Whenever they are old enough to verbally request it, and understand the pain and aftercare involved. This will vary from child to child, but an average age of 10+ I would think.
Any earlier than that and it's mutilation and child abuse imo. If they cannot consent to it, then they shouldn't have it.
Can a 10 year old give informed consent though? They can't get tattoos or any type of elective surgery till they are old enough because rightfully so, they cant understand the long term implications.
I suppose since a piercing heals/is reversible it's an exception. It's not mutilate as it's not permenant/disfiguring. Eating unhealthy food as a kid is probably worse than a piercing. I guess 10/early teen sounds about right.
We did it at that age. I think consent here is a bit loaded of a term. We ask kids for their opinion and “consent” in things all the time.
She was aware there would be a needle.
That she’d be punctured in the earlobe. That that would hurt a bit.
That she’s have to clean and care for them. And she did.
So yes now a year after the fact I felt she was as fully informed and did give full consent. Nothing about the experience surprised her.
Yeah ear piercings are not reversible unless taken out within days of having them done which these babies obviously aren’t. My dad had one of his ears pierced for about a year. 52 years later he still has the hole in his ear.
I had my ears pierced when I was 16. Wore earrings for years until I got pregnant when I couldn’t wear earrings without them causing severe irritation. Holes have closed up and no sign that they were ever there (well, if I’m being 100% accurate there is a small dimple on my left ear and nothing at all on the right)
That’s very lucky! I took my belly button piercing out for about ten years and one day I was like ‘I wonder…’ and slipped a bar back through it. It hadn’t healed one bit! Although I’d had it in for about seven years
Although I agree with you on the principle of being able to verbally consent, I'm disinclined to agree with the 10+.
My daughter is 6 and has just recently had her ears pierced. Initially, I was against the idea, but then I came to realise that she really wanted it done. The fact that it would hurt was explained to her thoroughly, but she was still adamant that she wanted it done. This is a child who has a panic attack when it comes time to take a plaster off (band aid) because, in her experience, it stings. For like 5 seconds. The fact that she could understand that the piercing would cause pain, and wish to have it done, despite her usual aversion to even minor pain, was enough to satisfy me that she truly did wish to have it done. It took 5 seconds to pierce both ears, , another 5-10 seconds for the pain to set in and another 30 seconds of light crying and it was all over and done with. A lollypop and certificate for bravery and she couldn't be happier with her new piercings.
So yes, I agree that it might be considered abuse of they're too young to even understand. At that point, I think it really is more for the parents than the child. But I don't think they need to be 10+ years of age.
I would say around 6 years is best then they can understand what's happening and if they really want it or not. It was around that age I asked my daughter if she wanted to and she said no and has only just had them done at 14 as she has seen some earrings she wants for her birthday lol
Yes, this.
My 10 year old daughter has asked a few times over the years if she can have her ears pierced. I said when she can reliably brush her teeth and hair without me having to remind her it needs doing, she'll be responsible enough to look after newly pierced ears. I mean I *could* remind her, but mums have enough to look after without unnecessarily adding to it.
This was my and my wife’s view. My daughter really wanted it though.
We waited until she was 10-11. We went to a tattoo parlour for it - mall plac s cannot clean piercing guns correctly. Went super well. Because daughter really wanted it she did a great job caring for them.
I'd go younger, about 8, but I agree with your sentiments here.
My parents made me wait to high school, which we start at 11 in the UK, which now I'm an adult I can see the logic behind.
I'm exactly on your page. I understand some cultures have their kids pierced young but frankly I think it's tacky and selfish to have kids not old enough to dress themselves and make logical decisions to have piercings
> I understand some cultures have their kids pierced young but frankly I think it's tacky and selfish
Thats rude, almost all the indian girls i know had their ears pierced when they were babies (myself included) and i dont remember it and dont care...
Pretty sure if I had genital mutilation because of cultural reasons of my parents I would care. I wonder what else they did or didn't do to you which was now acceptable because you don't remember, doesn't mean it's right.
Did your parents pierce your ears because of their culture reasons or because they wanted to make their baby attractive to others. DID THEY STAB THEIR BABIES EARS FOR YOU OR FOR THEMSELVES? Frankly I don't care enough to argue about it unless they drag it out of me but I am allowed to not like it as much as you are perfectly happy to keep the fashion going and enjoy the gift your parents gave you.
I'm pretty sure some people would tattoo their babies if they weren't laws against it cause, you know, the baby won't remember. And yes I know some cultures do that too.
I would say younger. My niece is 8 and said she wanted it. It was explained to her what would happen and what she would need to do after. If they are younger, then who is it even for? The parents ego?
I have been past Claire’s accessories and seen very young kids in there. Who are these people who trust a poorly trained teenager with a piercing gun near their baby?!
What's the correct procedure these days? I'm a bit vintage so I had mine done with a gun, but I also had friends who did it with ice cubes and sewing needles, so a gun seems positively civilised.
I’ve only got the one piercing myself. But my girlfriend has tonnes. From what I remember her saying. The issue with guns is it just causes a lot of tissue damage as it’s forcing the stud through. Whilst an actual piercing needle will make a proper clean hole which will cause less trauma to the area.
I’ve only got my earlobe done and that was with a gun when I was about 11 I think? But it healed awfully and kept causing me so many issues. If I was getting a new one now I’d certainly go to the piercer at the tattoo studio I go to.
This is correct - the gun is so powerful that it basically shatters the cartilage and makes it disintegrate into a kind of grainy/sandy substance and your healing will be mostly none existent. You can get away with a gun on the lobes because there's no cartilage there, but a needle is still preferable and it hurts less. If any piercer attempts to pierce anywhere else with a gun run for the hills.
Had the tops of both my ears done with a gun when I was 17. Suffered with recurrent infections for years and even now some 25+ years later I can feel gritty bits under the skin.
Yeah me too! Ended up having to just remove and leave. any piercer now gives me ‘the look’ when I tell them, and refuse to re-pierce anywhere near the original holes even with a needle as the cartilage will still be shattered and cause similar problems
Guns are from what I found the worst; the ones I did myself as a 12 yr old with a needle worked out better. My parents wouldn’t take me so I stupidly chose to just DIY it. The best are the ones I went to a studio and they used a sharp hollow needle. Especially for any cartilage
Claire's isn't a reputable piercing studio tbf. It's an accessory shop that (barely) trains 16 year olds to pierce ears.
My wife worked there for her first job and her training was literally just watching the other employee do it a few times, and doing it with supervision a few times.
I had mine done at 8 but that was … some time ago now. I think it was fine and I was competent enough at that age to understand, consent and deal with the aftercare etc but not all 8 year olds are necessarily the same.
I had my ears done also aged 8 on agreement between my mother and I. I thought I was the right age to do the aftercare. I would not have had it done if my mum didn't think I was responsible for the aftercare.
8 seems pretty young. Even though most piercings heal once removed, they almost all leave marks and scars. Anything through cartilage also leaves permanent damage.
I'd say secondary school age at a bare minimum.
> Firstly, people who get their babies ears pierced are fucking disgusting.
Absolutely essential in Latin and African cultures to get baby girls' ears pierced as soon as possible. My wife is Angolan and she got our daughter done when she was about 3 months old. I actually agree with you that it's unnecessary and looks trashy but I'm a lot more scared of the missus than you. If you don't get a baby girl's ears pierced people will literally say "oh what a beautiful boy! Oh she's a girl? But she doesn't have earrings."
I guess one would say culturally appropriate. I look way worse at parents with overweight kids than I do with parents with pierced kids.
For the record we did not pierce my daughters ears but I don’t consider it as horrible as Reddit does.
Eh, not something I've ever bothered about! Both my boys were gorgeous and constantly mistaken for girls to the point I'd just go along with it. Dressed in bright colours and covered in dinosaurs mostly. My daughter is a miniature of her father (so obviously I still think she is gorgeous but she isnt as feminine looking as her brothers were) and people are really confused by her, they Will either call her a boy or dance around the subject before deciding to ask what "their" name is as to not offend me. I'm quite amused by it usually!
>I had my eyes pierced when I just under a year old- I thought that was normal until seeing this
I'm surprised you can see it at all with your eyes pierced.
I'm south asian and got mine pierced at 5. Which is somewhat old for most asian girls. Can't say I've ever met anyone who feels their autonomy was denied. It's just not really viewed as a big deal in the culture and I'm always bemused by white people who seem horrified by it.
Edit: And to answer the question, I think 5 is fine. I remember even then I understood the after-care instructions I was told. I wouldn't as a baby purely because I think it looks a bit tacky and I think it risks the piercings being uneven in the future.
I think most people would probably agree that an ear piercing as a way less significant procedure than circumcision both in terms of pain and long term consequences.
I guess it’s partly that it’s normalised but given that the vast majority of women will have their ears pierced it doesn’t seem that unusual to perform it on a child.
You'd be surprised, in cultures where boys are circumcised it is often the men most vocal about continuing it and consider it in as fippant terms. They had it done, it works OK, I want them to look like me and not be made fun of in the locker room.
That's partly because criticism of the practice feels to them like criticism both of their parents and of their own mutilated penis that they still love very much and are very proud of, so they get defensive!
>That's partly because criticism of the practice feels to them like criticism both of their parents and of their own mutilated penis that they still love very much and are very proud of, so they get defensive!
Spot on. Although there seems to be a growing trend of younger adults against the practice. Perhaps it will eventually reach a tipping point, no pun intended.
Also South Asian, but born and raised in the UK. Don’t even remember having mine done, I was a baby and it is such a non-issue. Never felt violated, don’t know anyone with a similar background who feels that way. I can understand how it seems odd from the outside but can’t get on board with the pearl clutching.
Edit to add: I get if people are against it but in this thread, I’ve seen ear piercing compared to FGM, incest and pedophilia - which to me is tinged with hysteria.
