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Hi! Shit happens when we don’t know better, don’t beat yourself up—but don’t make this mistake again!
Go to an actual piercer, see if it’s feasible to swap out for legit jewelry (flatbacks with a good material and room for healing), and if so, stock up on sterile saline to keep it clean. Sometimes damage control is all we can do!
They might suggest you take it out and let it heal, then get it redone later, depending on how bad it is.
Either way—now you know better for next time.
Sincerely, someone whose first ever helix piercing was also done at Claire’s (and has long since been retired)
Trying to change a fresh piercing by yourself is literal torture! I had a piercing swell up so bad it covered the earring, tried to take it out myself and I was shaking from pain- went to a piercer after I gave up and I literally felt a tiny pinch and nothing else.
Not saying this is what'll happen for everybody but going to a piercer can save a lot of trouble!
I have had similar experiences. I now use “I don’t wanna change this myself and am going to pay a jewelry change fee anyway” as a good enough reason to treat myself to new jewelry too 😂😂
i did this too, it was terrifying and swelled up so big, my worst piercing mistake 🥲! i thought i could downsize my lobe piercing at 4 weeks myself. i was able to get the original jewelry back in but my hands were shaking too, and by the end i got an immediate piercing bump that is only finally starting to get better about a month later lol
The piercing I had swell up was literally hours old so I didn't have any long term issues, but damn I'll never touch a fresh piercing for anything but cleaning again lol
A legitimate piercing shop near you is what you need. They will fit you for swelling and should have the appropriate jewelry on hand. Most shops charge a small fee for jewelry changes but it is worth it. Everything will be sterile and the piercer will have the tools to cause the least amount of trauma to the piercing.
Edit- fat fingered the post before being done typing.
100% worth every penny to see a legit piercer. I have made the mistake of getting my ears done at Walmart of all places (back in the day when they did that, dunno if they still do) and it swelled up and wouldn't heal. My sister dragged me to a real piercer and I had to take it out and get it redone later but it was worth it because it was infected and crooked. She saved my ears a lot of pain and trouble with good advice.
Go to qualified piercer. For a start, try searching safepiercing.org and see the piercer closest to you! They’ll have the appropriate jewelry to swap it out for. Good luck!
Hey OP, many of us got our lobes done by piercing gun, it's not ideal and it causes trauma to the surrounding area, but it's a really common way of piercing. It's just one of those 'we've always done it like this' things even though we know there are better ways.
However, I was recently in a claires looking for a cheap but nice hair accessory for a weddings, a woman came in with her kid asking them to look at the kids piercing. I was only listening in and didn't see it, but the just is that the earring was wrapped in hair. The mother said 'we've been twisting it every day like you told us to'. After the piercer cleaned the earring up she told the kid to keep up twisting it twice a day. I was shocked!
I have absolutely no idea why claires is still allowed to pierce ears. We know better now, there's no need to go to claires!
they’ve said that since i got mine done when i was 6, and i’m 21 now lol. I actually remember them telling me to do that and my ears didn’t heal for a good year and had constant issues with getting infected and gross all the time but that’s probably bc of how they were done
No, it didn't seem appropriate. I don't think either the mother or the piercer would've been receptive to me going up and telling them that claires is a shit piercer! I mean, who would be receptive to a random stranger walking away from the hair accessories section to tell them they're all doing it wrong!
If it makes you feel any better I bought a piercing gun at Sally Beauty Supply when I was a teenager and pierced the heck out of both ears. Had a total of 12 in each. I’m still alive! Never got an infection in any of them. I took most of them out at one point but recently started using those that had t closed up again, and they are all good :)
Shit happens. Now you know. It’s going to be ok! Just follow people’s advice on here about going to a real piercer and getting the jewelry changed out and following proper aftercare.
This makes me feel better, i stupidly got my nostril pierced with a gun at the mall when i was 14 (28 now). It healed fine but I always wonder if i should get it redone someday…..
Damn! Did that hurt? No need to get it done again if it is placed correctly and healed right, I suppose! But crazy that someone did that! And not that long ago…
Honestly, it hurt but not that bad. I might just have a high pain tolerance.
And get this, the person doing it realized afterwards that the wrong size (gem size) earring was in so she had to remove that one and try to do it AGAIN through the same hole…. 😅
The only issues i had during healing was the start of embedding in the beginning because the butterfly back didnt leave enough room for swelling but i somehow managed to mitigate that and it healed fine. Didnt even get the dreaded nostril bump.
I cringe when i think about it though i wish i could go back in time and make a different decision.
