Ear-Piercing Parties ... for 6-Year-Olds

 

I had to BEG my mother to let me get my ears pieced at 12. For the longest time, her rule was 16. They ended up being really crooked and uncomfortable, so I let them close by the time I was 14. Finally got them re-pieced by a professional at 23 — an actual needle was much less painful and scary than the earpiercing gun! I’m now expecting a baby, don’t know the gender yet. I’ll probably be like my mother and make my daughter wait until I think she can take care of them herself.

- Liz

Posted 06/24/09 06:59 PM

 

 

I had my daughter ears pierced when she was one and we have never had any problems with it. I do remember getting mine done when I was around 8 or 9 by my Aunts who did it with a needle and thread and ice and boy that hurt.

- Anonymous

Posted 06/24/09 07:03 PM

 

 

I actually wanted to do my daughters when she was about 6 but she didn’t so I told her when ever she wanted to have hers done she could. Shortly after she turned nine she asked and it was all done and went just fine. Personally I don’t see what the big deal is.

- Jamie in Van

Posted 06/24/09 07:18 PM

 

 

My 6 y.o. just got her’s done last weekend. I don’t really see it as a big deal but then again I had mine done when I was a baby. I let my ear piercings close up when I was 7 b/c no one else had them pierced to then again get them re-done at 10.

- jen

Posted 06/24/09 07:23 PM

 

 

You got a one-year-old child’s ears pierced? Congratulations. There’s just a stripper pole in her future, if you’re lucky.

- Kathleen

Posted 06/25/09 07:24 AM

 

 

I had mine pierced at 6. I know some people think babies with pierced ears are cute, but I think it’s a little tacky - and one more thing to take care of. That being said, I’m glad I have boys. Yay!

- Rachel

Posted 06/25/09 07:31 AM

 

 

I think it is digusting to have a baby’s ears pierced!! Why would you risk infection in your baby. My friend has 2 girls 6 and 4 and the oldest got hers done last summer and all she worried about when we swam was her ears!! Anyhow, I have a 2 year old daughter and my rule is probably going to be 10 at the youngest, maybe 12. The reason is, I had mine done at 8 and they very quickly got infected and hurt so my mom made me take them out. Then when I was 11 my dad pierced them with a piercing gun and I never had problems again.

- ashley

Posted 06/25/09 07:51 AM

 

 

This is a very funny topic to me because all the women in my family get them young. I have had a few nasty comments made to me in public and it’s funny how judgemental people are over such small things. Stripper… Kathleen…come on… seriously! If someone,s daughter becomes a STRIPPER, I highly doubt it will be because of a mere pair of earrings. LOL! All the women in my family had our ears pierced as a toddler, and we are all (health professionals, teachers, accountants) with our Master’s degree. My mom even had hers done as an infant, now she is a nurse. Hmmm…the earrings just didn’t give us that darn “stripper mentality”. LOL! That said, it was pretty tramatic when I got mine because I was old enough to know it required a needle. I was crying and so scared of the needle, but once it was over, I wondered why I was crying so—it didn’t even hurt like I thought. Mother took care of our ears and earrings (she took the responsibility since we were so young) and they NEVER got infected. I had my daughter’s done at 4 months old, so that she wouldn’t even know what was going on to get scared. I took EXCELLENT care of them—no infection. She didn’t even jump and they are beatiful. To Rachel: It should be a personal preference of when ears are peirced. Some people think it is cute on babies. You may have some hairstyles/clothes that I probably think is tacky. But, hey, that is you! Some cultures get it done on newborns. Some people let their boys get it done (not me). We are all different and that is what makes the world great. Oh…and as far as the old wining complaint about “what about the child’s choice?”. Hogwash! If the child hates it sooo much when they get older (which I doubt, surely none of us did) then they can simply take them out and guess what? THE HOLES WILL CLOSE! Big deal. Any responsible parent will not let a child make decisions about her looks (what she wears or what color her hair is) until she is much older, right? (No pink hair and hot pants, young lady!) Until then, the parent makes the decision. In our family, getting ears pierced is like any other decision on looks.

- Nell

Posted 06/25/09 08:51 AM

 

 

Oh, and “no” my litle girl’s ears NEVER got infected, because I took responsibility and took care of them and cleaned them to the letter. Sorry Ashley! :)

- Nell

Posted 06/25/09 08:55 AM

 

 

I can’t believe how mean and judgemental Kathleen is. I see a lot of babies with their ears pierced and working in an elementary school, I see a lot of boys (even in kindergarten) with their ears pierced. My daughter is a straight A student and I DON’T see a stripper pole in her future! And for the record her ears have never been infected.

- Anonymous

Posted 06/25/09 09:34 AM

 

 

I was not permitted to have my ears pierced until I was 12. But then I let them close again until I was 15. I think 12 is the appropriate age because by that point they should be old enough to care for the cleaning of the freshly pierced ears. As for babies and young girls - just ridiculous.

- J.

Posted 06/25/09 09:40 AM

 

 

I got mine done at 6 months and they never got infected because my mom used peroxide to clean my ears and my earrings, and to you Kathleen I’m 20 and just completed nursing (I’m going to be working in the delivery rooms) and I have never touched a stripper pole in my life! so HA!LOL!

- nikki

Posted 06/25/09 10:19 AM

 

 

Okay, so age six seems to be just fine with everyone but not younger? Just curious because I only have girls but do the mothers on here who have boys have them circumcised when they were babies? Circumcision is also an unnessary prodecure yet I think most parents of boys get it done. Should you wait and let the boys are old enough to decide for themselves if they want it done or not? Just curious.

