What's a good age to pierce kid's ears??

Question

My daughter is only 3 months old. My family has been asking when I'm gonna get her ears pierced..They think she'll look "so pretty". Her father thinks she should be able to make the decison on her own. Should I wait until she knows if she wants them or not??

Answer 1

Obviously the first and most obvious argument is that she is not your personal property, it is your daughter's body and as such it is her decision whether or not she wants body modification, not yours.

Second argument is that risking your babies health and life is not "pretty".

No professional piercing studio will pierce someone so young for the very simple fact that putting a needle through a babies flesh is risky, unhealthy and painful for the baby, therefore that leaves one option; the piercing gun.

To start off with people who use piercing guns are not professionals but usually sales assistants, professionals are trained not just to punch holes into peoples flesh but also trained in blood pathology and what to do if something goes wrong, from infections to body shock. Aesthetically piercings done with piercing guns are very rarely in place sometimes in totally the wrong areas and other times lopsided at best, the guns often malfunction leaving the stud half way in or hitting the person in the face – particularly if they squirm as babies do.

Piercing guns are just that, guns, they shoot a blunt metal stud into the flesh resulting in blunt force trauma, and the groves in the studs do a lot of damage to the healthy tissue of the ear. This can cause excessive swelling that can result in the stud pinching into the skin either side of the piercing that can lead to infection, those groves also add to risk of infection because although clean when they go in they can easily harbour dead skin, bacteria and dirt. Many people also have allergies to the cheap metals used in the studs.

Piercing guns are unhygienic, because of the way in which guns are made they have a lot of different places where bacteria and old bodily fluids can linger, the plastic parts of the gun mean they cannot be sterilized. In professional studios all equipment is either fresh from a new pack or sterilized and the studio is similar to that of a hospital room this is because piercing of course is putting a hole into the flesh. When it comes to piercing guns they can easily harbour blood born pathogens such as Hepatitis and HIV.

With infants the risks are increased because not only is the child more likely to struggle during the piercing and play with the studs when they are pierced, but because their bodies are not as well equipped as ours for handling the trauma. If an infection occurs then a child's body cannot fight it off in the same way as an adults because they have weaker immune systems, it also takes longer for piercings to heal in infants. Another serious issue to consider is the trauma itself because with a child there is a higher risk of body-shock, this can be fatal and when it comes to a salesperson who cannot even deal with infections let alone serious problems it's not a risk you want to be taking.

http://www.namaii.com/suck
http://www.compunction.org/guns.txt
http://www.bmezine.com/news/pubring/20030509.html
http://tattoo.about.com/cs/psafety/a/piercing_guns.htm


I will also say on a personal level it sickens me, nothing is worse than seeing a poor baby going through that trauma and that risk for the sake of a parents vanity - a good parent would respect their child's body and choices, a good parent also would not risk their child's health and life just because it might look 'pretty'.

Answer 2

WAIT. I hate to be the feminist in the room... oh wait. No I don't. Getting a baby girls ears pierced is forcing beauty standards onto her. You are telling her that all girls need to get their ears pierced and wear jewelery.

From a less feminist standpoint, if she decides she doesn't want pierced ears, by that time those holes are going to be there to stay. Let her decide what she wants.

A good thing about waiting: I got mine on my birthday. I chose to do it, and it was a fun coming-of-age type thing that I did with my mom.

Wait until she really really wants them, then she'll be extra good for a while.

Answer 3

A good age to have her ears pierced is when she requests that you have it done. Age 7 is good.

If I were you, I'd tell your family to bite you. Your daughter isn't pretty now--it's going to take a painful ear piercing session and possible torn ear lobes and risk of infection to make her "pretty"? Scr*w that!

Leave your baby's ears alone. When she's older you can take her and have it done--she'll feel very big and important and special. She can pick out her own piercing studs and everything. Maybe make a day of it--out to lunch, ears pierced, matinee, etc.

Answer 4

We waited until my daughter was of potty training age (she was almost 3) It was her reward for going potty. She saw mine and wanted it done to look like mommy. That's how she became potty trained. She cried when they did it, but when she saw them in the mirror, she was all smiles.
My parents waited until my sister and I were 12.
It's all in what you decide is best for her, don't let anybody pressure you into it if your not comfortable, she's your daughter.
I'm sure she looks pretty whether or not she has earrings.

It doesn't matter how old she is it's gong to hurt. When she's a little older she'll understand why it hurt. when she's little she'll just know it hurt. There's no cartilage in the ear lope either. Only in the top part and the middle.

Answer 5

My daughter was 2 months old. It hurts SO MUCH MORE if you wait!!!!!! And the earlier you get it done... the less quardinated they are to pull at them! Trust me!
And about her making her own decision... what girl doesnt want her ears pierced?

Answer 6

The best age to pierce your babies ears is between 6weeks and 5 months so they dont grab at the earings.
otherwise wait untill they are old enough to deside for themself.
most little girls love the fact that they are done.
and most earing for babies and children will not come off they need to be taken off with special tools.
good luck any questions just ask me i have been a body piercer for years now and have done hundreds of babies ears :)

Answer 7

I think age 5 is a good age, but you see all ages getting it done. It just seems as though a five year old would be somewhat responsible and mature enough to take care of her ears, but if your daughter is able to do it (or if you are willing to take care of 'em for a while!!) then i don't see what's wrong with getting it done now.

Answer 8

My husband is the same way. He had a heart attack when I mentioned getting my daughters ears pierced and feels it is something they should do when they get older. I was 4 when my mom had mine done and glad she did but I can actually still remember that day since it was rather traumatic. I would recommend doing it when they dont realize what is going on. But it is still something you need to discuss with your husband since it is not worth a fight over.

Answer 9

i think that everyone should stop this philosophy of "let them decide" they can not decide everything for themselves! Set an age limit. Do not get them on her as a baby-this will just be irritating and i got mine in second grade, and mine swelled up because I didn't know what I was reacting to. It turned out to be the solution that they give you to care for them with-but the itchiness and swelling was there practically forever. mine closed up about 3 times because I could never figure this out and then would try again at 2 year intervals. my point is, what if your baby's ears swell up? it is very hard to figure out what is going on b/c she cannot talk to you. I'd wait-second grade is a good age. hope i helped!

Answer 10

The time to pierce her ears is when she is old enough to tell you she wants it done. Yes I think you should wait. With babies you have to make sure she doesn't pull on them or they get caught on her clothes or other kids bother them in day care and if one comes out and she somehow gets it in her mouth, girl no wait on that. I would if I were you. Your family will get over it.