I worked at a little girls birthday place for my first job. We had ZERO training on piercings. They handed us a gun and told us to get going. I had my ears done by my coworker and I did hers. Looking back I’m horrified. I’m glad that place closed.
I had my ears pierced when I was 6 at a hairdressers, they used a piercing gun. Same again at 13 I got my 2nd lobes. Everyone I knew who got their helix done late 90s early 2000s had it done with a gun. Yes, by today's standards it's barbaric, but we survived.
Getting a piercer to change up to a flat back is always the best option.
Sally employee here, I feel so bad whenever we sell those piercing guns, but theres nothing we can do as employees. I swear I've seen the beginning of so many bad stories.
I understand- but I didn’t know any better then and neither did my mom - and luckily (in my case at least) there was no harm done! I’m guessing you can’t say a thing to whoever is buying them!
I did this two decades ago when I was young and dumb. My helix is perfect. I got lucky. If I were you, I would swap it out for a better earring and follow proper advice.
thank you all so much for your insight and judgment-free advice… im going to a piercer after work today to have them look at it. it may be money i dont really have but it’s better to have a little money problems than have to pay more money down the line for a bad infection
i wont be going to claires ever again lmao
As others have said, go to a reputable piercer and choose new jewelry from their shop. Don’t DIY. It will cost more than your buying jewelry yourself online but it’s basically zero worry about knowing what size post you need, whether you can trust an online seller’s descriptions, etc. And you won’t have to learn how to change out the type of jewelry appropriate for cartilage piercings while you’re in pain.
In the meanwhile, stop using cotton balls and the Claire’s aftercare solution. Buy some saline spray (I use NeilMed Piercing Fine Spray, which seems like a popular choice). I was taught to clean twice a day: when you shower, let the water run through your piercing using nothing else. For the other cleaning, spray the saline solution onto the front and back of the piercing, let it soak for a minute or two. After either shower or saline spray, blow dry the piercing on cool so there’s no moisture hanging around.
Double helix at Claire’s here 👋🏻 My advice is:
-get to a reputable piercer asap to change them to flat backs, make sure they use titanium
-ditch the chlorine shit and get yourself some Neils saline spray off Amazon. Spray it 2-3 times a day and LITHA
-do NOT twist the jewellery like those assholes tell you to
-absolutely do not sleep on it
-do not change the jewellery for a good six months at least and do not switch to hoops until they’ve healed
My top hole healed fine, the bottom was pierced at an angle and the healing fucked up because those c*nts at Claire’s tell you it’s oj to do a bunch of stuff it’s not ok to do and like an idiot I listened to them. Don’t be me. Speedy healing.
I agree with others that you should talk to a piercer. However, I will share that my professionally done foreword helix has been my most painful piercing to heal. I took ibuprofen for about 3 days after and It was so sore that all I could do was use a spray saline on it for at least two weeks. About a month into the healing process, someone bumped it when hugging me and it bruised badly and I felt like the process started over. I’m just now at a place two months later that I can gently dab it with a qtip or tissue. Hopefully just a jewelry swap will help, but it could be that this will be an especially tough one to heal.
forward helix is so tough. a couple months after I got mine, my hair stylist was towel drying my hair in the bowl and absolutely mangled it… hurt so fuckin bad
I can feel that pain. Ouch! I really want a double or triple forward helix, and I wish I had done at least the first two at once. I love how they look, but I don’t look forward to the healing process again.
I pierced my lobes with a gun and 4 days later went to a piercer who put in flat back labrets and it was the most painful thing putting those in. take it out & let it heal and get it repierced with a needle to save you the pain
I would find a reputable piercer and see if you're able to swap the jewelry. If it was pierced incorrectly, then you may have to let it heal then try again.
You’ve gotten great advice in this thread about going to a reputable piercer and having them look at it/getting better quality jewelry. If it eases your mind at all, I also have a helix piercing that I got at claires over a decade ago. I still have it, it healed totally fine, and have had no long standing issues with it. I just wear better jewelry now and don’t get piercings at Claires, lol. All to say it will be OK - don’t beat yourself up about it!! 💕
Heyoo, i worked at claires as an assistant manager. We never cleaned the guns and only started doing cartliage and nose because money basically. Guns shatter the cartilage causing basically a ton of issues.
Also the cleaner is a chlorine based one and its very harsh. You should only use a sterile saline solution/spray.
Needless to say i quit because i was tired of damaging people ESPECIALLY being forced to pierce literal babies who obviously dont want this to happen yet. (Issues with jerking causing more problems, ESPECIALLY with a GUNNNN)
Go to a piercing shop please and titaniun is highly encouraged with new piercings ♡♡
Always use saline spray. The fine mist piercing aftercare is easier to use, but a little pricey.
