As a med student I was present once for a surgical ear piercing that the surgeon did as a favor to her daughter’s friend from private school. It wasn’t an add-on procedure it was the only procedure taking place in the children’s hospital OR. Such a waste of resources. I still can’t believe I witnessed that…
This piece isn't about ear piercings; it's about our for-profit healthcare system pressuring patients into unnecessary procedures without being upfront about the cost
Frankly the ear piercing was an excellent lede; it's ludicrous enough on the surface to warrant reading. Medical waste re: mammograms and ultrasounds are much more common, but "hospital bills woman for unnecessary mammogram" is not going to get the same number of eyes on the story. This was a really smart strategy by the author to recruit readers who wouldn't otherwise engage with the topic.
There already exists a middle point between a shitty Claire’s piercing gun and a hospital. It’s called a reputable, sanitary body art studio and parental consent.
The doctor proactively offered to pierce the kids ears while she was in for a different procedure. Sounds like a real shit bag if you read the article.
I took my son to a body art studio when he decided he wanted pierced ears, I think they were about 8 years old? It was a great experience. I cringe every time I’m reminded that people still get ear piercings at Claire’s. why you’d want an underpaid 19 year old retail worker piercing your kid’s body with a dull plastic gun just eludes me lol. way more painful and you’re more likely to end up with complications too.
Yeah, there's a huge market for something other than by a teenager a Claire's mall store window surrounded by Temu quality junk and a terrifying tattoo parlor in the bad part of town with R-rated flash on the walls and death metal music blaring on the speakers and a bunch of bikers in leather waiting around for tattoos. Places like Studs, Rowan, and standalone body piercing studios that are sometimes even in shopping malls and nice areas. A lot of people seem not to know about these options because they've only been around in the past frew years.
Haha a few years ago I had my ears re-pierced at Claires after I noticed they closed up from not wearing earrings, the teenage girl who did it was so sweet and exited to use the gun 😂 she did a perfect job and I had no problems....
......but yeah I wouldn't risk a child's health, for sure a professional piercer would be the best choice....
.....at 14 I had them pierced in a department store (and used the sharp earrings to add 4 more holes myself after the first 2 healed ;) in the 90's I used to go to a pro piercing salon called Bitches and Goddesses all the time I had like 19 hoops in my ears at one point and no problems...
but I can see why the younger the child, the more of a professional medical situation would be wanted, however it seems like $150-200 should cover it at most even in a dr.'s office.
TBH, I probably wouldn't trust a piercer who's willing to pierce a five year old. Obviously they're a helluva lot more likely to be competent than Claires or a doctor, but that just means they should know better
Aye, and even if you cut out all matters of culture and consent and whether the piercee can safely care for them, there's still the fundamental fact that those ears are going to grow and piercing young is a recipe for fucked up placement
B-b-but the insurance companies say it’s all our fault. Or at least the deadbeats who don’t have a quarter million lying around for minor medical emergencies.
Yeah the docs and hospitals are also part of the problem. Insurers aren’t the only bad actors. There really is a discussion to have about how one can consent to things without adequate knowledge while sitting in a paper gown and knowing that another appointment will take hours of your time and may require a wait of months. The reason we have managed care in the first place is because docs were ordering everything under the sun, costing a lot of money and more importantly subjecting patients to unnecessary and possibly harmful procedures.
1000% this. The doctors and hospitals take 0% responsibility for the costs of the procedures they perform. If the mom in the article had asked the surgeon what the ear piercing cost, the surgeon would not have told her.
The study of intensive care for patients who are potentially too sick (!) or not stuck enough to benefit from it, was an interesting concept to me. Worth reading :)
I can’t believe you’re being downvoted but have my upvote. I don’t know why sharing your experience would be downvoted. That was sooo common back in the day. It’s not like people are widely doing it now.
wait, why did you want the hospital to pierce your 5yo's ear? that is an example of the expense of health care, but that's not an example of the problem with it.
The surgeon casually offered to do it while the child was under anesthesia for a separate procedure, said the parent only had to bring earrings, and did not mention any additional cost
It’s the same thing as dentists or other medical professionals offering services without mentioning absurdly high costs, and is
absolutely an example of the problem with expenses of healthcare
Wow the surgeon sucks for not clarifying. As a baby, my mom told me my ears were pierced for free at the hospital. I could not imagine paying $1000s for a simple piercing omg.
A different scenario (as the doctor here was clearly being evasive), but I used to work for a neurosurgeon who was gobsmacked to learn how much one of his nurses paid for some routine bloodwork. I was shocked that he was shocked, and then it hit me that this 60-something man makes 7 figures, has never paid his own bills, and has no idea how much his own services cost. There is such a disconnect (though I do feel for most providers, as they can't be expected to quote patients for every possible procedure given the sheer number of health plans in the U.S.).
It's absurd, but in 2026 just let this stuff go to collections. Other than being scary, there's virtually no ramifications. I believe in paying my bills, but it they're going to act like this....
