Suitable age for ear piercing?

One DD had her ears pierced at about 16 she then wanted a tattoo and was told to wait until she left school, we thought she had listened.
Going through Check at Marseille Airport all the bells started ringing, they told her to take the earings out, still a lot of bells in the end she confessed she had had her nipple pierced because we had said no to the barbwire tattoo.
I just couldn't stop myself and told her in front of everyone what a stupid girl she was and would never be able to breastfeed if she got an infection. She never did anything else and her DH told her to get rid of it.
A friend's daughter got a nose piercing and an infection she ended up with a scare like a huge blackhead.
How do you make them see sense you think going halfway will suffice but it never is.

This is clearly down to Parental personal choice in the first instance, and there are cultural differences, but I don't like seeing babies or toddlers with pierced ears. They obviously don't have any say in it, so I feel that they're being treated more as an object to be decorated rather than as a human being with certain rights. I'm much happier with the idea of a child or young person being consulted and being offered ear-piercing when they're of an age to fully understand what's about to happen, and to have a personal say in that.I don't think that stage is reached until a child is around 11 or so, although it will vary with the relative maturity of the child. .

I made my 2 DD’s wait until they were 13. I don’t like to see young children with earrings, girls or boys.

I am sure I am in the minority but never had my ears pierced, eldest daughter now mid 40s has never had hers done either. Youngest daughter asked from being about 8 years old , I told her she would have to wait till she was 16 - but knew I would have to give in earlier than that. Took her when she was 13. I do not like to see babies and young children with pierced ears! Their ears belong to them, in my opinion parents do not have the right to pierce their child's ears!

I think the correct age is when the parents say a child can have them done.

When my daughter was about 18 , we phoned her from our holiday to check in with her . She told us that she had had a tattoo , knowing I hated them ! On our return it was a nose stud she had done but thought saying she had a tattoo would soften the blow about the nose stud ! This has long gone she’s 49 this year and still no tattoo thankfully!

DGD was allowed to have her ears pierced when she was 12. She soon got bored and gave up wearing earrings. Fast forward another 8 years and she now has pierced ears - and a pierced nose. However, she is showing signs of again being bored and giving up earrings! I wonder what she'll be doing at 25. As for me, mine were done when I was 27, with a hypodermic wielded by my junior doctor sister during a quiet afternoon in A&E. I still love earrings.

My DD had hers done at 9...my eldest GD had them at 7 yrs....neither had any issues..... both old enough to understand the need for aftercare.... GD wears tiny gold studs for school.. school are fine with pierced ears as long as small studs only

Mine were pierced in my early 30 the first date DD1 started school. One DD 17 the other about 23. Our GD14 is thinking but her mum is holding off.
An Italian friend had her DD done at a few months. Their earrings are different to ours and have screw backs on so the baby can't pull the butterfly clip off and swallow it. I still think it is too young.

I was in my thirties, my daughters were around sixteen and the GDs were about 14. It is usually the looking after that is the problem and school attitudes vary, one GD can wear her studs and the other shouldn't really wear anything but all the girls wear tiny studs.

Granddaughter had hers done at 11 - my son wasn't keen on the idea but was overruled!

I have known people to have babies ears pierced as soon as they can. I took my daughter to get hers pierced at 16 the guy refused saying she wasn’t old enough. He would only do piercings on someone 18 or over. I appreciated his attitude and thought he was very responsible obviously not just after my money.

Dgd aged 9 had her's done when she was 8 and has just had second piercings. Her mother - our ex-dil - asked DS if it would be ok - and when he said "definitely not" replied "Too late, it's done now". He's furious

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.

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!

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.)

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

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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 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?

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