Ear Piercing
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July 2004
I'm looking for reputable and experienced jewelers that perform
infant ear piercing. Thanks.
Maria
Hello! Believe it or not the best place is at the mall. I took
my daughter to the doctor's office thinking it was the best, &
it turned out to be a diaster. The doctor even had my daughter's
ears noticeably uneven. I took her to Piercing Pagado at the
mall & they fixed the problem & my daughter who was 6 months
didn't even blink an eye whereas at the doctor's office she was
crying bloody murder.
skasha
I HIGHLY recommend Silver Lining on Lakeshore in Oakland (465-
5103). We used were there 11/02 and plan to take our 3.5 month
old there as well.
We originally had our 11 month old daughter's ears pierced at
one of those mall places by the extremely shakey hands of a
teenager. Big mistake, because she was moving so much and the
girl was shaking, she ended up missing the hole completely and
pierced the ear at a funny angle at the very tip! We didn't
even get the second ear pierced, we waited a month and went to
Silver Lining. The owner of the store did it for us, she's
been doing it for like 20 years and was VERY good. My husband
did have to keep my daughter in some what of a head lock as
this time around she knew what was coming, she did cry, but it
was over after a few mins.
Just some advice add'l advice, if she's old enough, make sure
to have some sort of treat in hand to reward her with
afterwards. Also, the sooner you get it done the better; the
older they get, the feistier they get! Good luck.
HB
You may try your daughter's doctor. I just made an appointment
with my daughter's pediatrician. They had a display that they
now offer this service which costs $40. This pediatrician is in
Concord but others on the other side of the tunnel may also
offer it. My pediatrician's phone number is (925) 827-9195 in
case you want to call.
ARA
I know that my pediatrician's office has a nurse who does
piercing for infants and children, though I am not sure whether
it is drop-in or by appointment. Bancroft Pediatric Group in
San Leandro. Here's their contact information: 1300 BANCROFT
AVE # 204, SAN LEANDRO, CA, 94577, (510)483-2605
Good luck.
Rachel
March 2004
I am 37-weeks pregnant with my first baby (a girl!) and I would
love to get recommendations from moms that had their little
girl's ears pierced when they were still infants. I'm from
Brazil and in our culture there are nurses that come to the
hospital to pierce infant's ears with special little needles,
not the usual guns. Does anyone know of any place or anyone
that does that? I would really appreciate any recommendation.
Thank you!
can't wait to be a mommy
Hi,
I had much angst over this question as well. My partner's
family is latino and it is very normal to pierce the baby's ears
in the first 3 months. Her grandma was very sad and always
asked me when I was going to get my baby's ears pierced. But
being a first time mommy, I was scared and didn't want to
inflict much pain or deal with infections.
Finally, I got them done at 10 months and I think that is about
the uppermost limit to get them done or wait until they want them
(maybe after 5-7 years old?)cuz then they are more ''aware'' and
will freak out! We went to Bombay Jewelry on University and
they did a wonderful job. i wanted a place where it is ''normal''
in the culture to pierce baby's ears and have done it for a long
time, not a jewelry stand w/ no experience (hey! I used to
pierce ears in college for such a place). They've been doing it
for over 10 years. They say they only pierce between 9 months up
to a year - interesting window. They said something about the
earlobes developing and doing it before the ''too old'' and
freaked out age.
I do recommend taking someone with you for support and whoever
can hold the baby's head firmly.
Anyhow, we did have a little bump in the road with an infection,
but that was because the backing fell off and i put a gold one
on and it bugged her ear. once i replaced it was fine and really
didn't bother the baby much. When you consider all they go
through with shots, the piercing isn't a biggy.
Lot's of moms (including myself) wondered if the baby would tug
or bother w/ the earrings and they never have bugged her.
good luck!
happy i got it over with
June 2003
Our daughter is now 4 months old and I am looking for a
clean/professional/reliable place to have her ears pierced. He
pediatrician recommended that we wait until she got the second
tetanus shot. That's done and we don't want to wait any longer
or else I know we'll never do it.
