To think that most women have pierced ears?

[Sweetiedarling7]

In my teenage years (70/80s) my father refused to let me have my ears pierced. He was a very judgemental unpleasant man and it was deemed “common”.

I never did end up getting mine done even after I left home because I went into nursing and the client group I worked with (people with extreme challenging behaviour) made wearing earrings inadvisable.

It seems to me that pretty much every woman has pierced ears now and many girls have them done at quite young ages.

Is there anybody left like me who doesn’t have pierced ears?

I don't and the woman next to me on the bus doesn't

Me! Sort of for the same reasons, at least to begin with. I was never allowed to get them done when young (also a teenager in the 80s, also deemed “common” by my mum). Then by the time I was old enough to do it for myself, I was never that bothered and just didn’t get round to it. I do wear jewellery but somehow have never really wanted to wear earrings badly enough to get my ears pierced, even though I see beautiful earrings on other people.

I don't, never have. It's not essential
Though I have had pierced nose and navel briefly in my early 20s, but never did my ears

I got mine pierced when I was a student 50 years ago.

My sister has never had her ears pierced and I used to find it very strange. Especially as she used to complain about finding it difficult to find nice clip on earrings. It would have been easier to have had them pierced.

I know some parents certainly used to get their DD's ears pierced when they were little more than babies - there was a lot of debate about this being unsafe at one time. I don't know if this still happens.

I had mine pierced at 11 and one of the piercings got infected. I tried to wear earrings but it just hurt my ears every time with a horrible reaction so I let them close up. So I did have pierced ears for around six months or so. Now I’m 50 I’ve benn thinking about doing them again but clips on are fine for the odd occasion I want to wear earrings!

I'm in my 50s ....I don't have pierced ears.

I don't, and I don't particularly take notice of who does or who doesn't.

I can't say it's anything I've ever particularly noticed.

But I don't have pierced ears, and nor does my (adult) daughter.

I don't. Even as a child I was always a bit put off by the thought of it, always seen it as a kind of (albeit mild and harmless) body mutilation. Objectively, that's what it is!

I had them done at 11 and then let them close up. Tried again two years ago, they took a year to heal, I left them without earrings for 5 hours and they closed up and I’ve not bothered again!

I got mine pierced at age 50! Never really considered it before, but my daughter was getting hers done and I suddenly decided to get mine done at the same time.

1 pierced as a teenager
Infected
Never wore earing afterwards

It is certainly hard to find nice earrings which aren’t for pierced ears now.

I don't and neither does my MIL. My SIL only got hers pierced recently. I don't wear much jewellery so don't see the point!

I think most do, but it’s not wildly unusual not to have them done. My dad, without being judgemental and unpleasant about it, also disapproved of pierced ears. So I was 14 when I had mine done - he had little choice but to cave as his mum had just had hers done, in her 70s 😄

My dad also hated pierced ears, even my mum wasn’t “allowed” 🙄 them until she was well into her 30s. I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup either. My dad did eventually back down so I got mine done. I think most women do have them pierced though I know a few people who don’t, but not everyone seems to wear earrings. I wear earrings regularly but not daily, my sister never wears them

Mine were pierced at 3 and don't close up no matter how long I go without earrings. I used to wear them all the time but these days I often go without for months.

My parents were similar to yours, OP. They didn't explicitly say it was 'common' as it wasn't a word they used, but in our household there were 'things that were done' and 'things that were not done'. That said, I got mine done when I was 21. Unfortunately, though, the person who did them wasn't very good and the holes closed up again!

I've never really looked. I had mine pierced in my early teens. I used to work with jewellery and there used to be clip ons for those without pierced ears.

I have pierced ears but haven't wore earrings for years as my ears react to every metal I've tried, only plastic earrings were okay but I just dont bother now

I don’t for similar reasons OP. But when I turned 40 and didn’t have a single piercing or tattoo I got my nose pierced. My parents are in their 70s and still disapproved!

I’m thinking it is a generational thing and those of us without pierced ears are 50 plus?

Would be surprised if it's not a majority, but I also know quite a few women who don't.

The problem with clip on earrings is that they're far more likely to get lost. Even though my ears are pierced I weigh up the value of earrings versus likelihood of loss when I'm choosing what pair to wear.

I had my lobes done about age 7. I have 3 in each ear now - the most recent ones were done last year (I'm 52). My dd is 22 and hers arent pierced as she didnt want them done