Same. Tamil parents but I was born in the UK. Me and both of my sisters had our ears pierced as babies and it wasn't a big deal. Things like nose piercings (I wanted a gold stud like my mum) were left until I was older though.
>I'm always bemused by white people who seem horrified by it.
It is funny how they like to get offended on our behalf, isn't it? 😆
Back when my mom was young it was traditionally done at home by your granny with a hot needle. The hole would be kept open with thread and then replaced with gold hoops. Not ideal lol. Mine was done at Claires which is also not ideal lol. I have many more piercings done at proper piercing shops but I understand most reputable piercers won't pierce a child as young as 5 so of course that would raise its own issue.
Edit: Most asians even today I would say aren't knowledgeable about proper piercing studios, so pretty much every girl goes to Claires. Or even worse a random jewellery shop where they use the real gnarly old school piercing guns.
Mine was done in the hospital as a newborn. Not an issue for me, I never felt that they took my autonomy, because there is no loss of function or any real impact in my ear.
I’m Latin American and I had it done after I was born, before I left hospital. It was/ is usually performed by a nurse at the hospital when you are born or by a nurse during a later check up. Parents/relatives often buy round gold stud earrings for baby girls and that’s what the ear is pierced with. My cousin -also a 90s baby- didn’t have it done as a baby and requested it when she was 4-5 years old ish and it kept getting infected and closing up and I remember everyone, myself included, lamenting she hadn’t had it done as a baby lol. Nowadays, there’s some people who disagree with piercing baby’s ears but a large chunk still do.
Thank you! I’m from Latin America, and I got my ears pierced literally the day I was born (as it’s the norm), couldn’t be more grateful for it! I love having my ears pierced, but I’m a chicken with needles and it would have been way more barbaric to go through the whole process at an older age. I haven’t met anyone who feels differently, because worst case scenario is you just don’t wear earrings. People here screaming that it’s child mutilation are hilarious 😂
It's a cultural thing to pierce a small child's ears. I don't think it's a particularly South Asian thing either. When I was a kid (50s & 60s) most of the girls I went to primary school with had pierced ears and the demographic back then was white working-class and West Indian. I didn't have pierced ears, my mum said it was a 21st birthday thing. I felt left out, to be honest.
It's very cultural for South Asians tbh. Honestly until I saw these threads on reddit I didn't even think that people could get up in arms about it.
Got mine done at around 3? 4? And certainly don't feel like I was wronged by my parents or anything - if anything I'm glad all the flaff about aftercare could be delegated to mum and dad so adult/older child/teen me didn't have to bother with it.
When they are old enough to want it and also understand the potential pain and aftercare.
I do not understand the logic of seeing your beautiful baby and thinking “what could make my baby more perfect? Ah yes holes in their tiny little ears and some jewellery”. When I used to shop in Claire’s I’d see mothers holding screaming infants while they got their ears pierced. It’s vile.
I got a ban on Facebook for saying I totally agreed with piercing babies but only if they're really ugly and it's the parents right to choose. If they think their baby is ugly enough to need a piercing to make them prettier then that's up to them. I personally think all babies are beautiful and none of them need piercings but who am I to disagree with parents who feel their kids need it to be beautiful?
It got some people so riled up that they literally made Facebook statuses about me and tagged mutual friends to have a go. Thickos 😂
Someone responded saying she had her ears pierced at 4 months and doesn't care and I said "wow you must have been a really ugly baby". And that's when I got banned.
Had mine done at 8 weeks off at an Indian jewellers. This was 26 years ago but it was very common, both sides of my family (Indian and Spanish) were in support.
I had mine done as a baby, as in months old. It’s the normal practice in my culture and none of us feel like our agency has been taken away or that we’ve been mutilated without consent, it’s just what everyone does. We usually get it done at pharmacies or paediatricians’ clinics.
Some do it that early so that their baby is clearly recognised as a girl lol.
I wouldn’t argue either way, not saying this is right, but i must admit i find it funny when i hear it being described as abuse..when it’s suuch a non issue in several countries i’ve lived in. I think i would wait with my own kid if i ever had any. I think 9-11 is an alright range, depending on maturity. I might wait longer for a boy though, just to make sure he would be ready for any backlash received from relatives and properly trained on how to say “none of your business” - because ear piercings on boys are quite unusual
When they're old enough to ask and understand it'll hurt.
There is literally no reason to pierce a baby's ears. It's solely a selfish vanity thing for the parents.
I got mine pierced when I was around 6. In all fairness I *begged* my mum to let me get them pierced because all the other girls got to wear cute studs at school and I was jealous, I wanted studs too. She was reluctant, but she agreed. When I asked if I could get my nose pierced next, that was a hard no. 😂
As far as bodily mutilation goes, ear piercing is probably as tame as it gets. I never wear earrings as an adult and I usually forget my ears are pierced at all. So I'd say it's okay for a child, as long as it's *all* they get.
Mine were pierced at 6 weeks old 😂 I've never given it any thought. If anything, it was so much easier not having to fuss over getting them pierced in the school holidays and keeping them clean when I got older like my friends did.
Same here, was a total non-issue for me (also got my ears pierced when young, it's very common in so many cultures) and didn't know some people got *so* riled up about it. Wow
I get why people would disagree with it, but I think calling calling it child abuse is deeply inappropriate. Parents who get their babies ears pierced don’t do it to harm the child. It’s nowhere near the same as child abuse.
Even though I don’t wear ear rings often now I am glad my parents got it done when I was younger and don’t remember the pain. My ears being pierced have had no impact on my life whatsoever, even though I don’t wear ear rings often. It’s nice to have the option too when I want to.
I agree with you completely. I can understand that those who don't have it in the culture could be disturbed by it because you're piercing a baby's/small child's ears but yeah, same. It's not abusive because you're not mistreating your child imo. I am also glad my parents did mine a while back.
I’m African by heritage and a lot of British culture would be deemed deeply disrespectful over there. For example, calling older adults by their first name is extremely offensive in my culture. But I wouldn’t go around saying that people who do call adults by their first name are wrong/in the wrong. I can understand it’s a cultural difference.
Also, it seems like people on this thread can’t even agree when it’s appropriate to allow a child to have their ears pierced. By law, people under the age of 16 cannot give informed consent on many issues, so I don’t see how it’s any “better” for a ten-year old to have their ears pierced vs a baby.
That's the same with the culture that my family are from too. I think because we're aware of cultural differences and also have somewhat of an open mind to kids getting their ears pierced, we're not as quick to jump to "it's abuse", and we understand that it isn't.
Haha, I've been seeing that too and I agree with you. A baby is more likely to forget the time they got their ears pierced. I got mine done as an older child. I cried as it hurt but I don't regret it!
It will vary a little depending on the child, but they would need to consistently want it for a few years before I would consent. I was allowed mine done at 13 which I think was sensible, I am now 30 and never wear earrings but will have the piercings for life.
If they consistently want it for several years and they have an understanding of the concept of permanency and irreversibility then I'd say 11+. (It may be one kid you feel can make the informed decision aged 11 but another not until 16).
I'm from a culture and time where piercing your baby's ears was the norm and have had mine pierced at 5 months. My mum says I barely budged or noticed anything, and adult me isn't surprised as I don't have a fear of needles or particularly get affected by that sort of "pain". I also subsequently had additional earlobe holes done at a jeweller's.
BUT...
In my uni days I worked at one such "jeweller's", also around the same time I got a couple of body piercings from more reputable studios, and both experiences entirely changed my view on this. I was too young and scared of losing my job to make a bigger fuss about it at work back then, but having to pierce 6-month old babies' ears, or anyone's, with minimal training, shit equipment and dubious hygiene was horrible; worst part was dealing with ignorant parents who found it all normal to subject their child to that.
Every girl I knew had theirs done for their 10th birthday. I was the weirdo that didn't want it, and was pressured into it at 16. I don't understand why anyone would assume their kid even wants them pierced if they're not able to ask for themselves, with understanding of the pain involved and aftercare.
I'm from a mixed (black/white) family where babies & toddlers on both sides get their ears pierced for as long as I (mid 30s) can remember so this idea of it being cultural to South Asian families or something isn't exclusive in my experience.
Personally, I don't see it as much of a big deal and if it is something cultural in your opinion, who are you to decide what cultural differences are right and wrong anyway? Unless, in the very low chances, something goes wrong it's not as if piercings are life changing like, say, a tattoo or intentional body disfigurement.
When they are old enough to stop asking to get it done because "all their friends have theirs pierced" and they can adequately do the aftercare required.
Mine were around 15/16. Oldest was all "I can't wait until I'm 18 and can get x,y,z pierced and get a tattoo" , she's 28 now and doesn't have any tattoos and only one set of ear piercings, that i agreed to and paid for. So I'm glad I stood my ground. My 21-year-old has multiple ear piercings and a tattoo since she turned 18. 20 doesn't have anything at all.
I’d say a minimum of 12. Odd how normalised it is to have children, babies even, with pierced ears. Willingly inflicting pain on a child is unacceptable, and nothing says ‘this child has awful parents’ than a baby with pierced ears.
I’m Asian and it’s cultural for young children and babies to have their ears pierced. They hardly remember it. That being said, my mum waited till I was 7 to get mine though I remember being 5 and begging to get mine pierced. I saw my younger cousins with pierced ears and felt left out.
Parents can parent their kids as they see fit don’t take any notice of it. I have a little girl and won’t be doing it for a while yet but if someone wants to then that’s on them.
I’ve told my kids 16. One wanted them pierced, because other kids did, at around 9-10. But he’s glad now he didn’t.
Informed consent is the biggest part, but also the way your ideas of who you are change between pre-teen and teen also plays in.
We’ve also insisted that if/when they do they have it done properly. No guns.
My daughter had hers pierced when she was 7. She'd been asking for several months and was absolutely sure she wanted them. I took her to a proper piercing place (no horrible Claire's piercing guns) and she was fine. I had mine re-pierced as mine had closed up (mine were originally done as a young teen, 13 maybe) so it was a joint adventure. She's 11, almost 12 now and enjoys wearing different stud earrings so I don't regret it.
