How old were you when you had your ears pierced?

I was 19, but in later years developed a sensitivity to anything in my ears, gold, silver or nickel and they’ve closed up now. I don’t miss them tbh

About 14. Went with a friend to a jewellers one Saturday afternoon.

Like DanniRae, one of my ears got infected and swelled up like a giant tomato. Ironically it was on the day I was due to take sleepers out and put my new "proper" earrings in.

Like many folk here, I don't feel dressed without earrings in.

23

I got them done as soon as I was 18. It was awful, there was no Claire's Accessories or anything like that in the early 1970s so I had to book an appointment with a posh beautician - it cost a lot.

She did it with a needle and a cork and I walked home feeling faint with blood dripping down my neck!

Probably about 25. My mum always said it was common. By that time I had three children and guessed I could look ‘common’ then ??

A friend secretly booked an appointment to get them done for my 21st. She told me she was taking me for a special lunch, I had no idea!

I was fourteen and the skin specialist I saw when I was 20 said it was probably what triggered my metal allergy. I don't know how true that is but what is done is done. If it does happen, I do think people should be forewarned though.

Never wanted them pierced and still don't. DS1 came home with one ear pierced and a small gold loop. We acknowledged what he'd had done and never mentioned it again; he soon got over his little experiment in (failing to) annoy parents.

In my 30's. I went at least 5 times before I was brave enough to go through with it & then I took a friend to make sure I went through with it. I have always been needle phobic. I was very glad I did it eventually though but it did take me a good month before I was brave enough to try a new pair of ear-rings- I kept the sleepers they had given me in!

I was 50 and I went with my daughter who was having her ears pierced for her 18 th birthday. She persuaded me to have mine done too and I’m so glad she did. I love wearing earrings and I wear them every day even if I’m not going out. I sometimes treat myself to a pair while on holiday or on a day out so many pairs in my collection spark happy memories.

Yes i too had them done with money I'd got for my 13th birthday! I'd to pay for it myself as i had pestered my mum for years to have them pierced- since 7 when my new best friend at school had them, also 7- but she was a true Romany gypsy, as they were called then,(not 'travellers') and her ancient gran had done them when she was a baby- i envied those earrings- but mum said i couldn't have any till i was old enough to pay for it and look after the aftercare (bathing them etc) myself! It wasn't cheap then either as yes, you had to go to a reputable jewellers only, no cheap claires accessories then- so i saved up for years.. I think my mum was just being mean over money though really, as her own ears were pierced. ?

Never had mine done. Don’t like “empty” holes and don’t want to wear earrings all the time, and indeed wasn’t able to when I was working. A pity in a way, because I do like to wear nice earrings when I dress up, and nice clip earrings are hard to find, I grab them quickly if I see a pair I like. Swarovski used to do some lovely ones. Indeed I’ve thought about starting up a business selling good clip earrings, I reckon there is a gap in the market!

I thought your comment was quite funny, @ Kittylester!

I was 34 and only went because a work colleague wanted to geet hers done with 21st birthday money. I went first, but she then chickened out!

I'm very glad I did have them done, I enjoy wearing earrings and have picked up some lovely ones at the craft fairs I hope I'll be able to go to again in future.

I was around 12/13 when I had my first. Had to wear my long hair over my ears as earrings weren’t allowed to be worn in school. However, I also had another when I was in my 50’s. I always wear earrings, even in the house during lockdown.

I was 18, my boyfriend took me on the back of his motorbike. In the jewellers, first one done and I fainted, after I came round I tried to sit up and I fainted again, this carried on a few times each time I tried to sit up. The manager decided he had best take me to the hospital, where he stayed with me until I was well enough to go home. He didn't want me to go home on the back of the bike so took me home in his car, by the time he got back to the shop it had been robbed!!!! Needless to say he wouldn't have me back to do the other one.

Some time later I approached another jewellers who agreed to pierce my other ear, come Saturday afternoon down Walthamstow High Street, the longest street market in England, I had the second one done, again I fainted but this time they carted me out of the shop and laid me on the roadside, I came round to what seemed like the whole world staring down at me.

A few weeks later my mum decided she wanted to have her's redone as they had closed up years before after she tore an earlobe. She was wearing a lime green duster coat and I took her back to the jeweller down the High Street. The torn lobe spurted blood all down the front of her coat and I promptly fainted again.........

Aged 14 in a barbers shop in Birmingham. I remember the smell of ether made me go green.

We had fish and chips after, I put sugar all over mine from one of those shaker things they used to have in cafes, thinking it was salt.

11, school holiday between junior and senior. No matter how long I leave the earrings out they never heal up. Not worn them since wearing a mask as I lost one the first week keep moving mask up and down

I have never felt the need but have a small tattoo lol

I was 13 in 1950. Any sort of earring was banned in my girls school ostensibly because it could be a danger in gym. lessons ( feasible). Anyway all adult women seemed to have clip on earrings, or screw on, even for pearls. Having your ears pierced was rather looked down on, which was strange as it was normal in the previous generation. Piercing a baby's ears was unthinkable and still is for the majority I think. Maybe associations with gipsies.
Fed up with earrings falling in my soup or down my cleavage I had mine done at forty, but my niece, now past that age, has not. Clip ons can be very painful as well.

I was 16 and got them done for my wedding, wish that I hadn’t because I had nothing but trouble with them over the years, I finally gave up when I was about 40 and have never worn earings since

I was 62. My daughter came with me. After a long life of not liking jewellery I suddenly decided I wanted to wear earrings. My earring collection is now a lovely memory aid. Each pair tells a story of where I was when I got then, the occasion and who was with me.

55. After years of suffering with studs.

I didn’t dare until I was married! My mother said only gypsies and common people had their ears pierced! In vain did I point out that the Queen and Princess Margaret had their ears done. In the end I said when my husband bought me expensive earrings the insurance company would insist ( fib).

Never did have them pierced! The thought terrifies me - now into my 70's it is unlikely to happen

I was 14 when I had my ears pierced and as with another poster my mother went mad. She said it was common! I had to remind her that the queen had her ears pierced in order to wear all the antique earrings in her family. She could hardly argue with that!