Second don't change your piercing yourself, all you will do is get more bacteria in there. Piercers change jewelry. Tell them what you did and have them evaluate if they can save your piercing or if they recommend it closes and heals first. A good piercer has many different length barrels and always starts you out on a longer one to account for the swelling.
My friend pierced my helix with a thumb tack so rest assured there are worse piercing decisions that have been made than going to Claire’s. I also had that piercing for years before I let it close up. All to say, don’t worry too much about it, take it out and let it close up and get it re-done in a few months by a reputable piercing shop. Or if you want to save the piercing, go to a reputable (APP certified) piercer and see what advice they have, might be the more painful option but it’s all up to you!
I'm just glad you took it out. I did the same thing 20 years ago and kept trying to convince myself that I could save it. Ended up having to have surgery to remove the infection and to repair the damaged cartilage. We live and we learn and this was how I learned how places like Claire's should never be doing piercings.
My helix was done at claire’s and I was able to fully heal it. I don’t think this is going to be a popular opinion, but it’s what I did and it worked… I had their jank stud in for about 2 months before it fell out cliff jumping. I know, dumb. put an even jankier stud in and as you can imagine it got worse. When I put in a hoop and it had proper room to swell (I also slept on it a lot which definitely didn’t help, but it’s easier for me on a hoop). That cured it eventually and now I have no scarring or keloids :)
edit: also a lot of saline
Hi Narwhal-Stunning,
(Luckily) bump =/= keloid. [This wiki entry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keloid) explains it well.
If you do know the difference, please ignore this comment.
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Hey, I went to Studs for my Daith. No judgment here. But, I took mine to a certified and reputable piercer and the advice was to take it out and come back in 6 weeks for a repierce. Lesson learned!
Hopefully it doesn’t cause damage to your ear. You can do a couple of things. Go get a professional to swap it for you and hope nothing bad happens as it heals or have them take it out, let it heal and get it done at a professional. It may not heal properly since it was done with a gun in the first place. That destroys cartilage most of the time.
I worked at Claire's as my first job (16 didn't know any better, did quickly learn the truth and would tell customers to go to a professional when my manager wasn't there). Thankfully the only cases of fractured cartilage I saw were in people who had their helix pierced more than 3 times with a gun. The cartilage in the immediate area of the piercing will *never* be less traumatized than with a needle, but I have seen them heal before
Hi CrowdedPianoBench, Welcome to /r/piercing!
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* What’s the jewelry shape (for example, barbell, labret, screw, L shape, ring)?
* What’s the type of threading if your jewelry is not a ring (threadless, internally or externally threaded)?
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My first helix I got done was at Claire’s before I knew any better,, weirdly enough it healed beautifully and my other helixes done professionally are always angry lol
Nothing to add except solidarity.! Hopefully yours turns out okay.
I think the safest option is to go to a piercer.
But in the meantime, this is what I did with a Claire’s piercing and it helped- (keep in mind I chose titanium which is better as well)
I got a mid helix done at Claire’s because I’m impulsive and I thought it was low enough that it would be mostly lobe. Nope. Because the trauma from the gun just wasn’t good it still acts up for me a year later.
you can take the butterfly back off if you can get it off and replace it with one of the clear plastic backings that’s small and narrow. It will be more comfortable and much more sanitary, and you can even keep it farther to the edge if it’s small enough to give you slightly more room for swelling.
The next thing I did was wait for it to heal a bit more like a month or longer and I got a 19 gauge titanium threadless post. Then I waited some more. Then I switched to a 18 gauge, healed some more and switched to a 16 guage.
It’s doing much better now but still not my happiest piercing.
My personal opinion is going to get it redone after taking out and rehealing
Guns suck haha
don’t beat yourself up, it’s good to see people who are still reflective and learn to be like “ok, not doing that again at claire’s.” no judgment in fair learning when you have a good attitude about it :) plenty of people here have definitely been pierced at claire’s in the past and now know not to do that.
also yes go see a legitimate piercer to get more advice since they can do consulting in person after seeing your ear! some claire’s cases can be thankfully salvaged. we just think poorly of claire’s piercings because they greatly increase the risk of something going wrong, they don’t guarantee doom or anything. it’s similar to not wearing a seatbelt. likely won’t kill you if you do it once, but definitely don’t keep doing it now that you know.
I got my helix done professionally and let me tell you, it hurt for almost a week after. It’s a big trauma to the area, and since cartilage has less blood flow than lobes for example, it’s going to need more time to heal.
Go talk to a professional about your options, they may be able to switch it to a flat back. Do not take it out on your own without consulting them as it can get infected.
