Ear Piercing

myrumam

Just wondering everyone's thought on piercing a baby girls ears and if you plan to and when. It's something I'm considering but I'm not 100% sure yet..

midge519

I got my daughter pierced when she was 6 months old. A lot of people will tell you to let it be her choice as she wants it. In my experience this can be a hot topic just like circumcision can be.

amberrmariee20

There's actually a few really good threads on this ! Use the search function and you'll get a whole lot of feedback and a whole lot more comments !

maiatene

It's up to you... like @midge519 said this is one of those hot button issues around these parts so be prepared for the "unnecessary mutilation" comments...

Gingerella8

I used to pierce ears in a store at the mall when I was a teenager. Maybe this has altered my opinion on it. The only pre-req was the baby be three months old. I have never seen anything wrong with it, and the way the manufacturer packages the piercing studs it is very sanitary ( no way to touch the earring with the hands and the gun doesn't even touch the cartridge the stud is in). I also have always been of the mindset do it before they can remember , and babies were always easier to do and would barely cry as opposed to a 5 year old who asked for it.
Very touchy subject though , it is purely esthetic. I wouldn't compare it to circumcision though, the holes will close up if you change your mind.

J1D

I'm on Team "Unnecessary Mutilation." Well, not exactly, more like Team Let Her Decide. I don't personally like altering infants' bodies and seeing little babies with their ears pierced just kinda makes me sad. Also it's hard to know how the ears will grow and what the final placement of the piercings will be. I personally much prefer to wait til a kid is 8+ years old before letting them piece their ears, and honestly would rather wait til they are 12+. That's just my personal feelings about it.

ninavelezzz

I also, am going to wait until my daughter is old enough to ask for them. I think it would be a great big girl birthday present. I got my ears pierced as a baby and one earring is always higher than the other and it really annoys me. I think the ears need time to "grow in." lol

erinboehme

My sister and sister in law both did their little girls' as babies and I thought it was mean. My sister, though, says that with babies it is easier (they get over it faster and heal quickly) and they get less infections because they can't touch their ears. That being said, I'm still waiting until my baby is old enough to ask.

mollypuss1

I had my ears pierced as a child, however, I've never worn earrings in more years than I can count. I just don't like wearing them. I used to wear them as a child because I was told that's what girls do, it was only as I got older that I realised that was a silly stereotype. Not all girls want their ears pierced and for that reason I'm gonna let my daughter decide if she wants to.

lindsayp916

I had my ears pierced as a baby and hated wearing earrings as a toddler (mom says I would pull them out). They were infected a lot for what reason I do not know. At one point I pulled one out, mom didn't notice and it grew back. I ended up getting them repierced later in life and they still get infected if I wear earrings consistently. It was a traumatic thing for me in my childhood memories, and I will wait until my daughter is much older to make that decision together.

mollypuss1

lindsayp916 said:

I had my ears pierced as a baby and hated wearing earrings as a toddler (mom says I would pull them out). They were infected a lot for what reason I do not know. At one point I pulled one out, mom didn't notice and it grew back. I ended up getting them repierced later in life and they still get infected if I wear earrings consistently. It was a traumatic thing for me in my childhood memories, and I will wait until my daughter is much older to make that decision together.

Just a thought but have you been checked for a nickel allergy? I know that can cause the infections you refer to.

Louisl

I never got my ears pierced and I've never wanted them pierced. I just don't think it's right to assume all girls will want pierced ears. It's never been part of my style, and in fact I really like being unique by not having them. (Although it's made for a couple awkward gift exchanges since many people just assume). I'm not a "tomboy" either, I just choose to accessorize other places. I would have been pissed if someone had made that decision for me.

