Suitable age for ear piercing?

I was in a shop once and heard a blood curdling scream. It was a baby having her ears pierced. I've never forgotten it.

11 seems reasonable as long as mum keeps an eye on them to make sure they're kept clean.

That’s downright cruel Kate. Mother putting her wishes above the child’s wellbeing.

Poor little mite. There should be a lower age limit.

I agree Smiles.

We weren’t allowed to wear earrings at school in case they got caught when we were playing sport, so I had mine done when I was 18. My mum wasn’t happy about it. My daughter didn’t want hers pierced, which was fine with me, her choice. If she had asked when she was 11 though I’d would have let her have them done.

Years ago a tot aged about 2 was on a train with me. Her ears were pierced and she was dressed up in spangley clothes.
I found it shocking and sad.

DD was grown up before hers were done and none of her brothers wear earrings.

DGD was about 12 and claimed she was last in her class. Her sister too.

Not something I ever desired. I am squeamish about anything like that

I couldn't wear clip on earrings, found them painful so I went with a couple of friends to have our ears pierced in our 20s. One friend went first, she squeaked a bit, I was next and yelped, the third friend hot-footed it out of the jewellers and up the road. 😂

Kate1949

I was in a shop once and heard a blood curdling scream. It was a baby having her ears pierced. I've never forgotten it.

I saw something similar. The poor child was screaming her head off and the piercer turned to the mum and asked what she should do. I was quite shocked when she said "Oh, just ignore her and get on with it. I want them done and I want them done now!"

That's horrible Blondiescot. I'm not sure why you would put your child through that.

Very normal for babies to get their ears pierced when they're a few days old.

I lived in Spain and all the babies had their ears pierced

I never had mine done and neither have my children.

Kate1949

That's horrible Blondiescot. I'm not sure why you would put your child through that.

Exactly. Obviously mums like that are doing for their own reasons and not thinking of the child. At least wait until they're old enough to ask for it themselves and understand that it may hurt at the time and they need to keep it clean etc.

I agree Blondiescot.

My daughter and I had ours done at the same time. I was 39 and she was 11.

I had my ears pierced when I was 25. I had a second piercing in my ears done at 50. If I live to be 75 I promised myself I would pierce something somewhere else. Any suggestions?

I had mine pierced at 14 , my Dd had hers at 11. The main thing is to get them done at the beginning of the summer holidays , which gives you 6 or 7 weeks for them to heal .
My Dd and I got a second ear piercing about 5 years ago and I’m thinking of getting a third soon. Both my ac have a nose piercing and my ds has several ear piercings . Neither of them have had tattoos, nor do I . I’m too much of a wuss for tattoos.

I had mine done back in 1962 when I was 11. I was visiting my grandparents in Italy at the time. The earrings were a gift from them.
My daughter had her ears pierced for her 12th birthday.

kittylester

We have 4 granddaughters and it seems to be a rite of passage before senior school.

Yes, my daughter had her ears pierced at eleven before she went to high school. Those of course were the first piercings. She had second and subsequent piercings done as an adult. My granddaughter had her ears pierced at eight, and now nine, asked her mother if she could have second piercings done, and mum said yes. Not sure what I think about that, I’d have probably made her wait till about 14/15 but I guess I’m old fashioned.
I’ve only ever had the one lot of piercings in my ears, done when I was in my thirties.

I had mine pierced at 18. Mum was a palled, pierced ears were on her list of all things ‘common’.

It’s up to parents though my belief is the child needs to be old enough to keep the area clean, as well as to deal with school regulations, ie cover or remove for sport

I hate seeing very small babies with pierced ears - it just seems wrong that they should have it done when they have no choice in the matter.

Personally I think if they are old enough to ask for it themselves, understand what it entails and are able to do the aftercare themselves with supervision then that is the time when it should be OK. My GD was 9 when she had her ears pierced at her request and I took her, with my DD's permission to a fully qualified piercer with all the certificates and Health and Safety checks. Even then it soon became obvious that her ear lobes were particularly sensitive and she soon took the earrings out and let the holes heal up, luckily without any permanent damage. I suspect that it will be a long time before she considers it again!

I had my first ear piercing when I was 12, and the second one when I was 19 (early Punk Rock look!) I still wear earrings in both piercings, but tiny sleepers in the back ones so not too obvious.

In Scotland: A young person under 16 can only have body piercing performed if they are accompanied by a parent (or person with parental rights).
yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2011/11/08/age-limit-piercings The following article gives a good account of issues related to the procedure.
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/children-ear-piercing-what-parents-should-know_uk_59367cb3e4b013c4816ac2c0
We had reason to be horrified when a non related person took our 10 year old DGD to have her ears pierced aged 10. DD was phoned about it while she was extremely busy at work running a very busy NHS service and explained both in reply and by text that the plan was for DGD to have them done at 14 ! DD had a terrible allergic reaction to her piercings carried out at 14 even though the sleepers were gold and the hygiene was meticulous. My sister also has a severe nickel allergy. The adult who took her has no knowledge of the family history. DD refused but the procedure went ahead anyway.... Having worked in the NHS covering an Infection ward during the HIV/AIDS pandemic/epidemic and read that HIV infection was on the increase again we were particularly alarmed..... The incident caused a major rift in relationships. The piercings - 3 in each ear!! - healed well thank goodness.

age 11 is perfect. I had mine done at that age

I had my navel pierced aged 40. It felt so sexy (seems ridiculous now) but it went weird so I, very embarrassed, ended up at my doctor's. She took one look at me and said, 'Honestly! How old are you?!' (She was a friend, by the way.)

Tenko

I had mine pierced at 14 , my Dd had hers at 11. The main thing is to get them done at the beginning of the summer holidays , which gives you 6 or 7 weeks for them to heal .
My Dd and I got a second ear piercing about 5 years ago and I’m thinking of getting a third soon. Both my ac have a nose piercing and my ds has several ear piercings . Neither of them have had tattoos, nor do I . I’m too much of a wuss for tattoos.

Tenko that’s a brilliant point about the Summer holidays.
No risks during PE etc.

I was 11 when I had mine first pierced.

My grandmother had her ears pierced when she was 72!

Had mine done at 15. Sleepers back then. I had a second pair done about 20 or so years later.

My GD had hers done for her 10th or 11th birthday, not sure which. She wears simple earrings.

Don’t like to see babies or little children with them though.