4 year old getting pierced ears at Superdrug

She got a second set of studs in Claire's about six months ago. She saved her pocket money. She's ten now.

They were great second time round also.

I am of the belief that there should be an age restriction put on ear piercing. The child needs to be able to meaningfully consent, with a proper and full understanding of of what they are consenting to.

They also need to be able to withdraw their consent at any time during the process.

Can you imagine the furore if an adult was being held down and forced to have their second ear pierced after deciding the first was too painful?

Children should have autonomy over their bodies, with age restrictions in place to allow informed consent.

YANBU OP 4 is way too young and if the child isn’t fully in cooperation with the procedure it should not be done. It’s just dangerous. I do have a friend who was eventually convinced by her DD8 to let her have her ears pierced but after one ear was done she completely freaked out and wouldn’t let them near the other ear, my friend said it was so embarrassing as there was a queue of people waiting to have it done after all looking at them and her daughter was freaking out about not wanting the other one done but equally upset about the thought of only have one done and it looking silly! I’m just glad my DD isn’t fussed about having it done. I’ve explained how painful it is and put her off thankfully.

Forgot to add also, mine were done at 3 months, all fine. It was done by a pharmacist, as in her country, that's who does them

But then again my mum did put me under her at home sun bed from about 12 months 💀 she told me for years it was very normal in the 90s

Born 1965 - never had pierced ears. My mother would never have allowed it when I was a child. As an adult, I couldn't see the point. But at least I made my own decision, which is the crucial factor.

Yes. Glad you wrote to Head Office. Perhaps a letter in your local paper too.

This IS abuse.

My daughter asked for hers to be pierced. She was four because everyone in her class was getting them done.

We showed her some videos, she knew it would hurt. She still wanted it done. I took her and got mine pierced for a second time before hers to make sure I was happy with the piercer.

I have to say, Claire's were great. She didn't even flinch.

I don't understand why this isn't restricted to over 18s only. An adult can make this choice - a child cannot. There is no medical benefit (which might justify it) and it's just adult preference and vanity. Horrible.

I personally don't like it.

But it isn't child abuse. Ffs.

Respectable European countries allow this in hospital before the baby goes home. It cannot be that bad

I think it's worse on a child of 4 like in the OP, they psychologically have to build up to it. Plus the tissue isn't as soft

If you just get them done as a small child, just do it as a baby when they don't know what's coming and it won't really hurt

God I hated having to get my kids vaccinated and seeing them in pain, Same with blood tests etc. To willingly put them through pain for cosmetic purposes at that age is just shit parenting, don't care who it is. And it looks awful.

When I was 3 my mum took me and my ds to get our ears pierced. They did them one ear at a time in those days. After the 1st ear I screamed the jewellers down and I wouldn’t let them near my other ear. Thankfully I wasn’t pinned down and my mum took the earring out when it had healed.

i did decide on my own to get them done at 7 and they did both ears at the same time.

Its a weird thing to do altogether, isn't it when you think about it? Put holes through our ear lobes to wear jewellery in them. I had mine done in 1979 age 10, I've only known one woman without pierced ears, and it still seems to be something young girls expect to do. Yet it seems like something that should have died out years ago.

Any parent who takes their 4 year old to have her ears pierced is a chavvy scumbag.

I have heard of this. Pretty sensible I think.

I knew this rang a bell. Very similar to OP's story.

metro.co.uk/2021/10/22/girl-screams-get-off-as-shes-pinned-down-to-have-her-ears-pierced-15468871/

I took my girls to at tattoo and piercing parlour to get them done when my youngest was six and had been begging for well over a year. She was actually fine getting them done, but then wouldn't stop fiddling with them and it stopped them healing for ages so I've always advised people to wait a bit longer if they've asked my advice. My eldest was 9 and she didn't want the second one done after the first so we went for a walk around the shops and stopped in a cafe for a bit, then went back when she was ready. The lady doing it was really nice and supportive and said we could go back any time for the second one, even on another day.

I really think what you saw was very wrong. The only time you should be pinning your child down to do something painful to them is if it is medically necessary.

The kid may have wanted them done to start with, but it actually isn't in any way a problem for a child to only have one ear pierced. I admit I did gently try to persuade my daughter to go back for the second one because I knew that she'd wanted them done, but I was fully prepared for her to just have one ear done for the foreseeable future.

I honestly felt like I was witnessing child abuse

You were 😥

@Heatedblanky Not that day or maybe it depends on who is piercing or if the client wants them done both at one, IDK.

I was in Claire’s the other day and over heard the girl who had just pierced some kids ears why they were lob sided. 🤔

I'd suggest that no one finds themselves in that position unwillingly. There are plenty of shop jobs, and if I needed one I would pick one which didn't involve this, as could they 🤷‍♀️ So although I'm sure it's not nice for them in these circumstances, they don't <have> to.

I agree OP!

I had mine done when I was around 6 in claire's and although I don't really remember the piercing appointment itself, I do remember is getting very infected which was awful!

However, I recently got the 2nd piercing done on both lobes from a tattoo shop and they were great. The studio was quiet, very clean, pierced with a needle and everything was well explained! The aftercare was also fantastic.

I think its crazy that it's acceptable to do that to babies and children who clearly don't understand the dangers. Thank you for writing to head office.

High street shops doing it knocks me sick

YANBU

We allowed ours at 11 the beautician doing it said they wouldn’t do under 10 whatever the parent wanted.

I know several people whose daughters had their ears pierced at Claire’s and they did both ears at the same time. It’s one of their selling points.

This is why DD1 (who is prone to dramatics at the best of times) was put off from requests to have her ears pierced for a good year until we were relatively sure she wouldn't freak out after having the first one done and then end up with one pierced and not the other (and then we went to the proper piercing place locally).