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 had pierced ears when younger and also bottom lip and a labret piercing and the also a nose stud. Took them out years ago and now have zero piercings.

My mum was like this too 😅

One piercing was acceptable but any more was "common".

To be fair I have tiny ears so it is probably for the best that I only have one piercing in the lobes as it would look weird otherwise.

My mum and granny didn’t, my sisters and I were told we could have it done at 16. Now all in our mid/late 40’s and still no earrings on anyone, my late teens niece doesn’t have them either.

I only have 1 ear pierced, done in my 30s. No worries if I lose once, I usually have a spare!

@Agapornis

you just have one lobe pierced?? Or is it the top of your ear?

I got mine pierced for my 12th birthday. Always wear earrings, I’d feel “unfinished” without them.

Lobe. It brings a nice balance to my face. I like the pirate look.

And yes some people (like you?) find it odd, not sure why?

I don't and never have.

I was a teenager in the 1970s. Secondary school strongly discouraged them. I remember the senior mistress speaking about them in assembly and saying that they were not generally allowed. "However", she said, "if your parents are silly enough to allow this and send in letter you will be allowed to keep sleepers in for 6 weeks." After that they had to be removed for school.

When I got to Uni some of my friends had it done andit seemed such a faff turning them every so often or whatever it was I decided against. Never really bothered me. DD had it done when she was a student. She is 30 now and often doesn't wear any but she does have some nice attractive ones.

My 21 year old daughter and a few of her friends don’t have them pierced.

Yes I think most women do. Even my very gender-non-conformist SD had them done at about 12, and my nearly 6-yo is starting to consider getting hers done. However, I don't think anyone cares if women don't have pierced ears. The practise of piercing babies and toddlers too young to consent is thankfully getting less popular.

I (41) do, the majority of the older women in my family don't. Earrings really seem to improve my face for some reason (particularly drop earrings) and I wear them every day, even if just stud earrings - they're the only jewellery I really wear, other than my wedding ring.
I feel more put-together with earrings in, I'm quite creative but probably dress quite conservatively and the earrings are usually the little bit of colour/texture/interesting design that says a bit more about my personality.

I am 56 and don’t have pierced ears, just about all of my friends have pierced ears, I can’t think of anyone that hasn’t

mother in law pierced hers in her 50’s, sister in law in her 30’s and my dd was 19…she was spoiled rotten in the piercing shop 😀

I'm also another one whose dad didn't want me to get them pierced, not because he thought they were 'common' or anything but more from the mutilation angle

I did but I let them heal over in my 20s as not keen on wearing earrings

Mine were done when l was about 11. Second hole done when l was 18. Nose stud done when l was in my 40s.

l never go out without my earrings but l hate to see babies and toddlers with them.

I do but no one else in family does. Only one friend out of half a dozen has.

I don't, aged 52, for same reasons as OP. But I have big ears anyway and don't want to draw attention to them. My DD, 14, also doesn't have piered ears, she asked once when she was about 6, I said she could do it "when she was bigger" but she hasn't mentionned it since.

I do, but don’t often wear earrings as I find them annoying (early 40’s - had them done when I was 12). My dd had hers done at 13 but her body thoroughly rejected them (despite careful piercing with a needle, gold earrings and, eventually, antibiotics), we took them out and they healed up straightaway. I hope she doesn’t attempt it again.

@weareallcats

what do you find annoying about earring out of interest? Once they’re in, I forget about them, so I’m intrigued!

@Agapornis

its unusual I guess, just in the sense that traditionally women have both lobes done. It wouldn’t be for me, but if you like it that’s what matters!

Mine have closed up, after I lost one of the pearl earrings I wore nearly all the time, and didn’t replace it quickly enough.
I doubt I’ll bother having them done again.

My elder Gdd had her ears pierced on her 10th birthday.

I didn’t allow dds to have theirs done until they were 13.

I'm in my 40s. Don't have pierced ears. I was needle-phobic for a long time and, although I'm not any more, the idea of willingly stabbing holes in your skin still strikes me as strange (see also, tattoos!).
Two late teenage daughters - they weren't allowed to get them done until they were old enough to do the aftercare themselves as I'm so squeamish about it. Now they're old enough one has had them done and the other hasn't, but thinks she probably will at some point.

My oldest friend (who has just turned 60) has never had hers done. She was never a very girly girl and just wasn't interested, plus I think she dug her heels in more because her mum was always trying to persuade her to have it done from when she was about 16. Nowadays she wears a couple of rings (wedding and engagement plus one she just likes) but nothing else "decorative" and she doesn't like make-up either. It's just not her style and I admire her for standing by that choice.

I'm pretty sure I've known quite a few other unpierced women, but is not something that would really stick in my mind unless we'd had a conversation about it. I know the author Jacqueline Wilson famously hasn't. She wrote a character who was a writer and very much like her in many ways. But when asked if the character was based on her, she said something like, "well, she has elements of me but the main difference is she wears big dangling earrings, while I've never even had my ears pierced."

I'm 50 and I don't. Wasn't allowed when I was younger then by the time I was old enough to decide, I just wasn't that fussed - plus slightly squeamish!

I do feel unusual though, and have had the awkwardness of receiving earrings as gifts from people who don't notice I never wear them...

I do and I think my ears look a bit weird without earrings!