in the cheaper earrings (nickel?).  Once I switched to gold or sterling silver, I had no problems.  I wear earrings in phases, so my ears do get a little sore when I wear them after not having done so for a while, but I really have had no other issues.

I have heard its better to have piercings done with hollow needles, but I've never actually had it done that way.

sugarsoul

Birdie: I do like to wear earrings (or I used to), so it's not just for my wedding day.
Kayakrunhike: I thought it was an allergy too, but it only happens in the left hole and it doesn't matter what kind of earrings I wear (gold, sterling silver, etc.), it happens everytime. It's weird.