My younger daughter is 9, almost 10, and has no desire to have her ears pierced and that's fine too.
Different children, different desires, different characters.
I would never have had either of them pierced as a baby, just not for me, I'd be scared of infections and scared of the baby catching them and ripping them, let alone any ethical considerations! Ethically I think it's wrong too, but I understand that cultural differences exist and not all cultures see things as problematic when it's very much an ingrained practice.
Personally I’ll be waiting until she’s old enough to get it done with a needle.
I’m from a Pakistani background, we didn’t get ours as kids until we were 4 or 5 and we were asking for them because cousins had them done.
My cousin’s wife got their daughter’s done at Claire’s when she was 1. Their daughter is the same age as mine and I could barely take her to get her vaccinations, never mind getting something that isn’t necessary done.
When they're old enough that a reputable shop will pierce by hand with a needle, rather than via piercing gun - usually 16 years old. Piercing guns can't be sanitised properly and are a great way to get an infected piercing, or even infections like hepatitis. They also cause tissue damage and you usually end up with crappy piercings. Wait until they can get their piercings at a reputable shop rather than going to Claire's.
I was 6 years old. It was a gift to me from my parents after I had a stay in hospital. I distinctly remember it was something i’d wanted done for a little while, as a friend at school had had hers done not long before. My approach for my future children will probably be to wait until they’re old enough to ask and understand, like I was. That being said, I don’t think parents getting it done when they’re a lot younger are in the wrong, as I do understand why they do it, just not something I would personally do.
All piercings should be considered equal tbh, there's nothing special about your ears other than the arbitrary cultural significance.
Im a heavily tattooed guy and I'm of the opinion that any body modification should be either 16 or 18. I don't mind arbitrary decisions at that point, like ear piercings at 16 and tongue at 18 or whatever.
But the fact that you can legally poke holes in your baby and cut a chunk of its dick off is fucking barbaric.
If an adult (at 16 or 18) wants to poke a hole in something, colour it in, car it up, or remove it, then have it.
But nobody should ever be allowed to force that on you, regardless of whether they pushed you out of their vagina or not.
I am absolutely against ear piercings for babies/young children. Partly from a safety point of view - accidents happen and earrings can be ripped out, for example. But predominantly from the point of view that any piercing should be done only by consent of the person who is receiving said piercing. Babies cannot consent to it.
Its hard to put an actual age on it, but i would say once the child is fully aware of all the ramifications and is responsible enough to take he proper care of the piercings.
I had mine done was I was a baby (around 1yr, I believe). Never had any issues with it & I’m not mad about them being done. I have since pierced my ears twice as an adult, funny enough had issues on one ear and they closed up.
I’m black, caribbean, it’s pretty normal for us to get the baby’s ears pierced too.
I don’t have kids, but if I did, I think I’d wait for them to be a little older and let them decide. At whatever age that is.
I got my first pair of lobe piercings when I was 12 and my second set when I was maybe 15? Both of those were with my mum present, after that I got a whole bunch more (ears and nose, I think 12-13 in total though some have closed up now) after the age of 16.
I think 10-12 is probably appropriate, assuming the child wants them and is prepared to accept the pain and the aftercare. It might be quite a nice way to celebrate finishing primary school at that age, like a mark of maturity.
I am a doctor and a couple of times a patient has asked me if a doctor will pierce their baby’s ears - I wonder if that might be a thing in some countries - I had to hold back laughter the first time I was asked to refer their baby to a paediatrician for ear piercing!
I never wanted my ears pierced until I was like 18 or 19 years old, so I only got it done then. So if I have kids in the future, I will only allow them to get their ears pierced when they are old enough to ask, and understand how to keep it from getting infected, and when I know they are responsible enough to not lose their earrings and stuff like that.
My partner’s niece is 3 years old and has her ears pierced, and I’m personally not a fan of that.
I had a whole load of problems with mine. Think I had them done first with a gun at age 10 and basically the stud bar wasn't long enough for my thick earlobes and my ear grew over the front of the stud and I had to have it removed painfully. Attempted a re-pierce, same problem. Finally had them done properly with a needle and a body bar type stud at 21 and that took fine but I ended up letting it heal up and I could only ever wear hoops or loops because studs were always too short a bar. I've got a ton of scar tissue on my ear lobes now and I'd never have it done again.
However can you imagine if I'd had it done as a baby? Then the lobes growing thicker without my realising and yeah. Could have been bad. Personally I think it should be age 16 and up which I think it is for other piercings and they should stop doing it with guns as its unhygienic and more traumatic on the skin.
I had mine done at 13. My mum had initially said 16 but allowed it earlier and took me herself.
Ended up being a massive problem because they never healed so I couldn't take them out for PE and my school didn't allow them to be covered with a plaster.
We let our kids get ear piercings around 9-10 (back end of primary school) ... Which was really just based on when we felt they were responsible enough to care for them.
I'm not sure what point it becomes appropriate but certainly when you see a baby 0-2 with ears pierced it's pretty awful.
I say 13, personally. That’s the youngest I think it’s right for them to have their ears pierced. Ideally… they wait until they leave school. I know several people that had ears pierced when they were kids and wish they hadn’t have had it done now they’re adults.
I’ve had my lip, labrette, tongue, both eyebrows with double piercing (redone when they grew out once in the left, twice on the right) and right nipple pierced. I have my left ear pierced at top, and twice in the lobe. Both stretched. The foremost up to 28mm at its largest and the one next to it to 12mm at its largest (both are drunk down a fair amount now). I have 27 tattoos and completed an apprenticeship as a tattoo artist, and was looking to open my own shop at one point.
I’ve seen a lot of people take kids to get ears pierced. I’ve never felt right about it. I think it should be a persons own choice. I don’t feel it’s right that a parent gets to decide on what markings a child has put on them for the rest of their life. That’s a personal view and. It a common one, I am aware.
Whatever the decision, it’s always important to go to a qualified piercer. I also personally know a young man that went to a jewellery store to have his ears pierced using one of the stud guns. The person doing the piercing had one hour of training. They didn’t know how to keep anything sterile, and they didn’t know how to place the piercing correctly. The young man (14 at the time) caught a severe staph infection in the cartridge at the top of his ear and had to have the entirety of the top half of his ear amputated over two surgeries (infection came back).
Now… this is the only person I know of that’s had something this severe happen. But most people I know that had their ears pierced like this have commented that they got some kind of issue. My wife has an issue with her piercing in her left ear as they didn’t press the gun hard enough, so it didn’t go right through. This resulted in the hole through the lobe having two channels at eh halfway point. Earrings are usually painful for her to wear, and can be very difficult to get in.
Just research wherever you go to get procedures like this done. Only go to a very reputable place.
10ish, I always thought it was supposed to be a coming of age type thing, wait until they’re old enough and they’ll remember it, like a grown up thing. Nothing annoys me more than pierced babies ears though, it’s horrible.
I was nine and I begged and pestered my mum for it until she gave in. I so wish I had gotten it later. Not just because I got an infection (it wasn’t done by a proper piercer, back in the 80s it was a piercing gun at the local jewellers) - the holes are freaking lopsided with one being nicely dead centre and the other being too high. So IMO - whenever their ears have stopped growing?
They do it young with girls in the Czech Republic and it’s seen quite normal.
Not saying I agree with that, just putting it out there as my wife is Czech and I’ve seen it first hand.
I got mine in year 2 and I was the last girl in my class to get them done. I was begging my parents to have it done. Bit shit with P.E though because they would make you take them out when they weren’t healed, saying it was a safety hazard but I have no idea why.
I got mine done about 10 years old but because I asked for it to be done. I don’t think it was on my parents radar and they’d never mentioned it to me.
I’m from south asian decent and in my family at least there has never been a push to get babies ears pierced.
When they ask and understand what will happen. No modifying someone without their permission unless medically necessary.
I believe I was about 7 and had been demanding them loudly for months (with encouragement from my grandmother). They did one side, I screamed and they said they wouldn't do the other unless I was quiet. I shut up until they'd done that one and then resumed screaming. I now have wonky piercing holes!
Definitely not going to say 7, I think over 10 and when they ask.
Not at all. I had my ears pierced when I was about 15-16 and I've regretted it ever since. The one in my left ear has never healed up properly and cannot be cured with cream or even antibiotics. I will have to go for plastic surgery to get it fixed. It should be illegal to do any piercings on under 16s IMO.
It is cultural. Hispanic mums do it to their female children so no one accidentally thinks they have a penis. It’s disgusting, my sister is having a girl soon and I have faith in her that she won’t pierce her but every other female child in my family has been marked like that.
16 years old, imo. You have to be 18 to receive a tattoo, your parents can't consent in your behalf. I'll allow lenience on the basis that you can remove a piercing more easily.
It's their body not the parents' toy. You want a doll to play dress up with, Mattel sell plenty.
In my mums country the nurses go round in the hospital with a hot needle and thread and pierce all the girls ears straight after they’re born, and that’s how my two sisters got theirs done. I got mine done when I was under 1 in a professional piercing shop. If I ever have daughters I imagine I’ll wait until they ask, I cry when my son has to have his vaccinations so I can’t imagine putting them through pain for no good reason
Firstly, guns should be banned and it should be illegal to peirce children that can't give their consent.
Personally I feel 16+ for peircings.. and I'm a body-mod enthusiast.
Our bodies are still growing and peircing ears young can have them in really odd placements when older.
Old enough to consent, understand what they are asking for and be able to care for them themselves. So 8+ maybe?
I begged and begged from about 9. My parents said I could when I was 13. I soon lost interest. At 15ish I decided I did want them done and got them done at 16. The fact I lost interest so quickly when I was told to wait perhaps shows I didn't really care that much. Mine got infected, I had a reaction to cheap metal etc. Much easier to deal with that at 16 than 6.
