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Original poster

At what age did you allow your DD to have pierced ears?

59 replies

teaandcakeplease · 26/04/2010 20:10

I suspect this topic has been done before.

My DD isn't age 3 until July, so she's very young but she loves my pierced ears and often asks me about it and wanting some too.

The question is, when is a reasonable age to allow her to do this. Without a) other parents looking in horror at her ears and then me b) she'll leave the earrings alone and not try and remove them etc

OP posts:
lifesucks · 26/04/2010 22:05

my dd1 is now 9 and dd2 3.i have not regretted it at all.my dd1 isnt allowed them in school when she has PE so for that day we just take them out then put them back in later no problems at all.they dont close up.i think you should do what you feel is right for you.

mumonthenet · 26/04/2010 22:14

Mine were told they could have them done when they got to be teenagers.

No problem - they were happy to wait and I think felt like it was a sign of maturity

Youngest DD has just had hers done for her 13th bday.

teta · 26/04/2010 22:23

Em.la cream is an anaesthetic cream-its used for kids who are terrified of needles.I could buy it from the chemist when we lived abroard but i'm not sure about the situation in the uk-maybe you need a prescription

Hulababy · 26/04/2010 22:25

"i think you should do what you feel is right for you. "

I haveto disagree. I think you should do what is right for your child.

Hulababy · 26/04/2010 22:27

bluejeans - Claires will only do one ear at a time I believe now. Overheard a conversation once - posted on MN at the time as was very upset by what I witnessed that day (was a young baby). And if a baby.child is crying they won;t continue even if it means only one ear is done.

lifesucks · 26/04/2010 22:29

both my dds had theirs done at claires and had both ears done at the same time.

thehillsarealive · 26/04/2010 22:36

teta - you get it on prescription here and Idoubt a doctor would prescribe it for ear pearcing, but worth asking i suppose.

My daughter got hers done when she was 6. It was her treat (she was quite unwell for a while and she had missed a lot of school, she worked hard to catch up) and as she had asked for nearly 2 years I gave in.

I got it done in the summer holidays last year and she had earrings in until after Christmas, January I think she took them out and they have closed up now. Once the novelty wore off she wasnt bothered which is what i suspected might happen, so I am not worried, she can have them done again when she is olderif she wants to.

Granny23 · 26/04/2010 22:43

I never did allow my DDs to have their ears pierced. They both had it done when they were 16 and no longer needed my permission. My own ears are as nature intended.

jasper · 26/04/2010 22:44

My eight year old BOY has just asked to have his ears pierced

Isaidheyhoney · 26/04/2010 22:47

We've said 13. Where is a good place to get it done safely and hygienically and avoiding nasty pus problems?

PickUpYourPants · 26/04/2010 23:01

My eldest had hers done when she was around 8 and loved them, looked after them well. Now although she has the holes she rarely wears earings as you have to take them out for so many school activities.
My youngest also had hers done, slightly younger and hated them, they didn't really heal well and she didn't like the feel of them especially at night so we took them out and the holes sealed. Every so often I ask her if she wants them redone and she is adamant that she doesn't
My parents wouldn't let me have mine done for years. Eventually my Dad relented and we got them done I was around 15 at the time. Within 2 years my Mum had had hers done!

Sorry to answer the original question I would say 7 to 10 when they are old enough to do the care and to tape them up/remove them at school

edwardcullensotherwoman · 26/04/2010 23:05

I had mine pierced in a chemist when I was 10 - that's as hygienic a place as any I would imagine! Failing that a jeweller's is probably a good place, or Claire's - as long as they're trained and do it regularly you should be fine honey.
Re:Emla cream, can't you buy it in the chemist? Probably not many stock it, but worth asking befire asking the GP for some for ear-piercing could be a bit of a situation. Ametop is a good alternative too, it's on for less time but has to be refrigerated and can cause a reaction to sensitive skin.

Original poster
teaandcakeplease · 26/04/2010 23:05

emla cream link I saw it advertised on the back of a van the other day, on the M25 funnily enough.

The jewellers I used was a privately run one many years ago for my ears. Isaidheyhoney, ask around and go to one recommended by friends I suppose.

So I think my DD will be waiting many years yet, from what's been said tonight

Off to bed now.

OP posts:
MumInBeds · 26/04/2010 23:12

We've said not until she is at least 12 and then only if she's able to go to a tattoo place to get them done with needles not guns.

bluejeans · 26/04/2010 23:29

Thanks for the link - interesting!

snorkie · 27/04/2010 12:31

dd had hers done at 14 last summer. They gave her the option of both at once & said if she'd been younger they'd have insisted on it to avoid the only one ear pierced scenario. Dd cose to have them done separately.

My neices senior school does not allow any earings (even plain studs) to be worn at all. This is OK for one of them, but the other has problems if she leaves her earings out all day - not sure what she's done about it as I've not seen them since September (when she started senior school).

snorkie · 27/04/2010 12:33

That was at Clares btw - so unless different branches have different policies or unless it's changed since last summer they will do two at a time.

rubyrubyruby · 27/04/2010 12:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Birdistheword · 27/04/2010 12:42

I had mine done in the summer holidays before i started highschool, so 11. I think i will probably do the same with my DD.

MooMinCow · 27/04/2010 13:23

Interesting topic. In India where my family originate from it is very traditional (and the norm) for girls to have their ears pierced before their first birthday. I get family friends/relations always asking why I haven't got DD (2.5) ears done!

I don't know why it is considered such a 'chavy' thing over here? People have different backgrounds and cultures and I dislike them being branded with names.... OP if your daughter really wants them, and you are happy for her to have them then go for it.

ChildOfThe70s · 27/04/2010 13:30

I was six when I had mine done (many years ago!) The local hairdressers had just got one of the new-fangled ear-piercing guns and my sister badgered my mum to let her have hers done (she was 10) so we all had them done together.

Luckily I have boys so I don't have to worry about this - yet! Part of me thinks it's a bit young, because of the risk of them catching earings on something and getting ripped out etc. Also what's your DD's nursery policy if she goes to one? If its no-earrings or studs-only she might not be so keen maybe?

MrsRhettButler · 27/04/2010 13:33

agree with moomincow, well said, where i live is not chavvy but it is very culturaly mixed and is the norm for 6 yr olds to have their noses pierced so ears seem to pale in significance. my dd had hers done at 6 mnths i think, never caused a problem she's 4 now

MrsRhettButler · 27/04/2010 13:38

as an after thought, dd wears small hoops and i loosen the catch so that if they get pulled on something they will just fall right out, this results in a lot of lost earrings but much better than ripping her ear... her nursery have no rules on earrings at all, she starts school in sep so we will find out then i guess but most schools round here don't bother as there are so many children from different cultures its totally normal and a non issue

in fact when i first saw a discussion on mn about piercings in children and babies i was soo shocked at how much of an issue it is, never in my life had i heard what i heard on here

teta · 27/04/2010 14:09

Me too!.I can't believe its considered such a "chavvy"[have i spelt that right?]thing to do.My dd1 school has absolutely no school rules on earrings and she doesn't have to remove them for pe - but she does always wear studs for school.She loves buying and getting new ones and they give her great pleasure.

minibmw2010 · 27/04/2010 14:30

I have to admit, seeing babies and young children (who clearly can't ask for it to be done themselves) with pierced ears upsets me. It feels slightly wrong to put a child through any pain for cosmetic reasons (and yes, they can look very chavvy to me personally). Worse to me is seeing young boys with their ears pierced, now that's bizarre.