I checked the web site and only found recommendations for older
children and teenagers. Oddly enough it seems that the most
reliable places are the tatoo/piercing shops on telegraph. It
feels wierd to take a baby there, although I do trust them
better than the Mall. I also suppose that for baby it is better
to use a needle (vs gun). I will greatly appreciate your advice!
Mariel
DEFINITELY stay away from the mall. It is impossible to properly
sterilize the needle guns that they use. Professional piercers
are the way to go, as they are very adept at what they do, plus
they sterilize their needles in an autoclave. However, some
piercers won't do children who are so young, some will. For
some, it's a personal consent issue, ie, the baby is not able to
give consent.
Robin
March 2003
I'd like to get my 11 month old daughter's ears pierced, but her
pediatrician has a policy of not piercing infants. I am
reluctant about having it done at a place like Afterthoughts or
Claire's Boutique. If anyone knows of an alternative, I'd like
to hear from you. I'd also like to hear about your experiences
(good and bad) if you've had your baby's ears pierced at a
jewelry/accessory store.
Denise
We had our daughter's ears pierced at Hilltop Mall, and it was a
total DISASTER. Since you asked for people's experiences, I will
offer you ours, and also try to discourage you from getting your
daughter's ears done at this age. First of all, it hurts. Second
of all, at 11 months, she will be grabbing at them, pulling at
them, and won't understand that she has to leave them in until
they heal. One of our daughter's posts was put in at a slant, so
you can see the back of the post from the front (this really
bugged me). Also, one got infected, despite our cleaning them
daily, and the pus oozed and dried around the post and...need I go
on? I would suggest waiting, since you have already waited 11
months, until she is old enough to understand, ask for them
herself (after all it is HER body), and help in the care and
maintenance of them. I will NOT pierce my second daughter's ears
until she is at least ten years old!
Wiser the second time around
I had my daughters ears pierced when she was a year old, at
''Piercing Pagoda'' (we lived in PA then), a run-of-the-mill
accessories island at the local mall. Make sure that they break
open a new pair of ear studs, sterilize her ears and do both ears
at once (very important, one at a time is obviously traumatic).
It also helped to have my daughter sit in my lap while it was
done. We called ahead to ensure that there were 2 people at the
store at that time who had dealt with infant ear piercing before.
She cried for exactly 2 minutes, at which point we entered a toy
store and that was the end of the tears :)
I diligently swabbed her ears with the solution they gave me and
she had no problems at all.
I know it's scary, but it hurts them less than it hurts the
parents :)
Richa
I'd recommend Beadazzled at the Hilltop mall for infant ear
piercing. My daughter had her ears pierced there at about 5
months with no problem. My wife is from Bali, where it is
customary to pierce little girls' ears early. The Balinese
wisdom is that the younger the child, the less pain they feel.
My daughter responded more to the fussing over having her hold
still than to the piercing itself, but never even cried. I also
have several friends whose kids' ears were happily pierced
there, and based on whose recommendations we went there. The
lady who did the piercing is very calm and gentle. Good luck!
Ralph
September 2006
Our nearly 10 year old daughter wants to get her ears pierced. We're ok with that.
WHERE does one go for this? We want an experienced person with sterilized
equipment. We are very leary about the ''mall'' experience and would prefer another
setting. Any good suggestions? dori
The mall is no big deal. My daughter had her ears pierced at
Beadazzled at Hilltop last year when she was 5. I had my ears
pierced at Beadazzled when it was at El Cerrito Plaza in 1973.
And, gasp, who would have thought -- we survived the leary ''mall
experience.''
-- just do it
Silver Lining on Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland is great.
They have a wide variety of earings and are concerned about ear
health. The staff is well trained and can pierce both ears at
the same time. They are ADULTS performing the piercings, which
was important to me when I took my 12 year old this summer.
Clean and gentile. You will not be disappointed!
lisa
March 2006
Hi, My soon to be 5 year old wants to wear earrings! Where
should we go to get them pierced? Zebra on Telegraph?
anon
We had great luck with Cold Steel on Market Street in San Francisco.