- Anonymous

Posted 06/25/09 10:59 AM

 

 

It is a personal choice. I got my daughters done at 6 months. Her PEDIATRICIAN said before 6 months or after 6 years. Kathleen you are ignorant. Period. Your children will rebel in the end.

- Heather

Posted 06/25/09 11:08 AM

 

 

I think the author was surprised about the offer to have the ears pierced during the party than the actual act of getting the ears pierced. I do think parents should wait as long as possible to pierce their little girls ears. The one comment about little boys getting ears pierced, call me old fashioned but do not like it at all. Maybe when they are college aged but I have 2 sons and the two things I will make clear to them is 1. no tatoos and 2. ear piercing must wait at least till college. My husband and I met in college, he got both ears pierced freshman year (18) but by the time he graduated from grad school at 25, he has not worn them since.

- anon

Posted 06/25/09 11:40 AM

 

 

My ears were pierced at a jeweler’s when I was 3 - my mom warned me in advance what it would feel like, and frankly, I didn’t find the experience traumatic. Oh, and I’m not a stripper or anything close to it, thank you. However, I’m holding off on my daughter getting her ears pierced until she’s around 12 or so - I think she should be able to care for them herself, both the piercing and the earrings, and right now at the age of six, I can tell you she’s ready for neither. I used to be judgmental of parents who got their kids’ ears pierced as babies but anymore, I really don’t care. If they don’t like them later, they’ll stop wearing earrings and let the holes close up. And if they do like them, and their moms are willing to deal with the hassle of infections and lost earrings, then more power to ‘em.

- MarMar

Posted 06/25/09 11:55 AM

 

 

It’s all about choice by a parent when the child is young or the child’s choice when they can discuss it with a parent. As far as issues with earlobe problems are concerned there are ways to safeguard against them occurring. As the Earring Doctor, I have been dealing with earrings and the problems they may cause for over 25 years so I think I’m probably an expert in the field. Here are a few tips to avoid some of the problems outlined above. Be sure to first of all have earlobes pierced by a professional, properly trained to do so. Find out how many times they have done earlobe piercing and get a reference from others before deciding where to go and who to use. I believe that’s what most prudent folks do when it comes to any “surgical procedure” performed. Kids in the mall kiosks tend to make me extremely nervous when I see them doing a piercing procedure. After all, I have heard of countless stories of how they were done to low or not even etc. Next, DO NOT allow your children or yourself to sleep with any earring on after they have healed from the time that the initial ear piercing studs are removed. About 6- 8 weeks. If one does sleep with an earring on, it can lead to the backing getting lodged in the earlobe piercing. Sleeping with earrings on will also put a pulling stress on the piercing thus enlarging the piercing over time. Another way to avoid the problem of backs becoming lodged in an earlobe hole is to wear one of my products called Le Disc. It acts as a protective “washer” worn behind the ear, on the post in between the back and the earlobe so it won’t allow the back to penetrate the earlobe piercing. It also protects the earlobe from getting chafed by the earring back. Le Disc also helps keep your heavy earrings upright and looking better when worn. For those of you that have actually damaged the hole in your earlobe because you either wore too heavy an earring or did sleep with them on or suffered from some earlobe trauma I also created a pierced earlobe support to enable you to wear any weight or style of earring once again. It’s called Pierce-Mate and it can provide an “ear lift” so the earring sits

- Earring Doctor

Posted 06/25/09 12:14 PM

 

 

Wow we’re all raised differently huh? I’m Mexican and in my culture- our ears where pierced as newborns. Yes, yes I know! Anyways, everyone I know has gotten their ears pierced as babies. You would not believe how many people/strangers on a daily basis aske me “When are you gonna pierce her ears?” “She would look a lot cutier if she has earrings” and so on… My three-old does not have her ears pierced, since I feel it should be her choice. Punching holes in your child- Ah! I for once can not force her, she’s too young, of course if she wanted too that would be another story… PS this is coming from a mother who has plenty of tattoos and piercings. :)

- Malice

Posted 06/25/09 12:26 PM

 

 

(Continued) at the top of your piercing. No surgery needed to repair the damage and it will protect from future or further damage. Pierce-Mate also helps eliminate the tired, dragged down, extended earlobe look, especially when you wear hoops or wire earrings. No more cheese cutter damage from wires. Another point I want to stress is not to use peroxide or alcohol to clean newly pierced or infected earlobe piercings. These tend to dry out the skin and irritate them further. They will kill bacteria but also healing flesh. I can go on and on but it might be easier if you just visit my web site at: www.EarringDoctor.com and read about other earring problem solving products and solutions available. You might just avoid some of the common problems that occur or find a way to simply solve the problem. Happy earring wearing!

- EarringDoctor

Posted 06/25/09 12:27 PM

 

 

My daughters were done when she was 9 months old. BY HER PEDIATRICIAN….. He had not a problem doing it they healed nicely and he still checks on them every time she goes back to see him. I did what I was told. Only used quality gold earrings. She is 4 now. She loves her earrings. She doesn’t wear them all the time but will ask to wear them very frequently. No sleeping in them. We take them out every night and clean them. What is the big deal? They are earrings… She will never remember the pain and enjoys getting to wear them. It is each parents choice…. if they are done correctly and taken care of it should not be a problem.

- Marie

Posted 06/25/09 12:36 PM

 

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