We went to Piercing Pagoda and the piercings actually went well. Unfortunately, though, my daughter turned out to be highly allergic and their “hypoallergenic” earrings weren’t very hypoallergenic.

The second time, we went to Fattys Tattoos and got truly hypoallergenic material (though I can’t remember whether it was surgical steel or one of the other metals). The price was 3x Piercing Pagoda, which initially dropped my jaw. BUT, the price actually included multiple follow-up visits, and given DD’s history it was greatly comforting to know how everything was healing and what was normal and what wasn’t. The person who did the piercing was an absolute delight. Fattys’s only does kids in their Silver Spring location (downtown, near the AFI).

I took my kids to the Red Octopus tattoo studio in PG county. There are several locations in MD.
I think it was under $50.

Claire's. It worked for me in 1992, and it worked for my daughter last year. No infections.

Anonymous wrote:Brilliance Body Piercing in Vienna.

I took my DD here and had a fantastic experience— I would highly recommend.

Bonus that McDonald’s is right by CPU.

My little sister has uneven holes from a Walmart piercing. She stopped wearing earrings once she could see how bad they were! Def take your kid to a pro.

Anonymous wrote:Take her to a proper piercing studio, not some crap place at the mall. If you tell us where you are, people can probably give specific recommendations.

If you are near Arlington, Craig Pokes U is excellent.

+1 Craig Pokes U

Anonymous wrote:Brilliance Body Piercing in Vienna.

This is where I took my DD. Pricey, yes, but (IMO) worth it.

We drove from Rockville to Arlington to go to Craig Pokes U based on recommendations on this site. So worth it.

Bethesda Tattoo

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take her to a proper piercing studio, not some crap place at the mall. If you tell us where you are, people can probably give specific recommendations.

If you are near Arlington, Craig Pokes U is excellent.

Another vote for Craig Pokes U.

PP again. Let me explain why so many people recommend a licensed piercing/tattoo studio vs. the mall or your child's pediatrician. As others have mentioned, they use a sterilized single-use needle. The medical grade hollow needles are tri-beveled which means they're sharp and incise the piercing hole. Guns and inappropriate needles are not sterile and the piercing hole is normally a tear or rip instead of a clean puncture. Piercing guns push the pointy end of a stud earring through the tissue, causing more trauma and splaying the tissue. Healing is faster and infection less likely with a piercing needle.

It's not snobby to seek out a professional. Professional piercers can make a lot of money and aren't hourly employees. They depend on referrals and word-of-mouth which is incentive to do a good job and care about their clients. The person piercing ears at Claire's doesn't really have a stake in the game. They'll likely be working at another retail store in a few months.

How much did you guys pay at Craig Pokes U?

Brilliance Body Piercing in Vienna.

Craig Pokes U was fantastic!

Anonymous wrote:Take her to a proper piercing studio, not some crap place at the mall. If you tell us where you are, people can probably give specific recommendations.

If you are near Arlington, Craig Pokes U is excellent.

Another vote for Craig Pokes U.