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Original poster

Are your ears pierced?

133 replies

Bobje · 22/12/2023 15:41

My niece has just had her ears pierced. She is 27.

I remember having mine done at aged 11.
Most of DCs friends are having theirs done at the start of the primary school summer holidays so have the six weeks to heal.

Do you have your ears pierced? How old were you?
What about your DCs?
As a parent, should it your choice, or theirs?

OP posts:
TiredOfSayingItAgain · 22/12/2023 17:03

I had mine pierced when I was 20. The holes healed up about 5 years later, so I had then done again. I developed an allergy to nickel when I was about 40, so haven't worn earrings (or any other jewellery) since

MamaMode · 22/12/2023 17:05

Had mine done at primary age. My Dd (7yrs) refuses whenever I've asked her if she wants her ears pierced. Her aunt is a piercer too, and has offered to do it for her, but even that don't sway Dd

DramaAlpaca · 22/12/2023 17:07

I was 15. My mum wouldn't let me have them done before then as she thought it was 'common'. Funnily enough, she changed her mind when she saw mine, decided they looked really pretty, and got her own ears pierced.

I got my second lobe piercings at 51, then a year or so later got a rook piercing. Unfortunately that had to go as it refused to heal and kept getting infected. I think that's me done now.

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greenbeansnspinach · 22/12/2023 17:08

My granny took me to have them done when I was 15, without checking with my mum. There was a dreadful war. I hadn’t even asked to have them done!
I still wear earrings at 68, and remember my granny fondly for her misguided but loving action.
When my daughter got her bellybutton pierced at 13 at a local tattoo “artist” and fainted, I stormed round and threatened him with going to the police. I heard after that he asked for birth certificates.

Cappuccinfortwo · 22/12/2023 17:13

Had mine done at 18 (mum made me wait!) They kept getting infected though so I let them close up after a few years. Thinking about having it done again but wearing decent earrings this time. I'm not sure if I could get used to the feeling though. I've said dd14 can get hers done but she doesn't want to.

MissCalamity · 22/12/2023 17:13

Two in each ear, at 12 and about 17 I think.
My DD desperately wanted hers done last year, aged 8, we waited until the summer holidays, she only had one done and we had to go elsewhere to get the other done, it was quite a drama 🙈
She said she wants a second piercing and I said I wouldn't be accompanying her to that one!

MolkosTeenageAngst · 22/12/2023 17:14

I’m in my 30s and never had mine done. Most of my friends and my female siblings had them done somewhere around 10-12.

Swearwolf · 22/12/2023 17:15

I had mine done at 12, in hindsight I just wanted to be grown up and hadn't really thought about how it would look or feel. I absolutely hated it, I was squeamish about putting them in and I thought they looked so bad. As soon as I took them out the first time I just left them out, and wouldn't get them done again.

ImTiredBoss · 22/12/2023 17:15

My granny took 1 year old me out for the day. That evening, she handed me back to my mum, with pierced ears. That was 34 years ago. I don't think my mum was that bothered, really Grin

notacooldad · 22/12/2023 17:16

I was 9 when I had mine done for my birthday. I remember going to Birkenhead with my mum and aunt to have them done. I haven't worn earrings for years though!
I have two adult male children. (27 and 24) They don't have any piercings.

Doggonames · 22/12/2023 17:16

I had mine done two years ago at Christmas, spur of the moment, I just kinda fancied it. I was 26.

I never wanted it before that, just thought it’d be too much hassle.

aintnospringchicken · 22/12/2023 17:16

I got my ears pierced when I was 18(my choice).
DD got her ears pierced when she was 12 then again when she was around 17 and got her belly button pierced when she was 14

MissBuffyAnneSummers · 22/12/2023 17:17

Got mine done when 13. Haven't worn earrings though for about 20 years. Holes still there.

DS15 and DD11 not remotely interested in having theirs done.

If DD did want it I'd make her wait till 13

I think it's hideous on babies and young children and I'd make it a criminal offence.

StoatofDisarray · 22/12/2023 17:19

@Dutch1e haha thanks! I hadn't thought about in years until I saw this question!

Hbh17 · 22/12/2023 17:19

In my 50s, and no. Never wanted them done. I don't get why anyone would want to punch actual holes in their body.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 22/12/2023 17:25

Had them done when I was 9 - with a gun, which obviously I wouldn't do now, in winter (I remember my ears feeling hot on the way home). Never had any problems with them, probably because schools didn't insist upon earrings being taken out constantly at the time.

HardcoreLadyType · 22/12/2023 17:26

I wasn’t allowed to until I was 16. My mother has never had hers done and so it was a big deal for her.

My aunt was the “naughty” one and my mother the “good” one. I know my aunt did hers when she was about 10 (with a needle and ice) and she fell pregnant as a teenager. I’m not at all sure that my mother didn’t associate the two things, so that she was worried that having pierced ears would lead to “worse” vices.

Edit: I had them done at 19.

Strawberrycheesecake7 · 22/12/2023 17:32

I had mine done at 11 but I kind of regret because I never wear earrings now, and they got infected which was very painful. That being said, I think it’s fine to get children’s ears pierced if they’re old enough to ask for it themselves. I don’t like seeing babies with earrings.

yikesanotherbooboo · 22/12/2023 17:32

I haven't had mine pierced and am quite old.
DD was 16.

DuckonaBike · 22/12/2023 17:33

No, I’ve never felt any desire to have holes punched in my body parts and I’m in my fifties now so I doubt that will change.

My daughters have both have theirs done, at a good local piercing place that insists on minimum age 10 (you have to show ID) so they were old enough to make an informed choice. It horrifies me that people do it to babies.

Shf · 22/12/2023 17:36

DD nearly 12 just had hers done today. I thought I’d wait till she was older but actually it felt like she was old enough to make the decision herself and look after them properly. I don’t have mine done though, I feel like I’d look stupid with them, no idea why!

BertieBotts · 22/12/2023 17:36

No. I was terrified because my mum told me when she had it done it hurt so much that she screamed and jumped a mile Confused

I think I could probably cope with it Grin but it put me off seriously for decades. I might get it done one day. I almost did it about 10 years ago for my 25th birthday when a friend was gearing me up and egging me on, she had put some teething gel lidocaine stuff on my ears half as a joke and we told the assistant in Claire's and they said they wouldn't do it!

I have young children in the grabby stage now so if I do do it I'll wait until they are older.

jay55 · 22/12/2023 17:40

Never had them done, mid forties now.
I don't wear any jewellery.

MrsDilligaf · 22/12/2023 17:48

I had my first ear piercing at 5, had many more since.

DD had hers done earlier in the year, she's been asking for a while so I took her to a piercing shop. Very Anti gun piercing here.

Notafanofchristmas · 22/12/2023 17:51

No. I’ve always hated jewellery of any kind. It’s a phobia, I can’t touch any.

My daughter is 10, she had never expressed any interest but I wouldn’t let her have it done if she did. I’ve really got a phobia about it to the point where my husband doesn’t even wear a wedding ring, I wouldn’t be able to go near him.