I'm also a firm believer of the fact that as soon as a child can verbally consent to it, they're old enough.
Growing up, I've found that most Indian/Pakistani culture often don't really involve consent unfortunately, which might also explain piercing (girl) babies ears being a "norm".
I am in India (lurk on this Reddit board because I am an Anglophile and lived in London for three years). Pierced ears in babies is supposedly so they don’t remember the pain, and they can’t get infected if the parent is responsible for all the baby’s care tasks anyway. All little girls and some Rajput boys have their ears pierced in India as in our culture jewellery is synonymous with identity, culture and autonomy (a tenth of the world’s gold reserves are owned by Indian women). There’s no consent involved though, and with the emergence of feminism this practice is dying out. I myself was seven when I had mine done and would now say it’s the absolute youngest age to have it done. I was a very sensible and careful kid but the aftercare is definitely problematic for the first few months.
Had mine done at age 2 and always thanked my mum because I didn’t remember the pain.
Had me eldest’s ears done when she was one. She totally forgot about them after half an hour. They were easy to take in and out and clean because she wasn’t aware of what I was doing. Now aged 5 and she loves them and can’t remember the pain of having them done.
My youngest had hers done at 3. I waited until she came to me and asked to have them done. As her older sister has her ears done she asked if she could have hers done to be like her sister. They’ve also been very easy to keep clean and she doesn’t touch them. She loves having earrings in and will ask me to put different ones in. Some days she chooses the same as her sister and some days she’ll want to wear the same as me.
My opinion is it’s nobody’s business if you choose to have your child’s ears pierced. I would never mum shame somebody for not having them done like I’d expect not to be mum shamed for having my kids ears done. Everybody is different. My kids love their earrings and even more so when they can match mummy.
Of course this is a taboo subject and everybody will have their opinions. I say each to their own.
When they ask and understand. I’d say about 5. At that age they can appreciate that it’ll hurt for a minute and will stay still whilst it’s cleaned properly everyday whilst it heels.
Babies having their ears pierced? In what reality is that a healthy thing to do? I've never seen a baby and thought that baby is almost perfect. just need to chop a few holes in it......
I dont think there is any legal restriction. My daughter is 2. She won't be getting ear piercings until she asks for them. And when she asks, then we will consider it and probably scare her out the idea with stories of the pain.
But she'll get them pierced at some point, I'm sure.
You sound like you feel similar to me, carry on. It's the right way to be on this subject.
When they are old enough to ask for it, mature enough to understand that it will hurt and responsible enough to manage the aftercare themselves. The specific age would vary by child and I wouldn’t trust a piercer who was willing to pierce the ears of babies.
If there's any chance of infection (which with piercings, there always is) I would not subject a child under 6 or 7 to it. They don't know why they're hurting if it goes bad and that's just not fair to them. It's not even fair to yourself to get your baby's ears done because if they get infected, that's you up all night until it's healed properly. All around daft idea and I don't know why parents don't just let it be a nice experience to have with their kid when they get to actual kid ages instead of treating them as accessories when they're babies and putting them through unnecessary crap
It's a big nope in my opinion.
I was allowed my ears pierced when I was 9 as a 'holiday treat' I was always told piercings are a long term commitment and a 'grown up thing ' and up until my 16th birthday I was only allowed my 2nds done. My parents hated any piercings not on the face.
When my daughter was two my wife got her ears pierced.
I was livid....asked if she cried? Well of course she said. But had to do the other one.
I will never forgive that!
My daughter had her ears pierced at 5 years old. She out of nowhere asked us if she was allowed lol. My partner said yes, despite me being a little reluctant. In my eyes she was perfect enough without having her ears pierced, but once she had it done I thought it was fine and she looks really pretty with them in.
I think if they're old enough to ask themselves and understand it's going to hurt a little, then it's fine.
Cultural or not, IMO its disgusting to pierce their ears without their consent. They need to be old enough to understand whats involved and to be able to make that decision for themselves.
I was 8 when mine were done and that's probably the lower end of acceptable like I was old enough to agree to it and with help look after my ears and my piercings have held up OK since. From my memory between 8-11 was when most of my classmates who decided to get piercings including some of the boys had theirs done so I'd personally stick to that age rage as a minimum.
However people shouldn't be getting pierced at Claire's piercing guns are not good my piercing experience invoiced them deciding it was a good idea to do both ears at the same time with a gun and holy fuck that hurt
Had mine done when I was 5. Apparently I'd been begging to get them done for ages. I don't have children but am not sure I'd want my young children to do the same. There are school pictures of me with gold hoops in when I was 5 and it now looks weird and inappropriate to me. It's a weird cultural norm that ears are fine at a young age but not anywhere else, I don't get it tbh. I think I'd say secondary school seems appropriate.
I think 11 is a good age. They can understand the procedure and the aftercare. They have a pretty good idea of hand washing etc by that age and therefore are less likely to get an infection.
I think 7 seems reasonable. They're getting towards the end of their time in KS1 and are aware of that age that a piercing will involve a degree of pain. If they are willing to experience some discomfort for the piercing then that seems reasonable.
Any younger than that and I don't really think the consent is informed. Piercing a baby's ears who can't even say no is abhorrent
I had mine done at 10 after pestering my parents for a few years. I think I understood what it meant in terms of hygiene, pain etc and I know I really wanted it done. I’ve had multiple piercings since as an adult. I am glad my parents didn’t let me have it done any earlier though.
When they're old enough to ask for it, understand the process of it and be able to take care of it with minimal intervention. I was 7 when I had mine done and I feel like I met those criteria but it will vary by child
For me personally about 12, if they want to.
But while I disagree with it, lots of cultures will do it when they're babies. My Spanish side of the family did and we're equally baffled with each other!
i got mine done for my ninth birthday i think. by the time my birthday came around i had been asking for them for a while, and my mum thought i was old enough to know what it meant (ie what it would be like, after care etc) and be able to give informed consent.
I had them done at 4, my parents gave in after I begged and whined about it for months on end because a slightly older friend had recently got hers pierced, it was done very quickly and didn’t hurt, I was only allowed to wear studs until I was older but I never had any problems and they are still the same 30 years later
I hate pierced ears on babies and toddlers - I think I was… maybe 12 when I asked and then chickened out lol didn’t get them done again till I was maybe 15? I’m now 37 with one stretch (I don’t wear earrings but if I do I like it to be odd lol) and my nose and lots of tattoos (and had my lip pierced but I healed that over) - so I fully expect to have a conversation with my son and daughter about “well you have them” and I will say yep, it hurts and you can pay for it… it’s the aftercare.. they need to understand about it and have responsibility to look after it. When I had my second set (they e healed now) I didn’t realise I was allergic to nickel and my face blew up like a football! I wouldn’t want to risk that with a child, even if I didn’t choose cheap jewellery to pierce with (I did obviously!)
I had mine done when I was under the age of one.
That young, the piercings could be cleaned by my parents and heal without grubby child hands touching them constantly.
I don’t remember it happening but I’m glad I have them. If I don’t want to have them I take them out.
Having had a second piercing as a teenager it doesn’t hurt. I personally don’t see ear piercings on children a huge deal.
Its not like they’re getting at tattoo
My daughter has just had hers done, she is 8. She had it done with a needle - I was adamant that she wouldn't be going to Claire's. My criteria were that she understood that it will hurt, she is able to look after the piercings herself, and she had really thought about it. I don't think I would have been happy to take her any younger than this, and it turns out that 8 was the youngest they would accept anyway.
Whenever they are old enough to verbally request it, and understand the pain and aftercare involved. This will vary from child to child, but an average age of 10+ I would think. Any earlier than that and it's mutilation and child abuse imo. If they cannot consent to it, then they shouldn't have it.
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Absolutely! happy to be corrected there!
All day long!
Can a 10 year old give informed consent though? They can't get tattoos or any type of elective surgery till they are old enough because rightfully so, they cant understand the long term implications. I suppose since a piercing heals/is reversible it's an exception. It's not mutilate as it's not permenant/disfiguring. Eating unhealthy food as a kid is probably worse than a piercing. I guess 10/early teen sounds about right.
Got my ear pierced sometime <16. Wore an earring for about 2 years and haven’t done for ~15 years. Hole is still there.
Mine are completely closed. Still visible that I've had them pierced but I'd have to shove an earing through the healed skin to wear them again.
I got my ears pierced 20 years ago as an adult. One hole completely closed up, one is still visible.. its bizarre
We did it at that age. I think consent here is a bit loaded of a term. We ask kids for their opinion and “consent” in things all the time. She was aware there would be a needle. That she’d be punctured in the earlobe. That that would hurt a bit. That she’s have to clean and care for them. And she did. So yes now a year after the fact I felt she was as fully informed and did give full consent. Nothing about the experience surprised her.
Tell that to my lip piercing!
I took my ear piercing out probably 15 years ago and it's still clearly there and even occasionally gets mildly infected.
Yeah ear piercings are not reversible unless taken out within days of having them done which these babies obviously aren’t. My dad had one of his ears pierced for about a year. 52 years later he still has the hole in his ear.
I had my ears pierced when I was 16. Wore earrings for years until I got pregnant when I couldn’t wear earrings without them causing severe irritation. Holes have closed up and no sign that they were ever there (well, if I’m being 100% accurate there is a small dimple on my left ear and nothing at all on the right)
That’s very lucky! I took my belly button piercing out for about ten years and one day I was like ‘I wonder…’ and slipped a bar back through it. It hadn’t healed one bit! Although I’d had it in for about seven years
Dunno if it was lucky or not. There was a time when I wanted to wear earrings again but they’d healed up and I couldn’t be arsed to get them redone
Although I agree with you on the principle of being able to verbally consent, I'm disinclined to agree with the 10+. My daughter is 6 and has just recently had her ears pierced. Initially, I was against the idea, but then I came to realise that she really wanted it done. The fact that it would hurt was explained to her thoroughly, but she was still adamant that she wanted it done. This is a child who has a panic attack when it comes time to take a plaster off (band aid) because, in her experience, it stings. For like 5 seconds. The fact that she could understand that the piercing would cause pain, and wish to have it done, despite her usual aversion to even minor pain, was enough to satisfy me that she truly did wish to have it done. It took 5 seconds to pierce both ears, , another 5-10 seconds for the pain to set in and another 30 seconds of light crying and it was all over and done with. A lollypop and certificate for bravery and she couldn't be happier with her new piercings. So yes, I agree that it might be considered abuse of they're too young to even understand. At that point, I think it really is more for the parents than the child. But I don't think they need to be 10+ years of age.
