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Need to get pierced or re-pierced before you can "Wear Earrings Again"?
Be sure to have it done by hand, and by a Professional Piercer or a Doctor ~ NOT a gun!
This page explains why, and how to choose a professional to pierce you ears for you or your child.
At the bottom of the page, I am also advertising Professional Piercists who have been recommended to me by my customers, for my customers. If you have found a great artist that you would like to share? Please let me know, and I will publish his or her contact information here.
The Piercers, or Doctors, and I are not affiliated with each other in any other way, and our individual guarantees (if any) are limited to our own individual services to you.
What ever you do, please don't have your ears (or your child's ears) pierced by a piercing gun.
Although piercing guns have been used by sales clerks at the mall and department stores for piercing people's ears for a very long time, professional body piercers today want to see the gun banned, and for very good reason too!
#1. Trauma & Pain.
The gun forces a blunt stud through the skin, causing it to literally rip in order to make room for the jewelry. Then, it pinches the back of the jewelry in place snugly against the skin, allowing no way for the new wound to breathe and heal properly. Additionally we are given harsh chemicals to "clean and disinfect" the wound which can actually cause more irritation and allergic reactions making it impossible for the piercing to heal.
#2. Cheap Earrings.
Even if we are not allergic to gold, and purchase a high karat of gold piercing earring, the clutch backs that fit into a piercing gun are a cheap alloy which will hold up to the pressure which is given during a gun piercing. This is because high karat gold is too soft and would crush in the gun. People who suffer with Eczema on the back of the earlobe even though they purchased 14k gold earrings are usually a victim of this scenario.
#3. Lack of Training.
The sales clerk at the jewelry stand at the mall has been given as little as two weeks of "training", which often consists only of watching someone else, in person or on film, perform piercings. One clerk reported that her practice during this 2 week period was on teddy bears!! Can you imagine? Sales clerks at the jewelry stand are just that... sales clerks. Their job is to sell you earrings (ever notice how the piercing is often times free if you buy the earrings from them?).
#4. Unsanitary.
Any kind of procedure which involves contact with blood or bodily fluids requires strict adherence to cross-contamination prevention. Piercing guns are usually made with plastic and cannot be sterilized in an autoclave. Sure, they wipe it with alcohol or antiseptic in between uses, but how sterile is that? It is not unreasonable to guess that in a 2-week training course, these mall piercists are not being taught about infection control and blood-borne pathogens. A quick wipe with a sterile pad is not effective in removing disease-carrying blood.
#5. Little or no Aftercare.
With the exception of selling you an ear care solution which you are likely allergic to, if there is a problem, they simply refer you to your doctor. Although they may be able to offer you their personal opinion, this is not based on formal training so what is it really worth? My daughter's sales clerk wouldn't even touch her to loosen the backs of her earrings when they began to swell after only a moment! This showed me immidiately the lack of expertise she posessed.
So, what is the best procedure to have our ears pierced?
The best procedure for any body piercings is to be pierced by hand by a Professional Piercer. A Professional Piercist's (PP's) job is the piercing itself, which is a medical procedure in the true sense of the word, which should only be performed by a trained professional.
#1. Near Painless.
The piercing process when performed by a professional, is much safer and less painful than having a blunt stud forced through your skin. A PP will use a tiny piercing needle which is hollow and extremely sharp. It slices through the skin, safely pushing the tissue aside to make room for the jewelry to be inserted.
#2. Implant Grade Earrings.
Although most implant grade Titanium earrings are alloyed (as are all surgical steel earrings), which we as sufferers of ACD should not wear, a PP is aware of which materials are acceptable for a body piercing (such as Titanium) and will be more likely than not, to pierce you and then put my Non-allergenic earrings in place for you.
#3. Expertise.
A PP goes through extensive training that can last as long as two or three years. They learn about the human body and how piercings affect the circulatory system. They learn about cross-contamination prevention and how to properly sterilize their instruments. They learn how to avoid hitting nerves that can cause severe pain to the customer. Most are certified, licensed, or otherwise accredited for their profession.
#4. Sterile.
