Ear Piercing

Pisces35 · September 2014

Hi All,

I know this is a controversial topic, however please refrain from judgement. I want to get my 6 month old's ears pierced. Has anyone done it? what was your reason for doing it so early? Would you do it again this early? What are the downside? If you live in NJ, any recommendations as to where they will do it?

EricaOO · September 2014

My daughter is 9 months and I have thought about it but my DH won't let me. Anyhow, our pediatrician does it. You could ask yours. Some people wait until the kid actually asks for it. We will probably do what I did, and have DD's done for her first holy communion.

Pisces35 · September 2014

I am trying to convince my DH as well. He is against it. My pediatrician does not do it, suprisingly.

chloebeth930 · September 2014

I was going to do it, and have her pedi do it. However, my DD loved to play with her ears as a baby, and I knew she would somehow injure the healing process so we decided to skip out.

I would find a pedi to do it. I would not be comfortable taking her to a mall kiosk or something along those lines.

[Deleted User] · September 2014

On the flip side, my mom waited until I asked.

I never asked...my ears are not pierced. It's just never been something I wanted to do.

jenn43 · September 2014

Our pediatrician does it. I think the biggest risk (other than infection) is LO pulling the earrings out. Constantly tugging them will stretch out the holes, and can eventually tear the earlobe right through. I've seen a few people who tore their earlobes this way.

rodiesmum · September 2014

Did it when DD was 4 months with a pedi referred to is by out pedia of course, and i totally regret doing it at that time because she felt the pain for three days or so.
Just a background, In our culture women have their ears pierced and rarely will u see girl infant/babies/kids without it. Yes we have an option not to do it right away but it still has to be done sooner than later like before she is 7YO or something, nothing concrete abt the age though.
In DD's case, DH failed to have it done upon birth which is the usual practice in the hospital where DD is born. Cant blame him. he was way too exctd and it is our first. I forgot to tell him that too.
For LO # 2 i gave DH specific instructions to have it done right away.

oughtonk · September 2014

First and foremost I feel like this is a personal choice and not something to be judgmental about. Our daughter will get her ears pierced at 6 months, DH actually brought it up and wants it done, I hadn't brought it up because I thought he'd be against it. Shocked me! When I was in college I was a manager at Claires and pierced a lot of ears including 6 month olds, we wouldn't do it any earlier than 6 months. The babies were the easiest and once they get older it's tough, a lot of tears and slips of the piercing gun. My biggest recommendation to parents of 6 month olds was to keep mittens on the hands during healing so they don't yank them out or risk an infection. Also 14k gold so you don't run the risk of an allergic reaction.

NADA-H · September 2014

In our culture we put earrings on girls while still in the hospital or within the first week-2 months max.

My baby got her ears pierced by a nurse at the hospital when she was 3 days old. She did it in 2 minutes and my baby was asleep when she took her to do it and fast asleep still when she returned her. The pediatrician suggested that the earlier we do it the less pain she'll feel and i'm glad we did it. I wouldnt have done it if her earlopes werent fully developed or attached that the shape wasnt clear.

I had mine done when a newborn baby and so did my sisters and all girls in my extended family. No infections or issues what so ever

2goingon3 · September 2014

I'll chime in as one of those parents who waited until their kid asked. DD started asking at 4 because her cousins had pierced ears, I have pierced ears, and I let her ask for a full year. Once she started noticing that younger girls at daycare or wherever had pierced ears and pointing out that if they could have them, then she could too, I realized that she really was asking for them. So, we took her to get them done for her 5th birthday.

The experience and after care was great until we had to take them out for soccer nearly 3 months later. She WOULD not let us put them back in because she was scared it would hurt again. It took a full 24 hours of asking, negotiating and fighting to finally get them back in. She refused to let us touch them after that, so long story short, one of the tiny studs actually sank into her earlobe and the skin swelled over it overnight and we had to go to the doctor to have it removed.

She no longer has earrings.