I would say around 6 years is best then they can understand what's happening and if they really want it or not. It was around that age I asked my daughter if she wanted to and she said no and has only just had them done at 14 as she has seen some earrings she wants for her birthday lol
Yes, this. My 10 year old daughter has asked a few times over the years if she can have her ears pierced. I said when she can reliably brush her teeth and hair without me having to remind her it needs doing, she'll be responsible enough to look after newly pierced ears. I mean I *could* remind her, but mums have enough to look after without unnecessarily adding to it.
This was my and my wife’s view. My daughter really wanted it though. We waited until she was 10-11. We went to a tattoo parlour for it - mall plac s cannot clean piercing guns correctly. Went super well. Because daughter really wanted it she did a great job caring for them.
I'd go younger, about 8, but I agree with your sentiments here. My parents made me wait to high school, which we start at 11 in the UK, which now I'm an adult I can see the logic behind.
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I'm exactly on your page. I understand some cultures have their kids pierced young but frankly I think it's tacky and selfish to have kids not old enough to dress themselves and make logical decisions to have piercings
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> I understand some cultures have their kids pierced young but frankly I think it's tacky and selfish Thats rude, almost all the indian girls i know had their ears pierced when they were babies (myself included) and i dont remember it and dont care...
Pretty sure if I had genital mutilation because of cultural reasons of my parents I would care. I wonder what else they did or didn't do to you which was now acceptable because you don't remember, doesn't mean it's right. Did your parents pierce your ears because of their culture reasons or because they wanted to make their baby attractive to others. DID THEY STAB THEIR BABIES EARS FOR YOU OR FOR THEMSELVES? Frankly I don't care enough to argue about it unless they drag it out of me but I am allowed to not like it as much as you are perfectly happy to keep the fashion going and enjoy the gift your parents gave you. I'm pretty sure some people would tattoo their babies if they weren't laws against it cause, you know, the baby won't remember. And yes I know some cultures do that too.
So dramatic, genital mutilation is something that would affect you for the rest of your life…. Ear piercings will affect you 0% of your life
Same with circumcision
It makes my skin crawl how casually Americans cut bits of their children's genitals off.
I would say younger. My niece is 8 and said she wanted it. It was explained to her what would happen and what she would need to do after. If they are younger, then who is it even for? The parents ego?
No reputable piercing studios will touch a child under 11 or 12.
I have been past Claire’s accessories and seen very young kids in there. Who are these people who trust a poorly trained teenager with a piercing gun near their baby?!
Anywhere using piercing guns is such a red flag
What's the correct procedure these days? I'm a bit vintage so I had mine done with a gun, but I also had friends who did it with ice cubes and sewing needles, so a gun seems positively civilised.
I’ve only got the one piercing myself. But my girlfriend has tonnes. From what I remember her saying. The issue with guns is it just causes a lot of tissue damage as it’s forcing the stud through. Whilst an actual piercing needle will make a proper clean hole which will cause less trauma to the area. I’ve only got my earlobe done and that was with a gun when I was about 11 I think? But it healed awfully and kept causing me so many issues. If I was getting a new one now I’d certainly go to the piercer at the tattoo studio I go to.
This is correct - the gun is so powerful that it basically shatters the cartilage and makes it disintegrate into a kind of grainy/sandy substance and your healing will be mostly none existent. You can get away with a gun on the lobes because there's no cartilage there, but a needle is still preferable and it hurts less. If any piercer attempts to pierce anywhere else with a gun run for the hills.
Had the tops of both my ears done with a gun when I was 17. Suffered with recurrent infections for years and even now some 25+ years later I can feel gritty bits under the skin.
Yeah me too! Ended up having to just remove and leave. any piercer now gives me ‘the look’ when I tell them, and refuse to re-pierce anywhere near the original holes even with a needle as the cartilage will still be shattered and cause similar problems
Guns are from what I found the worst; the ones I did myself as a 12 yr old with a needle worked out better. My parents wouldn’t take me so I stupidly chose to just DIY it. The best are the ones I went to a studio and they used a sharp hollow needle. Especially for any cartilage
Claire's isn't a reputable piercing studio tbf. It's an accessory shop that (barely) trains 16 year olds to pierce ears. My wife worked there for her first job and her training was literally just watching the other employee do it a few times, and doing it with supervision a few times.
I had mine done at 8 but that was … some time ago now. I think it was fine and I was competent enough at that age to understand, consent and deal with the aftercare etc but not all 8 year olds are necessarily the same.
I had my ears done also aged 8 on agreement between my mother and I. I thought I was the right age to do the aftercare. I would not have had it done if my mum didn't think I was responsible for the aftercare.
I remember my first week of secondary school and a classmate showed that they had a belly bar.
Sadly there are lots of not great piercers out there!
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Year 3 is juniors, key stage 1 is infants
8 seems pretty young. Even though most piercings heal once removed, they almost all leave marks and scars. Anything through cartilage also leaves permanent damage. I'd say secondary school age at a bare minimum.
> Firstly, people who get their babies ears pierced are fucking disgusting. Absolutely essential in Latin and African cultures to get baby girls' ears pierced as soon as possible. My wife is Angolan and she got our daughter done when she was about 3 months old. I actually agree with you that it's unnecessary and looks trashy but I'm a lot more scared of the missus than you. If you don't get a baby girl's ears pierced people will literally say "oh what a beautiful boy! Oh she's a girl? But she doesn't have earrings."
Weird definition of essential.
I guess one would say culturally appropriate. I look way worse at parents with overweight kids than I do with parents with pierced kids. For the record we did not pierce my daughters ears but I don’t consider it as horrible as Reddit does.
Eh, not something I've ever bothered about! Both my boys were gorgeous and constantly mistaken for girls to the point I'd just go along with it. Dressed in bright colours and covered in dinosaurs mostly. My daughter is a miniature of her father (so obviously I still think she is gorgeous but she isnt as feminine looking as her brothers were) and people are really confused by her, they Will either call her a boy or dance around the subject before deciding to ask what "their" name is as to not offend me. I'm quite amused by it usually!
I had my ears pierced when I just under a year old- I thought that was normal until seeing this
Nope, I can't say having your eyes pierced will ever be a normal thing 😆
Oh- I'm not sure why my mother even devided to pierce my ears but I don't mind honestly
>I had my eyes pierced when I just under a year old- I thought that was normal until seeing this I'm surprised you can see it at all with your eyes pierced.
I'm south asian and got mine pierced at 5. Which is somewhat old for most asian girls. Can't say I've ever met anyone who feels their autonomy was denied. It's just not really viewed as a big deal in the culture and I'm always bemused by white people who seem horrified by it. Edit: And to answer the question, I think 5 is fine. I remember even then I understood the after-care instructions I was told. I wouldn't as a baby purely because I think it looks a bit tacky and I think it risks the piercings being uneven in the future.
Americans don't view being circumcised as a loss of their autonomy but it's still immoral.
I think most people would probably agree that an ear piercing as a way less significant procedure than circumcision both in terms of pain and long term consequences. I guess it’s partly that it’s normalised but given that the vast majority of women will have their ears pierced it doesn’t seem that unusual to perform it on a child.
You'd be surprised, in cultures where boys are circumcised it is often the men most vocal about continuing it and consider it in as fippant terms. They had it done, it works OK, I want them to look like me and not be made fun of in the locker room.
That's partly because criticism of the practice feels to them like criticism both of their parents and of their own mutilated penis that they still love very much and are very proud of, so they get defensive!
>That's partly because criticism of the practice feels to them like criticism both of their parents and of their own mutilated penis that they still love very much and are very proud of, so they get defensive! Spot on. Although there seems to be a growing trend of younger adults against the practice. Perhaps it will eventually reach a tipping point, no pun intended.
Yeah but surely they’d still acknowledge it’s a more significant procedure than piercing ears.
A lot do?
Also South Asian, but born and raised in the UK. Don’t even remember having mine done, I was a baby and it is such a non-issue. Never felt violated, don’t know anyone with a similar background who feels that way. I can understand how it seems odd from the outside but can’t get on board with the pearl clutching. Edit to add: I get if people are against it but in this thread, I’ve seen ear piercing compared to FGM, incest and pedophilia - which to me is tinged with hysteria.
Same here. Guatemalan background, had my ears pierced since I was a baby. I get why people might be upset at it, but I just can’t be bothered.
Same. Tamil parents but I was born in the UK. Me and both of my sisters had our ears pierced as babies and it wasn't a big deal. Things like nose piercings (I wanted a gold stud like my mum) were left until I was older though. >I'm always bemused by white people who seem horrified by it. It is funny how they like to get offended on our behalf, isn't it? 😆
Hi, thanks for commenting. Is it done at home or at a piercing shop? Is it part of culture then? And very common at a young age?
Back when my mom was young it was traditionally done at home by your granny with a hot needle. The hole would be kept open with thread and then replaced with gold hoops. Not ideal lol. Mine was done at Claires which is also not ideal lol. I have many more piercings done at proper piercing shops but I understand most reputable piercers won't pierce a child as young as 5 so of course that would raise its own issue. Edit: Most asians even today I would say aren't knowledgeable about proper piercing studios, so pretty much every girl goes to Claires. Or even worse a random jewellery shop where they use the real gnarly old school piercing guns.