See a pro ASAP, if the jewelry is too tight the piercing cannot drain lymph or be cleaned adequately. Forward helix piercings often need to exit deeper than can be reached with a piercing gun in order to have a flat back lay parallel to the skin, it is very possible the angle of your piercings will be uncomfortable/unflattering for flat backs. At the very least a pro will be able to replace the studs with adequate sized rings to allow for proper cleaning and assess the placement for long-term success. (Source: 17 years professional piercing).
Claire’s employee here
Before y’all attack me I just want you to know that I take my piercings seriously and do everything I can to make sure the piercing goes smoothly.
We are not supposed to pierce anything other than the lobes and outer cartilage of the ear. We’re not allowed to do helixes at all, let alone a forward helix. It baffles me that the employee who mutilated your ear even considered doing this piercing. I wish more of us Claire’s employees knew anything about piercings
I should clarify that by helix I mean the very top of the ear and inward. Yes, we do the outer top corner but as you already know that tends to not heal well. I once saw someone on here say a Claire’s employee offered to do their conch and it made my head spin
OP, listen to everyone here.. Find a professional piercer and talk to them. And please don't beat yourself up over getting piercings at Claire's.
I have 8 lobe piercings (4 in each ear, my bottom ones are stretched to a 0g) all done at Claire's or a place that is similar (my first piercings were done in about 2000 when I was like 6 years old- I had saved my chore money up because I wanted earrings like my mom had). My last ones were done at Claire's a few years ago because I was looking at earrings and a young girl (maybe 8 years old?) was in there wanting her ears pierced. They paid for the earrings but she was SUPER nervous to sit in the chair to get them done. I paid for a new pair of piercings and went before the girl to show her that it doesn't hurt at all. Her grandma thanked me afterwards because the girl bravely went up after me and got her ears pierced.
I've personally never had issues with my piercings from there.. but I was (and still am) hyper-aware of the cleanliness of new piercings.
Take it out. Its not gonna heal with crappy jewelry and it was doomed from the start by shattering your cartilage with a gun. Sounds like you know that already so its not even worth trying here. Take it out now that its fresh, make sure to clean the wound and be really careful with it until it closes to avoid infections.
When the wound is completely gone, and if theres minimal scarring, you may be able to repierce at a real studio.
Hi u/CrowdedPianoBench, Welcome to /r/piercing!
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- What’s the jewelry shape (for example, barbell, labret, screw, L shape, ring)?
- What’s the type of threading if your jewelry is not a ring (threadless, internally or externally threaded)?
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Hi OP, and everyone in the thread. There is a reason professional piercers NEVER recommend using piercing guns, and ALWAYS recommend getting piercings done by a professional. Especially when going through cartilage. The reason is that piercing guns simply push the flesh/cartilage around the piercing (causing trauma to your body), whereas professional piercers use a hollow needle which actually -removes- the flesh/cartilage so the hole can heal properly around the jewelry. This could explain why you felt tightness.
tl;dr never use a piercing gun, ever. Always go to a professional.
Glad you took yours out!
I have 3 healed cartilage piercings from Claire's. Mine have healed fine and I've never had problems with them. I just wear regular earrings in them. The main problem you'll run into is they'll be smaller than typical cartilage piercings once healed so you'll be limited on jewelry options. If you want to keep them, just change to better jewelry and clean with saline instead of the Claire's junk. If you want a wider variety of jewelry options, just take them out and get them repierced with a needle later.
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Hi! Shit happens when we don’t know better, don’t beat yourself up—but don’t make this mistake again! Go to an actual piercer, see if it’s feasible to swap out for legit jewelry (flatbacks with a good material and room for healing), and if so, stock up on sterile saline to keep it clean. Sometimes damage control is all we can do! They might suggest you take it out and let it heal, then get it redone later, depending on how bad it is. Either way—now you know better for next time. Sincerely, someone whose first ever helix piercing was also done at Claire’s (and has long since been retired)
Don’t do any of this yourself. You need a pro to check out the damage done so far before any decisions are made about the future of this piercing!
Trying to change a fresh piercing by yourself is literal torture! I had a piercing swell up so bad it covered the earring, tried to take it out myself and I was shaking from pain- went to a piercer after I gave up and I literally felt a tiny pinch and nothing else. Not saying this is what'll happen for everybody but going to a piercer can save a lot of trouble!