1stComesLove421

When mine are old enough to ask is when I'll let them get it done. For my 8th birthday that's what I wanted. My mom made it a special trip and let me pick out several ear rings plus the ones I was pierced with. I want to do the same and her be old enough to make it special!

mbyoung

I had my daughter's ears pierce when she was 3 months old. She did great and if this LO is a girl (we are team green) I will have her ears pierced as well.

perrysaurus

I would do your research, not only psychologically are there side effects, but mall shops like piercing pagoda or Claire use a gun system. The cartridges placed in the gun tool are the only sterile component and the gun is used on each and every customer without sterilization. The gun tool is constructed with plastic and never run through an autoclave. You carry alot of risk with that. I own an APP certified tattoo and piercing parlor and can tell you there are good reasons APP certified piercers will not pierce a babies ears.
Do you find it suspicious that our state makes it illegal to pierce anyone under the age if 16, although you can bring your minor children to any mall or nail salon to get pierced with non sterilized equipment in a public store, which is never cleaned to a professional shops standards ?
Research will be key, good luck!

mom4liak

My oldest daughter is 11. She was around 6 weeks old when she got her first set of ear piecings. We had them done by a nurse at her pediatricians office. They used a piercing needle not a gun. We were told that it was safer because it removes the tissue where the hole is instead of blasting the tissue apart creating a whole like happens with a gun. She has never had an infection or issue with those holes.
When she was 8 she asked for a second hole. We did the mall thing. She ended up with a horrible infection that required antibiotics.
At 9 she got her nose pierced. She had it done at a tattoo/piercing shop with a certified piercer. Very sterile shop and she had zero issues.
Our new DD will be getting her ears pierced at her pediatricians office also. Never again will we do the mall thing, no matter how old she is when we decide to get them done.

alinic916

Planning to get dd's ears pierced around 6-9 months in the pediatricians office. I had mine done as a baby and glad I did. If you do when they are that little they won't mess with it and should heal without issues. If you wait until they are a toddler or even a little older, they might mess with them more while they are healing.

leah665

I chose to get mine pierced at an older age and will be doing the same with my daughter.

cindykinnear

I let my first two decide when they wanted to do it. They both got it done around six years old. We made a special day out of it and they got to pick their earrings out, then we went for frozen yogurt after. I will do the same with my new daughter.

smnewby

I have thought this over and am still undecided. My ears were pierced when I was an infant and I am happy they were as I always had a fear of needles as a child and although I would have wanted them pierced eventually it would have caused me horrible anxiety.

On the other hand I like the thought of making the experience special and letting my daughter make the choice for herself.

I will have to find out if that is something pediatricians in my area offer. After reading this thread the mall thing is a lot less appealing =(.

Edited for sp

edavis926

It's not something so and I have discussed yet but I think I was in like 5th grade before I had them done. I wore earrings through middle school and sometimes in high school but I always had to take them out for sports. Now at 25 it's rare that I wear any if I'm not dressed up.

My mom never had hers pierced so that's probably part of why I never cared. I'm also just not big on accessorizing. I'm probably more team wait until she asks but I understand both sides. If she grows up with them she'll always just be used to them and that'll be what she knows. If you wait you have a chance to make a big fun thing out of it and it can be one of her first major big girl decisions. Just make sure you do your research and go to a good place. I think if we were going to do it if definitely start with seeing if the doctors office would do it.

poupoule

I never liked earrings, I never got my ears pierced, my parents were of the team "let her decide" and now I find pierced ears so weird lol... So no questions for me

Mbechara

I have 2 girls and I got them both done at 3 months old. They cried because I had to restrain their arms.
I followed the instructions of cleaning and both were fine.
I went to Carl visage baker on the recommendation of the girl doctor.
At the end of the day it's your decision as a mom.

kellbell156

Def agreed that there are 2 schools of thought. I've heard if you're going to do it, (and some pediatricians actually do it) to do it when they are little becasue they heal quickly and won't tug and play w them. With that said my 6 year old used to say no every time I asked her from 2 on, then one day when she was almost 4 she said yes. We did it, not a tear shed. It was her own decision and it worked well for us. Even though she took them out last year and they closed up. That was also her decision.