the Cost of Ear Piercing

The price includes an ear piercing (lobe) done by a licensed plastic surgeon as an out-patient procedure in his office.

As a licensed plastic surgeon all manner of in- and out-patient procedures are available with prices varying based on the complexity and duration of the procedure.

Yes, I did pay for my daughter to have her ears pierced by a plastic surgeon. No I don't regret doing it that way. Why? Because I knew that the piercings would be perfectly placed, that she'd have the option of a local anesthetic (an option she took. It was a wipe-on superficial numbing agent of some sort. Could have been toothache medicine for all I know), and that all the gear would be completely sterile. It wasn't difficult to talk my daughter into getting her ears pierced that way. Apparently plastic surgery is "cool" in the junior high school set, even if it is only pierced ears. Maybe it's the "my mom is crazy" factor that she gets to brag about, I don't know. Regardless, I'm happy with the results.

I took my daughter to my "regular" plastic surgeon. God that sounds awful, like I get plastic surgery all the time and I'm pressuring my daughter to get some too. "Here, honey, see how much better your nose would look with that nose job?" *Twitch* how revolting.

Anyway, yeah, picking a plastic surgeon is like picking any other doctor. Warm but professional beside ("table side" since they work next to an operating table?) manner, regular continuing education courses, board certifications, reputable references, did their residency in a good hospital, is willing to show you befores and afters of how they fixed mistakes (regardless of who made them (even if it was them (especially if it was them))), not just the successful procedures.

Man, that's a lot to consider for pierced ears, particularly considering I put my first piercings in with a sewing needle sterilized in a candle and pulled through with a potato after numbing my lobe with a bit of ice.