Anything that touches the customer that cannot be sterilized in an autoclave, is thrown away immediately. Work stations are fully disinfected before and after every piercing procedure, following the health guidelines of medical professional standards, such as those practiced by dentists.
#5. Aftercare.
A trained PP is also happy to follow up with you should you have any questions or complications. They, additionally, recommend a saline solution (sea salt water) for healing and cleaning, which mirrors my recommendation for those of us with allergies as well.
Although professional piercing prices do run higherthan those performed in mall stores, you truly do get what you pay for. You wouldn't go to a shoe salesman for foot surgery, why do we go to an earring sales clerk for pierced ears? It makes sence after thinking about it doesn't it?
How about piercings on children?
In some states it is allowable for children to be pierced in a professional studio as long as a parent or guardian is present and signs the paperwork. In Texas there is even a Professional Pediatric Piercing studio that is just for kids! Unfortunately, however, not all states allow minors to be pierced at a studio, even with parental consent.
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It's sad that it is perfectly OK to bring your children to a department store and have them unsafely pierced, but you can't let them be professionally pierced in a sterile environment. If you're an activist, it might even be prudent to write your local Congress members about this issue. Take a stand with me and get the gun banned!
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In this situation, my recommendation is to take your child to a Pediatrician or Family Practitioner. Although it may be more expensive than a Piercing Studio, many perform piercings right in their office, and they provide the added benefit of a local anesthetic which is so very nice too! If your Pediatrician does not perform piercings, ask the nurse or the doctor if they know of a Doctor who does. There are many of them out there. Entire cultures have their little girls ears pierced practically at birth, so just ask around, and you will find someone. :)
How to find a Professional Piercer in your area.
Check your local phone book's yellow pages under the heading of "Body Piercing Studios". If you cannot find anything under that heading, try "Tattoo & Piercing Parlors". Some Beauty Salons which offer Professional "Permanent Make-up" (facial tattoos) also employ Professional Ear Piercers. Call around to see how many are in your area to choose from.
Once you have an idea of your choices, call to find out about the accreditation of the Piercing Artist. If they meet your expectations, ask them if they would be willing to pierce you and then put my healing earrings into place for you. Many Piercists will only insert earrings which can be "auto-claved". This is a good thing because it provides full sterilization without chemicals, and is a sure sign you are dealing with a highly trained professional. My Titanium and Niobium starter earrings can be safely autoclaved.
Once you have narrowed your choices down to possibilities, go visit the Studio and Piercist in person. Take note of the cleanliness of the studio. Talk to the Piercer, they will usually take you through the entire procedure and show you their tools and their surgical area. This takes a lot of the stress out of the big day. When you have made a decision as to who will pierce your ears for you, make an appointment for the procedure for another day and don't forget to bring my healing earrings in with you.
What if you don't have a piercing studio near you? Discuss this with your local family doctor and/or nurses. If they don't personally do piercings, there might be a Doctor in your area that does. This, in fact, is likely if there are no studios in your area.
Reference Information is available here:
What should I look for in a professional piercer?
Click HERE to visit this site: http://www.safepiercing.org/publications/brochures/choosing-a-piercer/
Why piercing guns should be banned.
Click HERE to visit this site: http://tattoo.about.com/cs/psafety/a/piercing_guns.htm
Below are Professional Piercing Artists who have been recommended to me by my customers. There are also a few directories to find PP's near you. Remember to call them first to find out if they would be willing to pierce you and then put my earrings into place for you.
Seattle
Admiral Tattoos
Junior Mintz
215 SW College St
Seattle, WA 98116-2038
(206) 937-8686
http://westseattletattoos.com/portfolio.html
Find a member of the Association of Professional Piercers (APP) near you.
Click HERE to visit this site:
http://www.safepiercing.org/locate-a-member/searchable-member-database/
APP members name, address, phone number
Click HERE to visit this site:
http://www.safepiercing.org/locate-a-member/searchable-member-database/2/
ORDER ONLINE, BY MAIL, EMAIL OR PHONE.
PAY ONLINE, BY MAIL, OR BY PHONE.
See My ORDERING Page for Details.
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