Tattoo parlors are good options for kids' ear piercing

When my now sixth grader was in first grade and turning seven, she decided she wanted her ears pierced.

At the time, her big hairbows were as sparkly as her eyes as she thought about changing out her earrings like the big girls do. I was excited for her and took her to the ear piercing mecca…the shiniest, most colorful place in the mall for young girls. In the 1980’s and 1990’s when I was young, Claire’s was the magic place for all the glittery plastic jewelry my allowance could buy. Naturally, when I was turning eight years old, it was where I wanted to get my ears pierced.

I did. It was a wonderful memory of my childhood and my pierced ears have never been a problem. I wanted the same memorable right of passage for my daughter. So, we made a special day of it and went to our local Claire’s.

She has not been as lucky with her pierced ears.

In the years since, she has suffered red, swollen lobes on occasion and the earrings just drooped. They never looked quite right. They were also very uneven, with the left piercing being higher than the right. The biggest problem was it almost looked like I had put gauges to stretch my child’s ear lobes as the holes got stretched enough to have an earring go through the wrong way, not by the post, but the stud. It was bizarre.

Eventually in elementary school she just stopped wearing earrings altogether because they were annoying and painful. The holes have since closed up, but the marks remain. I described it to friends as “They butchered her ears!” She wanted them re-pierced as she entered middle school this fall.

I considered having them re-pierced at the pediatrician’s office. That’s when I got the advice, “Go to a tattoo parlor!” I even had a friend say that her pediatrician recommended it because all the tattoo parlor does is tattoos and piercings and they have strict sanitation standards.

The thought of taking my child to the tattoo parlor was a little funny to me, as it is definitely an 18-and-up place, but after a little research, I discovered that with parents and proper documentation, piercing at a tattoo or piercing parlor is a great option for kids. I shared this with my mom who said enthusiastically, “I want to go too! I want to get my second holes done.”

This surprised and amused me that my mom, a retired teacher in her sixties, wanted to get a piercing with her tween granddaughter. On the suggestion from a friend, we made an appointment at Mad Ethel’s Tattoo and Body Piercing in downtown Raleigh.

Bradde Hamman has more than 25 years of piercing experience and estimates hundreds of piercings of his own. My daughter and her friend who tagged along for moral support, marveled at his ears and facial piercings saying, “Did that one hurt?” “What about that one?” Hamman laughed and said, “Well, it didn’t tickle!”

That’s what I liked about our experience with Hamman. He was real and honest with my daughter, yet made her feel comfortable too. He explained that he would be using a needle, not a piercing gun like she had with her first piercing experience and that she would, in fact, feel the needle. He promised, however, that he would do everything he could to make it as quick and painless as possible while still sticking to his motto of “Cleanliness over quickness.”

After living in more than a dozen municipalities in multiple states, Hamman explained that piercing sanitation regulations are different at state, county and even some city levels. He was influential in a 2013 state legislation in Ohio, regulating piercing guns for body and ear piercings. He explained to my daughter and my mom that using a needle instead of a piercing gun prevents cross-contamination. He pulled a sterile needle package out of Mad Ethel’s carefully organized drawers with his hands in latex gloves.

Hamman prepped the high-quality studs my daughter picked for her ears and said. “I would rather give you a clean, crooked piercing than a dirty straight one. Don’t get me wrong, I’m shooting for straight and clean! But, clean is the most important thing!”

The moment came. Granddaughter went before Grandma. They held hands as Hamman skillfully pierced my daughter’s lobes one at a time, avoiding the scarred area of her previous piercing. My daughter winced as the needle went in, then quickly out, where it almost seemed like the pretty blue stones she chose, just appeared. My daughter was delighted with the outcome as she admired Hamman’s work in the mirror. She proudly assured my mom, “Don’t worry, Grandma! It doesn’t even hurt that bad!”

Next up was my mom. She explained to Hamman that the last time she got an ear piercing was 55 years ago. Now, here she was, in 2022, getting a second hole in her ears with her grandchild. She decided on gold, opal studs, which completely suit my mom and celebrate her October birthday.

This piercing had a little more drama to it as Hamman explained that there was some blood when the needle went in my mom’s ear. He explained that this is totally fine and everyone’s ears are different when it comes to getting pierced. He wiped it away and cleaned the area with saline.

Saline? Wait. Not alcohol? Hamman explained that the old “Clean-the-lobes-with-rubbing-alcohol-and turn-the-studs-ten-times-each-day” rule that I was instructed to do all those years ago, is not today’s recommendation. He gave us saline wipes and showed us saline solution you can buy at the drug store for eye washing is great for cleaning piercings.

In the weeks since, both my mom and daughter have healed up great and really like the quality of the earrings they got at Mad Ethel’s. The studs have a flat back and are comfortable to sleep in. No poking.

If you’re taking your child to a tattoo parlor for a piercing, please note that a parent or guardian must be present for ear piercing. If your teen is seeking a body piercing, you as the parent need to give consent if they are under 18. I had to bring my daughter’s birth certificate and my ID to get her pierced. Some shops have specific times and piercing artists for children. Read up on the shop’s website to make sure you have everything you need when you make the appointment.

Hamman says to allow time for the child to select jewelry and not rush the piercing process. He smiled and said of kids he pierces, “We talk to them. We let them choose. It’s your day!”

Amy Davis is a monogramming mom of three and fitness instructor with FIT4MOM Midtown Raleigh and web contributor for the historic Village District. She is a regular Go Ask Mom contributor.