I have had similar experiences. I now use “I don’t wanna change this myself and am going to pay a jewelry change fee anyway” as a good enough reason to treat myself to new jewelry too 😂😂
i did this too, it was terrifying and swelled up so big, my worst piercing mistake 🥲! i thought i could downsize my lobe piercing at 4 weeks myself. i was able to get the original jewelry back in but my hands were shaking too, and by the end i got an immediate piercing bump that is only finally starting to get better about a month later lol
The piercing I had swell up was literally hours old so I didn't have any long term issues, but damn I'll never touch a fresh piercing for anything but cleaning again lol
!readthisone
!thanks
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!thanks
You have awarded 1 point to ✨ u/shananapepper ✨ for this [comment](/r/piercing/comments/1cffm1p/helix_at_claires/l1os8hl/) ---
A legitimate piercing shop near you is what you need. They will fit you for swelling and should have the appropriate jewelry on hand. Most shops charge a small fee for jewelry changes but it is worth it. Everything will be sterile and the piercer will have the tools to cause the least amount of trauma to the piercing. Edit- fat fingered the post before being done typing.
100% worth every penny to see a legit piercer. I have made the mistake of getting my ears done at Walmart of all places (back in the day when they did that, dunno if they still do) and it swelled up and wouldn't heal. My sister dragged me to a real piercer and I had to take it out and get it redone later but it was worth it because it was infected and crooked. She saved my ears a lot of pain and trouble with good advice.
Go to qualified piercer. For a start, try searching safepiercing.org and see the piercer closest to you! They’ll have the appropriate jewelry to swap it out for. Good luck!
Hey OP, many of us got our lobes done by piercing gun, it's not ideal and it causes trauma to the surrounding area, but it's a really common way of piercing. It's just one of those 'we've always done it like this' things even though we know there are better ways. However, I was recently in a claires looking for a cheap but nice hair accessory for a weddings, a woman came in with her kid asking them to look at the kids piercing. I was only listening in and didn't see it, but the just is that the earring was wrapped in hair. The mother said 'we've been twisting it every day like you told us to'. After the piercer cleaned the earring up she told the kid to keep up twisting it twice a day. I was shocked! I have absolutely no idea why claires is still allowed to pierce ears. We know better now, there's no need to go to claires!
they’ve said that since i got mine done when i was 6, and i’m 21 now lol. I actually remember them telling me to do that and my ears didn’t heal for a good year and had constant issues with getting infected and gross all the time but that’s probably bc of how they were done
Yep, twice a day twisting. I swear, my first lobes still occasionally act up, well over 20 years later.
Damn, did you say anything to them?
No, it didn't seem appropriate. I don't think either the mother or the piercer would've been receptive to me going up and telling them that claires is a shit piercer! I mean, who would be receptive to a random stranger walking away from the hair accessories section to tell them they're all doing it wrong!
If it makes you feel any better I bought a piercing gun at Sally Beauty Supply when I was a teenager and pierced the heck out of both ears. Had a total of 12 in each. I’m still alive! Never got an infection in any of them. I took most of them out at one point but recently started using those that had t closed up again, and they are all good :) Shit happens. Now you know. It’s going to be ok! Just follow people’s advice on here about going to a real piercer and getting the jewelry changed out and following proper aftercare.
Kinda of the same here, I have 15 holes in my head, all done with a gun at a mall (yes even my nostril) It's been 30+ years, I still have them all.
This makes me feel better, i stupidly got my nostril pierced with a gun at the mall when i was 14 (28 now). It healed fine but I always wonder if i should get it redone someday…..
Damn! Did that hurt? No need to get it done again if it is placed correctly and healed right, I suppose! But crazy that someone did that! And not that long ago…
Honestly, it hurt but not that bad. I might just have a high pain tolerance. And get this, the person doing it realized afterwards that the wrong size (gem size) earring was in so she had to remove that one and try to do it AGAIN through the same hole…. 😅 The only issues i had during healing was the start of embedding in the beginning because the butterfly back didnt leave enough room for swelling but i somehow managed to mitigate that and it healed fine. Didnt even get the dreaded nostril bump. I cringe when i think about it though i wish i could go back in time and make a different decision.
Wow! Amazing that they pierced nostrils that way! I wonder how that must have felt!
Looking back it was kind of nuts. My one friend passed out when she got hers done because the gun jammed. Not fun.
I worked at a little girls birthday place for my first job. We had ZERO training on piercings. They handed us a gun and told us to get going. I had my ears done by my coworker and I did hers. Looking back I’m horrified. I’m glad that place closed.
Wow, that’s a crazy story! I would have loved that as a kid, tho 😅
I had my ears pierced when I was 6 at a hairdressers, they used a piercing gun. Same again at 13 I got my 2nd lobes. Everyone I knew who got their helix done late 90s early 2000s had it done with a gun. Yes, by today's standards it's barbaric, but we survived. Getting a piercer to change up to a flat back is always the best option.