My opinion, I would pierce my baby's ears and care for them properly because then when they're older and in activities that require them to be taken out, it's no big deal.

mexicolombiana · September 2014

I did both my girls at about 3 months at a Clare's at the mall. I made sure an experienced manager pierced her ears not a young 17 year old girl. Although, I would trust the 17 year old if she had experience.

Anyway it went fine, they hardly cried. No regrets here. It's a tiny hole in an ear no big deal in my family or in my life. Just clean their ears every night and all that jazz.

bearfootz · September 2014

I wanted to wait until she wanted it and was ready to help take care of her ears. She started mentioning it at 4 and I told her she had to wait until kindergarten. Now she says she doesn't want it as she's afraid it will hurt and not that many girls in her class have earrings.

I'm also avoiding the topic a bit as my son mentioned wanting his ear pierced once and as progressive as I try to be my response was that he had to wait until he was an adult to make that decision.

Beevol · September 2014

My parents pierced my sister's ears at birth in the hospital (different country, it's what is "done" in our culture) and waited to do mine until I asked when I was 5 years old. We are planning to wait until DD asks and the rule on non-ear piercings is that she needs to wait until she's an "adult" (we haven't decided how old this is yet, but I got my nose pierced at 18 and love it, but it's a common thing in my line of work).

I would have the pediatrician do it and if they don't, go to a reputable piercing/tattoo parlor. Don't do it at the mall! They don't sterilize their equipment and they don't provide any actual training to the random teenage girls who they hire.

mrsseguin · September 2014

Both my girls got their ears pierced when they were 2 months old. I wanted to get it done when they wouldn't remember, the earring were always there and they didn't touch them. I would do it again 1000x over. It is a very personal decision.

If DH was very against it, I would have waited until they were in their teens to get it done. I got mine done when I was 4 and I remember it vividly and it was a terrible experience even thought I begged for it. Mine also got infected cause I was always touching them.

2goingon3 · September 2014

CK2MD said:

Bearfootz said:

I wanted to wait until she wanted it and was ready to help take care of her ears. She started mentioning it at 4 and I told her she had to wait until kindergarten. Now she says she doesn't want it as she's afraid it will hurt and not that many girls in her class have earrings.
I'm also avoiding the topic a bit as my son mentioned wanting his ear pierced once and as progressive as I try to be my response was that he had to wait until he was an adult to make that decision.

This is an interesting dichotomy. I wonder if all those who were in favor of piercing their daughters' ears early would do the same for a son. (I would consider "early" to be any age when LO couldn't take care of their ears on their own, which is different for each child.)

I'll answer! For me, no, I never considered piercing DS's ear(s). To me, it's nowhere near as popular/common for boys, and my husband doesn't have any piercings so the likelihood of DS actually wanting a piercing are slim to none, unlike with DD being surrounded by girls/women in her life that have piercings. To me, it was inevitable that she would ask and didn't surprise me at all when she did.

If DS was to ask for ear piercing, we'd talk about it, and then we'd go ahead and get it done.

Jmamas · September 2014

CK2MD said:

Bearfootz said:

I wanted to wait until she wanted it and was ready to help take care of her ears. She started mentioning it at 4 and I told her she had to wait until kindergarten. Now she says she doesn't want it as she's afraid it will hurt and not that many girls in her class have earri This is an interesting dichotomy. I wonder if all those who were in favor of piercing their daughters' ears early would do the same for a son. (I would consider "early" to be any age when LO couldn't take care of their ears on their own, which is different for each child.)

Personally, I plan to wait until LO is old enough to ask and to demonstrate that she can care for her ears with minimal supervision. While earrings can certainly be removed and holes allowed to close up, the closed hole would still be visible. I would prefer LO decide about any permanent changes to her body for herself, unless it is a health issue. After all, not every woman has pierced ears.

