I am trying to find out about potential health risks of trying on pierced earrings that have been worn by someone else, and any relevant laws on selling earrings. There are tons of friend-of-friend stories out there of people’s heads exploding in the middle of the Claire’s Boutique at the mall because they tried on earrings that weren’t clean. I can’t find any info that I really trust.
-Does anyone have any official cite for a law or regulation that says pierced earrings cannot be tried on or resold? I have only seen a lot of random claims and some sales sites that claim they cannot legally take back pierced earrings, but you would think if there were a law I could find something on an actual government site. I am in Massachusetts, but I would also be interested to hear what the laws says for other locations.
-Can you actually catch anything by trying on an earring? Is it a significant danger or is it something we should worry about as much as say, being struck by a meteorite? All but the most hysterical seem to agree AIDS is very unlikely to be passed on. I have seem some claims that hepatitis is a real danger.
-What is the best way to clean and sterilize earrings after someone has tried them?
-If I am selling jewelry and sending it out of state, do I have to worry about the laws where I am sending it or am I covered by local laws?
If anyone can provide any factual information, I would appreciate it. Thanks!
First- I would never actually stick the wires or posts in my ears until the earrings are mine- ewwww. I just hold them up to my earlobes.
Peroxide or alcohol is perfect for cleaning- nothing fancy or expensive needed. Clean each pair before you wear them (every time), and before you put them away when you’re done wearing them. Unless you have super sensitive ears, you should never have a problem.
I suppose you could get an ear infection from wearing the earrings of someone who has one, but I don’t know the clinical names(s) for piercing infections so I’m not much help there. IIRC, AIDS is only a concern with fluids that carry cells so it should be a no-brainer that you can’t catch it from an earring- I would doubt that hep can be transmitted that way either.
I don’t know about legally, but lots of stores won’t take back things that have been inserted or worn close to, um, orifices… such as earrings, body jewelry, underwear, etc.
Thanks. I have always seen those signs about no returns or trying on pierced earrings and I grew up just assuming it was the law, but now I am not so sure. I sold jewelry for years and we let people try stuff on. Maybe people were just being polite but not once did anyone seem grossed out by it, occasionally they’d ask for them to be cleaned with alcohol first.
I always used alcohol to clean them and that seemed fine to me, but I am reading some claims now that it is not enough to get rid of some of the more dangerous viruses or germs or bacteria or whatever. But it’s hard to know how reliable the sources are. Some people say an autoclave is the only reliable way to kill everything. Others suggest there are cleaning solutions used in hospitals that will work. The straight dope has been hard to find.
The only place I go for jewelry also does piercing. They not only won’t let you try anything on, they don’t like you removing your own jewelry in the store.
I got at least a partial answer from the state Department of Public Health. They said they do not regulate the sale of pierced earrings and suggested I contact the local board of health in my city (they are going to get back to me).
As far as I can tell, there is no federal regulation. Each state and city can make its own rules. But it’s tough to find proof that something doesn’t exist. Most agencies are not going to post a list of things that they don’t regulate. I have seen a number of people claim there are laws against trying on pierced earrings in New York City, but again I can’t find anything official.
I did find a post on a jewelry message board by a professional writer who often does stories about the jewelry industry. She says that she questioned someone at the Centers for Disease Control about the subject and was told it is not considered a significant risk. That’s about the most authoritative thing I have been able to find online.
Being a store owner and also going through a not very pleasent treatment for hepatitis-c. I would never let anyone try on earrings. I have received numerious dirty looks and a few tossed earrings on my jewelery counter but only because of having the customers best interest at heart. Sure it maybe unlikely but not all together imposible.
At the Macy’s jewelry counter and another jewelry store where I worked, there were spray bottles of alcohol and alcohol wipes, which we behind the counter used ostentatiously whenever anyone tried on the earrings.
There were people who just held the up, but a lot of people did try them on.
No laws regulating this that I know of. I think it would actually be very hard to catch something from an earring, unless you yourself had an open wound (pierced ears that are healed and not infected are not an open wound) and there was something awful on the earring as well. Even if the last person who tried the earring on had something communicable, it’s going to die before the next person tries on the earring, even without the alcohol.
:dubious: Although not true allergies metal sensitives do exist. And out of the common jewelry metals/alloys, isn’t pure gold close to being the least reactive?
Don’t know about gold, because I prefer silver. Anyway, I used to be able to wear the cheapest earrings around. Over the past few years, I can’t wear anything in my ears but sterling silver; no kidding. Anything else, and the holes get all red, sore and oozy. I have no explanation, but it’s def not psychological!
dumb question maybe, but: aren’t pierced ears, the holes, closed up with a skin barrier? it’s not like sticking something in your mouth, nose or vagina, and then putting it back on the rack,is it?
Actually, the holes left after a piercing heals can continue to leak white blood cells through secretions you might not even notice (it can happen with surgical scars as well). This carries any risk of infection any other body fluid can, and is the reason that one poster stated her piercer didn’t allow her to handle or remove her own jewelry. You can imagine how much crap the piercing industry has had to educate people about to be taken seriously and prove their sterile technique. Anyhoo, back to the piercings that are healed, this is why some people, when they don’t wear earrings for a little while and put jewelry back in will get white goop or crusties. That’s the build up of WBCs combating dirt and germs to prevent infections. I sell handmade jewelry and do NOT allow people to try on earrings for this reason, although I haven’t found any health code statutes. People should realize it’s in their best interests.
Years ago, I worked at Spencer Gifts. They had signs saying that earrings were nonreturnable per state law.
However, the store handbook said, basically, there were no laws against it (nor is there any law against returning a bathing suit), and that if someone insisted, you were to make the return, clean the earring thoroughly in alcohol, and put it back. That wouldprevent transmission of anything.
Also… ew, people try on earrings? Why wouldn’t you just hold them up next to your ear? It’s not like you can’t get the same idea how they will look on you.