Does Walmart Pierce Ears?

Walmart sells almost anything you could need. If you want to streamline your errands, it’s a great store to shop at.

However, maybe you want to get your ears pierced, or your child is asking to pierce their ears. Before you go anywhere, consider if Walmart will do it and if it’s a safe option.

Will Walmart Pierce Ears?

Walmart will pierce ears, but they only offer the service in some of their stores. Customers should contact their local Walmart to confirm if the service is available. If not, ask other stores in your area to find one that will pierce your ears.

You should also consider if Walmart is the best place for an ear piercing. It may be cheap, but other stores might be a better fit.

Piercing Age

If you want to get your ears pierced at Walmart, you have to be at least 18 years old. However, you can ask a parent or guardian for consent if you’re younger. Your guardian has to go with you to Walmart to sign consent forms.

As long as the parent gives permission, Walmart can pierce anyone of any age. But it doesn’t hurt to wait until your child’s old enough to ask for a piercing before you get them one.

Piercing Options

For better or worse, Walmart only pierces ears, specifically the ear lobes. Depending on the store, you may get to pierce the upper part of your cartilage.

However, no Walmart location will pierce other parts of the ear. You also can’t go there if you want to pierce any other part of your body.

Piercing Cost

Walmart will pierce your ears for free, but you have to buy Walmart jewelry. The earrings are usually pretty cheap, so you shouldn’t expect to spend more than $10 or $20.

That can make Walmart a nice choice if you’re on a budget. But it’s also annoying if you already have earrings that you want to use. You’ll have to wait until your ears heal before you swap out the earrings.

Get Your Ears Pierced at Walmart – Top Reasons

If you’re old enough or have permission from a parent, you can go to Walmart to get your ears pierced. Then, you can eventually experiment with different pieces of jewelry.

However, you’ll need to follow a few steps to get through the process.

Find a Participating Store

You can’t go to just any Walmart location to get your ears pierced. Instead, you’ll want to call the nearest Walmart store to see if they offer the service. Of course, you can also stop by the jewelry counter if you’re already shopping there.

They used to have a locator that you could use online, but it doesn’t seem to work anymore. Even if it does, your best bet is to contact Walmart directly.

Then, you’ll know where to go, and you can look for the jewelry counter when you arrive. If you’re under 18, make sure a parent comes with you so that they can sign the consent forms.

Choose the Earrings

Now, you have the fun part of choosing earrings. Unfortunately, you have to choose from what Walmart has in stock, and you can only do studs. Walmart’s piercing equipment doesn’t work with hoops.

However, you can choose from a few options. And you can always swap them out with a different pair once your piercing heals.

Consider the different colors and materials Walmart has. If they don’t have any earrings you like, it might not be the best place to get your ears pierced. You have to live with those earrings for six weeks, so you want to choose a pair you like.

Get the Piercing

Assuming you like a pair of earrings, you can take them to the employee at the jewelry counter. Then, they’ll prepare the piercing gun and place the earrings in the gun.

You’ll need to sit still while they pierce each of your ears. After they finish, the employee should give you some aftercare instructions. You should buy some cleanser to use on your ears to keep them clean as the piercing heals.

Of course, you’ll also have to pay for the jewelry you get. Go to the checkout counter like normal and pay for the earrings and your aftercare supplies.

Don’t Go to Walmart for an Ear Piercing

Walmart may be cheap and convenient, but it’s far from the best place to get an ear piercing. Whether you’re getting your first piercing or you want a double lobe piercing, you should think carefully before you go to Walmart.

Here are a couple of reasons why you shouldn’t go to Walmart for an ear piercing.

Piercing Gun

First, Walmart uses a piercing gun, which might be easy and quick. However, it’s not the safest tool for piercing ears. The gun has to force the earring through your ear, and the ring isn’t sharp enough to create a smooth hole.

That means the process can be painful, and some people suffer from irritation, and others bleed during the piercing process. The gun can also get stuck halfway through, which can cause even more damage.

Another issue is that piercing guns can be almost impossible to clean completely. If it’s been a while since the gun received a good cleaning, you could develop an infection after getting a piercing.

Minimal Training

Walmart employees don’t get a ton of training on how to operate the piercing gun. Especially if someone is new, they might not be comfortable using the gun.

That means it can be all too easy to botch the piercing. As they say, you get what you pay for, and when you get the piercing for free, it shouldn’t be too big of a shock if something goes wrong.

Paying for a quality service is so worth it when it comes to your ear piercing. That way, you can keep the piercing in good shape for years to come.

Get an Ear Piercing

If you want to get your ears pierced, the best place to go is a specialty tattoo or piercing parlor. They’ll have the right tools to do the piercing, and they’ll probably have better sanitation methods to prevent infections.

Also, the employees will have much more training in how to use the equipment. You might even have a much larger selection of jewelry for your piercing. So while it’s more expensive, the peace of mind you’ll get is so worth it.

If you’re on a budget, even Claire’s is a better place to go than Walmart. They use a piercing gun, but the Claire’s employees at least get a bit more training on how to use it.

Now, Walmart does sell home piercing kits, which could be useful. However, you’ll want someone you trust to help you. That way, they can follow the directions and help you pierce your ears as safely as possible.

You can get your ears pierced at Walmart, and it’s free with the purchase of earrings. However, it’s not the safest place to go since they use piercing guns, and the employees don’t get a ton of training. Instead, consider going to a tattoo or piercing parlor that will have safe practices and where employees will know what they’re doing.