**coming out of lurking for the first time** We have DS1 who is 16yo and DS2 who is 3 months. When DS1 entered high school he started asking to get his ears pierced my DH and I debated for a while and decided on his 16th bday if he still showed interested we'd take him to get pierced and he did so we did. We took him to a very well respected piercing parlor. Just yesterday we went to open house at my DS1 high school and during the PE briefing one of the things the teacher stressed is no piercings are to be worn during activities.... continued saying this includes all nose, lips, eyebrows, etc.....so in a few years it'll may be more than ears being asked to be pierced. **back to lurking**

rubber_chicken · September 2014

It was very important to my husband and his family that my DD's ears get pierced. However, neither our hospital nor our pediatrician does it. Our plan was to wait a bit, but now that she's developed all these allergies, plus I'VE developed a metal allergy, I'm in no rush to do it. I've convinced him to wait until she's in grade school at least.

jasminelorraine20 · September 2014

Mine were pierced as an infant and I'm glad. I don't do well with shots, peircings, pain, etc. The earliest that I've known babies to get it done is 3 months, after the go ahead from the pedi and updated shots. There will be people that want to judge you because your baby has her ears pierced, who cares?

junebugrbig · September 2014

I didn't get my ears pierced until I was about 9 years and it was because I asked my mom if I could. I will take the same approach with my DD.

skibunny59 · September 2014

I did it when DD was 6 months old and despite my best efforts at keeping them clean, they still got infected and we had to take them out. We went to the pedi and I followed all their instructions and they still got infected. I went back and forth with it for awhile but I did it for cultural reasons (I'm Cuban) and I felt a lot of pressure from family members to do it. It was not a good idea. She looked cute and all but I was constantly worried about the earrings catching on her blankets or clothing while she slept at night.

Also, after the fact, I read a lot about how piercing with a piercing gun is really not good at all. (what they use at the mall and most pedi's.) She is now 2.5 and I am waiting until SHE is interested and wants earrings. When we get them done again, I'm going to find a professional piercer to do them with a needle.

skibunny59 · September 2014

chloebeth930 said:

I was going to do it, and have her pedi do it. However, my DD loved to play with her ears as a baby, and I knew she would somehow injure the healing process so we decided to skip out.
I would find a pedi to do it. I would not be comfortable taking her to a mall kiosk or something along those lines.

Most pedi's use a piercing gun just like they do at the mall. What's the difference? If you want it done properly find a professional piercer to do it with a needle.

chelsearf82 · September 2014

I had my oldests done at 15 weeks the minimum age at that time. My youngests was done at 2.5 months. Neither one of them have had problems and only cried for a second. My youngest just didn't like being held down. I had it done early because I didn't have mine done until elementary school and was scared. This way they don't remember it and is something they're used to growing up. My youngest who is now 4 months doesn't seem to even know they're there.

Doctors in my area don't do piercing so both girls had theirs done at claires. The easiest way to soothe them afterwards is by cuddling and a paci or timing it for when they are due for a bottle is great too.

Slb22 · September 2014

I am in the wait until she asks camp. I had mine done when I was 5. I have no idea if I asked or if my mom just took me. I remember it and remember it hurting. Still doesn't sway me from waiting until she is older. I rarely wear earrings now so maybe that is why I dont think it is a big deal to wait and see if she even wants them.

skibunny59 · September 2014

The other thing I forgot to mention OP, no matter where you go please make sure the piercing studs are REAL 14kgold. You'd be surprised how many piercing earrings are not gold. When we got DD's ears pierced at the pedi all of the piercing studs they had were either surgical stainless steel or gold plated. It wasn't until after the fact that I learned ears (especially babies) should only be pierced with real gold. Honestly I think that's why we had so many problems. That and the pedi had no idea what she was doing. Sorry, but I feel like most Pedi's don't know squat about piercing ears.

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Ear Piercing

Re: Ear Piercing

God Bless You my Little OneFarida, our first child, born on the 19th of July 2014Farida, at 8 weeks

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God Bless You my Little One
Farida, our first child, born on the 19th of July 2014

Farida, at 8 weeks