When and where to get childs ears pierced?

mishkanorman

Its not quite the same thing but worth mentioning anyway, I had the top of my ear pierced when i was 16 in a jewellers. To cut a very long and painful story short they had used a standard gun which exploded the cartiledge (leaving me eventually with the top half of my ear ,missing on that side). The resulting infection took around 6 weeks to pass and I needed 3 ops, 2 without any pain relief as the absess on the back of my ear couldnt be numbed. (big scapel, 6 nurses, TWICE)

This happened to me because of having the top pierced with the wrong instrument however it goes to show that these places arent always properly trained and may not be able to provide the best care for your child, if you really want to get it done at this age please visit somewhere like a tattoo !!!!!! that are very strict on hygiene,

mishka

maytaurus

smartie12 wrote: »

Can't think of any decisions I made that were disapproved of!

You obviously accept people don't agree with your decision to get baby's ears pierced;)

So why question people's views??[/QUOTE]

I haven't ...
The OP asked ' At what age do parents feel it's appropriate to pierce ears?'
I was just answering the question

and of course
I accept that some people don't agree with my decision to get my baby's ears pierced

It is down to personal choice not other peoples opinions

and re;'My decision to wear earrings wasn't really on the same level as deciding to get married'

Did anybody say it was? :beer:

Doodles

kazwookie wrote: »

Many years ago, (I am old now!) I was 11 when I had mine done, in a local Jeweller, he used ether (or some thing similar, and I hate the smell of that) to clean them, pierced them, I walked down the stairs, and promptly fainted into the arms of a man who was selecting wedding rings with his soon to be wife!

I have NEVER lived it down.

I know methods etc have moved on, but TBH I think 6 is a bit young.

I nearly fainted when I had my first ear piercing at age 13 too! Had the gun and I think my body went into a little bit of shock at the sheer thump of it, lol! Had second (gun) peircing at 14 - no problems at all, then had third (gun again) at 15 and weirdly that did hurt more and I felt a little sick. They said the further up your ear you go it does hurt more (dunno if that's true for everyone but it was for me anyway).

Bettyboop: difficult to say what is the right age really, go with what you feel is right. Why not give it a while and she if she forgets about it. Or say she can have it when she is a big girl, eg 10 or 13 or something.

Leothecat

I too think that 6 is far too young. My DD is 6 and has been going on and on about it for ages. We have come to an agreement that she can have them done for leaving primary school - so another 5 years then.
I pierced mine myself many many years ago using an ice cube and a safety pin. Did them 3 times in one ear and 5 in the other! :rolleyes:
However, I shall definitely be sending her to a proper piercing studio when the time comes. I have watched young girls in Claire's fumbling around with the equipment and making a complete balls of it!

UKTigerlily

It's cruel to pierce a child's ears IMO because it can cause complications & I think the benefits of something should always out weigh the risks PLUS it's for the Parents not the child, why do parents want their child to look nice (In their opinions?) What other reason could there be to pierce before they're old enough to decide? Vaccinations are so not the same, they're to prevent illness wheras piercing can cause illness & isn't beneficial. I'd never inflict something dangerous onto my pets or kids just because *I* thought it looked nice, and if my Dad had decided to pierce my ears as a baby I would be furious as it's my body & the scars don't go, or haven't in my case anyway.

If 'parents' want something to look all nice then get a doll !!!!!! don't risk yours childs health!

Valli

amilotte wrote: »

I once went into Claires and observed a Mother BRIBING her small (I would say 5 if that) to get her ears pierced. The poor child was crying her eyes out I was utterly gob smacked! What disgusted me further was that the girl who was doing the piercing was also trying to talk the child into it..... that to me is completely wrong, she should have refused point blank to do it at all. They managed to get the first ear done and I'm sure you can imagine the poor childs response, she screamed and screamed I had to leave the shop I was so disgusted so who knows whether they managed to do the other ear!

Maybe they get a bonus?

I was 16 when mine were done; DD wanted hers done when she was younger (she's 14 in January) but she had an odd lump (only small) which kept disappearing and reappearing in her ear so I thought it better to wait a while until that settled as I didn't want to trigger a reaction (it seemed to be sebaceous). She's gone off the idea now - I think she likes being the odd one out as almost all the girls in her class have pierced ears and she doesn't...:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

moiramber

I haven't read all the replies but just wanted to share my experience

I went to get my second holes done at a piercing parlour they used a needle and pierced my first holes again but millimeters next to my other holes. THey didn't realise I already had my first holes peirced, no idea how! Anyway i was too embarrased to say anything to just went home and took them out

I then went to Claires and got them done, both ears at same time and it was far less painless than a needle on each ear, I would recommend Claires. When you choose to let your daughter get this done is your choice, I think i was 6 or 7 when i first got my ears peirced

oystercatcher

Well where I work if patients have had recent piercings they are considered to be 'high risk' for HIV and hepatitis B and advised to have blood tests to check. Do you really want to put your children at risk of these sort of diseases ? HIV is still on the increase.

I am 47 and have never had any piercings.
I don't mind the look in older teens or adults but think it looks dreadful when small children have pierced ears.

MrsTinks

If you decide to let your daughter have her ears pierced then go to a reputable piercer and not a highstreet shop... I've had my belly button pierced and my ears 3 times. I had nothing but problems with the first 2 sets - both done in jewelers or similar. The third set were done properly with a trained piercer. It's done with a sterile needle and not a blunt ear stud being forcibly shot through your earlobe...
I think because the needle actually removes a tiny bit of ear it seems to have caused me a lot less trouble than the fircibly shot through ones. All I know is that I've had these for 8 years now and never had an infection or problems with them growing over... the others were forever causing me problems (and it wasn't because they weren't kept clean etc... they were just never "right")

Personal oppinion? I wouldn't let my daughter have hers done till she's probably 12 or older... I think it looks dreadful on young children.

blackcoffee

Our eldest daughter is 6 and has been nagging for about 2 years, she is like a scratched record, as is our reply .... NO!!! she will have them one day, but not while she is in primary school. we will have to negotiate when !