Children’s Ear Piercing at Inkhaus

Why?

Over the years, we’ve had an increasing number of requests from parents wanting their children’s ears to be pierced safely and in a sterile environment. We only offered ear piercings from 16+ previously and we had nobody else in the local area that we could recommend that parents could trust to pierce their children properly. We feel we have a responsibility to provide a safe piercing experience, and we will therefore be offering children’s ear piercing packages for ear lobes only for children 8 years and up. To work in line with our insurance, we have to work within certain rules and guidelines, so please read all of the information below and make sure to bring any documents listed along with you.

What do you mean by ‘safe’? 

The short answer is: we don’t use a piercing gun! Despite them still sadly being common, piercing guns are unsafe. They cannot be sterilised, only disinfected, which means that they run the risk of transferring bacteria or even blood borne pathogens from client to client. They also don’t use appropriate jewellery. Butterfly back earrings are often made from ‘mystery metal’ where the materials can’t be verified, which can lead to allergic reactions or irritation from a piece of jewellery that doesn’t have a smooth surface finish. The posts of butterfly back earrings are also ‘one size fits all’ which doesn’t allow for different clients’ ear lobe anatomy or for any swelling, which is a normal part of initial healing. The butterfly backs also tend to be a harbour for bacteria and can cause more potential irritation or even infection. Instead, the jewellery that we use is made from ASTM F-136 implant grade titanium. Titanium is bio-compatible, which means that allergic reactions are very unlikely – this is the same material used in medical implants like some artificial hips and knees for the same reason! Our jewellery also features a solid fixed back post that has been polished to a mirror finish to make it more comfortable to wear and less likely to trap any dirt and bacteria. When you come in for a consultation, we will show you and your child how this jewellery fits together. Finally, a piercing with a sterile single-use needle is safer because it creates a fistula (piercing channel) with a minimum amount of trauma, rather than the blunt force trauma of a gun forcing an earring through. This means that there are less likely to be any problems with scarring and many of our clients have said it hurts a bit less too! We’re happy to talk through all of this information at the consultation, but if you have any further questions about anything in this section or something that you feel we haven’t covered, please don’t hesitate to email us at: info@inkhaus.co.uk. 

Age?

8 years* old and up. We require ID from both parent and child which is detailed below. *please note, this is a trial, having previously offered ear piercings from 10+. Inkhaus reserves the right to revisit these age limits at any time.

How do I book in?

We work on an appointment only basis so that we know we have plenty of time to dedicate to you and your child. We ask that you book in for an initial consultation where you come in with your child and see the studio, and discuss the process and aftercare. If they would like to, your child can also pick out some jewellery so that I have it sterilised and ready to go when they come in for their appointment. If they would prefer to choose their jewellery on the day that they are getting pierced though, that’s absolutely fine too! This way just means about a 10 minute wait for the jewellery that they have chosen to be sterilised.

We can book the piercing appointment for as soon as the next available day if you and your child prefers, or if they want some time to think, you’re welcome to have a cooling off period and book for a later date.

To book your consultation, please visit our booking page here. You are also welcome to book the piercing appointment via this link, but please make sure the consultation and piercing appointments are on different days. You can also email info@inkhaus.co.uk or call us on 01642 781266. We ask that for both the consultation and the appointment that you only bring along the child who is being pierced with no other siblings or friends. We find this provides a much more calming atmosphere and also gives you as the parent and me as the piercer 100% focus on your child.

What happens at the consultation?

I will introduce myself to you and your child and show you the studio and the jewellery. If you would like to see my piercing room as well I will be happy to show you. We also discuss the process so that your child understands what will happen and you both have the chance to ask any questions that you may have. I will also discuss with you both how to take care of the piercings.

Your child can also pick out some jewellery (if they are ready) so that I can have it pre-sterilised ready for their appointment. If they are undecided though, we can pick out the jewellery on the appointment day.

What do I need to bring to the appointment?

