I want to get my ears pierced again - cartilage piercing. I haven’t had anything pierced in almost twenty years. I don’t want to go to a Piercing Pagoda, they aren’t that good, are they? Where should I go?
If you’re getting a cartilidge piercing I’d recommend going to a reputable tattoo/piercing shop. They’re more experienced with that type of piercing (both doing it and recommendations for aftercare) than your basic Claires store or whatever.
What a brilliant idea! I just e-mailed the people who did my tattoo. I was so happy with the tat, why not go back there?
All the cool cats also say to only go to places that pierce with a needle, not a gun.
And the cool cats don’t say “cool cats.”
Really cool cats say whatever they want.
Agreed. Really cool cats don’t care a whit.
Anyway I contacted my tattoo artist and am making arrangements to make an appointment.
What’s wrong with Claire’s? I mean, you might be the only person older than 16 getting your ears pierced there, but the process doesn’t get any different once you’re older. I haven’t had an ear piercing since I was about 15 (was a cartilage piercing, got it done at Claire’s), but as far as I can tell, the process is always the same. They draw the dot on your skin to make sure the location is perfect, then they shoot, and spend a few minutes explaining how to clean it daily.
But if you don’t want to have it done in a kiddy shop, I guess a piercing/tattoo parlor is cooler.
Shouldn’t be a gun, or so everyone says.
I don’t mind Claire’'s so much. But I have no real guarantee that the girl who is operating the machinery knows anything. I’d actually rather go to Piercing Pagoda.
Plus, IME, Claire’s and these people don’t really tell you how to take care of it properly. I trust my tattoo artist, since I’ve already been there. I know the actual woman who will do it - she’s the one who did my tat - and I know her quality of care.
And I’ve had my earrings all done with a needle, but my nose was pierced by a gun. The needle was far better. The gun was OUCH! And then it got infected.
Well someone you know and trust > someone you don’t.
I’d go with my tattoo lady too if I were you, I’m just saying I don’t find anything particularly bad about Claire’s. I guess maybe the gal you’d go to has never taken the six week piercing training course, but it’s a pretty simple job that I’ve had performed satisfactorily twice. She pierced, gave me the run down on how to clean it, I followed the instructions, and everything turned out fine. Look, ma! No infections!
You’re probably right! I am biased I suppose in that the only piercing I’ve ever had done outside the house (my nose) got horribly infected. My ears, my mom did, with a needle (she was a nurse).
Apparently the gun + cartilage = not a good thing. I’m guilty, I did it too, but it seemed like my cartilage piercing never healed right. It’d get better, then get sore again, then get better, then get sore…You know the drill. I had one of those continuous loop things in it, and kept it clean, but it just always seemed on this weird rotation.
I found out later that while the gun is OK for piercing skin, cartilage is different - the gun shatters it, or something, instead of piercing it cleanly. Good on you for going to someone who’ll do it up right.
Snickers is totally right. I had my cartiledge pierced (via gun) at Claire’s when I was a teenager. That freaking thing NEVER healed and I eventually took it out. Even now, 11 or 12 years later, I still have a huge lump on the top of my ear where everything went awry (the skin is, of course, healed shut-- it’s just there’s a lump under it).
I have three piercings on my ear lobes-- one set done by the doctor at birth with a needle (still open), one set done at Piercing Pagoda at 12 with a gun(not open), and one set done at Claire’s done at 13 with a gun (not open). I tried to keep those last two open throughout high school, but they’d just instantly close up if I didn’t wear something for a day or two. I can skip earrings for months though and the bottom ones done by the doctor never close.
Thankfully my nose did eventually heal, and now I wear a stud in it all the time. My ears healed very fast, which is why I’ve always been biased towards the needle.
The only advantage the gun seems to have is its quicker. And when putting holes in one’s body, quicker does not seem better!
Huh. I had a cartilage and a lobe piercing done at Claire’s. One lobe piercing when I was I think 13 and the cartilage a year or so later. I know they used a gun for the lobe, but can’t remember what they did with the cartilage. I cleaned them daily, they healed just fine, quickly, and painlessly, and are still open. I haven’t put an earring in the lobe piercing from Claire’s (it’s the third lobe hole, and I almost wear three pairs of earrings at once), but I stuck an earring in there just now for kicks, and the hole works like a champ. I skipped wearing my cartilage piercing for years (had long hair – no one ever saw it), and it never closed. But apparently my experience is not universal. In any case, enjoy the new piercing, Mika. The cartilage hole in my favorite of all the holes in my face.
[QUOTE=wikipedia]
These guns are not designed to pierce through the cartilage of the upper ear, or to pierce any part of the body other than the ear lobe. Some U.S. states and some countries in Europe have already banned piercing guns for use on cartilage.
This is one area where both the body piercing community and supporters of piercing guns do agree, and most responsible manufacturers of piercing guns strongly advise against such use.
[/QUOTE]
Go with a professional piercing who will use the correct type of needle (hollow & tapered) rather than the short stud earrings the gun uses.
The piercing guns are also impossible to sterilize properly. It would melt in an autoclave. Imagine microscopic bloody backspatter rubbing up against a fresh open wound in your ear. Fun, huh?
My daughter has berated me for getting my lobe pierced at a mall kiosk instead of at a tattoo shop. I have no cartilage piercings, but a hollow needle is better for those. Takes a plug out to fit the shaft of the ring/stud. Much better.
Cool cats with pierced ears.
http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/gothcat1-209x200.jpg
http://www.ohmidog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Gothic_Kitten.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N6hwwurYtuc/TffQikTSGXI/AAAAAAAAArg/MT5kSWOxuIc/s400/asset.jpg
Oh ugh. That seems like abuse to me.