Walmart offers an ear piercing service for customers in select stores across the United States. For a small fee, you can get your ears pierced by a trained associate using pre-sterilized earrings and piercing instruments. Walmart also regularly offers promotional deals for free ear piercings when you purchase select pairs of earrings.
Ear piercing is a popular service, especially for those getting newly pierced ears. Parents feel more comfortable taking children to a large retailer like Walmart versus a traditional piercing shop. The service is quick, affordable and helps take the guesswork out of where to go.
A Short History of Walmart Ear Piercing
Walmart began offering ear piercing in stores in the early 1990s to provide customers with a convenient and inexpensive service. The program started with just 10 stores to test the demand, and after a successful trial run Walmart rolled out the ear piercing service to over 2,500 stores across the U.S and Canada.
The Ear Piercing Process
1. Cleaning and Marking the Ear
Before piercing your ears, a Walmart associate will properly clean the front and back of your earlobes with an alcohol pad to sterilize the area. They will then make small dots on your ears with a surgical marking pen to mark the precise points where the earrings will be placed. This step ensures your piercings will be evenly aligned and symmetrical.
The associate will ask you to check the marks in a mirror to confirm the positioning is accurate before proceeding with the actual piercings. It’s best to have a friend or family member with you to provide a second opinion on the placement. Don’t hesitate to speak up if you want the marks adjusted.
Once you have approved the markings, the associate will prepare the piercing instruments and earrings in sealed, sterilized packages in front of you. They use pre-sterilized, single-use needles and piercing instruments to prevent the risk of infection. The earrings placed in your newly pierced ears are also pre-sterilized.
2. Piercing
Walmart uses pre-sterilized piercing instruments with single-use needles to pierce your ears. The needles create a quick puncture to minimize discomfort during the piercing. No numbing agent is applied beforehand. Associates are trained to perform the piercing swiftly and accurately. You may feel a slight pinch, but the process only takes a second per ear.
3. Selecting Jewelry
Once your ears have been pierced, you can select a pair of earrings from a variety of studs and ear jewelry options. Walmart offers affordable earring choices including sensitive solutions metals like surgical steel, 14 karat gold over sterling silver, and 14 karat white gold. You can choose between cubic zirconia gemstones, crystals, enamels or birthstones in different sizes. The selection varies per store, but you’ll have several fashionable yet budget-friendly options to choose from for your newly pierced ears.
4. Aftercare and Healing
Following the piercing, the associate will explain proper ear piercing aftercare to ensure proper healing and avoid infection. The usual healing time is 4 to 6 weeks. Basic instructions include:
- Clean the front and back of your ears twice a day with saline solution or alcohol.
- Rotate or turn the earrings gently while cleaning to prevent the holes from closing up.
- Do not remove the earrings for 4 to 6 weeks. The earrings should remain in at all times as the holes heal.
- Avoid water contact, swimming, chlorinated pools or hot tubs during the initial healing period.
- Watch for and report any signs of infection like redness, swelling, or pus which require antibiotic treatment.
- Most importantly, do not touch or play with your earrings excessively during healing.
Safety and Standards
Walmart follows strict safety procedures and certification standards for ear piercing to minimize health risks. Ear piercing associates must complete training and pass an exam from the National Ear Piercing Institute. All equipment is properly sterilized and sanitized after each use. Earrings and needles are pre-sterilized and disposed of after a single use on one customer. By following safety standards and best practices laid out by professional piercing organizations, Walmart is able to provide ear piercing services with a high degree of safety, cleanliness, and quality.
FAQs
How much does it cost at Walmart?
Ear piercings at Walmart typically start at around $25 to $30, which includes the piercing service fee and a pair of starter stud earrings. Walmart frequently offers promotions for free ear piercings with the purchase of select earrings for around $30 or more. Check with your local Walmart for their latest ear piercing offers and pricing.
What jewelry brands does Walmart offer?
Earrings at Walmart are mainly affordable options from brands like Claire’s, Celebrity Sterling and Ever Earings. The selection focuses on fashionable yet budget-friendly earrings for starter piercings as well as for long-time wear once healed.
Can I bring my own earrings to use?
No, for safety and sanitation reasons Walmart only allows the use of their pre-sterilized earrings for new piercings done in-store. Once your piercing has fully healed after 4 to 6 weeks, you can change to your own personal earrings.
How long does it take to pierce ears at Walmart?
The entire ear piercing process at Walmart usually takes between 30 to 60 minutes. This includes the time to check your ID, properly mark and clean your earlobes, select your earrings, perform the actual piercing, and review aftercare instructions. The piercing itself only takes a few seconds per ear.
Can children get ears pierced at Walmart?
Yes, with parental consent Walmart will pierce the ears of children as young as 3 months old using pre-sterilized Children’s Ear Piercing System (CEPS) methods. Parents must accompany children and agree to properly care for the new piercings during the healing period.
Conclusion
Walmart makes getting your ears pierced an easy, affordable and trusted experience. With thousands of locations across the U.S. and Canada offering ear piercing services with trained associates and high safety standards, you have convenient options to get pierced at a store near you. Be sure to check with your local Walmart for any current promotions for free ear piercings with an earring purchase, and you’ll be wearing fashionable new studs in no time. Happy piercing!