Very sterile and professional plus a dad/employee who had experience
with kids ears. My daughter ended up giving pep talks to all the adults
waiting to get piercings about how to ''breath out and that it didn't
hurt much''! A memorable experience... I got my ears repierced right
before she did to show her how easy it was. I had to force a smile but
my daughter was a real trooper! Through much research I found that the
malls are the most risky places to get pierced, very unsanitary!
not a particularly hip mom
Please go to a respected piercer who uses needles to pierce rather than
that staple-gun piercing method like they use in malls. Info on Web as
to why staple gun method is more traumatic to the tissue, harder to heal
and loud and scary and annoying to boot. Took my daughter at about 8 to
professional piercer who used needles. She did not even flinch. Luckily
we also knew the man which increased the comfort level of the whole
situation.
Then if you use stainless steel hoops instead of post earrings, sleeping
on her/his side at night will also be more comfy! :) good luck
My daughter got her ears pierced about a year ago at 4.5 years old. We
went to Claire's in the new Emeryville shopping center (it's near Old
Navy). IT HURT! But she only cried for about 5 minutes. I had her on my
lap and held her arms. She picked cute little pink rhinestone flower
earrings that fit in the piercing gun (a mistake, see below), and after
a week, one fell out when she was sleeping. I couldn't get it back
in--I think the lobe had already started to heal. She garnered all her
courage, and we went back six weeks later and got that ear pierced
again. THEN, that earring fell out when she was playing on the monkey
bars!!! The poor child was reluctant, but agreed to get the ear pierced
again before kindergarten started, about four months later.
TIPS:
1. Decide where you want the holes before you get to the piercers. This
actually took me a long time to decide and probably added to my
daughter's growing anxiety. You can put a dot on using a Sharpie.
2. Go early in the morning, when they first open. Because it wasn't
crowded we had two women pierce my daughter's ears at the same time. I'm
sure if we had to do one at a time, my daughter would have backed out
after the first one.
3. Have your child wear ear plugs--the noise of the ''gun'' was as
frightening as the pain.
4. Choose the basic gold studs. After trying three styles, these had the
tightest backs and did not fall out. Boring, but your daughter can pick
out another fun pair for when her ears are healed.
5. Claire's hygiene was excellent--they use alcohol to clean the ears,
wear gloves and use earrings that are sealed in a ''clip'' that goes
into the piercing ''gun.''
6. Let your child put earrings on you. My daughter thought putting in
earrings after they were pierced would feel like a needle--she didn't
get that it wouldn't hurt after the hole healed.
7. Buy the second pair of earrings from a good store. My mom got her
several pair of child-sized earrings with screwbacks from Itty Bitty (?,
it's a jewelry store on College, just south of Market Hall). She's worn
one pair for almost a year, and they have never fallen out. (Tiny gold
flower with a rhinestone in the middle--matches
everything!)
Learn from my mistakes!
January 2003
My 10 year old wants to get her ears pierced. The postings in the
archives are more than several years old. Would like feedback on
recent experiences, tips, etc. Thanks!
Rebecca
My 7 yr. old daughter just got her ears pierced. Is it my
imagination, or have the piercing guns improved since I was
young? We went to Montclair jewelers and David was wonderful.
They use surgical steel posts with 24k (?) gold plating, and do
one ear at a time, taking time to mark a good position for the
hole (he actually looked at each ear's lobe shape since they are
slightly different). It was only $15 including the earrings and
some cleansing fluid! I found a place that does both ears at
the same time but it was a lot more expensive and my daughter
ended up being fine knowing a 2nd ear had to be done right after
the first. Good luck!
Tracy
My 6-year-old daughter just had her ears pierced a few weeks ago at Given
Gold on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. The man who did it was very friendly
and took his time to be slow and explain to my daughter what he was
doing. There is a selection of ''training posts'' to choose from
(different colors and I think hearts or stars). The training posts are $15
and the piercing is free. All in all, a great experience!
Sharon
Our 8 year old daughter had her ears pierced about two months
ago at GIVEN GOLD - 4156 Piedmont Ave. (652-4186). The owner
did it himself, was very gentle and the process was generally
painless. Cost was $15 and included the starter earrings.