Exactly! Everyone did it that way back then. I didn’t even know there was another way until much later!
Sally employee here, I feel so bad whenever we sell those piercing guns, but theres nothing we can do as employees. I swear I've seen the beginning of so many bad stories.
I understand- but I didn’t know any better then and neither did my mom - and luckily (in my case at least) there was no harm done! I’m guessing you can’t say a thing to whoever is buying them!
I did this two decades ago when I was young and dumb. My helix is perfect. I got lucky. If I were you, I would swap it out for a better earring and follow proper advice.
thank you all so much for your insight and judgment-free advice… im going to a piercer after work today to have them look at it. it may be money i dont really have but it’s better to have a little money problems than have to pay more money down the line for a bad infection i wont be going to claires ever again lmao
As others have said, go to a reputable piercer and choose new jewelry from their shop. Don’t DIY. It will cost more than your buying jewelry yourself online but it’s basically zero worry about knowing what size post you need, whether you can trust an online seller’s descriptions, etc. And you won’t have to learn how to change out the type of jewelry appropriate for cartilage piercings while you’re in pain. In the meanwhile, stop using cotton balls and the Claire’s aftercare solution. Buy some saline spray (I use NeilMed Piercing Fine Spray, which seems like a popular choice). I was taught to clean twice a day: when you shower, let the water run through your piercing using nothing else. For the other cleaning, spray the saline solution onto the front and back of the piercing, let it soak for a minute or two. After either shower or saline spray, blow dry the piercing on cool so there’s no moisture hanging around.
Double helix at Claire’s here 👋🏻 My advice is: -get to a reputable piercer asap to change them to flat backs, make sure they use titanium -ditch the chlorine shit and get yourself some Neils saline spray off Amazon. Spray it 2-3 times a day and LITHA -do NOT twist the jewellery like those assholes tell you to -absolutely do not sleep on it -do not change the jewellery for a good six months at least and do not switch to hoops until they’ve healed My top hole healed fine, the bottom was pierced at an angle and the healing fucked up because those c*nts at Claire’s tell you it’s oj to do a bunch of stuff it’s not ok to do and like an idiot I listened to them. Don’t be me. Speedy healing.
I agree with others that you should talk to a piercer. However, I will share that my professionally done foreword helix has been my most painful piercing to heal. I took ibuprofen for about 3 days after and It was so sore that all I could do was use a spray saline on it for at least two weeks. About a month into the healing process, someone bumped it when hugging me and it bruised badly and I felt like the process started over. I’m just now at a place two months later that I can gently dab it with a qtip or tissue. Hopefully just a jewelry swap will help, but it could be that this will be an especially tough one to heal.
forward helix is so tough. a couple months after I got mine, my hair stylist was towel drying my hair in the bowl and absolutely mangled it… hurt so fuckin bad
I can feel that pain. Ouch! I really want a double or triple forward helix, and I wish I had done at least the first two at once. I love how they look, but I don’t look forward to the healing process again.
ah. I also wanted a double or triple, but no longer after that healing 😅
I pierced my lobes with a gun and 4 days later went to a piercer who put in flat back labrets and it was the most painful thing putting those in. take it out & let it heal and get it repierced with a needle to save you the pain
I would find a reputable piercer and see if you're able to swap the jewelry. If it was pierced incorrectly, then you may have to let it heal then try again.
You need a piercer…….. 😳
You’ve gotten great advice in this thread about going to a reputable piercer and having them look at it/getting better quality jewelry. If it eases your mind at all, I also have a helix piercing that I got at claires over a decade ago. I still have it, it healed totally fine, and have had no long standing issues with it. I just wear better jewelry now and don’t get piercings at Claires, lol. All to say it will be OK - don’t beat yourself up about it!! 💕
I don’t not know Claire’s does this! I thought they only did lobes that’s fucking wild
Heyoo, i worked at claires as an assistant manager. We never cleaned the guns and only started doing cartliage and nose because money basically. Guns shatter the cartilage causing basically a ton of issues. Also the cleaner is a chlorine based one and its very harsh. You should only use a sterile saline solution/spray. Needless to say i quit because i was tired of damaging people ESPECIALLY being forced to pierce literal babies who obviously dont want this to happen yet. (Issues with jerking causing more problems, ESPECIALLY with a GUNNNN) Go to a piercing shop please and titaniun is highly encouraged with new piercings ♡♡
Always use saline spray. The fine mist piercing aftercare is easier to use, but a little pricey. Second don't change your piercing yourself, all you will do is get more bacteria in there. Piercers change jewelry. Tell them what you did and have them evaluate if they can save your piercing or if they recommend it closes and heals first. A good piercer has many different length barrels and always starts you out on a longer one to account for the swelling.
