Summary
An increasing number of parents have turned to tattoo parlours to have their children’s ears pierced. It has been found that most shops are what the author refers to as “mom-approved” by a local parent mailing list, despite the tough looking artists and heavy metal music blaring in the background. A nurse apparently even “voted in favour” of the tattoo shops as a reputable place to get your kid’s ears pierced (Rochman, 2012).
An increasing number of parents have turned to tattoo parlours to have their children’s ears pierced. It has been found that most shops are what the author refers to as “mom-approved” by a local parent mailing list, despite the tough looking artists and heavy metal music blaring in the background. A nurse apparently even “voted in favour” of the tattoo shops as a reputable place to get your kid’s ears pierced (Rochman, 2012).
The stigma associated with tattoo parlours
is that they are grungy and full of foul-mouthed people, according to one of
the piercers quoted in the article. Most
mothers would never allow their child to step foot in a place like that. But on the contrary, tattoo parlours are huge
supporters of cleanliness. Reputable
ones use disposable needles and sterilize all equipment between uses. Some shops are even regulated by states in
America. Mall piercers and jewelry
stores use piercing guns which have caused complications and can’t be
completely sterilized.
The author, who took her 7-year-old to get
her ears pierced, claimed the piercing room “looked like a doctor’s
office” (Rochman, 2012). After the procedure, she received
a bag of non-iodized sea salt and detailed instructions on how to mix a saline
solution to properly clean a piercing.
This is completely opposite of what is recommended by mall kiosks, who suggest
pure alcohol that burns and doesn’t actually aid in the healing process.
Tattoo parlours use hypodermic needles,
and core out the tiniest amount of skin to make room for the earring, a
practically painless procedure. In a
mall, the piercer uses a gun that jams a stud through the earlobe; instead of
removing the skin, it simply pushes it aside.
Tattoo artists are convinced of the superiority of piercing with needles
over piercing guns, so convinced that they leave their business cards in
schools and pediatricians’ offices. But
ultimately the attitude changes of tattoo shops start through word of mouth,
and parent by parent.
 |
| Mall accessory store Claire's advertising free ear piercing with the purchase of earrings. Retrieved from dontletlifepassyouby.blogspot.ca |
Ear piercing is an ever-growing fashion
statement among kids these days. My
8-year-old cousin just recently got hers pierced, and constantly wears her hair
up in a ponytail so she can show off her little purple jewel studs. Apparently it’s the cool thing to do at
school.
Even back when I was younger kids wanted
them; it’s forever been a trend.
However, the way the procedure is being done (and who it’s being done
by) definitely needs to change. My first
ever earlobe piercing was done at the mall by some undoubtedly inexperienced
20-something when I was 7 or 8, who spent 15 minutes just trying to figure out
how to work piercing gun. I was sitting
in the chair shaking and on the verge of tears, which was directly in front of
the store window. Mall shoppers passed
by and watched all this go down.
Thinking back, this is a huge red flag.
What are the job requirements to being a mall ear piercer? Apparently there are none. Clearly there’s absolutely little to no
training involved... maybe there’s a manual they have to read? I really don’t know, all I know is that girl
who pierced my ears didn’t read it.
I made the stupid, stupid mistake of going
back to get my cartilage pierced (with the piercing gun in the mall again,
because I didn’t learn my lesson the first time around). This time, the gun actually shocked and broke
the nerves in my ear. I lost all feeling
in the top part of my ear and to this day still have very little. Not to mention that my cartilage is now
flabby, discoloured, and looks permanently mutilated.
Still, I continued to have a desire for
more piercings. But I finally came to my
senses and got them done at a tattoo shop, by a professional piercer using a
packaged needle and fully sterilized equipment.
I know this because they showed me everything pre-packaged before they
pierced me. They also explained the
procedure in so much detail it was almost annoying. These piercers are trained to do this kind of
stuff and do it so many times daily that they could probably pierce with their
eyes closed (and would still probably do a better job than the mall). If anything, they would take even more time
and better care with kids because 1) they’re kids, and 2) the moms are
there, probably scrutinizing everything.
I am in full support of taking a kid to a
tattoo shop to have this simple ear piercing procedure done. Looking past the guys covered head to foot in
tattoos and piercings, the loud heavy metal music, and the fact that most
tattoo shops are hole-in- the-walls…they are surprisingly (or not so
surprisingly, if you’re like me and are quite familiar with them) the cleanest
places. They’re probably right up there
next to hospitals in cleanliness.
Parents should look past the stigma attached to tattoo parlours and see
that it’s a much safer place to have your kid’s ears pierced than by a most
likely untrained “piercer” in the storefront of a mall. As the article says,
“only cowboys use guns” (Rochman, 2012).
Citation
Rochman,
B. (2012, February 7). Why I Took My 7-Year-Old to a Tattoo
Parlor. Time. Retrieved from
http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/07/why-i-took-my-7-year-old-to-a-tattoo-parlor/
Questions
What
are some ways tattoo shops can positively market ear piercing to parents?
Should
using a piercing gun still be allowed? What
ways can we ensure that it’s properly sterilized?
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