ellarcy:

fuckyeahretailrobin:

[Image Description: Background is several triangles in a circle like a pie alternating from true red, scarlet and black. A robin is sitting on his perch looking to the right.

Top Text: “Piercing three month old’s ears”

Bottom Text: “Random passers by look at you like you’re committing murder”]

I work at a chain jewelry kiosk where we pierce ears starting at 3 months. Today I was piercing a little girl who was 3 1/2 months, and as I went to do the second ear (I was the only employee on so they couldn’t be done at the same time) she was crying and squirming like babies do. Right after I get the second one done a woman from the Macys store near us stopped and asked “Did you just pierce that baby’s ears?” I answered yes and she just gave me this shocked look and quickly walked away.

I don’t make the company policy. If I want to work there I adhere to what they tell me.

It’s really awful that you have to do this. :/

Not only are you performing a cosmetic body modification on someone who is too young to give consent, let alone to know to care for it properly, you’re probably also using a piercing gun, which instead of actually ‘piercing’ like a needle would, jams a relatively dull pointed object through the ears, causing much more trauma than necessary. They also cannot be properly sterilized, rubbing alcohol is not appropriate, and even though they use disposable cartridges, the people using them have not been properly trained in cross-contamination and bloodborne pathogens to keep them ‘clean’. Add to that the fact that a lot of times the guns will jam and lodge an earring halfway through or the myriad of other problems these ‘instruments’ cause, I don’t understand how they’re still allowed.

Not blaming you personally, getting a job is difficult in this economy and it’s not your fault your company is giving people false information. It’s just appalling to me how shit like this is A-OK and even EXPECTED in our society. Mothers who do this to their kids will balk at the idea of waiting until they’re old enough to decide themselves and be even more offended by the thought of taking them to an ACTUAL piercer, who will use a hollow needle in a sterile environment (as opposed to the middle of a freaking MALL) and appropriately sized jewelry to make both the piercing and healing process as painless as possible. It makes no sense to me.

Still better than mutilating your infant’s genitals.