My 16 year-old daughter and her friend wanted their ear cartilage pierced; and I and the friend's mother weren't going to fall on our swords over this: so we said ok, but we did our research. 1) Never go to a place like Claire's for a cartilage piercing 2) NEVER go to a place that uses a gun, find someone who does needle piercings 3) Make sure the place has an autoclave and uses it.
We went to Glenn's in the Oregon District and couldn't have been happier with the professionalism and their slight (but barely discernible - at least if you're 16) amusement at two Oakwood moms taking their kids into a tattoo parlor for piercings!
They were vigilant about keeping the piercing area clean (even sprayed and cleaned between the two girls), and were very fast, gentle - and funny.
I guess if I ever get cool enough to want a piercing or a tattoo, this will be the place *I* go to, also. (Oh, and, additionally, the ""work"" books with pictures of piercings and tattoos in unmentionable areas were kept out of sight while we were there. I believe that they are available in an upstairs area, but not in the front waiting room. A relief!)
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