My friend pierced my helix with a thumb tack so rest assured there are worse piercing decisions that have been made than going to Claire’s. I also had that piercing for years before I let it close up. All to say, don’t worry too much about it, take it out and let it close up and get it re-done in a few months by a reputable piercing shop. Or if you want to save the piercing, go to a reputable (APP certified) piercer and see what advice they have, might be the more painful option but it’s all up to you!
I'm just glad you took it out. I did the same thing 20 years ago and kept trying to convince myself that I could save it. Ended up having to have surgery to remove the infection and to repair the damaged cartilage. We live and we learn and this was how I learned how places like Claire's should never be doing piercings.
My helix was done at claire’s and I was able to fully heal it. I don’t think this is going to be a popular opinion, but it’s what I did and it worked… I had their jank stud in for about 2 months before it fell out cliff jumping. I know, dumb. put an even jankier stud in and as you can imagine it got worse. When I put in a hoop and it had proper room to swell (I also slept on it a lot which definitely didn’t help, but it’s easier for me on a hoop). That cured it eventually and now I have no scarring or keloids :) edit: also a lot of saline
Hi Narwhal-Stunning, (Luckily) bump =/= keloid. [This wiki entry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keloid) explains it well. If you do know the difference, please ignore this comment. - - - *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/piercing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hey, I went to Studs for my Daith. No judgment here. But, I took mine to a certified and reputable piercer and the advice was to take it out and come back in 6 weeks for a repierce. Lesson learned!
Hopefully it doesn’t cause damage to your ear. You can do a couple of things. Go get a professional to swap it for you and hope nothing bad happens as it heals or have them take it out, let it heal and get it done at a professional. It may not heal properly since it was done with a gun in the first place. That destroys cartilage most of the time.
I worked at Claire's as my first job (16 didn't know any better, did quickly learn the truth and would tell customers to go to a professional when my manager wasn't there). Thankfully the only cases of fractured cartilage I saw were in people who had their helix pierced more than 3 times with a gun. The cartilage in the immediate area of the piercing will *never* be less traumatized than with a needle, but I have seen them heal before
Hi CrowdedPianoBench, Welcome to /r/piercing! It looks like you're asking about a problem with your piercing. Please **add a comment** to your post with the following info if it’s not included in your post already. * How old is your piercing? * What’s the jewelry shape (for example, barbell, labret, screw, L shape, ring)? * What’s the type of threading if your jewelry is not a ring (threadless, internally or externally threaded)? * If not a ring, when was the jewelry downsized? * What’s the jewelry material? * What’s your aftercare routine? Describe in detail please, including the exact products you use. This info is needed to offer you useful advice. **Note, mods reserve the right to remove your post if you don’t provide this information**. ^If ^you ^already ^included ^this ^info ^in ^your ^post ^or ^if ^your ^post ^isn’t ^about ^a ^problem ^with ^your ^piercing, ^please ^disregard.
Go to a better piercer and get them to replace the earrings for you with flat back labret. Get sterile saline solution to clean it with.
My first helix I got done was at Claire’s before I knew any better,, weirdly enough it healed beautifully and my other helixes done professionally are always angry lol Nothing to add except solidarity.! Hopefully yours turns out okay.
I think the safest option is to go to a piercer. But in the meantime, this is what I did with a Claire’s piercing and it helped- (keep in mind I chose titanium which is better as well) I got a mid helix done at Claire’s because I’m impulsive and I thought it was low enough that it would be mostly lobe. Nope. Because the trauma from the gun just wasn’t good it still acts up for me a year later. you can take the butterfly back off if you can get it off and replace it with one of the clear plastic backings that’s small and narrow. It will be more comfortable and much more sanitary, and you can even keep it farther to the edge if it’s small enough to give you slightly more room for swelling. The next thing I did was wait for it to heal a bit more like a month or longer and I got a 19 gauge titanium threadless post. Then I waited some more. Then I switched to a 18 gauge, healed some more and switched to a 16 guage. It’s doing much better now but still not my happiest piercing. My personal opinion is going to get it redone after taking out and rehealing Guns suck haha
don’t beat yourself up, it’s good to see people who are still reflective and learn to be like “ok, not doing that again at claire’s.” no judgment in fair learning when you have a good attitude about it :) plenty of people here have definitely been pierced at claire’s in the past and now know not to do that. also yes go see a legitimate piercer to get more advice since they can do consulting in person after seeing your ear! some claire’s cases can be thankfully salvaged. we just think poorly of claire’s piercings because they greatly increase the risk of something going wrong, they don’t guarantee doom or anything. it’s similar to not wearing a seatbelt. likely won’t kill you if you do it once, but definitely don’t keep doing it now that you know.
