What age is appropriate/best for pierced ears ?

[trucanuck]

What are the cons of doing it too young? Would prefer to put it off as long as possible.

[dor79]

I think it varies culturally of what age is appropriate/expected.

For us, we would pierce a girls ears after her 3 month appointment. We would perfer to do it earlier so they don't play with their ears as much.

[althetrainer]

Honestly, If I had a daughter I would try to discourage her from getting her ears pierced. :) I always think it's pretty gross to push some foreign object through your earlobe, worse yet somewhere else. But again, I am a stick in the mud. If piercing couldn't be avoided, I would wait until the kid's old enough to be able to keep the holes clean and their hair and clothing from tangling up with the earrings. I have seen kids screaming at the shop because of unexpected pain, and an occasion a girl got her earring ripped off while playing, and oh boy, was it a mess! And yea, they will have to wear the earrings constantly in the first little while or the holes will close. Also, young kids tend to lose thing easily. I definitely would wait until she shows some signs of responsibility before I would buy her something expensive.

[saver123]

If you want your daughter to have them when they are young then do it before they know how to scratch at their ears. Personally I want my daughter to make this choice on their own. If they don't want their ears pierced, then that's fine with me too.

[bargainista!]

What are the cons of doing it too young? Would prefer to put it off as long as possible.

then why not wait until they are old enough to choose to have it done themselves?

This is what my parents did, and I got my ears pierced when I was 16. I had no interest in having it done before then. I respect that they wanted it to be my choice.

[D-Roc]

then why not wait until they are old enough to choose to have it done themselves?

This is what my parents did, and I got my ears pierced when I was 16. I had no interest in having it done before then. I respect that they wanted it to be my choice.

Exactly. Let her make the choice. Otherwise you are doing it for yourselves and not for her.

[trucanuck]

I have got it put off for now. I also want to delay until she is 20 years old or so but realize that she may want them before that...

[.Jessica]

A lot get done as babies or any time after about 4-5 I believe. The time between that is a little awkward to do it because they don't quite understand the consequences of touching them and can fight the cleaning etc. Having it done really young is nice because she wouldn't really bother them but having them done a little older totally avoids that 2-3 year old stage whem they're probably most likely to get torn. There's a lot to consider so you'll sort of have to feel it out and decide when everyone is on board and ready.

If/when she does ask (I would guess around the time she sharts school and sees her peers with theirs) you could first try clip ons or clip on converters for regular earrings to see if she would be okay with those. There seems to be more and more of those and she might like to no pain factor. If she still wants them actually pierced, see how you feel about how well you think she would handle it at that point because everyone is different and some would be ready at 4, some still can't take care of them at 10. You'll probably want to tell her about the healing, and how she can't change the earrings for a while, and the aftercare every single day until they heal. I'm not sure how you would feel about this, but you could show her the (standard, no exaggeration) 2 inch hollow piercing needles used in tattoo shops. That would be the ideal place to do it and that's what they use, no guns, and it might be too much for her. If you still do choose to do it the needle is a better option and it's actually more comfortable than the guns. It literally slips right through (the gun is blunt force and more of a crush and a tear), the accuracy is way better, the piercers really know their anatomy as compared to a woman at Claire's with a 2 hour training video as experience, they teach you optimal aftercare (not alcohol!) and you have someone to go back to if there are any issues and for a first earring change. Initial piercings are typically done with captive bead rings at tattoo shops and are best changed by a pro because they usually require pliers to open. Having it done at a tattoo shop will have you starting with higher quality earrings too which can be a major help in the healing department. If you get a slightly larger initial gauge that's available at tattoo shops, that also helps prevent tears. A 16 gauge has less of a chance of a tear than a 20 gauge (20 is thinner, not majorly but enough to make a difference). Even if you initially pierce at 16 gauge she can easily move down to 20 gauge for more variety in earrings. Going from 20 to 16 is different and traumatic because you're stretching the holes out instead of just putting thinner earrings in like you do when going from 16 to 20.

IMO if she wants it and you can be comfortable with it (you are the parent afterall and ultimately the choice is yours), it's not a really serious thing if it's done professionally and taken care of. Even infections can be controlled easily and don't require removal of the rings. I've left an irritated/infected piercing in because taking them out can actually promote abcess formation which is way more serious than the original infection. A couple days of fusidic acid/hydrocortisone cream and good cleaning cleared them up easily. I have 7 piercings currently, 5 in my ears and all the ear piercings have been fine even with less than stellar care sometimes. The only problematic one has been my monroe (upper lip) because I play tenor sax, trumpet and flute 5+ hours a week at least starting 2 weeks after the piercing and no proper rest pieriod in 2 years. Even that is doing fine now though. The holes do usually close up with very little scarring (a tiny dot on each ear that usually disappears more and more) and sometimes none at all. There are even little sticker like re-enforcements to prevent any ripping or stretching if that's a concern. I'll bet it can be pretty stressful as a parent, I know my own mom can be a little hesitant and there's a lot of scary stories out there but for the most part it's quick, virtually painless, well recieved by the child (especially if they ask for it) and it can be a lot of fun for girls to pick out new earrings. I don't think it's as permanent as it's made out to be in a lot of cases.