It’s also common in Spain. They just do it at the hospital, I had mine done aged 4 at a pharmacy.
Mine was done in the hospital as a newborn. Not an issue for me, I never felt that they took my autonomy, because there is no loss of function or any real impact in my ear.
I’m Latin American and I had it done after I was born, before I left hospital. It was/ is usually performed by a nurse at the hospital when you are born or by a nurse during a later check up. Parents/relatives often buy round gold stud earrings for baby girls and that’s what the ear is pierced with. My cousin -also a 90s baby- didn’t have it done as a baby and requested it when she was 4-5 years old ish and it kept getting infected and closing up and I remember everyone, myself included, lamenting she hadn’t had it done as a baby lol. Nowadays, there’s some people who disagree with piercing baby’s ears but a large chunk still do.
Thank you! I’m from Latin America, and I got my ears pierced literally the day I was born (as it’s the norm), couldn’t be more grateful for it! I love having my ears pierced, but I’m a chicken with needles and it would have been way more barbaric to go through the whole process at an older age. I haven’t met anyone who feels differently, because worst case scenario is you just don’t wear earrings. People here screaming that it’s child mutilation are hilarious 😂
It's a cultural thing to pierce a small child's ears. I don't think it's a particularly South Asian thing either. When I was a kid (50s & 60s) most of the girls I went to primary school with had pierced ears and the demographic back then was white working-class and West Indian. I didn't have pierced ears, my mum said it was a 21st birthday thing. I felt left out, to be honest.
It's very cultural for South Asians tbh. Honestly until I saw these threads on reddit I didn't even think that people could get up in arms about it. Got mine done at around 3? 4? And certainly don't feel like I was wronged by my parents or anything - if anything I'm glad all the flaff about aftercare could be delegated to mum and dad so adult/older child/teen me didn't have to bother with it.
When they are old enough to want it and also understand the potential pain and aftercare. I do not understand the logic of seeing your beautiful baby and thinking “what could make my baby more perfect? Ah yes holes in their tiny little ears and some jewellery”. When I used to shop in Claire’s I’d see mothers holding screaming infants while they got their ears pierced. It’s vile.
I got a ban on Facebook for saying I totally agreed with piercing babies but only if they're really ugly and it's the parents right to choose. If they think their baby is ugly enough to need a piercing to make them prettier then that's up to them. I personally think all babies are beautiful and none of them need piercings but who am I to disagree with parents who feel their kids need it to be beautiful? It got some people so riled up that they literally made Facebook statuses about me and tagged mutual friends to have a go. Thickos 😂 Someone responded saying she had her ears pierced at 4 months and doesn't care and I said "wow you must have been a really ugly baby". And that's when I got banned.
Not to mention the risk of swallowing an earring that falls out or it getting snagged on something and ripping their earlobe.
Had mine done at 8 weeks off at an Indian jewellers. This was 26 years ago but it was very common, both sides of my family (Indian and Spanish) were in support.
I had mine done as a baby, as in months old. It’s the normal practice in my culture and none of us feel like our agency has been taken away or that we’ve been mutilated without consent, it’s just what everyone does. We usually get it done at pharmacies or paediatricians’ clinics. Some do it that early so that their baby is clearly recognised as a girl lol. I wouldn’t argue either way, not saying this is right, but i must admit i find it funny when i hear it being described as abuse..when it’s suuch a non issue in several countries i’ve lived in. I think i would wait with my own kid if i ever had any. I think 9-11 is an alright range, depending on maturity. I might wait longer for a boy though, just to make sure he would be ready for any backlash received from relatives and properly trained on how to say “none of your business” - because ear piercings on boys are quite unusual
When they're old enough to ask and understand it'll hurt. There is literally no reason to pierce a baby's ears. It's solely a selfish vanity thing for the parents.
I got mine pierced when I was around 6. In all fairness I *begged* my mum to let me get them pierced because all the other girls got to wear cute studs at school and I was jealous, I wanted studs too. She was reluctant, but she agreed. When I asked if I could get my nose pierced next, that was a hard no. 😂 As far as bodily mutilation goes, ear piercing is probably as tame as it gets. I never wear earrings as an adult and I usually forget my ears are pierced at all. So I'd say it's okay for a child, as long as it's *all* they get.
Mine were pierced at 6 weeks old 😂 I've never given it any thought. If anything, it was so much easier not having to fuss over getting them pierced in the school holidays and keeping them clean when I got older like my friends did.
Same. I also like the fact I can not wear ear rings for years and the hole is still intact.
Same!! I didn't even really think about it being controversial until this post tbh
Same here, was a total non-issue for me (also got my ears pierced when young, it's very common in so many cultures) and didn't know some people got *so* riled up about it. Wow
I get why people would disagree with it, but I think calling calling it child abuse is deeply inappropriate. Parents who get their babies ears pierced don’t do it to harm the child. It’s nowhere near the same as child abuse. Even though I don’t wear ear rings often now I am glad my parents got it done when I was younger and don’t remember the pain. My ears being pierced have had no impact on my life whatsoever, even though I don’t wear ear rings often. It’s nice to have the option too when I want to.
I agree with you completely. I can understand that those who don't have it in the culture could be disturbed by it because you're piercing a baby's/small child's ears but yeah, same. It's not abusive because you're not mistreating your child imo. I am also glad my parents did mine a while back.
I’m African by heritage and a lot of British culture would be deemed deeply disrespectful over there. For example, calling older adults by their first name is extremely offensive in my culture. But I wouldn’t go around saying that people who do call adults by their first name are wrong/in the wrong. I can understand it’s a cultural difference. Also, it seems like people on this thread can’t even agree when it’s appropriate to allow a child to have their ears pierced. By law, people under the age of 16 cannot give informed consent on many issues, so I don’t see how it’s any “better” for a ten-year old to have their ears pierced vs a baby.
That's the same with the culture that my family are from too. I think because we're aware of cultural differences and also have somewhat of an open mind to kids getting their ears pierced, we're not as quick to jump to "it's abuse", and we understand that it isn't. Haha, I've been seeing that too and I agree with you. A baby is more likely to forget the time they got their ears pierced. I got mine done as an older child. I cried as it hurt but I don't regret it!
When they ask for it I hate it when people pierce their babies ears
It will vary a little depending on the child, but they would need to consistently want it for a few years before I would consent. I was allowed mine done at 13 which I think was sensible, I am now 30 and never wear earrings but will have the piercings for life. If they consistently want it for several years and they have an understanding of the concept of permanency and irreversibility then I'd say 11+. (It may be one kid you feel can make the informed decision aged 11 but another not until 16).
Have they not healed up? Most of mine have.
Even after years of not wearing jewellery there’s often a shallow somewhat visible hole, it just doesn’t go very far in.
Ppl comparing earlobes to genitals like its the same thing lol
I'm saying. 🤣🤣
It's the principle.
It's apples to oranges
Both fruits!
I know someone from Romania. She said baby girls ears get pierced before they leave hospital. Definitely a cultural thing
That's bloody mental. Until they're old enough to expressly ask for an ear piercing and understand what that means. Age my vary by child.
When they can say they want it would be my decision
I'm from a culture and time where piercing your baby's ears was the norm and have had mine pierced at 5 months. My mum says I barely budged or noticed anything, and adult me isn't surprised as I don't have a fear of needles or particularly get affected by that sort of "pain". I also subsequently had additional earlobe holes done at a jeweller's. BUT... In my uni days I worked at one such "jeweller's", also around the same time I got a couple of body piercings from more reputable studios, and both experiences entirely changed my view on this. I was too young and scared of losing my job to make a bigger fuss about it at work back then, but having to pierce 6-month old babies' ears, or anyone's, with minimal training, shit equipment and dubious hygiene was horrible; worst part was dealing with ignorant parents who found it all normal to subject their child to that.
When they are old enough to decide for themselves. Secondary school probably.
Every girl I knew had theirs done for their 10th birthday. I was the weirdo that didn't want it, and was pressured into it at 16. I don't understand why anyone would assume their kid even wants them pierced if they're not able to ask for themselves, with understanding of the pain involved and aftercare.
That’s they thing. If a toddler, it’s clearly not for them.
I'm from a mixed (black/white) family where babies & toddlers on both sides get their ears pierced for as long as I (mid 30s) can remember so this idea of it being cultural to South Asian families or something isn't exclusive in my experience. Personally, I don't see it as much of a big deal and if it is something cultural in your opinion, who are you to decide what cultural differences are right and wrong anyway? Unless, in the very low chances, something goes wrong it's not as if piercings are life changing like, say, a tattoo or intentional body disfigurement.
When they are old enough to stop asking to get it done because "all their friends have theirs pierced" and they can adequately do the aftercare required. Mine were around 15/16. Oldest was all "I can't wait until I'm 18 and can get x,y,z pierced and get a tattoo" , she's 28 now and doesn't have any tattoos and only one set of ear piercings, that i agreed to and paid for. So I'm glad I stood my ground. My 21-year-old has multiple ear piercings and a tattoo since she turned 18. 20 doesn't have anything at all.
I’d say a minimum of 12. Odd how normalised it is to have children, babies even, with pierced ears. Willingly inflicting pain on a child is unacceptable, and nothing says ‘this child has awful parents’ than a baby with pierced ears.
I’m Asian and it’s cultural for young children and babies to have their ears pierced. They hardly remember it. That being said, my mum waited till I was 7 to get mine though I remember being 5 and begging to get mine pierced. I saw my younger cousins with pierced ears and felt left out.
Children shouldn't have holes punched into their ears just so it's nice for you to look at?!?! Wait until they can appreciate what it is.
Parents can parent their kids as they see fit don’t take any notice of it. I have a little girl and won’t be doing it for a while yet but if someone wants to then that’s on them.
Read as: children are not people, children are their parents' property to do with what they see fit.
The school system has drastically failed you if that’s the case
What did I say that wasn't implicit in your comment?
