How old for ear piercing?

[Confessionsofashopoholic]

My daughter is 5 and has been asking for her ears to be pierced for about a year now. I said in the summer holidays she could have them pierced but now I’m worried it’s too young. What is the general sort of age that people have taken their children to get their ears pierced, is 5 too young?

Far too young. She has no idea what the pain will be like. Poor child.

I find the cultural argument interesting. Where do we draw the line in accepting something because it’s culturally accepted? Surely for things to change then those cultural norms need to be (respectfully!) questioned? Particularly from within the culture but from outside too.

Agreed. Pain as part of culture is not ok.

The only piercer I’d go to here has a minimum age of 13 with a parent, so she was 13.

Sorry OP thats hilarious. Like every kid who wants a dog promises to take them for a walk, brush them and feed them. Until they have one and then nothing.

Of course it’s too young if she can’t look after them herself. Just because she wants something doesn’t mean she should have it.

Piercing studios usually say 14 so that makes sense.

I was 9, my DD was 11 as they weren't allowed at her primary school (so she had them done the day she broke up from year 6!). I agree they should be old enough to understand that they need to care for them and be able to remove them and put them back in themselves.

Just checked my local piercing studio (that does it properly with a needle, not a gun). It says:

Age 5 with parental consent

Age 14 without a parent but needs ID

But why is it illegal to have a tattoo, but not pierce holes in children's bodies for the sole objective to make them look prettier...

They're both pretty dramatic and permanent.

Since when is bleaching/dying your hair permanent? Doesn't your hair grow?

DD was year 5 ( 10 years old).

😂

She probably also wanted to ride a unicorn, put ice-cream in her hair, run round the playground naked and eat worms...

How odd that you pretend your child chose to pierce her ears, when it was you that chose to pierce your child's ears.

I think earrings on young kids looks trashy, same as letting little girls wear make-up imo. Each to their own though. I’d let my 4 yo DD get hers done when she goes to high school, so 11. But not before, no matter how much she begs

I think it’s fine to not give children everything they want when they want it. My DD wants acrylic nails and she’s not getting them ( she’s 13 for reference). It’s ok - waiting til you’re older is fine. My DD wanted her ears pierced when she was about 7 or 8 and was allowed to do them when she was 10 I think. Our local
piercing studio wouldn’t do under 12’s so we had to find another one. ( it was painful for reference ) I don’t really care what other cultures do.. I don’t like pierced ears on babies and little kids.

It permanently changes that hair. You’re not wrong and yes it’ll eventually grow out but that will take years depending on hair length and potentially look pretty iffy whilst doing so if you don’t do any other hair colour during that time. It’s in no way comparable to earrings which you take out and unless you’re up close you can barely make out the hole. In a child that’s still growing and especially if the piercing is under a year old they close up very very quickly. So you can easily change your mind and no big deal. Highlights are also a shit comparison because of the chemicals involved and also because generally the expectation is that you keep up with them at the cost of £100+ every couple of months which would be insane to spend on a child. Piercing is a one off ~£50.

Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion on when to allow their DD (or DS!) to get their ears pierced but it’s silly to compare it to highlights or even worse a tattoo. It’s apples and oranges.

LOL there’s a massive difference between getting permanent ink on your body (also, do you have tattoos? Do you know how painful they can be?!), leaving the child with something she/he will probably end up hating for the rest of her/his life and getting tiny holes in your ears. The pain of ear piercing is not much worse than getting an injection, it’s something that, if they decide later they don’t like it they can take them out and they’ll close up. Tiny holes might still be noticeable but barely. Also, statistically, a large, large majority of women have pierced ears, so the child is statistically far more likely to want to keep them than they are to want to keep a tattoo, which a much lower portion of people are going to want as adults. The comparison is ridiculous

The summer of year 5 for me. Leaving it til the summer of high school, so y6, was tricky in that they don’t heal enough by then to be removed for PE, but can just be taped at primary.
Also, only when they can make the choice for themselves, and be able to sit while it’s done in full control. A proper piercing studio too is essential for a better healing process and experience, not a random shop assistant with a piercing gun.

I’ve seen an injury caused by a caught earring. DD had hers pierced, with a needle, at a reputable piercing & tattoo parlour, when she was 12. It was done after school on the last day of the summer term and then the parlour had her in again 6 weeks later for a checkup so she could remove them for school. Her school, very sensibly, didn’t allow ANY earrings to be worn until 6th form.

I wish the school where I work had the same policy!

Where DD had hers they would do over 16 with ID but under 16 they needed parental consent AND accompanied by parent. I had to provide evidence that I was her parent too. They were very careful about the whole thing and I was impressed with the follow up care as well.

Should add they wouldn’t do under 11 years at all.

Are you actually asking and comparing tattoos and piercings in ears 😂

HTH, when my kids were toddlers and tried to pull out my large hoop earrings I had to think of a way to stop this. I removed my earrings.
It was completely painless and free. I could also choose whether to put them back in or leave them out. Does this help you see a difference?

I think that's far too young. DD was 16 but I would have let her get them done from about 12.

To be fair, the poster is talking about children. Not adults.

I have multiple piercings and if I take them out, the holes are still there, they don't suddenly heal up.

As someone who begged to get their ears done and mum refused. I was really ok with my daughter getting hers done and would offer to take her. She said no - her cousins were getting them done. Then when she was 5 and a half she asked to get them done. We went that day, not one tear - as she told everyone proudly and that was that.

16