Seth
after mos. of procrastination, my 7.5 yr old daughter recently
decided she was ready to get her ears pierced. i took her to
Zebra on telegraph ave (on campus). it seemed to me that a
professional piercing studio where they do piercing continually
was more appealing than a jewelry shop that might do a few per
week. i also wanted a good selection of surgical steel jewelry
rather than gold. for anyone who might be intimidated by a
piercing shop with heavily pierced and tattooed
staff/clientelle, i suggest you look beyond it. the mgr @zebra
immediately sensed my daughter's nervousness and she responded
respectfully and sensitively. she spoke directly to my daughter,
she explained why they use needles vs. a gun (gun is SO
startling and harder to get even- and cant be fully sterilized;
needles are single-use). she also suggested that, since they had
two piercers working that day that she could have both ears done
at once. she even had the two guys come out and introduce
themselves to my daughter! she waived the 'pay before piercing'
policy so that my daughter could change her mind at any time.
the piercing guys synchronized their work perfectly and my
daughter's first words were 'you already did it? that wasnt bad
at all!' six weeks later she has had no infection and she LOVES
her pierced ears. i cant recommend Zebra highly enough!
gemma
December 2002
My 13 year old daughter has had an unsuccessful experience
with ear piercing in the past, despite very careful
disinfection. 1-2 years ago, we used a place found in the
current archives. When one ear became infected after
several weeks, the technician stated that my daughter
had ''thick earlobes'' and would probably always have trouble.
We've recently checked with her doctor, who said she saw
absolutely nothing about her ear lobes that was different
from average ear lobes. So now she wants to try again, and
would like a current recommendation of an excellent ear
piercing place, preferably with a name of a particular
technician we can ask for. Thanks.
Joan
My daughter had her ears pierced (both times) at Silver
Lining in Oakland (Lakeshore). They are professional and
will pierce both ears at the same time having a person on
each side simultaneously piercing. This helps when a small
child is having it done so they don't get scared with each
piercing.
I highly recommend Beadazzled on Mt. Diablo Blvd. in
Lafayette. The owner (I'm sorry I don't remember her name)
pierced my daughter's ears and those of several of her
friends, all with good results. She is friendly, patient
and conscientious. She was also very nice about taking
follow up phone calls when we had questions. You can contact
her at (925) 283-1998. Good luck!
Carla
To the parent whose daughter gets infections from ear piercing:
I have found that gold wires are the best for a new person, also 2 or 3 times
daily dosing of the ears and wires with alcohol, and turning the wires so the
alcohol gets into the inner tissue where the wire goes through the ear. Often
if you go to a regular office, they want to use posts, as they can "shoot"
them into your ear. If you try to change them with wires, because the
procedure is so new, you can't find the holes in the back of the ear. Posts
lead to infection, as the old skin and scab from the "cut" collect on the
posts and cause infection. If you have to use posts, use gold to reduce
chance of infection (some people have allergies to other metals, which can be
misread as/or cause an infection). Also, again, make sure that your daughter
"washes" with alcohol 2or 3 times a day to clean off the excess "stuff" that
collects with a new procedure such as this.
When I was in my 20's a girlfriend pierced my ears with a needle with strong
string, a cork and an ice cube to dull the pain. She tied off the string and
I had the string loop in my ear for a month until my ears were "tough" enough
to accept a regular earring. This worked very well for me at the time. Since
then, I have gone both ways with my daughters. I have had them pierced and
done the piercing. Each has worked, but the washing is the key to the whole
process. ~Anon
Without meaning to offend those who gave advice on ear
piercing, I'm afraid I have to disagree with some. I have
had many piercings and tattoos over the past 25 years, as
have several of my friends, and feel that some of the advice
was not very good. Although the advisors experiences worked
for them, the child in question is clearly very sensitive
and has some allergic problems. Since many other people
have the same problems, I would hate for them to take some
of the advice given.
1. Gold is not really the best metal to use, as many people
have reactions to it. Stainless steel is best for piercings,
as it is hypoallergenic. It is also non-porous and smooth,
unlike gold, so detritus doesn't stick as vigorously and it
is easier to keep clean. I do agree that hoops are the best
shape, as they do slide easier, and you can move them around.
2. As for cleaning the piercing, alcohol is far, far too
harsh for new piercings. Obviously, many people do fine with
it, but for those with tender, sensitive skin (particularly
with a fresh wound) alcohol is too caustic and drying and
can hinder the healing process, as well as cause additional
irritation problems. There are specific products piercers
recommend, but I've never been recommended alcohol since my
first piercing at age 15 (that was 25 years ago).