The rule instituted in 2024 by the CFPB that eliminated medical debt from most credit reporting and banned lenders from using medical debt to make lending decisions was overturned in July of 2025. The rule was finalized in Jan before Biden left office. The Trump admin had it overturned.
“In January 2025, the CFPB finalized a rule that would haveremoved medical debt from credit reports and prohibited lenders from making credit decisions based on medical debt. This rule would have gone beyond industries' voluntary efforts to exclude only certain kinds of medical debt and was set to go into effect March 2025. The rule was challenged by a lawsuit shortly after it was finalized, and new CFPB leadership asked the court to vacate this finalized rule, which the court did in July 2025.”
babymama917 | 5 hours ago
As a med student I was present once for a surgical ear piercing that the surgeon did as a favor to her daughter’s friend from private school. It wasn’t an add-on procedure it was the only procedure taking place in the children’s hospital OR. Such a waste of resources. I still can’t believe I witnessed that…
SaintGalentine | 4 hours ago
This piece isn't about ear piercings; it's about our for-profit healthcare system pressuring patients into unnecessary procedures without being upfront about the cost
TeamHope4 | 3 hours ago
Yes, when they started talking about mammograms and ultrasounds, I wished they hadn't focused on the ear piercing in the headline.
PerkisizingWeiner | 2 hours ago
Frankly the ear piercing was an excellent lede; it's ludicrous enough on the surface to warrant reading. Medical waste re: mammograms and ultrasounds are much more common, but "hospital bills woman for unnecessary mammogram" is not going to get the same number of eyes on the story. This was a really smart strategy by the author to recruit readers who wouldn't otherwise engage with the topic.
hydrangeasinbloom | 5 hours ago
There already exists a middle point between a shitty Claire’s piercing gun and a hospital. It’s called a reputable, sanitary body art studio and parental consent.
MicromagicFriesRIP | 3 hours ago
The doctor proactively offered to pierce the kids ears while she was in for a different procedure. Sounds like a real shit bag if you read the article.
Major-Tumbleweed7751 | an hour ago
The fact that they didn't even do a good job!!!
fupapack | 5 hours ago
Check for APP certified piercers.
nogoodbrat | 3 hours ago
I took my son to a body art studio when he decided he wanted pierced ears, I think they were about 8 years old? It was a great experience. I cringe every time I’m reminded that people still get ear piercings at Claire’s. why you’d want an underpaid 19 year old retail worker piercing your kid’s body with a dull plastic gun just eludes me lol. way more painful and you’re more likely to end up with complications too.
RepulsedCucumber | 5 hours ago
Our pediatrician did them. And did them well. This is bonkers.
LivingGhost371 | 3 hours ago
Yeah, there's a huge market for something other than by a teenager a Claire's mall store window surrounded by Temu quality junk and a terrifying tattoo parlor in the bad part of town with R-rated flash on the walls and death metal music blaring on the speakers and a bunch of bikers in leather waiting around for tattoos. Places like Studs, Rowan, and standalone body piercing studios that are sometimes even in shopping malls and nice areas. A lot of people seem not to know about these options because they've only been around in the past frew years.
TheLizardQueen3000 | 2 hours ago
Haha a few years ago I had my ears re-pierced at Claires after I noticed they closed up from not wearing earrings, the teenage girl who did it was so sweet and exited to use the gun 😂 she did a perfect job and I had no problems....
......but yeah I wouldn't risk a child's health, for sure a professional piercer would be the best choice....
.....at 14 I had them pierced in a department store (and used the sharp earrings to add 4 more holes myself after the first 2 healed ;) in the 90's I used to go to a pro piercing salon called Bitches and Goddesses all the time I had like 19 hoops in my ears at one point and no problems...
but I can see why the younger the child, the more of a professional medical situation would be wanted, however it seems like $150-200 should cover it at most even in a dr.'s office.
Commercial-Spinach93 | 4 hours ago
Read the article, please.
hydrangeasinbloom | 3 hours ago
I did. I think it’s wild the surgeon offered to pierce the kid’s ears while in for a second procedure. So unnecessary and strange.
Money-Director6649 | 3 hours ago
"During a pre-operative visit, the surgeon offered to throw in a surprising perk. Should we pierce her ears while she’s under?"
--from the article
ohbuggerit | an hour ago
TBH, I probably wouldn't trust a piercer who's willing to pierce a five year old. Obviously they're a helluva lot more likely to be competent than Claires or a doctor, but that just means they should know better
hydrangeasinbloom | an hour ago
Fair, I would say that’s one of those cultural determining factors that adds a different layer to the conversation.
ohbuggerit | an hour ago
Aye, and even if you cut out all matters of culture and consent and whether the piercee can safely care for them, there's still the fundamental fact that those ears are going to grow and piercing young is a recipe for fucked up placement
acidsplashedface | 4 hours ago
B-b-but the insurance companies say it’s all our fault. Or at least the deadbeats who don’t have a quarter million lying around for minor medical emergencies.
