Would you let your 7yo get her ears pierced? (If not then what age?)

[Crunchymum]

Sorry title is a bit "click-baity". It's more of a hypothetical question.

Our almost 7yo has asked alot but she has been given a firm no from both me and DP.

To me it seems something that is done when they are very young by parents or when they are old enough to make such a decision? (13+)

Although I recall my mum taking me off when I was quite young to get them done (would have been late 80's)

We are not about to relent but does anyone let their young children get their ears pierced these days?

What’s wrong with having them done with a gun?

DD has been asking for hers to be done for the last year at least, and I have said no because she is the biggest wuss in the world with any sort of pain/discomfort (eg complaining that her tights are itching). I was 11 and remember not being able to sleep properly to start with because I kept lying on them. However, she’s pestered me to the point that I said she could have them done when she’s 10, which will be in March.

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar

What’s wrong with having them done with a gun?

DD has been asking for hers to be done for the last year at least, and I have said no because she is the biggest wuss in the world with any sort of pain/discomfort (eg complaining that her tights are itching). I was 11 and remember not being able to sleep properly to start with because I kept lying on them. However, she’s pestered me to the point that I said she could have them done when she’s 10, which will be in March.

I developed my extreme nickel allergy after a gun piercing. And keloid scars (from forcing an blunt earring through the ear rather than a sharp blade).

And that you can’t sterilise those plastic guns properly.

It all depends on the jewelry policy at her primary school and the secondary she will be going to. My DD's secondary is very strict so she'll have to wait until after her GCSE's now.

Thanks NavigatingAdolescence, I had heard before that a proper piercing place was better but not why. That clears it up!

We let our DD get hers done when she was almost 9, she first asked when she was 7 but we wanted her to be sure so we asked her to wait a little longer and if she still wanted it done then she could.

My dd10 has recently asked because all her friends have suddenly had it done, I'm holding off because I want to confirm SHE really wants it and isn't just trying to conform. I think if she's still badgering me in 6 months I'll consider it, she'll be 11 then.

Oh and we made sure to go to a professional piercer who used a needle as guns can cause damage to the ear due to the force.

Interestingly a doctor in the US told me it’s actually better to pierce ears before the age of 11 as keloids are virtually unheard of that age.

@LakeShoreD

Interestingly a doctor in the US told me it’s actually better to pierce ears before the age of 11 as keloids are virtually unheard of that age.

Huh? DD was bitten by a spider at 6 and has the keloid scar to prove it.

I had mine done when I was 2 and have no regrets. For one thing I'm a wuss now and probably wouldn't dare to do it. It was quite late for our (not chav/common/uneducated) family but it was still in time to avoid problems with having to take them out for school. Like a previous poster I don't get the angst over this. Either get them done or don't.

No idea, this was my neighbour who was also a paediatrician and it was said as general conversation not as medical advice. A quick Google found this, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15867040/ so there obviously is some medical discussion about it, but it’s obviously a tiny sample size.

All my DD wanted for her 7th birthday was her ears pierced and a little pair of heart earrings with a diamond. That was it. She asked almost daily for a year when my mum told her I'd had mine done when I was 7.

I didn't want it done with a gun as they cause so many problems so I took her to a very reputable piercer. She understood long before that a needle would be going through her ear and that it would hurt and after she would need to keep them meticulously clean to prevent an infection which would be very sore. She had them pierced with no problems and she was excellent with her aftercare.

She loves having her ears pierced but one lobe piercing is all she is getting until she is old enough to go herself. I did plenty of trips to the tattoo shop at various points from 16 on for a few different piercings and I'm sure it's a right of passage type thing. My mum hated them. I'm now in my 30s and I've kept only a couple.

@VerveClique I did the same. Went to a tattooists. DD was 7 also. Healed with no problems.

Yes I would at 7, many girls and a fair boys here have theirs done at quite a young age.

I’ve never understood why people get so worked up about it.

I don't know why people get worked up about it either tbh. I have 4 dds, they all had their ears pierced with a gun and had no issues at all, two of them have multiple piercings now that they are older. Theirs ages varied from around 7 to 11, depending on when i felt they would take care of them properly. 16 year old got her nose pierced with a gun in gasp claires last year and the assistant couldn't have been kinder or more professional. It really isn't a big deal imo.

My DD has just had hers done a couple of months ago, aged 10. She hadn’t shown any interest in it before then.

@Deadringer

I don't know why people get worked up about it either tbh. I have 4 dds, they all had their ears pierced with a gun and had no issues at all, two of them have multiple piercings now that they are older. Theirs ages varied from around 7 to 11, depending on when i felt they would take care of them properly. 16 year old got her nose pierced with a gun in gasp claires last year and the assistant couldn't have been kinder or more professional. It really isn't a big deal imo.

Noses should never be pierced with a gun.

The piercing studio I wanted only took them from 9 onwards anyway.

In the end DD was just 10, the last day of school prior to the Summer holidays. She got the piercing appointment for her birthday, 2 weeks prior.

For us the main issue was looking after. the piercing and the earrings herself.

Yes I would if my DC wanted it done. My DC were 10 and 8 when they both decided they wanted their ear pierced and and I took them to get the done.

DD has asked and I said that I would take her when she was older. She hasn't asked for a while now, but if she asks, it'll be when the piercing studio allows it - so probably around 10/11.

13. I had to wait until I was 16!

I was 10 and because of where her birthday falls dd begged to have them done at the start of the summer holidays when she was 9.5. She didn't want to wait until she was 10.5! Done was needle at tattooists/piercers.

WouldIBeATwat it's a gun designed for piercing noses. Dd had no problems with her piercing at all.

@80sMum

I would say, not until she's 18.

Not sure how viable that could be given there is no legal age restriction for any kind of piercing in England. Shops can set their own restrictions but honestly I don’t think saying wait until 18 is at all realistic.

No.
DD1 is waaay too cool to want to mess around with ear piercing. She might consider her nose.
DD2 would probably quite like to, but she'd stick out like a sore thumb as literally no girls we know get their ears pierced before secondary school, and of them it seems it's predominantly the girls brought up with more traditional sex stereotypes.