3. The use of piercing guns, such as is usually used at
Beadazzled is entirely antiquated, and in the piercing
community, is condemned. The gun causes a different type of
wound than do piercing needles, and the piercing can take
much longer to heal. The stud used in the gun is bad, too,
since it is very tight against the swollen earlobe, and the
shaft is ridged creating a great place for pus and scabs to
accumulate. they are hard to turn, and when turned often
pull away the healing scabs, leaving newly exposed raw
areas. Thus, the healing takes longer.
4. The last thing I'd protest is the idea that piercing at
home is a good idea. It's not. There is no way for the
needle (or the novice piercer) to get the equipment as
sterile as it must be for optimum healing. Given the child's
sensitivity, this would be disasterous. Clearly, her mother
wouldn't do that, as she is concerned with the possibility
of infection, but for those out there who have thought
about, take my advice and don't. I have had to close several
piercings, done at home in my youth, because of nasty
infections.
Lastly, reputable piercing parlors are all over the place
and they generally don't cost too much, making alternatives
obsolete and dangerous. So, I recommend having all piercings
done by a professional, who has the sterile equipment and
years of experience.
Heather
[Editor note: I asked Heather if she can recommend any piercing
places and she said:
"I asked around, and found that many, many people have had piercings
at Zebra and have had no problems there at all. My son reminded me
that he had his ear pierced there, too. At the very least, they use
sterilized equipment, and their piercers do have a LOT of
experience.... my only reservation about them is ethnical--I'd be
upset if I had a 12 year old getting her nose pierced without my
consent, and Zebra has done just that... other reputable places (such
as Industrial) refuse to pierce anyone under the age of 18 for reasons
of liability."
April 2002
Greetings - My daughter is now ready (as am I) to have her
ears pierced. I've heard of a great place on Solano but of
course can't remember the name. I really need a place that
offers experience, expertise, hygiene, and is very
kid-friendly. There are only two recommendations on the
archives and neither one is recent. Any updates or positive
experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Rena's
mom, aka
Deborah
My daughter's ears were pierced by our pediatrician.
Pat
I got my daughter's ears pierced at a small jewelry store
on Lake Shore (east side of the street) across the street from Noah's. I can't
recall the name but it's close to the end of the block, near the game store. They
use two piercers at once with one person on each ear, so both ears are done simultaneously.
It was easy and cheap!
Suzanne
One thing I should have learned with the first kid, but didn't,
because it has recently happened with the second kid: don't get
the posts too small, even if they look better on smaller ears.
My 10 year old daughter got 3 mm balls (at Claire's) and we
followed the recommended cleaning procedures for 6 weeks, no
problems. We took them out a couple of times, but it was a
nervous-making process, so we didn't do it often. Then
basketball season began and we would forget and not take them out
(as required) until we arrived at the game. This last minute
removal, occuring several times a week, and maybe the earrings
not getting cleaned enough before they went back in led to a
slight infection in one ear. She complained of a sore ear one
night and we applied disinfectant solution, but I didn't loosen
the post. Her earlobe was slightly swollen. Well, after
sleeping on that ear, the next morning the ball of her post was
INSIDE her earlobe! This had happened to my older daughter years
ago and I should have learned my lesson, but I thought these
posts were large enough. When I took her to the doctor, he said,
''oh, yes, I get one of these cases per month'' and he said that
the posts need to be larger to prevent this. It was a rather
ticklish procedure, to get that ball out of the earlobe when
there was nothing to grip! Then he gave her the option of having
larger balled posts put in right then, while her ear was still
numb, but we thought of all the basketball games and practices
left to go and sports won out.
We would have been fine without the sports issue, since her ears
weren't giving her any trouble before that, but it's something to
think about.
Liz O.
Ear piercing for 6-year-old
June 1999
I just did some searching for a good ear piercing place for our
6-year-old daughter. We ended up with Silver Lining Jewelry on
Lakeshore in Oakland. No appointment needed. Friendly. Good
earring studs to select from. I highly recommend them.