Commercial-Spinach93 | 4 hours ago
It's so funny and ironic that in LongReads people are commenting without even reading the first paragraph of the article.
Odd-Age-1126 | 3 hours ago
I’d say depressing more than funny. I’m in my yelling at clouds age range, I suppose.
WinterMedical | 3 hours ago
Yeah the docs and hospitals are also part of the problem. Insurers aren’t the only bad actors. There really is a discussion to have about how one can consent to things without adequate knowledge while sitting in a paper gown and knowing that another appointment will take hours of your time and may require a wait of months. The reason we have managed care in the first place is because docs were ordering everything under the sun, costing a lot of money and more importantly subjecting patients to unnecessary and possibly harmful procedures.
DollarThrill | 2 hours ago
1000% this. The doctors and hospitals take 0% responsibility for the costs of the procedures they perform. If the mom in the article had asked the surgeon what the ear piercing cost, the surgeon would not have told her.
WinterMedical | 44 minutes ago
He would have said “I don’t know”.
DollarThrill | 29 minutes ago
In what other business could you sell $1000+ products without knowing the price?
Major-Tumbleweed7751 | an hour ago
The study of intensive care for patients who are potentially too sick (!) or not stuck enough to benefit from it, was an interesting concept to me. Worth reading :)
PeriwinkleWonder | 4 hours ago
My aunt pierced mine for FREE with a potato, a needle, and thread when I was an infant.
PC-load-letter-wtf | 2 hours ago
I can’t believe you’re being downvoted but have my upvote. I don’t know why sharing your experience would be downvoted. That was sooo common back in the day. It’s not like people are widely doing it now.
PeriwinkleWonder | 2 hours ago
Yes, this was a loooooong time ago-- 50+ years!
VagabondRaccoonHands | 2 hours ago
As a fellow member of the "ear piercing by older lady relative" club, take my upvoter.
[OP] Forward-Answer-4407 | 3 hours ago
What was the potato for?
PC-load-letter-wtf | 2 hours ago
For the needle to go into on the other side. It was very common to see this in the 80s and 90s.
PeriwinkleWonder | 2 hours ago
1960s.
[OP] Forward-Answer-4407 | 2 hours ago
Thanks! I did not know that!
nogoodbrat | 3 hours ago
Well that’s horrifying lol.
latswipe | 5 hours ago
wait, why did you want the hospital to pierce your 5yo's ear? that is an example of the expense of health care, but that's not an example of the problem with it.
shoshiyoshi | 5 hours ago
Did you read even the beginning of the article?
The surgeon casually offered to do it while the child was under anesthesia for a separate procedure, said the parent only had to bring earrings, and did not mention any additional cost
It’s the same thing as dentists or other medical professionals offering services without mentioning absurdly high costs, and is absolutely an example of the problem with expenses of healthcare
Oro-Lavanda | 4 hours ago
Wow the surgeon sucks for not clarifying. As a baby, my mom told me my ears were pierced for free at the hospital. I could not imagine paying $1000s for a simple piercing omg.
PerkisizingWeiner | 2 hours ago
A different scenario (as the doctor here was clearly being evasive), but I used to work for a neurosurgeon who was gobsmacked to learn how much one of his nurses paid for some routine bloodwork. I was shocked that he was shocked, and then it hit me that this 60-something man makes 7 figures, has never paid his own bills, and has no idea how much his own services cost. There is such a disconnect (though I do feel for most providers, as they can't be expected to quote patients for every possible procedure given the sheer number of health plans in the U.S.).
latswipe | 4 hours ago
sounds like a guy who knows how to milk that bureaucracy
shakeyshake1 | 4 hours ago
That’s pretty much the entire point of the article. You would probably find it interesting if you read it.
Commercial-Spinach93 | 4 hours ago
Can you all read the article?
ras_hatak | 4 hours ago
It's absurd, but in 2026 just let this stuff go to collections. Other than being scary, there's virtually no ramifications. I believe in paying my bills, but it they're going to act like this....
StayJaded | 4 hours ago
The rule instituted in 2024 by the CFPB that eliminated medical debt from most credit reporting and banned lenders from using medical debt to make lending decisions was overturned in July of 2025. The rule was finalized in Jan before Biden left office. The Trump admin had it overturned.
“In January 2025, the CFPB finalized a rule that would haveremoved medical debt from credit reports and prohibited lenders from making credit decisions based on medical debt. This rule would have gone beyond industries' voluntary efforts to exclude only certain kinds of medical debt and was set to go into effect March 2025. The rule was challenged by a lawsuit shortly after it was finalized, and new CFPB leadership asked the court to vacate this finalized rule, which the court did in July 2025.”
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12169
CatRescuer8 | 2 hours ago
Of course they did 🤬
AngelSucked | 4 hours ago
Go to a licensed piercing place ie a tat place that also pierces
StayJaded | 4 hours ago
Read the article.