Right age for ear piercing?

[Buckeye Princess]

I have a 4 month old daughter. My family is very big on ear piercing early. All the girls on my side of the family have had their done anywhere between 6 months to a year. As I begin to think about when will be the right time to have my daughter's pierced, I want to make sure that I have as much information as possible. I know that many people have their daughters wait until they are older. My mother in law had a policy of 13. I was wondering if some of you who believe that girls should wait until they are older can give me your reasons? My family just likes to do it young. My doctor actually recommended 6 months because babies don't know they are there and therefore won't play with the earrings or pull at them and thus the risk of infection is the lowest. I know there must be arguments to the contrary so I'm all ears.

Thanks!

 

[Mouse Maineac]

I would wait until your daughter can care for her piercings and was something that she wanted to do.

 

[vanillamickey]

I have a 4 month old daughter. My family is very big on ear piercing early. All the girls on my side of the family have had their done anywhere between 6 months to a year. As I begin to think about when will be the right time to have my daughter's pierced, I want to make sure that I have as much information as possible. I know that many people have their daughters wait until they are older. My mother in law had a policy of 13. I was wondering if some of you who believe that girls should wait until they are older can give me your reasons? My family just likes to do it young. My doctor actually recommended 6 months because babies don't know they are there and therefore won't play with the earrings or pull at them and thus the risk of infection is the lowest. I know there must be arguments to the contrary so I'm all ears.

Thanks!

Really? I got told it was higher.......

Anyway, I got mine pierced when I was 11 and it HURT. Of course, I'm a wimp, so don't take my word for it.

I'd get them pierced when they're a baby anyway, because of (read above).

 

[pumba]

our granddaughter had her ears done when she was six months old and she never had an infection or had to change her earrings all the time because of her age.......they were cleaned with a q tip and made sure that they were turned and that was it..
I noticed when I was volunteering at the schools, the kids that were second and third grades had red ears because they had them done and could not keep their fingers off them...
just an opinion....our other granddaughter wont have them done until she decides she wants to have a hole in her ear....she is 3 right now.....and our other granddaughter is almost 20.......

 

[lulugirl]

When she is old enough to tell you she wants it done.

 

[AnnaS]

We also belong in those families where we pierce ears early. My daughter I believe was about 6 months old. I went to a different pediatrician who specialized in this (hers did not do piercing). I think we had to wait til some of the shots were taken care of first.

I don't remember all the details. It was 16 years ago.

 

[southernbelle_amy]

Working in peds, I saw a baby probably around 6 months of age with pierced ears that got infected. Not only that we had to torture the poor child to remove the safety earrings. Which of course she did not hold still and calm to remove. I am not a fan that young.

 

[taylor3297]

My daughter didn't get her ears pierced until she was almost 5 years old. I decided to let her decide whether she wanted her ears pierced. When we had them pierced, two ladies were working and they pierced both lobes at the same time. My dd cried for about 30 seconds. The noise scared her more than the actual piercing.

 

[mjkacmom]

I live in an area where babies get pierced. I decided to wait until they wanted it. Bad mistake. Dd12 got it done when she was 7. She didn't take care of them (I was in charge for the first year), they got infected, and we had to have them removed in the ER. Dd8 - same story. However, she had to take them out (too early) to play soccer, and then for swim team. She's had them done TWICE, and they closed up TWICE, because of sports. Dd6 hasn't had them done yet - I'm holding off in between any chance she'll have to take them out. Why didn't I get them done when they were babies?!

 

[kathie859]

When she is old enough to tell you she wants it done.

AND mature enough to take care of them

 

[K and K's Mommy]

We just got my DD 7 (almost 8) ears pierced. She is so proud of them. It has been four weeks, and she has cleaned and turned them all by herself twice a day. I've checked them every once in awhile and that has been the extent of my involvement.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

I personally got my ears pierced when I was 7. When I was younger, I did have problems with infections and whatnot but it's just my body apparently because I also had problems with my nostril piercing when I was 18 (and obviously old enough to understand taking care of a piercing). So infection can happen any time obviously. Personally, I do not have any children so I cannot speak from experience. However, I think I would have a hard time putting my child through a painful experience when they are too young to understand why Mommy is doing this to them. Especially when it is not for a necessary reason (i.e. shots), and merely cosmetic (I understand there are some cultures that pierce early so to them it's more than cosmetic.. just tradition). Also, I picture using my (hopefully) future daughter's yearning for pierced ears as a bargaining tool (Show me you're responsible enough by doing chores, etc).

 

[Starbrite]

DD had hers done at around 6 mos.

I had mine done around 13. I'm still mentally scarred from the event!!! It hurt like heck, I never took care of them, and I was constantly picking & pulling at them. Maybe that's why I had DD's done so early.....so she would have no memory of it.

 

[lemondog]

I personally believe age 12 is appropriate, that said my 7yo begged so much that I let her get them pierced for her 1st communion. She has taken very good care of them, have not had an infection yet. She gets to take her starters out tomorrow and she is very excited about getting to wear a different pair.

Under 6 months is good because they don't play with them, it's just my personal preference that I really don't like pierced ears on babies or young children. However, it is definitely a cultural thing, so I don't think there is any right or wrong answer.

 

[jimmalru80]

My twin DD's (19), waited until this year to get their ears done. They are athletes, and they never had the time to keep them in for the proper length of time.

 

[stitchntiggertoo]

I personally was 4 or 5 when I chose to get my ears pierced. I has chickened out the first time so I would have been even younger, but it was definitely my choice. As a mother, only my daughter will decide if she wants to get her ears pierced.

As a side note, I wouldn't "assume" that a young child (6 month old) wouldn't play with earrings. Ever since my daughter found her ears (right around 6 months) they have become her favorite thing to pull and tug. So getting her ears pierced at that young of an age wouldn't be a good option for her.

Good luck!

 

[happygirl]

I would wait until your daughter can care for her piercings and was something that she wanted to do.

Itotally agree.

 

[december]

dd9 had hers pierced Friday. I have always told her to let me know when she wanted it done, and I'd take her. Friday morning we were in a store, and she saw some earrings she wanted. She asked to have it done, and we went that afternoon and got them pierced. She is very proud of her Minnie Mouse earrings! The pair she picked out at the other store (silver crosses) is waiting for her 6 wks to be up so she can wear them.

My new baby isn't even 4 wks old. I'll also wait until she tells me she wants it done. I was 5, and can still remember how proud I was to have earrings.

 

[quasar4legs]

Personally, I would let my daughter make her own decisions about when to put holes in her body

Trish

 

[Fintastic]

Everybody feels differently. I really don't like how babies look with pierced ears, so I'm going to wait until DD is older.