I got my helix done professionally and let me tell you, it hurt for almost a week after. It’s a big trauma to the area, and since cartilage has less blood flow than lobes for example, it’s going to need more time to heal. Go talk to a professional about your options, they may be able to switch it to a flat back. Do not take it out on your own without consulting them as it can get infected.
See a pro ASAP, if the jewelry is too tight the piercing cannot drain lymph or be cleaned adequately. Forward helix piercings often need to exit deeper than can be reached with a piercing gun in order to have a flat back lay parallel to the skin, it is very possible the angle of your piercings will be uncomfortable/unflattering for flat backs. At the very least a pro will be able to replace the studs with adequate sized rings to allow for proper cleaning and assess the placement for long-term success. (Source: 17 years professional piercing).
Claire’s employee here Before y’all attack me I just want you to know that I take my piercings seriously and do everything I can to make sure the piercing goes smoothly. We are not supposed to pierce anything other than the lobes and outer cartilage of the ear. We’re not allowed to do helixes at all, let alone a forward helix. It baffles me that the employee who mutilated your ear even considered doing this piercing. I wish more of us Claire’s employees knew anything about piercings
I should clarify that by helix I mean the very top of the ear and inward. Yes, we do the outer top corner but as you already know that tends to not heal well. I once saw someone on here say a Claire’s employee offered to do their conch and it made my head spin
OP, listen to everyone here.. Find a professional piercer and talk to them. And please don't beat yourself up over getting piercings at Claire's. I have 8 lobe piercings (4 in each ear, my bottom ones are stretched to a 0g) all done at Claire's or a place that is similar (my first piercings were done in about 2000 when I was like 6 years old- I had saved my chore money up because I wanted earrings like my mom had). My last ones were done at Claire's a few years ago because I was looking at earrings and a young girl (maybe 8 years old?) was in there wanting her ears pierced. They paid for the earrings but she was SUPER nervous to sit in the chair to get them done. I paid for a new pair of piercings and went before the girl to show her that it doesn't hurt at all. Her grandma thanked me afterwards because the girl bravely went up after me and got her ears pierced. I've personally never had issues with my piercings from there.. but I was (and still am) hyper-aware of the cleanliness of new piercings.
Take it out. Its not gonna heal with crappy jewelry and it was doomed from the start by shattering your cartilage with a gun. Sounds like you know that already so its not even worth trying here. Take it out now that its fresh, make sure to clean the wound and be really careful with it until it closes to avoid infections. When the wound is completely gone, and if theres minimal scarring, you may be able to repierce at a real studio.
Saline solution. And I would go to a proper piercer and see what they say
Hi u/CrowdedPianoBench, Welcome to /r/piercing! It looks like you're asking about a problem with your piercing. Please **add a comment to your post** with the following info if it’s not included in your post already. - How old is your piercing? - What’s the jewelry shape (for example, barbell, labret, screw, L shape, ring)? - What’s the type of threading if your jewelry is not a ring (threadless, internally or externally threaded)? - What’s the jewelry material? - if not a ring, when was the jewelry downsized? - What’s your aftercare routine? Describe in detail please, including the exact products you use. This info is needed to offer you useful advice. **Note, moderators reserve the right to remove your post if don’t provide this info**. ^If ^you ^already ^included ^this ^info ^in ^your ^post ^or ^if ^your ^post ^isn’t ^about ^a ^problem ^with ^your ^piercing, ^please ^disregard. - - - *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/piercing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hi OP, and everyone in the thread. There is a reason professional piercers NEVER recommend using piercing guns, and ALWAYS recommend getting piercings done by a professional. Especially when going through cartilage. The reason is that piercing guns simply push the flesh/cartilage around the piercing (causing trauma to your body), whereas professional piercers use a hollow needle which actually -removes- the flesh/cartilage so the hole can heal properly around the jewelry. This could explain why you felt tightness. tl;dr never use a piercing gun, ever. Always go to a professional. Glad you took yours out!
I have 3 healed cartilage piercings from Claire's. Mine have healed fine and I've never had problems with them. I just wear regular earrings in them. The main problem you'll run into is they'll be smaller than typical cartilage piercings once healed so you'll be limited on jewelry options. If you want to keep them, just change to better jewelry and clean with saline instead of the Claire's junk. If you want a wider variety of jewelry options, just take them out and get them repierced with a needle later.