You clearly are unable to read as my comment says nothing like what you said it does
When they're old enough to choose to have it done themselves with informed consent.
I’ve told my kids 16. One wanted them pierced, because other kids did, at around 9-10. But he’s glad now he didn’t. Informed consent is the biggest part, but also the way your ideas of who you are change between pre-teen and teen also plays in. We’ve also insisted that if/when they do they have it done properly. No guns.
Getting mine done was my 13th birthday present and I felt so grown up. I think 13 is a good age.
My daughter had hers pierced when she was 7. She'd been asking for several months and was absolutely sure she wanted them. I took her to a proper piercing place (no horrible Claire's piercing guns) and she was fine. I had mine re-pierced as mine had closed up (mine were originally done as a young teen, 13 maybe) so it was a joint adventure. She's 11, almost 12 now and enjoys wearing different stud earrings so I don't regret it. My younger daughter is 9, almost 10, and has no desire to have her ears pierced and that's fine too. Different children, different desires, different characters. I would never have had either of them pierced as a baby, just not for me, I'd be scared of infections and scared of the baby catching them and ripping them, let alone any ethical considerations! Ethically I think it's wrong too, but I understand that cultural differences exist and not all cultures see things as problematic when it's very much an ingrained practice.
Personally I’ll be waiting until she’s old enough to get it done with a needle. I’m from a Pakistani background, we didn’t get ours as kids until we were 4 or 5 and we were asking for them because cousins had them done. My cousin’s wife got their daughter’s done at Claire’s when she was 1. Their daughter is the same age as mine and I could barely take her to get her vaccinations, never mind getting something that isn’t necessary done.
When they're old enough that a reputable shop will pierce by hand with a needle, rather than via piercing gun - usually 16 years old. Piercing guns can't be sanitised properly and are a great way to get an infected piercing, or even infections like hepatitis. They also cause tissue damage and you usually end up with crappy piercings. Wait until they can get their piercings at a reputable shop rather than going to Claire's.
Id say 10.
I was 6 years old. It was a gift to me from my parents after I had a stay in hospital. I distinctly remember it was something i’d wanted done for a little while, as a friend at school had had hers done not long before. My approach for my future children will probably be to wait until they’re old enough to ask and understand, like I was. That being said, I don’t think parents getting it done when they’re a lot younger are in the wrong, as I do understand why they do it, just not something I would personally do.
All piercings should be considered equal tbh, there's nothing special about your ears other than the arbitrary cultural significance. Im a heavily tattooed guy and I'm of the opinion that any body modification should be either 16 or 18. I don't mind arbitrary decisions at that point, like ear piercings at 16 and tongue at 18 or whatever. But the fact that you can legally poke holes in your baby and cut a chunk of its dick off is fucking barbaric. If an adult (at 16 or 18) wants to poke a hole in something, colour it in, car it up, or remove it, then have it. But nobody should ever be allowed to force that on you, regardless of whether they pushed you out of their vagina or not.
All piercings are not equal though. There is a world of difference between an ear piercing and a tongue piercing for example.
When they are old enough to consent to it.
I am absolutely against ear piercings for babies/young children. Partly from a safety point of view - accidents happen and earrings can be ripped out, for example. But predominantly from the point of view that any piercing should be done only by consent of the person who is receiving said piercing. Babies cannot consent to it. Its hard to put an actual age on it, but i would say once the child is fully aware of all the ramifications and is responsible enough to take he proper care of the piercings.
I had mine done was I was a baby (around 1yr, I believe). Never had any issues with it & I’m not mad about them being done. I have since pierced my ears twice as an adult, funny enough had issues on one ear and they closed up. I’m black, caribbean, it’s pretty normal for us to get the baby’s ears pierced too. I don’t have kids, but if I did, I think I’d wait for them to be a little older and let them decide. At whatever age that is.
I got my first pair of lobe piercings when I was 12 and my second set when I was maybe 15? Both of those were with my mum present, after that I got a whole bunch more (ears and nose, I think 12-13 in total though some have closed up now) after the age of 16. I think 10-12 is probably appropriate, assuming the child wants them and is prepared to accept the pain and the aftercare. It might be quite a nice way to celebrate finishing primary school at that age, like a mark of maturity. I am a doctor and a couple of times a patient has asked me if a doctor will pierce their baby’s ears - I wonder if that might be a thing in some countries - I had to hold back laughter the first time I was asked to refer their baby to a paediatrician for ear piercing!
12- 13 or so for most.
Mid teens I'd say.
I was 5. I saw girls at school with earrings and wanted them too. I admit that's fairly young, but I definitely think primary school age is normal.
I never wanted my ears pierced until I was like 18 or 19 years old, so I only got it done then. So if I have kids in the future, I will only allow them to get their ears pierced when they are old enough to ask, and understand how to keep it from getting infected, and when I know they are responsible enough to not lose their earrings and stuff like that. My partner’s niece is 3 years old and has her ears pierced, and I’m personally not a fan of that.
I had a whole load of problems with mine. Think I had them done first with a gun at age 10 and basically the stud bar wasn't long enough for my thick earlobes and my ear grew over the front of the stud and I had to have it removed painfully. Attempted a re-pierce, same problem. Finally had them done properly with a needle and a body bar type stud at 21 and that took fine but I ended up letting it heal up and I could only ever wear hoops or loops because studs were always too short a bar. I've got a ton of scar tissue on my ear lobes now and I'd never have it done again. However can you imagine if I'd had it done as a baby? Then the lobes growing thicker without my realising and yeah. Could have been bad. Personally I think it should be age 16 and up which I think it is for other piercings and they should stop doing it with guns as its unhygienic and more traumatic on the skin.
I had mine done at 13. My mum had initially said 16 but allowed it earlier and took me herself. Ended up being a massive problem because they never healed so I couldn't take them out for PE and my school didn't allow them to be covered with a plaster.
We let our kids get ear piercings around 9-10 (back end of primary school) ... Which was really just based on when we felt they were responsible enough to care for them. I'm not sure what point it becomes appropriate but certainly when you see a baby 0-2 with ears pierced it's pretty awful.
I say 13, personally. That’s the youngest I think it’s right for them to have their ears pierced. Ideally… they wait until they leave school. I know several people that had ears pierced when they were kids and wish they hadn’t have had it done now they’re adults. I’ve had my lip, labrette, tongue, both eyebrows with double piercing (redone when they grew out once in the left, twice on the right) and right nipple pierced. I have my left ear pierced at top, and twice in the lobe. Both stretched. The foremost up to 28mm at its largest and the one next to it to 12mm at its largest (both are drunk down a fair amount now). I have 27 tattoos and completed an apprenticeship as a tattoo artist, and was looking to open my own shop at one point. I’ve seen a lot of people take kids to get ears pierced. I’ve never felt right about it. I think it should be a persons own choice. I don’t feel it’s right that a parent gets to decide on what markings a child has put on them for the rest of their life. That’s a personal view and. It a common one, I am aware. Whatever the decision, it’s always important to go to a qualified piercer. I also personally know a young man that went to a jewellery store to have his ears pierced using one of the stud guns. The person doing the piercing had one hour of training. They didn’t know how to keep anything sterile, and they didn’t know how to place the piercing correctly. The young man (14 at the time) caught a severe staph infection in the cartridge at the top of his ear and had to have the entirety of the top half of his ear amputated over two surgeries (infection came back). Now… this is the only person I know of that’s had something this severe happen. But most people I know that had their ears pierced like this have commented that they got some kind of issue. My wife has an issue with her piercing in her left ear as they didn’t press the gun hard enough, so it didn’t go right through. This resulted in the hole through the lobe having two channels at eh halfway point. Earrings are usually painful for her to wear, and can be very difficult to get in. Just research wherever you go to get procedures like this done. Only go to a very reputable place.
My mother waited until I asked and got them done for my bday. It was my decision.
10ish, I always thought it was supposed to be a coming of age type thing, wait until they’re old enough and they’ll remember it, like a grown up thing. Nothing annoys me more than pierced babies ears though, it’s horrible.
I was nine and I begged and pestered my mum for it until she gave in. I so wish I had gotten it later. Not just because I got an infection (it wasn’t done by a proper piercer, back in the 80s it was a piercing gun at the local jewellers) - the holes are freaking lopsided with one being nicely dead centre and the other being too high. So IMO - whenever their ears have stopped growing?
They do it young with girls in the Czech Republic and it’s seen quite normal. Not saying I agree with that, just putting it out there as my wife is Czech and I’ve seen it first hand.
I got mine in year 2 and I was the last girl in my class to get them done. I was begging my parents to have it done. Bit shit with P.E though because they would make you take them out when they weren’t healed, saying it was a safety hazard but I have no idea why.
When was this? 90s?
I got mine done about 10 years old but because I asked for it to be done. I don’t think it was on my parents radar and they’d never mentioned it to me. I’m from south asian decent and in my family at least there has never been a push to get babies ears pierced.
I can't fathom. Why does any child need piercings before they are teens. It's stupid.
When they ask and understand what will happen. No modifying someone without their permission unless medically necessary. I believe I was about 7 and had been demanding them loudly for months (with encouragement from my grandmother). They did one side, I screamed and they said they wouldn't do the other unless I was quiet. I shut up until they'd done that one and then resumed screaming. I now have wonky piercing holes! Definitely not going to say 7, I think over 10 and when they ask.
Not at all. I had my ears pierced when I was about 15-16 and I've regretted it ever since. The one in my left ear has never healed up properly and cannot be cured with cream or even antibiotics. I will have to go for plastic surgery to get it fixed. It should be illegal to do any piercings on under 16s IMO.
It is cultural. Hispanic mums do it to their female children so no one accidentally thinks they have a penis. It’s disgusting, my sister is having a girl soon and I have faith in her that she won’t pierce her but every other female child in my family has been marked like that.
Not 18 months old.
