Pierced earrings

Hi all,

It has been my understanding that the law says that one cannot try on
pierced earrings. I know that I won’t allow anyone to try them on
and I don’t try them on to balance them. Since I buy jewelry as well
as make it I would like the point clarified.

Thank you,
Pauline
(who may never buy pierced earrings again)

Hello Pauline, I can only speak for the laws in Kansas. The subject
is not addressed, so trying on pierced earrings is OK. As posted
previously, I ALWAYS clean the earring posts with alcohol pads before
the customer tries them on, and after they are done. Judy in Kansas

It has been my understanding that the law says that one cannot try on
pierced earrings.  I know that I won't allow anyone to try them on
and I don't try them on to balance them.  Since I buy jewelry as well
as make it I would like the point clarified.

There are OSHA regulations regarding prohibitive contact with any
item which may entail exposure to anyone infected with a communicable
disease. These items include combs and clippers, dental and medical
instuments, piercing instruments, bare hands, and many other items as
being the instruments of transmission. Communicable diseases include
the two biggies, hepatitis and AIDS, but also includes things like
flu, cold, measles, malaria, Lyme, monoucleosis, and a host of others.
Contact includes ANY piercings, open sores, cuts, breast milk, blood,
urine, feces, or any body fluids. And guess what folks? Alcohol is not
considered to be an effective treatment for transmission prevention. A
rather strong solution of bleach and certain prepared solutions
effective against AIDS are considered to be useful to prevent the
transmission of diseases. The bleach solution, by the way, is strong
enough to eat your hands if left in contact with skin for too long. It
also does nasty things to certain stones and metals, like bleaching
and pitting. Ditto all on the prepared solutions. It is best not to
let your customers try on the earrings at all until they have
purchased them, nor allow any returns of these types of items. Ask any
nurse, doctor or dentist for further clarification, or contact your
closest OSHA representative. K.P. in WY

  It has been my understanding that the law says that one cannot
try on pierced earrings.  I know that I won't allow anyone to try
them on and I don't try them on to balance them.  Since I buy
jewelry as well as make it I would like the point clarified.  

I’m not aware of any such law. I know there are often such rules
with regard to underwear and bathing suits, but these are cloth, not
easily cleaned between customers. However, if I let any customer try
on a pair of earrings (and how are they supposed to know if they like
the look and the earrings feel right if they don’t try them on?), the
earring will always be properly cleaned again before going back in the
showcase. that means the hot detergent (also a disinfectant, I think)
in the ultrasonic, plus a steam cleaning, same as most any other piece
of jewelry routinely gets in our shop after, say, polishing.

The common sense of this is simply that you don’t want to risk
spreading infections with intimately contacting body parts. Pierced
ears are one such. But metal earrings are easily cleaned to ensure
safety. Most of the time, other pieces of jewelery, like rings or
clip earrings, would also warrant cleaning as well, after being tried
on. Frankly, considering where people’s hands go, it’d be more
concerned with what could be spread by a ring, or even a handshake,
than I’d be worried by what could be picked up with an earpost. But
it’s simply courtesy to one’s customers to ensure that the jewelry you
let them try on is clean. Not to mention that it also ensures that
the jewelry looks it’s best as well.

Peter Rowe

There’s no law about earrings in the UK.

After the AIDs scare most jewellers decided that this was an
excellent way to ensure bigger sales.

Does anyone honestly think that Bulgari or Graff will not let you try
on a �500,000 pair of diamond and ruby earrings without trying them
on? No of course not. But they do expect their salespeople to clan the
wires - they always did.

I’ve always made it a point to clean the wires in front of a customer
before they try anything on anyway.

It is the state, county and city which have authority and enforcement
powers in all issues of health and safety for customers. It is not the
roll of any federal agency to address this issue.

OSHA’s purpose is to protect employers from damage awards to their
workers. The word ‘occupational’ is the operative one.

Jeannie

An Industrial piercing refers to one in which a fairly large-gauge
barbell (Or other double-ended metal object) is inserted through a
piece of skin with two separate piecings; ie, the very top of the
ear, with both front and rear tissues pierced. Typically they pierce
both sides, put in temporary studs, and measure for a permanent
earring. My son chose a barbell, about 10 gauge. It looks as though
someone stuck a titanium arrow through the top of his ear and put
knobs on the ends.

The Labret (I don’t know the spelling) is a piercing of the tiny
little triangle of flesh on the ear closest to the person’s face; ie,
the triangular bit contiguous with cheek/face, midway between the
earlobe and the top of the shell of the ear.

Both are gruesome when first pierced, with much blood. Both require
fanatical care or infection will set in, sometimes with accompanying
(irreversible) loss of tissue. We met an ER doc who had taken her
daughter in for a belly-button pierce at the piercing business
(Tribal Ways, Boston). I expressed horror at the bellybutton pierce;
she told me how many kids she sees in the ER with permanent tissue
damage from Industrial and Labret piercings, both of which go through
cartilage. Of course my kids chose the Labret and Industrial.

Recommended cleaning, btw, is warm salt water compresses at least 3x
day, followed by a Bactine swab. These folks insist that alcohol and
hydrogen peroxide destroy healing tissue.

I hate that I know this much, and have refused to allow tatoos as
long as I’m paying the bills.

Ann Dalrymple

The Labret (I don't know the spelling) is a piercing of the tiny
little triangle of flesh on the ear closest to the person's face; ie,
the triangular bit contiguous with cheek/face, midway between the
earlobe and the top of the shell of the ear. 

Anne, the actual name for the piercing you describe is a “tragus”.
The labret piercing, as others have noted, is below the lower lip.

Kat