How old were you when you had your ears pierced?

I can't agree with that Hithere
It is mutilation and an invasion of physical autonomy.
You wouldn't tattoo a baby would you?
One could argue that FGM is okay by using your theory.
I know that it's an extreme example, and I don't want a barny, as I'm sick to my back teeth with arguments on here!

I first had my ears pierced at a jewellers with the gun method when I was about 15/16 and got thin hoops which were cheaper than the studs. One of them wasn't quite 'flush' and we were told to swivel them along every few days. TCP and Vaseline were recommended - the former stank and the latter was really not a good idea. However, one of them became infected so I took them out and let them close up.

After decades of wearing clip-ons I took the plunge and had them done again at a posher jewellers with the needle method which was much gentler. Proper studs this time. I was probably in my mid-50s and was given a bottle of surgical spirit to bathe them and no problems at all.

I was in my mid-40s. My DD2 wanted to have hers pierced when she was around 18, but has always been scared of needles and needed a bit of support, so I had mine done at the same time. I've always loved earrings and can't imagine why I left it so long - some of those clip-ons were excruciatingly painful. And if they weren't tight they'd just slip off.

I had a nasty moment on Christmas Day when I found they'd very nearly closed up as I hadn't bothered with jewellery over the months when I wasn't going anywhere. Back to normal now, phew!

Fannycornforth

Yes, humans have been doing mutilation to justify beauty standards
FGM is not linked to beauty, it is tied to a sick view of promiscuity and keeping women under control (or so they claim)

Other countries have customs that could be frowned upon by other cultures
1. Parents in Nordic countries have their babies nap outside in subzero temperatures so they sleep longer and better
2. Leaving minor children in apartments in vacation by themselves while parents are out having dinner - no direct supervision

I got my first ear piercings done in the summer before I started secondary school then my second set on the day I became a granny ! 12 then 46 .

I had mine done after my divorce aged 35. I have quite a collection of ear rings now as DH used to buy them for my birthday and I rarely go out without wearing some. My late MIL left me some jewellery including a beautiful Victorian diamond and opal stock pin which happens to match some opal ear rings, just the thing for dressage, my horse has a rose opal brow band just to complete the picture so we look the part even if we don't win! Hope you don't mind me sharing but they are so pretty!

I was 11

On my 10th birthday much to the horror of my father.

15 and against my dads wishes - he said I couldn't have it done so I got on a train to East Ham and went to a jewellers. Never been sorry, I love earrings but I don’t like them on babies or very young children.

17 when I left school. My parents wouldn’t let me have them done while I was at school. Old fashioned method used with needle. Still only have the one piercing.

Never wanted so never had it done. Daughters were not allowed until they were thirteen!

I was 17.
I still remember my dad’s comment when I got home:
“Why didn’t you get your nose done at the same time?”

I was twenty-four and a professional flamenco dancer.

My lobes are so thick that clip on earings fall off - and large earings are more or less compulsory for a Spanish dancer.

I had wanted my ears pierced since I was a child, but my mother thought there was nothing more vulgar.

When I finally had my ears pierced I still hardly dared tell her and made a big thing of not being able to keep other earings on while dancing.

She was still offended, though, but as I didn't live at home, I could take that with a grain of salt.

In Spain and most of the middle and far east baby girls have their ears pierced during the first week of life - earings are a protection against the evil eye and all the demons that attack little girls! It is also said that it hurts less when you are only a week old.

I haven't had mine done. I was horrified when my then 7 year old granddaughter wanted hers pierced. Her dad took her. I think she should have been made to wait a few years.

I was 8, my grandmother took me to have them done

I was about 13 or 14 and our local jeweller did them. Bought my sleeper earrings from him too. Unfortunately I fiddled with the earrings too much and one of my ear lobes went septic so the earring had to be removed. After a course of antibiotics the infection cleared and the hole, by then, had closed up so I had to have it pierced again. From what I remember he used a contraption like a single hole paper punch and I can still hear the noise it made when it went through my earlobe ?

In my fifties.

My DGD has just had hers pierced at age 8. I don't agree with children under 16 having earings but said nothing. Adults having pierced ears is fine by me but not for children.

My friend and I were 15 and both sets of parents had said we couldn't have it done. We caught a bus to a bigger town and had it done in a jewellers. Her parents didn't notice for two weeks. Sadly one of my ears became infected and I had to go to the local hospital for a penicillin injection in my bum. How embarassing!

In my thirties. Clip earrings were so painful. In later life, wearing a bob I stopped wearing earrings and my holes closed up. But I am thinking of having them pierced again as I am losing my hair and want to look a little bit feminine even in old age. Am thinking of going to a tattoo parlour as their piercing is better done apparently. My friends uncle who was a jeweller did it first time round and possibly didn’t make a very good job. But I am nervous about catching covid, though I have both vacc, as I am chronically ill.

On my 8th birthday

31. I wear ear rings most days. It's good to have a selection that ' match ' outfits. I have diamonds, opals, coral, turquoise, amber, pearl, as well as plain gold and silver, and some cheap and cheerful ones.

40th birthday present from a friend. Never regretted it!

52! I took my youngest, aged 13, to get hers done and thought why not!

13 (1965). My mum took me. She loved jewellery and found clip on earrings very painful. In fact, she may have had hers done the same day, now that I think about it. I wear little drop earrings every day, consider it part of 'getting dressed'. Years later my then 15 year old daughter wanted to get her nose pierced. I was not impressed and told her dad who said "tell her to get her nipple pierced and then we won't have to look at it!" I told her what he said and she was so mortified that all piercing was forgotten for a few years.