Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Ear piercing for 9 yr old

35 replies

SophieAlexia · 17/07/2021 15:07

I know this a divisive topic on mumsnet and I'm not looking for a bun fight so please keep it civil.

DD (9) has been asking to get her ears pierced for years. I finally feel now that she may have reached an appropriate age so I've decided to book her in.

Thanks to mumsnet I'm favouring needle piercing. lots of people have recommended a local tattoo studio to me as they pierce adults with needles, good hygiene etc.

I booked DD thinking it would be a needle but the guy has now confirmed they use a gun on children as apparently it hurts less. I've heard of other people also having issues getting anyone to use a needle on children.

So, should I just let her have it done with the gun? Or keep looking for someone who will use a needle?

OP posts:

Bebeschitt · 17/07/2021 15:09

Keep looking. Do not let a piercing gun anywhere near her.

warmfluffytowels · 17/07/2021 15:13

Many places won't pierce children with needles under a certain age - I think it's 14.

Vetyveriohohoh · 17/07/2021 15:16

Keep looking. My DCs were done with a needle aged 9 another super reputable tattoo/piercing studio. They are out there

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Beauty

DontWannaBeObamasElf · 17/07/2021 15:21

I've had my ears pierced with both a gun and a needle. The needle hurt considerably less than a gun and I got 2 done in each lobe at the same time. Definitely keep looking.

grey12 · 17/07/2021 15:25

Had mine done with a gun at maybe 10 yo and it was ok.

I do remember though that the lady spent AGES making sure the dots were in the right place and symmetrical. I've seen people with off center ear holes they look odd

Original poster

SophieAlexia · 17/07/2021 15:55

I had mine done with a gun and they still give out puss 20 years later. I get very sore ears when I wear earrings. Thought it was just that I'm "sensitive but if there is any chance of avoiding that for DD then I'd like to

OP posts:

grey12 · 17/07/2021 16:13

@SophieAlexia I've been told to keep my anti allergy earrings for longer, maybe that helped

VenusClapTrap · 17/07/2021 16:21

I tried to find a needle place for dd but all our local ones wouldn’t do it on children under 14. So we had them done by gun, but at a reputable tattoo place by a skilful piercer who had years of experience. It was a very different kettle of fish to a Saturday girl at Claire’s doing it! Dd didn’t even flinch. I asked her if it hurt, and she said “not really”. The lady who did it was very thorough about hygiene and explaining after care to us. Dd had it done for her eighth birthday.

gillysSong · 17/07/2021 16:23

I don't judge anyones decision. But when mine asked at the same age I knew she wasn't ready. So I said she needed to wait until high school.
She's 17 now and went through a stage of being different, so never had them done. I couldn't pay her to now.
I had mine done at 14, and feel sorry can't buy dd earrings.

Codoftherings · 17/07/2021 16:27

Sorry to sound daft here but what’s the issue with piercing ears at 9? My DDs were 5 and 1 when they had theirs done. We used Claire’s and a local jewellers.

ProcrastinationIsMySuperPower · 17/07/2021 16:28

My 10 year old had her ears pierced with a needle last summer, and has had no issues at all. I wouldn't have let her have it done with a gun after the trouble we had with my older daughter's, a year of constant infection before having to take them out and let them heal.

Original poster

SophieAlexia · 17/07/2021 16:30

Yeah I get where you're coming from gillysSong

It's one of those things I've never regretted having done myself. The one thing I do regret is not having them done at a reputable place. My holes are slightly too high

The reason she's not had it done before (other than me thinking she was too young) is that I wanted to l her to have it done with a needle - She wasn't keen on that but has now come round to the idea

If she needs to wait then that's fine. There are just so many different opinions on when they should be done. I thought it would just be a case of getting a proper place to do it with a needle but it seems they do need to be a bit older.

OP posts:

QuillBill · 17/07/2021 16:33

Sorry to sound daft here but what’s the issue with piercing ears at 9? My DDs were 5 and 1 when they had theirs done. We used Claire’s and a local jewellers.
Because some people believe that it should be a decision made by the person whose ears they are. Not their parent. And nine year olds may not be old enough to decide and they may not be old enough to have their ears pierced and to be able to look after them properly.

Also, the people who work at Claire's are not properly trained piercers. And the guns aren't properly sterilised. So there is more risk.

YippeeKiYay155 · 17/07/2021 16:39

My DD is 11 and is having her ears pierced next weekend at our local tattooist with a needle. I would never recommend using Claire's as I've had 3 piercings there and they all went wrong. All my needle piercings have healed no problem.

TwoZeroTwoZero · 17/07/2021 16:46

Keep looking. All the piercers I looked at all say that needle is better than the gun. Dc 2 is booked in for ears piercing, with a needle, in just over a week's time.

gillysSong · 17/07/2021 16:51

@SophieAlexia

Yeah I get where you're coming from gillysSong

It's one of those things I've never regretted having done myself. The one thing I do regret is not having them done at a reputable place. My holes are slightly too high

The reason she's not had it done before (other than me thinking she was too young) is that I wanted to l her to have it done with a needle - She wasn't keen on that but has now come round to the idea

I think when they are ready varies greatly. I know some of dd friends had them done at 8/9 and were fine. I know mine would have struggled with the up keep. I wish she'd have them done and then xmas and Birthdays would be simpler. I daren't even mention Pandora bracelets neither

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 17/07/2021 16:55

DS got one ear done aged 8 and his other recently aged 9. Both at claire's with a gun. Literally zero issues and he said it barely hurt. Meh 🤷‍♀️

Original poster

SophieAlexia · 17/07/2021 16:56

Thanks all. I'll keep looking. If she has to wait then that's fine

OP posts:

Codoftherings · 17/07/2021 16:59

@QuillBill ahh I see

Mommabear20 · 17/07/2021 17:02

Never ever ever get a piercing with a gun! Far less hygienic, and the pain difference is minimal and only lasts the time of the actual piercing, after that, it's exactly the same for healing.

Kanaloa · 17/07/2021 17:04

The issue I had with gun piercing when I had mine done wasn’t the pain of piercing, it was getting the bloody earring back out months later. It was stuck in ridiculously tight and my ear was swollen and sore by the time I got it off, and the whole process was traumatic. That never happened with needle piercing when I’ve had that.

Miliao · 17/07/2021 17:06

Don’t get a gun. All mine were with a gun and still pus. Very occasionally wear earrings now.

Deadringer · 17/07/2021 17:14

All four of my girls have had their ears pierced with a gun in our local chemist and jewellers, they have about 8 piercings between them, no issues at all. Last year dd17 got her nose pierced in Claire's (our only experience of Claire's) and the woman there was fantastic, she was very careful and gave dd a really good pep talk about taking care of her piercing. I don't really understand why people get so het up about piercings, i waited until i felt my dds were ready to take proper care of them, around 9 or so, then went for it. No big deal.

Moonlaserbearwolf · 17/07/2021 17:20

My 10 year old has just had ears pierced at a tattoo parlour. Yes, it hurts for slightly longer than with the gun, but she and her friend were fine. The whole process was quick, accurate and clean. We had initially looked at beauty parlours, but they all wanted the children to be at least 12 years old (and all used a gun). I’d keep looking for another tattoo place.

user1471538283 · 17/07/2021 17:58

I had mine firstly done at 11 with a needle in a jeweller's. Might this still happen? I also had sleeper earrings and had to keep rotating them and keep my ears clean.

I had additional ones over time with a gun.

Both have been fine.

Flip

1 2