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Original poster

Getting DD’s ears pierced (7) – when and where?

36 replies

OneMintTraybake · 18/12/2025 17:22

DD is 7 and has started asking to get her ears pierced. I’m a bit nervous about hygiene and where is actually safest / most child‑friendly.

At what age did you get your DD’s ears pierced and where did you go? Would you recommend it and is there anything you’d do differently?

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viques · 18/12/2025 17:28

I told her she could have them done when she was 13 so she could deal with the after care herself. Done first week of summer holiday so healed in time for back to school in September. Can’t remember where it was done.

Itsjusttoomuchtoday · 18/12/2025 17:29

Go to a proper piercing place which uses a neddle. I would do it just before the long summer holidays as she will need to remove them in school for PE.

gogomomo2 · 18/12/2025 17:31

Just make sure whoever does it has had more than 5 minutes of training and the equipment is sterilised properly. Personal recommendations for where you live are best

sanityisamyth · 18/12/2025 17:33

viques · 18/12/2025 17:28

I told her she could have them done when she was 13 so she could deal with the after care herself. Done first week of summer holiday so healed in time for back to school in September. Can’t remember where it was done.

This. 7 years old is too young, IMHO. Go to a proper piercer/tattoo parlour to have them done with a needle. Not Claire’s accessories with their revolting, cartilage smashing guns.

Oldermumofone · 18/12/2025 17:34

Got them done at the start of the summer with the needle. She’s 7 and is able to change them herself and wears plastic retainers for school. Advice on here was to go for the needle but it does seem to have taken longer than six weeks for them to heal which I read was quite normal so worth thinking about if school won’t allow them to wear any earrings.

TryingAgainAgainAgain · 18/12/2025 17:34

Too young. 12 ish is fine. Why now, except that she's asked? Would anywhere reputable actually pierce a 7-year-old?

Soontobe60 · 18/12/2025 17:36

The day they leave primary school to give them enough time to heal before secondary.
Ive seen too many younger children with terribly infected ears from earrings.

SirChenjins · 18/12/2025 17:41

7 is way too upung - she'll still be running around and playing etcat that sge, and she needs to be able to look after them herself. Going up to secondary school is a good point to get them done imo.

Elle177 · 18/12/2025 17:47

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PluckyChancer · 18/12/2025 17:54

I think she’s a bit young to be responsible for looking after them properly. 12/13 would be a better age.

I took DS to a tattoo parlour at 16 to get his ears done with a needle. The chap doing them took his time marking both front and back of the ear lobes and was extremely hygienic and professional.

Definitely do not go to any place that uses a gun. You may as well grab a safety pin and do them yourself, in that case!

Vodkamartini3olives · 18/12/2025 18:02

People always say use a proper piercing place so maybe phone around local places. I'm sure I'll get some stick but my girls both got their ears pierced around 5 yrs old at Claire's (over 10 yrs ago) and have never had any issues.

jetlag92 · 19/12/2025 08:17

We went to a local beauty place which specialised in ear piercing for children.
DD was 13 though. I think 7 is too young to be able to care for the piercings properly.
It also looks a bit chavvy at that age.

Clefable · 19/12/2025 08:20

I also think the transition from primary to secondary is the ideal sort of time for this. No way would I want my soon to be 7 DD1 running about and doing all she does with earrings in.

It’s okay for her to ask and it’s okay to say no.

Nowdontmakeamess · 19/12/2025 08:24

Too young

ItsameLuigi · 19/12/2025 08:44

TryingAgainAgainAgain · 18/12/2025 17:34

Too young. 12 ish is fine. Why now, except that she's asked? Would anywhere reputable actually pierce a 7-year-old?

My local piercing studio (best rated in my area) will. But if the child is squirmy, crying etc they won't do it.

Berlinlover · 19/12/2025 08:47

7 is far too young.

Freyer · 19/12/2025 09:05

My DD had them pierced aged 9 with a needle at a reputable place, and we had zero issues! She had them done over a school holiday, but she was fine and coped well with the needle. I wouldn’t use a gun; I know a few people who have had the gun on their DCs ears, and they had issue after issue.

VikaOlson · 19/12/2025 09:10

Mine got them done aged about 10 and we went to a piercer. Had some good advice from her about after care and they healed no problem.

Unicornsatonalilo · 19/12/2025 09:20

Soontobe60 · 18/12/2025 17:36

The day they leave primary school to give them enough time to heal before secondary.
Ive seen too many younger children with terribly infected ears from earrings.

This is what I did with mine

It was put to them that it was a symbolic sign-growing from primary to secondary

The real reason was I cant bear earrings on young children and thought 11 was too young but dd had been asking for years and really wanted them done (I was 12 when I had mine done)and my boys asked to have theirs done and I couldn't really say no as their sister had hers done at that age

They had them done on the first Monday of the holiday and they'd healed by the time they went back

Needle rather than gun

The lady who re-did mine explained you cant clean a gun,a needle is massively more hygienic and it hurts with a gun but not with a needle

We all had ours done at the local tattoo shop (who had a separate ear piercing room)

MrsMitford3 · 19/12/2025 09:22

I also think 7 is much too young.

Think DD was 12 when she had hers done.

PurpleThistle7 · 19/12/2025 09:25

My daughter was 8 and we did it on the last day of school. She took care of them herself and we had no issues at all.

PersephonePomegranate · 19/12/2025 09:46

Mine was 7 and had them done at a local jewellery shop. It had to be done at the beginning of the summer holidays as she's not allowed the plastic retainers at school.

She's had no issues at all and loves them. The earrings are put in during the evening and taken out in the morning on school or sports days. Obviously, they need to be appropriate earrings that won't get caught.

Whether a 7 year old is old enough to have them done very much depends on the 7 year old IMO.

HorrorFan81 · 19/12/2025 11:02

Definitely a place that uses a needle. My daughter was 8. My piercer is a big believer that piercings dont need 'looking after' beyond a rinse when in the shower then drying with cold shot from hairdryer. Hers healed really well

Tiswa · 19/12/2025 11:05

We were 8 and did it using a needle - hers healed so much better than her friends who used a gun. Aftercare was straight forward and we did it together. She was also the minimum age for the place we did it at and had to say she wanted them as well

Radiator981 · 19/12/2025 11:06

reputable tattoo/piercing shop