Too young for earrings!

[shirleytowers]

at my house, you have to be 16 to get ears pierced and 116 to get anything else pierced.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

**Relationship Between Age of Ear Piercing and Keloid Formation **

pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/115/5/1312

We had our daughter’s pierced at age 10 when we learned about this. We have stricter rules about makeup, but we’ve never lumped earrings in with makeup. The earrings actually provide a nice “safety valve” for her desire to “dress up”-- she can accessorize with what she’s wearing without resorting to gobs of face paint…

Margaret

A test group of 32 seems to me to be a bit small.

I could conclude from reading this study that about half formed keloids. The 80% over 11 is a red herring.

If I can find it, I will hook you up with a better study that indicates the profile of those who form keloids.

Our family falls into a profile group for keloids. My sister had her ears pierced at 16. She forms keloids, anyway, and had such from surgery. She had no problems.

I had mine pierced at 32 for the first time (my mother REALLY didn’t believe in pierced ears and it stuck!). No keloids.

My youngest brother had those horrible disk thingies put in his ears at 29. Floppy ear lobes, but no keloids.

All that aside- Franciscan, you’re the dad. If you and mom say no earrings, then no earrings. However, you should know about the stick-on ones that LOOK pierced but are really just glue. Your wife or you should be able to find them in the beauty aisle at Walmart. Maybe that’d satisfy your little girl for a bit.

 

[jmcrae]

at my house, you have to be 16 to get ears pierced and 116 to get anything else pierced.

That sounds like an excellent rule.

 

[LynnieLew]

My parents made me wait until I was 11. I got the same old response: :If God wanted holes in your ears, He would have put them there Himself". Sigh…

I was thinking about making my daughter wait until she turned 8, if she asks for them at all…

 

[jc-servant]

Thanks to all for the advice. It’s funny that some assumed I was the mom. I’m the dad. The four year old is the one who brings it up from time to time. I just want her to not grow up too fast and to realize how she’s Beautiful without them And mostly that beauty on the inside is more important.

Having her father’s positive love and attention for who she is will allow her to develop a good self-image and know that she does not need lots of externals to make herself feel good. However, my 2 cents on the earrings is to let her have them for her birthday or other special occasion if she appears mature enough to keep up with cleaning her ears every day. If she can brush regularly then she can clean her ears with a capful of hydrogen peroxide.

I got my ears pierced in the crease of the lobe with a sterilized needle when I was 5 and I took care of them just fine. I was extremely proud that I was a “big girl” like my Mom and it is the only gift that I can remember from my early childhood except for that first 2-wheeler with the banana seat and streamers.

 

[ncgolf]

My wife and I decided 10 years old was right for us. Her earrings are still littel girl … dolphins, animals etc. She took care of her ears after the piercing … she is showing signs of maturity not only physically but other ways too … does her homework without reminder, feeds the pets without prompting. We mixed in other factors before saying yes … also it was for her birthday. Her 8 y/o sister wants them too but we told her the criteria (age, responsibility) etc. She was sad but understands and now cant wait until she is 10 too, so it worked out.

P.S. It makes it easier for me (Dad) to get gifts as well

 

[Celia]

I don’t have kids, but I simply plan on waiting until she is old enough to notice them on other people and ask for herself. If she understands what’s involved in taking care of them and getting them done and such, then it’s fine with me. My father wouldn’t let my pierce my ears until I was 18, which was ridiculous. I have 5 in one ear now and 4 in the other. And I get comments all the time on how they’re pretty, etc. (they’re just diamond studs except for the first holes I put like hoops in or whatever.) And it didn’t hurt that bad. It pinches, but I don’t think it’s as bad as a shot at all really. But, everyone has different levels of pain…

When I worked at Claire’s in high school I hated piercing babies ears. You get them all happy and wave stuffed animals and candy at them and then grab their ears and pierce them when they’re not paying attention. Then they look up at you like, “why did you do that??” and start screaming. Poor babies.

 

[LilyM]

Yeah, the arguing isn’t supposed to happen for another ten years at least!

You haven’t met my nieces obviously - the oldest is 7, and they’re all quite strong-willed young ladies (take after their mommas, my sisters, of course

 

[MCGar]

From a perspective of one who’s family pierces their ears as children. I did pretty ok with it as did my sisters and now their children. Since I read this topic I reflected on it a little and remembered something from my childhood that might help.

Excuse my grammar please :

At the time between pre-pubescence and pubescence girls at my school started popping up with earrings and make-up (mostly colored lip-gloss, but some of them full-blown). It seemed to breed a bit of jealousy, envy and loss of self-confidence in those that had not made that rite of passage yet. Usually for the late bloomers.
But for me (a very very very late-bloomer, at 16 I looked like I was a babysitting charge for my friends, honest) I didn’t have that issue. I had earrings my whole life and as a bit of a tomboy I wore them less and less as I got to that age [with the occasional exception of times that I needed to dress up]. I wasn’t intimidated by the ‘grown-up’ girls. I also noticed the the girls that all of a sudden started getting earrings and make-up would flirt with they boys more and get more interest directed to them. I didn’t think of my earrings as a way to show off or flirt because for me they were part of my whole life.

This of course is just the situation I experianced at my school during that time. All schools, or group of kids are different so this might not apply at all, but it still might be something to think about.

 

[dranzal]

My nine year old loves to go to Claire’s. Once when we were there, a mom was getting her baby girl’s ears pierced. I know some of you say your babies didn’t feel it, but this one did. Brianna told me right then that she did not want to get her ears pierced. I told her that was fine.

If she changes her mind, she can make the choice to get them pierced any time after 13.

It’s ultimately each parent’s decision. That is, unless you make them wait till they are 18. Then it’s their decision.