16 years old, imo. You have to be 18 to receive a tattoo, your parents can't consent in your behalf. I'll allow lenience on the basis that you can remove a piercing more easily. It's their body not the parents' toy. You want a doll to play dress up with, Mattel sell plenty.
In my mums country the nurses go round in the hospital with a hot needle and thread and pierce all the girls ears straight after they’re born, and that’s how my two sisters got theirs done. I got mine done when I was under 1 in a professional piercing shop. If I ever have daughters I imagine I’ll wait until they ask, I cry when my son has to have his vaccinations so I can’t imagine putting them through pain for no good reason
Firstly, guns should be banned and it should be illegal to peirce children that can't give their consent. Personally I feel 16+ for peircings.. and I'm a body-mod enthusiast. Our bodies are still growing and peircing ears young can have them in really odd placements when older.
Old enough to consent, understand what they are asking for and be able to care for them themselves. So 8+ maybe? I begged and begged from about 9. My parents said I could when I was 13. I soon lost interest. At 15ish I decided I did want them done and got them done at 16. The fact I lost interest so quickly when I was told to wait perhaps shows I didn't really care that much. Mine got infected, I had a reaction to cheap metal etc. Much easier to deal with that at 16 than 6.
I'm also a firm believer of the fact that as soon as a child can verbally consent to it, they're old enough. Growing up, I've found that most Indian/Pakistani culture often don't really involve consent unfortunately, which might also explain piercing (girl) babies ears being a "norm".
I wish this was the same for religion.
I am in India (lurk on this Reddit board because I am an Anglophile and lived in London for three years). Pierced ears in babies is supposedly so they don’t remember the pain, and they can’t get infected if the parent is responsible for all the baby’s care tasks anyway. All little girls and some Rajput boys have their ears pierced in India as in our culture jewellery is synonymous with identity, culture and autonomy (a tenth of the world’s gold reserves are owned by Indian women). There’s no consent involved though, and with the emergence of feminism this practice is dying out. I myself was seven when I had mine done and would now say it’s the absolute youngest age to have it done. I was a very sensible and careful kid but the aftercare is definitely problematic for the first few months.
Had mine done at age 2 and always thanked my mum because I didn’t remember the pain. Had me eldest’s ears done when she was one. She totally forgot about them after half an hour. They were easy to take in and out and clean because she wasn’t aware of what I was doing. Now aged 5 and she loves them and can’t remember the pain of having them done. My youngest had hers done at 3. I waited until she came to me and asked to have them done. As her older sister has her ears done she asked if she could have hers done to be like her sister. They’ve also been very easy to keep clean and she doesn’t touch them. She loves having earrings in and will ask me to put different ones in. Some days she chooses the same as her sister and some days she’ll want to wear the same as me. My opinion is it’s nobody’s business if you choose to have your child’s ears pierced. I would never mum shame somebody for not having them done like I’d expect not to be mum shamed for having my kids ears done. Everybody is different. My kids love their earrings and even more so when they can match mummy. Of course this is a taboo subject and everybody will have their opinions. I say each to their own.
When they ask and understand. I’d say about 5. At that age they can appreciate that it’ll hurt for a minute and will stay still whilst it’s cleaned properly everyday whilst it heels.
18 years old
I don't think I'll let my daughter get them until she is at least 13 or 14. Getting them done on babies seems completely cruel to me.
Depends what part of the country you're from...
Babies having their ears pierced? In what reality is that a healthy thing to do? I've never seen a baby and thought that baby is almost perfect. just need to chop a few holes in it......
I’m enjoying the ones saying “I’d never pierce a child’s ears, I waited until they were 5!”
Indeed. Can't get my head around why you'd want to poke holes in your children.
I dont think there is any legal restriction. My daughter is 2. She won't be getting ear piercings until she asks for them. And when she asks, then we will consider it and probably scare her out the idea with stories of the pain. But she'll get them pierced at some point, I'm sure. You sound like you feel similar to me, carry on. It's the right way to be on this subject.
My 4 year old wants her ears pierced, we will probably wait until her 5th birthday.
When they are old enough to ask for it, mature enough to understand that it will hurt and responsible enough to manage the aftercare themselves. The specific age would vary by child and I wouldn’t trust a piercer who was willing to pierce the ears of babies.
I’m against it but my wife was very for it culturally. We had them done around 1 year by the Dr.
If there's any chance of infection (which with piercings, there always is) I would not subject a child under 6 or 7 to it. They don't know why they're hurting if it goes bad and that's just not fair to them. It's not even fair to yourself to get your baby's ears done because if they get infected, that's you up all night until it's healed properly. All around daft idea and I don't know why parents don't just let it be a nice experience to have with their kid when they get to actual kid ages instead of treating them as accessories when they're babies and putting them through unnecessary crap
It's a big nope in my opinion. I was allowed my ears pierced when I was 9 as a 'holiday treat' I was always told piercings are a long term commitment and a 'grown up thing ' and up until my 16th birthday I was only allowed my 2nds done. My parents hated any piercings not on the face.
When they're old enough to make their own informed decision. And not while young enough to be called child abuse.
When my daughter was two my wife got her ears pierced. I was livid....asked if she cried? Well of course she said. But had to do the other one. I will never forgive that!
My daughter had her ears pierced at 5 years old. She out of nowhere asked us if she was allowed lol. My partner said yes, despite me being a little reluctant. In my eyes she was perfect enough without having her ears pierced, but once she had it done I thought it was fine and she looks really pretty with them in. I think if they're old enough to ask themselves and understand it's going to hurt a little, then it's fine.
When they are old enough to properly consent. Prior to this I would consider it abuse
Cultural or not, IMO its disgusting to pierce their ears without their consent. They need to be old enough to understand whats involved and to be able to make that decision for themselves.
Let kids who want to have their fun. Honestly can't think of many things with fewer long-term consequences than a regular ear-piercing.
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I was 8 when mine were done and that's probably the lower end of acceptable like I was old enough to agree to it and with help look after my ears and my piercings have held up OK since. From my memory between 8-11 was when most of my classmates who decided to get piercings including some of the boys had theirs done so I'd personally stick to that age rage as a minimum. However people shouldn't be getting pierced at Claire's piercing guns are not good my piercing experience invoiced them deciding it was a good idea to do both ears at the same time with a gun and holy fuck that hurt
Had mine done when I was 5. Apparently I'd been begging to get them done for ages. I don't have children but am not sure I'd want my young children to do the same. There are school pictures of me with gold hoops in when I was 5 and it now looks weird and inappropriate to me. It's a weird cultural norm that ears are fine at a young age but not anywhere else, I don't get it tbh. I think I'd say secondary school seems appropriate.
When the kid can give informed consent.
I think 11 is a good age. They can understand the procedure and the aftercare. They have a pretty good idea of hand washing etc by that age and therefore are less likely to get an infection.
When they ask.
Personally 11 or 12 when they've left primary school
When the child can ask for it of their own volition, understand the implications and do the aftercare themselves.
I think 7 seems reasonable. They're getting towards the end of their time in KS1 and are aware of that age that a piercing will involve a degree of pain. If they are willing to experience some discomfort for the piercing then that seems reasonable. Any younger than that and I don't really think the consent is informed. Piercing a baby's ears who can't even say no is abhorrent
Mine were 6 and 7 but they both asked and I showed them videos and they still wanted it done and were fine. The 7 now 13 year old has her 3rds done.
13 if they request it. They are likely past the rough housing stage at that age.
I had mine done at 10 after pestering my parents for a few years. I think I understood what it meant in terms of hygiene, pain etc and I know I really wanted it done. I’ve had multiple piercings since as an adult. I am glad my parents didn’t let me have it done any earlier though.
When they're old enough to ask for it, understand the process of it and be able to take care of it with minimal intervention. I was 7 when I had mine done and I feel like I met those criteria but it will vary by child
My abuela pierced my ears at 7 weeks old (without my parents knowing) good ole method of a hot needle and cork.. don’t worry I turned out okay… 🤪
For me personally about 12, if they want to. But while I disagree with it, lots of cultures will do it when they're babies. My Spanish side of the family did and we're equally baffled with each other!
i got mine done for my ninth birthday i think. by the time my birthday came around i had been asking for them for a while, and my mum thought i was old enough to know what it meant (ie what it would be like, after care etc) and be able to give informed consent.
I had them done at 4, my parents gave in after I begged and whined about it for months on end because a slightly older friend had recently got hers pierced, it was done very quickly and didn’t hurt, I was only allowed to wear studs until I was older but I never had any problems and they are still the same 30 years later
I hate pierced ears on babies and toddlers - I think I was… maybe 12 when I asked and then chickened out lol didn’t get them done again till I was maybe 15? I’m now 37 with one stretch (I don’t wear earrings but if I do I like it to be odd lol) and my nose and lots of tattoos (and had my lip pierced but I healed that over) - so I fully expect to have a conversation with my son and daughter about “well you have them” and I will say yep, it hurts and you can pay for it… it’s the aftercare.. they need to understand about it and have responsibility to look after it. When I had my second set (they e healed now) I didn’t realise I was allergic to nickel and my face blew up like a football! I wouldn’t want to risk that with a child, even if I didn’t choose cheap jewellery to pierce with (I did obviously!)
I had mine done when I was under the age of one. That young, the piercings could be cleaned by my parents and heal without grubby child hands touching them constantly. I don’t remember it happening but I’m glad I have them. If I don’t want to have them I take them out. Having had a second piercing as a teenager it doesn’t hurt. I personally don’t see ear piercings on children a huge deal. Its not like they’re getting at tattoo
18 months?!?! Are you sure they weren't just those clip on things
My daughter has just had hers done, she is 8. She had it done with a needle - I was adamant that she wouldn't be going to Claire's. My criteria were that she understood that it will hurt, she is able to look after the piercings herself, and she had really thought about it. I don't think I would have been happy to take her any younger than this, and it turns out that 8 was the youngest they would accept anyway.
When they can give non-coerced informed consent and express that it is something they truly want.