This is why I LOVE 3FC!! So many knowledgable women!!

Thanks so much to each of you for your input. I called some tattoo/piercing shops in town and spoke for about 20 minutes with a gentleman who shared his opinion with me. He said that the gun would probably be ok, but that he personally doesn't use them for the reasons SoTypical posted. He spoke at length about the physiology of a piercing and the healing and even got into histamines and white blood cell response! Ok, I was impressed. He explained that with the needle it is more of a slit and that allows for air and circulation to speed healing.

I think he knows his stuff....not to say that other people would not, but he put me at ease.

So, tomorrow I will take my daughter to his shop and we will see. He said he is pretty fast and good with kids.

It will run about $30, so that is more than Claire's I think, but that is ok.

Do you tip piercers?

What a fascinating glimpse of body adornment and art I have had today.

Thanks again and I'll update ya'll tomorrow!

midwife - I am so happy with the choice you have made! I have never tipped piercers... never thought about it really. Dunno why, I adore my piercer, lol.
It is probably a bit more then clarie's - but really, it is worth it!

I have pierced hundreds and hundreds of peoples' ears in my life, and a large part of that has been children and never not once has ANYONE'S ears bled. I find that when a child really wants their ears passed they don't even notice any pain and are eager to get the second one pierced. I talk to the kids the whole time, and ask them questions and they don't even realize that I am doing it. I ask the parents before hand if they would like their child to choose a prize or a candy when I am done (I do this when the kids are not paying attention). The percentage of children who cry is astonishingly miniscule, well it's not all that astonishing because there's just not that much pain, it's more of a slight jolt. And yes I know, I have several ear piercings myself. I am too much of a neurotic to take any chances that having 2 people do it at the same time brings on. The earrings that I use are 100% factory sealed and sterile. My gun is cleaned in an alcohol bath after every use. When the earrings go into the ear there is a large amount of space left between the earring and the closure, allowing for any swelling and for air to pass through. In my experience it is the quickest, safest and healthiest way that there is. Is it the only way, of course not.

Good luck and I'm sure your little girl will look beautiful in her new earrings.

Oh and many people have offered to tip me, but I refuse it.

Fed Up - please tell me why you think that a piercing gun is safer and healthier then getting it done by a trained professional?

I will not deny that it is not faster, becaue it is faster - but I am curious as to why you feel it is safer (the space left by a piercing gun is not enough for proper healing) and healthier (rubbing alochol cleans, NOTHING - people do bleed, even if you dont see it)? I am not trying to start a fight... but considering people want piercings guns banned and they have hurt many people - i would like to hear your side. thanks

Also, you say you have tons of piercings - all done with a gun?

Sotypical: Umm where did I say that I have tons of piercings, I said I have several and yes they were done with a gun. The space left by a gun is more then sufficient for proper healing as I know it to be from MY experience and that's all that I can speak about is indeed MY experience. I am not looking to argue with anybody, just share what I know to be true from you got that right... MY experience. And as I said earlier it is surely not the ONLY way and I think I clearly stated my side pretty well in my earlier post. You are definitely entitled to your opinion as am I. I see and respect your side and I hope you'll do the same for me.

"fed"up - IN NO WAY was I trying to fight or argue, I was ASKING for your thoughts on why you felt they were the safest and healthiest. But at the same time (please dont take this the wrong way) I think before you can say that - you should have piercings done both ways.

I have had both - piercing with a gun was fine and I would of thought it was perfect, until I had a piercing done with a needle. The difference was massive! Again I am not trying to fight or argue or push my beliefs on you - really I want to know why you feel the piercing gun is better then a professional piercer. And not to bash you on, to hear your side - that's all.

Here Is My Take On It ~ I Think First Grade Is Way Too Young!

Sotypical - I agree 100%. Needles are the way to go, they are far more sanitary. I've heard numerous first hand accounts of gun piercings gone bad because of infection - germs that were picked up from the gun.

I had my ears pierced 3 times before I was 9. Oh, I didn't have three holes - I had to let them grow in twice and have them redone. This was due to infection. Many people misdiagnose minor irritation as an "infection" but I really had it twice - both times required rounds of antibiotics. All three times I was pierced with a gun.

Quite frankly - I don't think the gun is any less scary. It makes that popping sounds which is very intimidating. The first time I had my ears pierced I made the poor piercer wait nearly a half hour before I could gather the courage to have the second ear done!

ETA: I think it's great to tip your piercer. I always tip my tattoo artist.

I'm with you Gary. I hate seeing people pierce their baby's ears. Although once I was on my rant about that and I didn't know it but my best friend had decided to pierce her baby's ears already. Ooops! (i still think i'm right tho)

I had my ears pierced several times at mall stores with the gun. Out of 8 piercings...only half of them "took" the others didn't make it because of infection. The last one I had was especially horrifying, the woman pierced her glove to my ear! She had to pull off the back of the earring, undo it and start over. Such a pain in the ... well ear.

I remember when I got my ears pierced, it hurt so bad I begged the guy not to do the other one, I was like 6-7, so they did the other side. I also got my ears done again years later, still was SO painful, and definitely had some blood both times. Both were with guns. My lower holes are all grown in again (due to infection), I'm definitely not getting them done with guns again.. toooooo painful and not worth the infection which WILL occur.

I got my tongue pierced when I was 20 with a needle, it healed faster than the top of my ear (done with a gun 5 years earlier). So I definitely have to say go with the needle! I dealt with infections in my top hole for 7 years, yah, thats right SEVEN years!

-Aimee

Just my experience...but I had my ears pierced when I was 5 in someone's kitchen with a sewing needle. I kinda remember it hurt but can't really recall. Then, when I was in my 20s, I decided to have second holes put in and had it done with a gun. Oh gawd, it hurt so much I didn't let him do the other one.

And when my sister went to have her's done, the gun got stuck TWICE in her ear. She nearly passed out from the pain. That's why I prefer the needle. There's no technology to break down at the wrong moment.

And just to stir things up a bit...when will it be made illegal to pierce a baby's ears?! It should be! 5 or 6 should be the minimum age although I made my daughter wait til she was 10. OKay, now that I've stirred the pot a bit...

One of my cousins had her daughter's ears pierced when she was a baby. I didn't understand why but I guess that is what she wanted to do.

As for me, I had my ears pierced when I was very young, I don't remember it and I don't even know how young (3?4?5?). Later on, I stopped using earrings so the holes closed most of the way so I decided to get them repierced at a mall store and I guess it stung a little but I don't remember it hurting too much. I then later decided that I can't stand earrings and I think they are annoying so I don't pierce my ears any more and I have no desire to pierce any other part of my body.