When and where to get childs ears pierced?

debtfreein4years

i had my first set done when i was 11 at a local beautitions who knew what they were doing. it hurt like anything and it was done using the gun. the pain was more of a stinging sensation and wore off after a couple of hours, although did linger for a few days.

2nd lot of holes i was 14 and i went to claire's accessorys and they made such a mess it was unbeleivable. the girl never cleaned the gun between use - i was told afterwards by a local beautition that this should have been done. she got one hole in the right place, the 2nd ear she didnt get centred and the hole was almost at the very edge of my ear! i didnt flinch when she was doing it so she had no excuse for the positioning of it. i had to let the holes close up cause of the mess of the 2nd hole and i didnt want to have to go through the pain of it again.

3rd time lucky at 18! dad re-pierced the 2nd hole that was ok using a stud earing just basically forced it through the scar tissue and then lots of ice, potato and a steralised needle and he did the messed up ear for me. i dont recommend this option although it hurt less than the gun!

i would wait till she is leaving primary school and get it done at the start of the school holidays like suggested.

System

Also, you're probably best avoiding anywhere that using piercing guns, they can't be sterilised properly (in an autoclave), not to mention the actual place itself isn't sterile, and the jewellery used can often cause more damage than good, ideally you want titanium, surgical grade stainless steel and if neither of them gold is alright. But id avoid silver or nickle (which most of claires earrings are)

maytaurus

My daughter had her ears pierced when she was 9 months old

poppy_f1

i got mine done for my 8th birthday was in a local jewellers i had been bugging my mum for ages as myh friends had gotten theirs done
when i was 17 i got another hole done in each ear

smartie12

maytaurus wrote: »

My daughter had her ears pierced when she was 9 months old

Did she ask for them to be done??

My DS was an early talker but don't think he was able to ask for anything like that;)

achtunglady

I had my daughters ears pierced when she had all her vaccines done at 6 months, had it done at Claires Accessories, her sat on my lap, two girls each side of her and simultaneously pierced her, she didnt even cry, just a look of surprise. I have had no problems, shes so used to it so doesnt fiddle about with them, and hasnt had any infections at all, would the older girls be the same and leave it alone and not fiddle with it, increasing the chances of infection??

achtunglady

smartie12 wrote: »

Did she ask for them to be done??

My DS was an early talker but don't think he was able to ask for anything like that;)

On the same vein did the child ask to be born

bitzer_maloney

I used to work as an ear-piercer in Claire's (nearly 10 years ago though!) and I have to say its kinda pot-luck about getting a good job done. Our training was brief but we did have extensive supervision and were never allowed to pierce on our own until the manager was happy.

I agree that guns are never as clean or precise as needles, but they're damn quick and somewhere like Claire's can do the simultaneous piercing which can be good. Part of me thinks though that if you want your ears pierced you should have to have the pain, so you realise what you've had done, I think it helps you with your aftercare.

I had to wait until I was 10 and had mine done at the jewellers. I didn't really look after them properly and they want manky for a bit. Aftercare is the key, keeping them clean and moving. Regardless of where or how you got them done, looking after the fresh piercing is the key to fast healing and pain reduction (says a girl with 14 piercings )

Edit to add: I once had to pierce the ears of a 6 month old boy (both ears), I felt awful doing it, and I hate that I was too young and naive to object. 6 to me is still too young, especially as you should be letting her do the aftercare, its about teaching responsibility and consequences

ailuro2

DD was 10 and had it done the day before we broke up for school holidays - we knew it'd be quiet enough and that she didn't have gym the nest day.

I lied when she was younger and asked to have them done - I had hem done at 6 but didn't look after them so they went septic and had to be left to close over, to be repierced later.:eek: In those days they were allowed to freeze ears - that's not allowed any more.

When DD was 10 I talked her through it and explained if the pain was too much after the first ear-ring she'd be left with just one.;)
As it was we went to a proper piercing place, special sterile studs were used in a piercing gun and she did look a bit stunned but didn't cry or anything, looked after them very well and no problems.

I did admit after she had them done that I had told her a lie and explained it was for her own good. Now it's a year later and she's able to wear anykind of earrings - waited a while before she was allowed anything dangly, and she's still not allowed big hoops - had to explain I didn't want her looking like a hooker.:rotfl:

maytaurus

smartie12 wrote: »

Did she ask for them to be done??

My DS was an early talker but don't think he was able to ask for anything like that;)

My daughter was also an early talker
but no,she didn't ask for her ears to be pierced
she has however often said how glad she was that her ears were pierced when she was a baby(now aged 29yrs)and as achtunglady has said
she didn't cry, didn't fiddle with them and has had no problems/ infections at all
She also she didn't ask for the immunizations I chose to let her have/not have, to have her nappy changed, to be fed, loved or any of the other things that she experienced as a baby but she still experienced them,
as ultimately all of the decisions were made by me, based on personal preferences as is the case with all babies

Bettyboop there's some info & comments here

http://www.cafemom.com/group/416/forums/read/9547974/Piercing_babys_ears_is_it_mean_or_wrong_to_do_it_while_so_little
http://www.babycenter.com/404_when-is-it-safe-to-pierce-my-daughters-ears_12378.bc