5 nearly 6 year old wants her ears pierced. Would you?

[Charsy01]

My only daughter so this is all new to me. She’s mentioned she wants her ears pierced (she’s 6 soon). Would you let her or wait? I was about 7 I think!

A few of her friends in her class have but some will be 7 in the new year school. Dd is one of the youngest. I’m just worried she’ll fiddle with it all the time which totally puts me off as don’t want any infections.

Advice on this please? What’s a good age?

DD was 11 - day after she left primary school. Jewellers in Trafford centre. Had to make appointment was free if you bought earrings. Very well organised. No issues. I went back and had mine done for first time few years later in my 40s.

Well if you think she would manage the pain and trauma if anything goes wrong with them.

I’ve just had a straightforward, professional needle piercing at a reputable place and I had to go back to get the earring removed as it was starting to embed into my ear flesh.

Was excruciating, almost passed out and am now praying it settles without a prescription for antibiotics.

Sounds extreme but these things can and do happen.

I wanted them done at 6. My mum says wait till you go secondary. I remembered and asked for them to be done then, she was surprised as she had no idea I'd remembered and waited all that time!

Didn't do me any harm at all to wait, I'd say the same if my DD asked.

7, summer holidays before they returned to ks2. Old enough to take them out and out then in by themselves .

Nope not that young. I had mine done years and years ago but even now one of my ears seems to be prone to becoming pussy and swollen near the hole and I haven’t even worn earrings all year so can’t be a reaction to metal.

I had mine done in the Easter holidays when I turned 8. That was the earliest my parents would let us. I would show your kid a video compilation of kids reacting to having their ears pierced and see if she is scared by it or still up for it after seeing the mix of reactions other kids have. It's hard for kids that young to see past the pretty earrings to the ouch that is having a needle stuck through your ear.

Yes. My daughter asked at 7 but if she’d asked earlier I would have let her.

5/6 years old no, not a chance.

13 is the earliest I would consider it.

That's old enough to make an informed decision.

I was 10 when my mum took me to get them done at a traditional jewellers - I had nagged incessantly first though! I'd wait a bit and take her at an age when she'll remember it.

I wasn’t allowed for aaaaaages. Parents relented when I was 14, but it just resulted in me getting ALL the piercings because back then they never asked you to prove your age (many of which I have now allowed to close up 😂 but I do still love all my ear ones. When I was little I must have known what I liked to some degree!)

More important than the age is the piercer. I'd say that age was fine as long as it was done by a real piercer in a reputable studio

I'm surprised so many people are happy at such young ages. DS wants his done and we've said not until 11, as it happens his secondary won't allow them in for PE so it has to be done at the start of the summer holidays. DD is only now starting to think about it at 13 which seems a reasonable age.

Think I was 11. I had my nose pierced at 16, my mum went nuts.

Bleurgh. No.

Just the thought of taking my 6yo daughter to get her lovely small young ears pierced with a needle for absolutely no necessary reason is unfathomable to me.

I want her to be able to hang upside down from trees and get filthy in a river without having to avoid the pain of knocking a purely cosmetic wound or fear of germs getting in.

Luckily, my DD also thinks the whole idea is preposterous, as she enjoys being able to play football & muck about in rivers and doesn’t feel the need to decorate herself by injuring her ears for the sake of “feminine beauty”. Basically, she’s got her head screwed on.

I had mine done when i was around 2/3. Never had them ripped out, never got infected, i still wear earrings now, and dare i say, i even have a professional job

I was four when I had mine done. No problems with maintenance - I remember turning them was a major responsibility. I'd say between 5-6 is fine.

How does the needle method work? Sounds terrifying?

@PeppaPan

It’s far less painful and traumatic than a gun. Much quicker, safer and hygienic as the guns can’t be properly sanitised

Our school is super strict and anyone with pierced ears has to wear tape over them the whole time they are at school! So usually only 1 girl gets them done a year and then regrets it. Quite a few get them done in the 6 week hols before secondary.

[quote Booksandwine80]@PeppaPan

It’s far less painful and traumatic than a gun. Much quicker, safer and hygienic as the guns can’t be properly sanitised [/quote]
Thank you, would I look for a professional piercing and tattoo studio?

@PeppaPan

Yes, most definitely. Recommendations from people who have used them is always the best way to find a decent one.

No. Ours had to wait until they were sixteen. One has chosen not to bother.

I told dd that she could have them in the holidays between junior and senior school

She is having them done today with a needle

She is 19 😀

My daughter got hers done for her 5th birthday. I got second piercing at the same time.

I'd advise just gold ball studs. Their skin grows over rapidly so avoid tiny studs. Her ears started to grow over the tiny studs! I sorted it in time but this doesn't happen to older ones... Drawback of young piercing.

She's 14 now and doesn't wear earrings. Hasn't for years.