 

[mysitar]

Well, I wouldn’t do it yet. My mom said that she knew someone that had a baby with pierced ears, and she ripped the earring out and had to get stitches. I also think you should wait until they want to do it. I remember, I got mine pierced when I was 14, thinking I would like them when I was 16 or 17. I hardly ever wear earrings, and I’m 17. So I guess you should ask them when you think they’re old enough.

 

[dixieagle]

I’m mom to two grown daughters, now 23 and 26. We were pretty conservative parents with high standards, but also have a very close and loving relationship with them. My parents were quite strict with me, often “just because” and I was the last one to do anything…wear “nylons” (I am really dating myself there!), makeup, etc. I didn’t get my ears pierced until I was 18.

That said, we let our girls get their ears pierced at about 11, and they were the first to get them double pierced. It let them feel “cool”, which, believe me, did not happen often. Our philosophy was to pick our battles carefully; tattoos, no way, body piercings, forget it, but pierced ears…have at it!

I think that, barring an ethnic reason, ages 2 and 4 are way too young, however, for a variety of reasons. It’s one more thing to take care of, and I also believe that waiting for a few years builds character, as long as the rules are not unreasonable. There is so little that kids have to look forward to these days, they do everything so young!

 

[deb1]

I got my oldest daughter’s ears pierced before her first bday. Her peditrician was from Puerto Rico and he said that nurses there pierce the newborn infant girls’ ears before they come home.

Despite being very clean with her ears, my oldest daughter developed a allergy earrings of any type. Now her holes have closed up and she expresses no desire to have them redone.

I haven’t gotten my other daughter’s ears done and will wait until she asks.

Several times I have been annoyed by mothers who have insisted that if I just bought my daughter hypo allergenic or pure gold earrings, my oldest daughter would have no problems. This is not true for her. She simply can’t wear earrings.

 

[kristacecilia]

Is it unreasonable for me to not want my daughters to have earrings until they are at least 12 years old? I tell them (they are two and four) that it is redundant for a jewel to addorn a jewel. I don’t want them to think they need makeup or earrings.

My dad made us (myself and two younger sisters) wait until we were 16. I remember thinking it was completely unfair and all that drama of childhood. On our 16th birthday, though, it was a big ordeal going to get our ears pierced, picking out our first studs… it was like a major rite of passage for us. We loved it! I definitely appreciated it more than I would have at 2, 5, 10, or even 12.

Now it just seems wrong to me for children to have their ears pierced. To me it is the mark of a young woman. My future daughters will be waiting until they are 16. I think it’s an awesome sweet 16 gift from Mom and Dad, sort of an acceptance of young adulthood.

 

[texaspanda]

All four of my girls were done before they were two months old. It was simple. They didn’t cry and it was over and done with.

 

[fin]

I had my ears pierced when i was very young and I cried. My first pair of earrings were simple gold studs, not made of gold, but probably gold plated. Surgical stainless steel would be appropriate for young girls. Hypoallergenic for those who are allergic.
I didn’t change my earrings frequently, until I got to high school. Right now I really like earrings & I have a lot. I have real gold ones and fancy ones as well.

 

[TweetyBird]

My oldest two daughters had theirs pierced as little babies (2 mos old). They get used to having the studs in all the time and there’s no issue with them “messing” with their ears - by the time they are old enough to do so they don’t even notice the earrings.

My youngest daughter (age 3.5) got hers pierced about 3 months ago. She was adamant that she wanted earrings like her sisters. We happened to be at the mall one day and got her some cute little studs. Not a peep out of her or a tear shed. If she’d expressed fear, I wouldn’t have done it. The only time she has cried over it was one morning a few weeks ago when she woke up to discover one of her earrings was missing! lol

I got mine done (at the mall, of course) for my 8th birthday.

 

[Fidelia]

I got my first pair of holes pierced when I was five. I told my mom that I wanted them. She took care of them at first, and eventually I learned to do it myself. One pair of holes is so common, and really not a big deal. I think it is unreasonable to make a girl wait til she is a teen for her first pair. But definitely should not have more than one per ear til she is at least a teen, imo. I got my second pair of holes whenI was around 16 I think. another at 18, and the last at 21. so, yea, i have four per ear.
To the OP, maybe bring the 4 y/o on her 5th or 6th birthday, or something, maybe for starting kindergarten or 1st grade. and if she wants more, then have her wait til high school.

And from exerience, (having gotten my ears pierced four times), it hurt a lot less and infected less when i was younger. Getting them done at five, did not hurt at all. a little pinch, but i felt nothing by the time we got to the car. and they never got infected. pair #2 didn’t give me a problem either, but pairs 3 and 4, at 18 and 21 y/o hurt more to pierce and took longer to heal. just offering my personal experience.

 

[sanctamaria17]

I got mine done when I was six, but after the age of nine, I stopped wearing them and one hole closed up. I got them redone when I was 12 and haven’t stopped wearing earrings. I don’t think I’ll get second holes. I like the look of one in each, not sure about 2. Tattoos are a possibility though (when I get my own place, etc, not while I’m still being supported financially by family)

I don’t think it’s a problem if girls get them young, while Mom (or Dad) takes care of them at first, then teaches them how to. Personally, I’d consider it a First Communion present for my daughters but that’s just me.

 

[Jea9]

I got mine done when I was about 6 I think. I have very, VERY sensitive ears and could only handle sterling silver or 24kt gold earrings in my ears. Now my ears have closed up. I don’t have kids yet, but I think that when they’re babies or toddlers is much too young. I think that they need to understand what they are having done. Plus, I just don’t think it’s fair for a parent to make the decision to put holes in their child’s body. That is just MHO, but I think that they should get to make that choice when they are old enough