Nancy
We went to 14 Karats on College Ave. The owner is a character and comes
out in outlandish hats. I trust their cleanliness and caring more than I
would the "mall" type ear piercers. I don't remember cost but I do
remember they replaced one of her earrings for free when she lost it.
Also, she didn't have any allergic reactions to the earrings they gave her
but she does with many others.
Barbara
July 1999
My 7 year old wants to get his ears pierced. I have told him that if
he wants to do it when he is older (say 12), that would be fine, but
not now. This has been a major topic of conversation daily for the
past month. His only reason for wanting it seems to be that a couple
of kids he admires have their ears pierced. We have discussed the
discomfort involved, the work in keeping it infection free, etc. etc.
My husband thinks I am being too rigid and we should say yes but
I just can't think of a good reason to do this (except, of course, to
make my son happy). Any thoughts??
If the only reason is because somebody else is doing it...This is not a
good enough reason, in my book. It's like "keeping up with the Joneses."
In my generation (ok, I'm a fogey) this reason was just not good enough.
My own 7 year old is adept enough to come up with another, more solid
reason, if pressed. In some families and cultures it is quite natural for
the girls to have their ears pierced as infants, on the other hand.
I would tell your son no for now, but on August 1st or September 1st
(before school starts), you and your husband will reconsider the request.
Then, don't remind him. (*It's OK, really*) If he still wants it and
remembers, then you must seriously consider his request, but only if he
gives you a reason better than his admired friends are doing it.
I know this reflects values that may not be your own, but I do want to
help since I also have a very precocious and difficult 7 year old son.
About ear piercing for your 7 year old. You said you can't think of a
good reason for him to get his ears pierced and I say do you have a good
reason for him NOT to get his ears pierced? I believe that you should
accomodate your child's requests as much as possible. In other words,
unless there is a good reason your child can't do something, say yes. In
this way you are showing your child that they can acheive their
goals. When you say no and don't have a good reason I think you block
healthy, emotional development.
When he was 10, my older son wanted his ear pierced. At the time
(he's 16 now), not many kids were doing it, and I think we were impressed
that he was making such a bold self-expression. Hid dad took him down
to Telegraph Av. and got it.
He wore an earring off and on, and was pretty good about keeping it
clean, etc. but he lost interest in it after a while and hasn't worn it
for the last couple years. His younger brother also asked to have his ear
pierced, but we told him he had to wait until he was 10, thinking
it might be a passing fancy. He did get it pierced when he was 10
(again on telegraph Av.) but almost immediately stopped wearing
his earring and the hole closed up. Now, he's almost 14, and he's
recently been asking to have: 1) several holes along the edge of the
ear - the "spiral notebook look" as I call it and 2) a pierced nostril.
I have not agreed to either of these. I told him he has to wait till
he's 18. This seems to be OK with him so far.
Advice for parent who is thinking of giving in to the ear piercing. My
son, who is now 22 years old wanted the same thing when he was around
nine and I said no. It really did not make him an unhappy child. You must
remember that it is okay to say no. Saying no allows a child to know
that he is truly loved and that you are not afraid to set limits. I told my
son that when he turned 16 years old we could re-evaluate the situation.
Trust me your son will not forget to ask again. Trends change. Your son may
change his mind as he matures. My son did not change his mind. When he
turned sixteen, he again asked me to allow him to pierce his ear. I at
this time agreed and took him to our physician and allowed the physician
to pierce his ear. I don't think that they do that anymore, but you will
find that there are a lot of local and reasonable places to have your ears
pierced. Whatever you decide make sure that your son knows the finality
of having holes put in the body. You may want to try the look like pierced
ears, earrings. They give the impression of having the ear pierced. This
may give him a chance to see the reaction of family and friends before
he makes a decision.
My youngest is 4 and wants to get her ears pierced. My oldest got her
ears pierced at age 7. She is now 9. She had wanted her ears pierced
since she was 5, but I settled on "you have to be 7" for no other
reason than that is how old I was when my mom let me. Picking an
age is fairly arbitrary, so pick one you are comfortable with.
