Talk to the store manager, that is highly inappropriate- not only that she was playing instead of working for almost an hour, but that she ignored her actual job of piercing ears. Not to mention she sounds like she was being creepily touchy-feely. I will admit to being a bit confused about why you didn't stop her after the first few minutes of playing with your hair, but I imagine there is some reason as to why.

I'm guessing she was twisting OP's hair up and out of the way so she could pierce OP's ears safely. That's how I read it. But then again, I'm not sure why OP would go to get her ears pierced without tying up her hair. Or let the piercer play with her hair for that long.

Next time open your mouth and tell her you're not there for a hair style but to get your ears pierced.

YDI, allowing her to waste that much time with you

This sounds like a place that uses a gun to pierce your ears, maybe this was a sign to go to an actual piercer. Not only are they more professional, but they also have better equipment. Also as a bonus you'll get better aftercare advice and, generally speaking, less complications.

Hope you weren't charged for the session

At some point this is on you for letting it happen for so long.

Did you pay

I can honestly see this happening to me. I love have my hair played with, so I would totally zone out and go into bliss mode and not want to say anything to make it stop. Granted I'd be annoyed later when realizing I didn't get what I went in for...but 45 minutes of someone fiddling with my hair sounds amazing.

And this is why we have things like Yelp.

I am going to bet that you went to the mall and not an actual piercing place....

Yeah...that didn't happen...