To get my 7 year old’s ears pierced?

[ToPierceOrNotToPierce]

My 7 year old DD has been desperate to get her ears pierced for ages, since starting school. Have always said no, not until you’re a bit older. So many girls younger than her at school already have their ears pierced.
Would I be a terribly irresponsible mum if I allowed her to get her ears pierced at 7?
I’m worried about them getting pulled when she’s playing but equally it’s not as though she’s a baby or even a toddler and I’m thinking of getting them pierced.
Genuinely interested on others opinions on this as I’m so torn on it.
Thanks!

That's quite an ethnocentric statement.

Is there not @Caerulea?

That genuinely surprises me.

A small hole in each earlobe...
Yes, body modification.

Bejaysus.

I was writing a long post and it deleted... in short, in some countries it is common to pierce baby girls ears, no big deal, studs safer then rings to avoid accidental pulling/tearing but still this is very rare. Get them done by a skilled person to ensure symmetry.

10 th birthday minimum felt right for ours. Need to be old enough to look after them properly.

It's fine OP. Please don't listen to the inevitable bollocks about child abuse and other nonsense that you'll find spouted on here.

Yeah because that's the same 🙄

I am very anti small children having ears pierced. My daughter is only 4 and hasn't asked but I would let her have it the summer holidays after she was 8 if she asked. I'd only go to a reputable needle piercer as well

Tbf, it's not all that different aside from the legal aspect. It's a permanent change to the body but this pertains particularly to girls & not boys. Why is that? Why do we put holes in little girls to decorate them before they can truly make a decision?

I do not think it's abuse but I do think it's a strange thing to do to children. I say this as someone with not insignificant amount of tattoo'd skin, pierced ears that are still usable despite only wearing them once a year at most & a long since redundant belly button piercing that is still a noticeable hole.

I wouldn't allow it but only because I think earrings look horrible on young children.

Mine had hers done a month before her 8th birthday (after having begged for a year) and has been great with them. We looked after them very well for the first 8 weeks and are careful with the earrings she wears (only Sterling silver).

My mum didn’t want my ears pierced but my Gran persuaded her to let her take me to a jewellers in Manchester to get them done at the start of the holidays before secondary school

oh my the pain for weeks/months later and the pain over the years with cheep earrings that nearly made my ears fall off

had them re pierced at holier than thou (like previous poster ) and fantastic experience and life long after care

i would recommend waiting till they can be pierced by a needle with the ongoing support and advice they give

Me too, if I'm honest. I suspect most schools will have rules around it though. But it does beg the question why are ears ok but nose isn't? If the child begged for long enough at 7 then 'her body' applies for a lip piercing?

Don't be ridiculous, your ears didn't almost fall off.

Can someone explain the warnings that I always read on here about absolutely, never ever getting your ears pierced with a gun? I've had quite a few piercings over the years in various parts of my body, all of them done at proper piercing places with needles. But all of my ear piercings have been done with guns, either at salon type places or once at 😵Claire's. I just don't understand why it's a problem although it's always said on here with great authority and no explanation.

Then again, I once let my friend pierce my nose with a home piercing kit she bought of eBay so what would I know 😆

My daughter got hers done for her 7th birthday. She’d been asking for a year or so. She’s never caught them and they healed up really well.

I'm sure you understand that ears are part of the body, so perhaps it's the word modification you're struggling with? It means to change. When you put holes in your body, regardless of how small the holes are, you are changing your body. HTH

Guns cause a lot more trauma - as it’s the actual stud which does the piercing and it’s not super-sharp, the gun relies on the force of the stud punching a hole through the ear. The needle method uses a hollow needle (like those used for cannulas) which is really sharp and causes a lot less trauma to the tissue. It’s also a lot more hygienic as of course the needle is single-use and thrown away, whilst the gun is used again and the nature of it means it’s not possible to fully sterilise it. Plus, needle piercing is a skill and piercers should be highly trained (go to an APP registered studio and they will be) whereas anyone can buy a gun and off they go basically. Holier Than Thou have been mentioned a lot on here but it’s because they have really clean conditions - you’re pierced in private, in a room where everything has been cleaned before and after you’ve been in, including the medical couch you sit on. At Claire’s they just sit you in the window in full view of the customers and everyone outside and it’s not remotely a sterile environment.

The other thing to note is needle piercing means you will get flat-back internally threaded jewellery fitted, which is so much more comfortable compared to butterflies digging into your skull.

I didn't give it much thought tbh but mine got their ears pierced when their periods started. It was a casual arrangement for fun but they embraced it. They could have got their ears pierced if they wanted earlier but they liked the idea too.

Start of secondary school is time enough. Didn’t want our dds preoccupied with stuff like this before then. Luckily classmates were the same so no peer pressure.

I think I’ve always assumed there were laws about that because all the tattoo and piercing studios I’ve known have had their rules about those piercings, 18 or over unless with parental consent and attendance was the most common.

I had my belly button pierced at 15 in Blue Banana, and they’d only do that under 18 if a parent was present.

I’m wondering now what would happen if I took my 8 year old and requested an eyebrow piercing!

@SemperIdem while there is no actual law, most tattoo studios have an age limit imposed (or they self impose) by the LA in order to get their piercing license. It's not actually a free for all like some posters make it sound.

In fact , you can barely find any studios piercing ears for under 10's , but finding one to pierce a 7 yo's lip is likely. (eye roll not aimed at you )

I've just had ny 7 year olds ears pierced. She absolutely loves them! Despite always saying she needs to be 10 to have them done, she's been able to demonstrate that she could take care of them. She's meticulous with it and loves the responsibility of looking after them. You know your child best. I knew mine could handle it.

I got mine pierced when I was 6 and lived to tell the tale.

Stuff like what? Ironically, it's since DD started secondary that she stopped wearing her earrings (sports clubs and PE to days a week so too much hassle) so now they've healed over. I told her it's no big deal and we can always get them redone if she wants it again.