Allergy to Earrings? When to Repierce My 5 Year Old's Ears?

If she has a great deal of allergies and sensitivities maybe it would be best to wait a few years (sorry!). My girls used to love the sparkliness of stick-on earrings. Would that maybe help her highness? ;-)

She may need gold earrings. I was allergic to the "cheap" earrings when I had mine done and could only wear 14k for the first year or two.

I think allergies to earrings are pretty common. I've always seen "hypo-allergenic" posts described for earrings and you can also always use gold posts as well. Did you have them pierced at the pediatrician's office? They could probably be the best guide about when you should do it again. I know our first pediatrician had piercing on Wednesdays at their office. Regardless, I think as long as they're completely healed, you could have them re-pierced almost any time. Maybe wait a full month or 6 weeks?

my ears are sensitive to earrings. i had mine pierced when i was a teen 20 yrs ago. i can only wear 24 carat gold earrings, and then only for one day. at the end of the day, my ears are red and i have to take them out. i don't think it's worth getting ears pierced if your daughter is sensitive. it's cosmetic and an unnecessary nuisance.

A cracked crusty open rash sounds like eczema. Earrings are probably irritating it. If she has a 'normal allergy rash behind her ears' her skin sounds pretty sensitive and if it were my daughter I'd be trying to eliminate irritations to try to keep that rash at bay. No matter how good the earrings look, cracked crusty peeling inflamed skin just ruins it.
You could try gold earrings. Or you could try waiting awhile since some sensitivities sometimes diminish with age (in a few years).

I was 8 when I got my ears pierced and they did the same thing. I used nickle free earings and it was a little better. I needed to clear my ears twice a day but after about 2 mnths of continuing to use the earring (never take them out and make sure she rotates them) my ears healed and now I am able to use any type of earring

Coming from a mom with a highly allergic kid and a mom who had to have her ears done 3 times (two times as a kid and then before my wedding) and now no holes AGAIN!!!; I just do not think I would have them done. She is 5 and I do not think her ears not being pierced is going to make as much of a big deal to her as it is to YOU! You want theem done more than her I bet. To her, she got an 'Ouch' and that 'sore' has healed. She would not want to go through that again. This is just my opinion though! I guess I would not say anything if she did not bring it up. At 5 they do not even know repiercing is an option. Let her body heal. If she too is an highly allergic child like mind is, my pediatrician AND dermatologist told me NOT to do DD's. They told me these kids systems are in 'fight or flight' all of the time and earring regardless of the type, is just another stressor to the body. This makes total sense to me and I too am a medical professional. So, I guess my answer is, I just would not do it. You got them pierced the first time for YOU! This time have them not pierced for HER. Might not be the opinion you wanted to hear, but wanted to alert you to another side. When we go somewhere special and my daughter's hair is pinned up and we want that 'earring look'; we by these little stick on rinestones that look like earrings and come out BEAUTIFUL on pictures. Most of the time, she does not even care she does not have them. Good Luck!

Hi R. D :-)

You mention that your daughter had her ears pierced when she was 9 months old. I am imagining there was some crying with it unless they were great at numbing, which I don't think they do now a days?

It is going to be a different experience now that she is 5. From what you said, "she's my princess".. I am not sure if she has associated the earrings with being your princess and may have an association with that now. Your story is not clear as to when this redness/crusty appeared? Was it just recently? If so, it doesn't seem it is allergy related as you mentioned she has had the earrings in since 9 months.

She may be "changing" in her chemistry and may need gold as some have suggested, my daughter is that way. But my thoughts are more towards re-piercing based on the physical as well as the emotional response. I don't think your daughter understands the "sting" that is going to be happening with getting her ears pierced again, so be sure that is clear so there is minimal emotional trauma.

Also, perhaps while you are waiting to decide, do other things that show your daughter she is your princess... with or without her earrings :-)

Just from my own experience.. I had my ears pierced probably over 30 years ago and let them close up at least ten years ago... people generally say they close up and heal, but.. if I push with a wince, (the skin has closed over mostly) I can get an earring through the hole on the right and it immediately becomes crusty again! The left ear is healed but remains open.

I'm mentioning this only because what may appear to be "healed" on the outside can be something else on the inside.

I know you had your daughter's ears pierced at 9 months because it was something that "you" wanted, and that is fine, and now it seems it is something you both want, but I might wait a bit longer to see if your daughter really wants them because they are beautiful adornments, or whether she wants them because they are part of her identity as your princess. Giving the ears even more time to heal can only be beneficial while you are deciding :-)

hugs,
A. R.N., Energy Medicine Practitioner

Hi! Just wanted to let you know I had the same problem as a kid and can only wear earrings with gold backs- no silver, no hypoallergenic steel. So when you do re-pierce her ears, just get gold earrings and hopefully this will help. She'll probably be old enough to take care of them herself when she's 8 or 9.

I had a terrible time with my ears for a long time. I still have to be careful what I wear. It's such a bummer too because I especially love vintage earrings from my mother in law and great aunt. With half an hour, my ears will start itching and running. It's awful.
So, I wear only surgical steel earrings. They make really cute ones. Also, I found "sleeves" at one of the stores at the mall that does ear piercing. They are very thin and made of hypo-allergenic nylon or some plastic substance. They work great! They make them for posts and dangly earrings. I wish I could remember what they are called.
Gold upsets my ears too so I stick with surgical steel or hypo-allergenic. It makes a big difference for me.
If her ears are completely healed, it should be fine to re-pierce them, but make sure you ask about the possiblity of allergies to metals and get some advice before you do it.
Ask the pediatrician.

Best wishes.

My daughter is 5yrs old and we got her ears pierced and she reacted to them. I was told to wait till she is in her teens to see if her ears can handle them. We have to use the expensive kind of earrings. Good Luck!

I would re-pierce them as soon as you see that her ears are healed. I was also allergic to earrings when I was little and all my mom did was change to 14K gold earrings bc it was the only ones I wasn't allergic to. So try nickel free, real gold or silver.

I would wait until she is a little older. Then make sure she knows the possible risk of allergic reactions and leave to her to decide.

I have had my ears pierced at three different times in my life (same hole each time, not multiple piercings.) Each and every time they would get all crusty and nasty. In order to get them to clear up, I had to let the holes heal over. I have tried surgical steel earrings, ones labeled for "sensitive" ears, 14ct gold, you name it and I have tried them. All with the same result. The one thing I haven't tried is nickel-free (or Italian) gold. I hadn't heard about that possibility until after the last time the holes healed over, but I don't feel it is worth trying again.