• A form of photo ID for yourself as the parent/legal guardian (passport, driving licence, provisional licence etc.)

• A form of ID for the child (passport, birth certificate)

• A certificate of adoption/legal guardianship (if applicable)

Due to our insurance, we can only allow consent from the child’s biological parent or legal guardian. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this, but they are the rules that we have to work within.

Due to our insurance, we are unable to accommodate additional children in the studio, so we ask that you do not bring siblings along to the appointment unless they are also booked to have a piercing.

We also advise that you make sure that your child has eaten prior to the appointment to boost their blood sugar and make them much less likely to feel light-headed.

What happens at the appointment?

We will begin by checking the forms of ID that you have brought along and giving you a consent form to fill in to consent to the procedure. If your child has not picked out their jewellery at the consultation, I will show them which jewellery would be suitable and have them pick something out. There will then be about a 10 minute wait while this jewellery is sterilised ready to be used. If your child did choose their jewellery at the consultation, it will be pre-sterilised and in packets ready to go. I will check that they are still happy with their choice (if they’ve changed their mind, that’s no problem!) and get the piercing room set up.

Once the room is set up and the consent forms are filled in, I will invite you both into the room. I will then spend a short time cleaning their ears and marking up the piercings before allowing you both to check that you are happy with the position. Once the positions are agreed, I will do the piercings.

Please note that without the required ID, we will not be able to go ahead with the appointment.

How are the piercings done?

The piercings are each done with a single-use sterile needle. We understand that this might sound imposing, but unlike guns, they are sterile, safe and only used once on one person. This is absolutely the safest and most correct way to be pierced with the best healing results.

What happens if my child changes their mind?

Sometimes kids get nervous and that’s absolutely fine! We believe strongly in bodily autonomy in our studio so if a child decides they don’t want to go through with the piercings, that’s not a problem. We don’t want it to be a stressful experience for your child so we ask that you don’t try to persuade them to go through with it if they have changed their mind. There will always be another time when they are ready and we will always be happy to book them back in when the time comes!

How much does it cost?

As with all of our other piercing services, prices will depend on the jewellery that you choose. We have a super plain titanium ball option (which is ideal if school is strict about earring styles) which is £47 or we have titanium gem options from £78 upwards. This price includes one single piercing fee and the jewellery. We also have sterile saline aftercare spray for £10.

Why does it cost this much?

The short answer is a play on an Old School tattoo quote: Safe piercings aren’t cheap and cheap piercings aren’t safe. To explain it in more detail, a lot of elements go into piercing safely, including:  
-Implant grade titanium jewellery (or 18 or 14 karat gold) from manufacturers that can prove that their jewellery is what they say it is, and meets the Association of Professional Piercers (APP) and the UK Association of Professional Piercers (UKAPP)’s minimum standards.
-Jewellery that doesn’t have a butterfly back due to the design not being suitable for healing piercings.
-Proper sterilisation of jewellery and tools in an autoclave (and regular testing and servicing of this equipment).
-Never using a piercing gun for the reasons already discussed earlier on this page.
-Use of an aseptic set-up – this means using sterile gloves during the procedure and sterile packages for things like the set-up tray, gauze, alcohol wipes for cleaning, sterile marking implements for drawing dots on the ears etc.
-Piercer’s experience and knowledge. Becky regularly attends safe piercing conferences and events to continue her professional development and make sure that her knowledge and skills remain up to date. She also maintains an up to date First Aid and CPR qualification and renews her Blood Borne Pathogens certificate yearly. Whilst many of the traditional high street stores that pierce with guns may have cheaper options (though often they have more expensive ones too), none of their options are as safe due to the butterfly back design and one size fits all element of the jewellery style. Also, staff are sales assistants, rather than piercing professionals and sadly their knowledge and experience reflects this.

Ready to book?

Visit: https://inkhauspiercing.setmore.com

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You can also email: info@inkhaus.co.uk or call us on: 01642 781266

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