What age did you let your daughter get her ears pierced

FatVonD

I had mine pierced when I was about 9 or 10 and my DS had one pierced at about the same age then let it heal after about 6 weeks when the novelty wore off.

When he turned 16 he had his lip pierced and thankfully that's gone the same way.

I too hate seeing babies and toddlers with earrings, cultural or not. FGM is cultural but it doesn't mean to say it's right!

Georgiegirl256

Pechow wrote: »

Whenever she gets them pierced, please don't let anyone use a piercing gun.

http://thestudio.painfulpleasures.com/piercing-ears-with-needles-vs-guns
http://jewelry.about.com/od/bodyjewelry/a/piercing_guns.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_piercing_instrument

And so forth. Of course, lots of people will have had theirs done with a gun and not encountered problems, but it's not really something I'd want to risk, especially with a younger person who is relying on you to help them with the decision.

I had all 3 of mine done with a gun. I hadn't realised there was any other way? I think it's like with anything though, if you take care of them well, keep them clean with TCP (that's what we used, I remember he smell well lol!) then you shouldn't really get an infection....as long as you've gone to a place that is clean and has a good reputation.

I got my first holes done when I was 13 and remember having to cover them over with plasters for PE, so getting them done in the Summer holidays is good advice. I was about 16/17? When I got them done for the 2nd and 3rd times, and just used to wear 3 sets of studs. I don't wear any now, but the holes are still somehow open even after years of not wearing any earrings!

esmerelda98

FatVonD wrote: »

I too hate seeing babies and toddlers with earrings, cultural or not. FGM is cultural but it doesn't mean to say it's right!

Yes, but you don't get to decide what's right and what's not. It's not as incontrovertible as 2+2 equalling 4. I admit that the arguments against piercing babies' ears are compelling. However I think a better judge of whether the practice is wrong or not would be to ask women who have been pierced as babies whether they regret the decision their parents made. We are not too stupid to know any better.

I think I don't look 'right' without earrings and clip-ons are torture. Though no doubt earrings have become a part of my identity through a lifetime of wearing them, they are for me also a cultural norm, and as a result I would have desired them at some point, probably sooner than later. I am glad I had them over and done with when I was a baby as I might have struggled otherwise. They are as adorning (or not) on the young as they are on the old. So I can understand people finding the idea of ear piercing offensive in toto, but where ear piercing is the norm amongst children and adult women it can be argued that doing it at a young age is a benevolent act.

Girlzmum

I'm actually very interested in this at the minute, my daughter turned 11 at the weekend! I wasn't allowed to get my ears pierced until I was 16, I've had the lobe pierced twice and the cartilage pierced twice as well.

I've told my daughters that they need to be sure that they can look after their ears and clean them every day before they can get their ears pierced.

Crabapple

I think that the child needs to want it done and understand the pain and the aftercare needed. At the end of the day though as parents we make the call on things like that for our children.

I remember being desperate for my ears to be pierced when I was at juniors (I think friends had them done) but my mum said I was not allowed until I was 13. By then I wasn't bothered and I ended up having them done when I was 18 and at university.

Ever since then I have had nickel allergy and I almost never wear any jewellery, let alone earrings. I do wear my wedding ring as I can still wear gold and silver.

My daughter is only 2 and there is no way she will be getting her ears pierced for many years! I will judge it on her ability to understand but I'm thinking at least 10. Her dad and I discussed it and that seemed like the minimum age in our view, whether that's old fashioned or not! We both have pierced ears and tattoos so will find it difficult to say that you can't have these things done, we just want to make sure she thinks it through properly first.

silvercar

I never let mine have their ears pierced. They both had it done at university.

Call me sexist, but if they had been girls I would have let them once I thought they were old enough to cope with the initial cleaning routine.

Crispy_Ambulance

My daughter had hers done at the start of the summer holidays between Yr 5 and Yr 6 - she was 10. I had mine done at the age of 7, so it would have been hypocritical of me to make her wait till her teens!

Her little brother wanted his done as well, but we made him wait until he was the same age as it was only fair. Even though I was adamant that I wasn't going to be sexist about it, it did take me a few days to get used to seeing him with a stud in. It didn't help that the piercer asked him to choose a stud and he chose the blingiest thing they had - very David Beckham!

Both kids have been very good at looking after their piercings and taking them out for PE etc. it is hard to find "manly" studs for boys though.

bluebeary

my mother treated me to my first piercings on my 13th birthday, i dont think i was really bothered before and i was at an age i could look after and clean them myself

Buzzybee90

I was 9 it hurt for about 30 seconds.

I don't think there's much classier than an up do with white pearls.

moomoomama27

My eldest was 5! It is a decision I regret even now! I look back on photos of her and they look terrible I was young, and I'm ashamed to say the pressure of other family members having their (much) younger children's ears pierced turned me into a sheep! Thankfully I've grown a pair now and when my second daughter asked at about age 6/7 to have them I set a lower age limit of 10 and spent the next 3-4 years being pestered! She had them done at age 10.5 in the summer holidays!

I would not like my son (aged 9) to have his ears pierced, the only little boys I see with their ears pierced come from rough families! If he were to have them done I'd rather he be a much older teen, thankfully it's not something that has even entered his head, he's still at the stage where he wonders why boys want to look like girls!