In our house the magic age is 7. The funny thing is that my 6 year
old son was the one explaining the 7 year old rule to his younger
sister, followed by a statement about how next year he would be old
enough to get his ears pierced. I honestly never thought about him
getting his ears pierced. I don't know why it did not occur to me.
His dad has his ears pierced. So, do I and his older sister but I
did not imagine my son doing it. At least not as a 7 year old
child. Maybe as a teenager. But, in all fairness I feel that if he
wants to get his ears pierced at 7, I'll have to let him because that
is the rule I made up, and being a boy or not being a girl, is not
a good enough reason for me to hedge.
You and your husband have to decide what age you both feel comfortable
with for your child. 7 & 8 are a popular age but, I know some families
who wait longer. One of my daughter's friends has to be 11. Another friend
had it done as an infant (Ow). It is pretty arbitrary. You could
You could also take into account how old you were or how old your
husband was if you both have had it done. And, how good is your son
about taking on the responsibility? My daughter at 7 years old was
highly motivated when it came to washing her ears and turning them
every day. She knew if they got infected I would take them out, and
after the initial first 2 or 3 months, she has done all of it on her
own.
Are you sure that there aren't any unconscious sexist ideas behind not
letting a boy pierce his ears? Many girls have it from a much younger
age, and I'm sure they can't be all fighting with infections all the
time. It IS manageable!
Ear piercing -- My daughter really wanted her ears pierced, so we finally
let her do it around her 9th birthday. She is very happy, but it was a bit
more troublesome than either she or we expected. They tend to get
infected, and they need to be cleaned at least twice a day, which is a bit
of a nuisance, and even after you can put real earrings in you still have
to be careful and clean then a lot and pay attention to them. For all
these reasons, I'm glad we waited until she was nine. I know several
children who had them pierced when they were younger and ended up letting
them close up again because they were such a bother. Also, I think kids
ears tend to close up more quickly than adults would. After one day
without earrings, my daughter's are always almost closed up.
My mother made me wait until I was eighteen! which I think was a bit
excessive, but I think maybe waiting until you are nine is not sooo
terrible.
My reaction to your letter was that your son is too young to be
putting semi-permanent holes in his body. I was 13 when my folks
finally broke down and let me get my ears pierced, and this seems
like a reasonable age to me now (it did then, too, although I fought
tooth and nail to have it done at 12). At 7, and maybe especially
for boys, since it's been "acceptable" for them a much shorter period
of time and trends change, children really can't have any idea how
they'll feel about the piercing later in life. There are lots of
other ways in which your son can express himself; I feel sure
sure he won't be so easily stifled.
January 2006
I had my ears pierced about 20 years ago. I rarely wear earrings,
but every now and then I want to (especially if I'm going out and
want to dress up). It is becoming more and more difficult putting
earrings in, particularly in my left lobe. I've also noticed that
there is a small mass, which I assume is scar tissue, in my left
lobe. When I do prevail and get earrings in, it hurts after about
an hour or so and hurts for another day or so after I remove them.
So do I need to re-pierce my ears? Frankly, I don't know if I am
up to it. Are non-pierced earrings readily available?
laurel
I have had muchos problems with my pierced ears -- always
have. I just let them grow closed at one point. But I have
earrings that I love to wear and then my beloved son actually
picked out a pair of earrings for me and purchased them. So I
had the ears re-pierced in a very hygenic setting. I still
have problems with occasional flare-ups of soreness and
infection. Certain earrings have to be avoided. And when the
soreness occurs, I clean the ears carefully, apply medication,
and put in the posts I was given when my ears were pierced. I
leave those in for several days at least, turning them
regularly, until the infection is healed. Then I take them out
and try again. It works so far, though I am looking forward to
hearing what others say.
sensitive lobes
I had my ears pierced around age 12, but went through a phase where I wasn't
wearing earrings on a regular basis in my twenties and they started to close. for a
while I would have trouble putting the earrings in and after I wore them and even
had one lobe get infected.
So, I remembered what I did when I first got them pierced and for a month I wore
only 24 kt gold posts and didn't take them out. i'd clean them with peroxide twice a
day and turn the earings.
After doing that, I went back to wearing cheapie fun earrings and never had a
problem again (I'm now 41).
Much better than re-piercing.
Lynn
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