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Seven-Year-Old Rushed To Hospital After Claire's Accessories Ear Piercing Becomes Infected

Seven-Year-Old Rushed To Hospital After Claire's Accessories Ear Piercing Becomes Infected

Her mum has urged the shop to change their guidelines on when piercings should be changed

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

An angry mum has called upon Claire's Accessories to change their guidelines on hygiene regarding ear piercings after her seven-year-old daughter had to be hospitalised following a piercing at the Harlow, North London branch of the shop.

Lily Nesbet was left in a large amount of pain following the piercing and had to have some of the earring removed with a scalpel by hospital staff.

The incident happened several weeks after the piercing had been done by staff in the shop. Suzie, Lily's mother, says that she gave the piercing the three weeks' time advised on the cleaning liquid before she attempted to change the earring.

However, despite trying very hard to get the piercing out, a friend who works as a nurse suggested that the butterfly back of the earring could have embedded itself underneath her skin.

Last Thursday, Lily was taken to hospital and was given gas and air as well as a local anaesthetic while the earring was removed.

Mercury Press

Suzie thinks that she was not given enough information by Claire's Accessories about what could happen following the piercing. She has also said that when she asked how long the piercing would take to heal - it needed to be by the time Lily returned to school - she was told three weeks, if using the cleaning formula.

Everything was going fine until the earrings were changed for the first time. Around a week after that, the piercing started to show signs of infection.

Suzie added: "We didn't think it was possible for the back to get stuck in her ear due to the size of it and searched her bed to try and find it.

"I couldn't push the earring back or forwards, it was absolutely horrible."

Mercury Press

Realising that all was not OK, Suzie took Lily to hospital where she received some pretty unpleasant treatment.

Suzie continued: "At that point they said it was too embedded and that she would need to use a scalpel. Those 20 minutes felt like four hours, it was so traumatising for us all.

"When the needle went into her ear it obviously really hurt her as it was so sensitive, and she screamed out. She was then properly crying too, it was horrendous.

"When the anaesthetic kicked in the nurse got the scalpel and had to re-open the wound and pop it out. It was horrific watching her go through such agony."

Mercury Press

Suzie has now said that she will never darken the door of a Claire's Accessories shop and has also asked that they change the advice that they give on when to safely change piercings.

She said: "This was bad advice given by a name I trusted. I don't know why they are pushing the three-week healing process guidelines. A piercing is a wound and needs at least six weeks to heal."

A spokesperson for Claire's Accessories said: "Our piercing procedure and all of our piercing instruments, supplies and earrings are designed to promote the safest and most hygienic piercing experience.

"The rapid after care lotion is dermatologist and paediatrician tested for the effective care of the pierced ear. Three weeks of use is an appropriate and approved length of time.

The statement continued: "The Rapid lotion is safe, and allergy tested, and its soothing formula is skin friendly.

"If undue pain / swelling / redness occurs at any time, seek medical advice immediately. Do not remove studs before the relevant medical advice."

Featured Image Credit: Mercury Press

Topics: Shopping, News, UK