[dibksbgon]

Exactly. Let her make the choice. Otherwise you are doing it for yourselves and not for her.

What he said.

Did not get my ears pierced until I was 14 or so.

[deathblow]

Just did my daughter's ears last week, she is 6mths.

But IF I had it my way, I would have let her make the choice herself down the road.

ah well.

[samkat]

If you think about it, well - at least I think it is, some form of abuse to pierce any part of a baby and or child. I agree, let the person opt to make this decision rather than force it on another human being that has absolutely no say. Would you tattoo a child or baby ?

[Merc with a Mouth]

The appropriate age is when they have the mental capacity to make a decision on whether they want a piece of gold/silver to pierce their flesh. Piercing the ears of a small child is only done so for the pleasure of the parents with no benefit to the child. Physical pain is inflicted when a child has their ears pierced and parents are willing to make their child go through this just for their pleasure. Unlike clothing that is also based on parental preference of beauty, piercing a child's ears provides no warmth or protection.

[deathblow]

If you think about it, well - at least I think it is, some form of abuse to pierce any part of a baby and or child. I agree, let the person opt to make this decision rather than force it on another human being that has absolutely no say. Would you tattoo a child or baby ?

Why even give them their 6mth shots, and all the other shots they are given - since according to this logic - it's a form of abuse.
God forbid you ever see me spank my child.

[bionicbadger]

18+ though they are still pretty young and stupid at that point

[samkat]

Why even give them their 6mth shots, and all the other shots they are given - since according to this logic - it's a form of abuse.
God forbid you ever see me spank my child.

I clearly get the health benefits of giving infants shots for preventative medical benefits. On the other hand, making holes in earlobes is not considered any medical preventative benefits - or is it ?

And remember not to spank while driving;)

[stangela]

If you think about it, well - at least I think it is, some form of abuse to pierce any part of a baby and or child. I agree, let the person opt to make this decision rather than force it on another human being that has absolutely no say. Would you tattoo a child or baby ?

Two different things. I think we can all agree that most females will get their ears pierced eventually anyways. A much lower percentage of females will get a tattoo. Also, tattoos are very personal, both in terms of design and location. Getting a tattoo is much longer and much more painful process as well.

Both my daughters got pierced at 3 months. Both cried for about 10 seconds afterwards.

[Merc with a Mouth]

Why even give them their 6mth shots, and all the other shots they are given - since according to this logic - it's a form of abuse.
God forbid you ever see me spank my child.

You have no logic that is why you tried (miserably) to compare shots that provide medical benefits to a child with piercing a child's ears which provides no benefit to them at all. There is also no good reason to spank a child and and every reason I have heard is lame.



Two different things. I think we can all agree that most females will get their ears pierced eventually anyways. A much lower percentage of females will get a tattoo. Also, tattoos are very personal, both in terms of design and location. Getting a tattoo is much longer and much more painful process as well.

Both my daughters got pierced at 3 months. Both cried for about 10 seconds afterwards.

Most but not all females will get their ears pierced. You are making the decision for your daughters before they are old enough to make it for themselves. What benefit does a 3 month old get from having their ears pierced? I can tell you right now that there is no benefit to the child whatsoever. You simply put your child through pain (10 seconds or 10 minutes it does not matter) for your own pleasure.

[deathblow]

^ are you a parent?

[Merc with a Mouth]

^ are you a parent?

You just asked the #1 question a parent asks when they have no answer to a proper point. I know exactly where this question leads. Trust me, there is no possible way you can debate me on these topics.

[deathblow]

jeeesh. just a question.
no need to be defensive.

[bubbles04]

Typically any age is fine. I would think earlier the better, or when they are old enough to make their own decisions and of course responsible. I did both my girls and they are not wearing them at all. One is allergic and the other a little as well. They played with them, took them out, didn't want them cleaned which is a must in order to help take care of them. The younger then like others have said they don't play with them but then again there babies and they sleep on there sides sometimes which could cause pressure to the ear. The older the better as they would of proven to you by this time that they are cleaning there room, having regular showers and taking care of their hygiene, purchasing things they need on there own, doing their homework, doing their own hair (keeping it brushed, up,etc.) My step daughters have struggled with theirs too and they were little as well like 4-5 when they all got them done. The one actually had huge scabs because she was allergic and sometimes you don't know until you try, but it actually looked very gross not to mention it hurt her.

I think it is a parent's decision as you know your child and you are the parent, but take into consideration the side affects that can occur. It is a responsibility for you to if they are you ng as you will need to remember to keep them cleaned at all times, and turning them, if they get stuck they tend to get really sensitive .

[Merc with a Mouth]

jeeesh. just a question.
no need to be defensive.

It is a question that is not relevant to the discussion.