Too Young???

A.

You have gotten tons of replies and I think it all boils down to personal choice. I do want to respond to a comment that a poster made about the employees at Claires not being trained. I managed a Claires store and I can confirm that employees do go through a training process for ear piercing. Also be aware that Rubbing Alcohol and Peroxide can cause the earring hole to dry out and can cause some earrings to break down resulting in flaking of the metal. Best of luck!!

They think they want it. My granddaughter also wanted it. She let them pierce them, then, would not let her mom clean them. They got infected, and we took them out. Now, she will wait till she is over 7, and can walk into a place by herself and ask to have it done.

I do not think so. I have 2 girls, one is 10, and the other is 12. I pierced their ears at 3 years old, and they are fine, and still enjoy their ears pierced! My friens got her daughter's ears pierced at 6, and she screamed! Her little girl is 9 now and still will not wear them! So, personally, I think it is best to do it while they are still young.
D.

My sister and I both had our ears pierced when we were 4 years old. My parents wanted us to wait until then so that we could ask for them rather than the decision being made by my parents. Anyway, I don't recall there ever being a problem with us keeping them clean. It is simply the approach. The cleaner did not hurt. I think if, before you take her to get them pierced, you clearly explain to your daughter that it will hurt for a second (maybe even compare it to getting a shot, since that it very close to how it feels) and then you have to clean them evey day, and she still agress, you should be fine (depending on the temperment of your child, of course). It was a big deal for us to get our ears pierced in our house. My younger sister was there when I got mine done and she could not wait to have hers done later. The only problem we ended up having with them is that my sister's ears became irritated because she was sensitive to nickel. This is easily fixed by either buying gold earrings in the first place or switching to nickel-free if you notice a problem. Good luck to you guys, your little girl is growing up!!

When I was in college I worked at a store in the mall and pierced ears as part of my job. The ear piercing guns we used were cleaned with alcohol before and after each use. They did not require a special machine to clean them because the earing itself is what is used to pierce the ear and those come in sterile packaging. That aside, it did use to break my heart to have to pierce babies ears, and some people would bring them in as soon as they had their first vaccines at 6 wks! If there are 2 employees they can do your daughter's ears at the same time if you are concerned she won't want to have the other one done after the pain of the first. I personally do not have a daughter, but after working there I decided if I ever did I would wait until she ASKED to have it done. If your daughter is asking, I think it's okay. Just explain to her that it will hurt, like a shot, and the ear lobe will be red and feel hot for 20-30 min afterward. I would also recommend spending the extra money on the gold ones, just in case she is allergic to nickel. I think the cheap ones are silver plated, but that can wear off and expose the nickel.

I have 2 daughters and they both got their ears pierced when they were about 4. If your daughter is asking then I would say she is ready. Just explain to her that she will need to clean her ears every night before bed and twist her earrings daily to help them heel and not get infected. If she is okay with this then take her to have them done. It's really not that big of a deal. Have fun and enjoy this mother/daughter bonding moment. There will be many more to follow.

Hi A.,

I realize that it was in the mid 60's but, my mother had my ears pierced when I was 6 months old.

Which in my opinion worked out great for me since I was too young to stress over it and do not recall whatever pain I may have endured.

BTW, I grew up loving earrings

Hi A. your daughter is not too young usually babies have there ears done so by her being 4 years old she is old enough you should have gotten it done when she was a baby so she will not be picking at her ear from the soarness.

I have 2 girls, We got their ears pierced on their 2nd birthday's. We went to Claire's to have it done and we had no problems. I was very worried about doing it, but it turned out great!

i got my daughters ears pierced at 3 months old and she is fine with them till this day

Make sure both ears get pierced simultaneously!!
My daughter was 5 when her ears were pierced. Unfortunately, the ears were pierced one at a time. The first ear went perfectly well. She was calm and acknowledged that it hurt a little.
However, she was hysterical and needed to be held down for the second hole which was then lopsided.
We let the holes grow in and we had them repierced several years later.
Age-wise, she did well with the aftercare.

I had my daughter's ears pierced when she was 2 months old, so that she would be used to them and not mess with them. Four is old enough as long as she won't mess with them, and pull them out.

Hi, I had both my girls ears peirced when they were 2 yrs old. It was fast easy and they are both happy to be able to wear earrings.
I think your daughter is old enough for peirced ears and worst case scenario the holes will close back up if she decides she doesn't want them anymore.

Good luck

E.

Sorry, I dont believe in this. The people who do this to babies shouldnt no matter how cute. What if she doesnt want them when she gets older? Then she'll have a scar.There r fake ones that u can try, so y not suggest them for now?

Since the birth of my oldest daughter 6 years ago I thought about all the things that little girls want to do but must wait like wearing make up, shaving their legs and such. I remember looking forward to those things when I was a little girl. It made me feel more grown up when I could do them. I decided that ear piercing would be the same. That will be something she will do as she gets older. Probably about 10-12 years old. They already get so many messages that they have to look spectacular to be accepted that I don't want her thinking that she needs this to be pretty. I don't want her adding anything to her body to enhance beauty at such a young age. I want it to be something she looks forward to, prepares for and then gets so excited about that she will be ecstatic to take care of it.

Plus on the lighter side...it will give me leverage at that point. If you want your ears done this weekend you have to keep your room clean all week...lol. Or "you must keep your grades up and be responsible with your school work if you want to take on the responsiblity of the care of new piercings."

It's a personal parenting decision and I don't look down on people who decide to get their daughter's done early, I just prefer to wait for my own reasons.

I had my ears pierced about that age, 4 or 5, and have never regretted it. I love my pierced ears, and it's much easier to handle when you are younger, makes you feel special, and gives her a confidence boost. If she wants it, I don't see why not.

A., I had my little girls ears pierced at 6 weeks old. I think she will be just as beautiful with them or without them, but your mom so you do have the say so. My suggestin,pierce them. Good luck and God bless!!

.

My way of thinking is if they are old enough to take care of it that is fine but personally, if she can't take them in and out herself and put the alcohol on them the way that it should be done, then I am certainly not going to do it, therefore she is too young. It is really at the discretion of the parent as to what you are willing to do.

My daughter wanted her ears pierced at 4 also. She needed to get her vaccinations for school around the same time she mentioned this, so I told her if she could get the shots without screaming, I'd take her to get her ears pierced. It worked out pretty well, although she had second thoughts a couple of days after they were pierced. That went away quickly, and she's done great with them ever since (and she'll be 7 next month).

most parent pierce their daughters ears when they are babys these day. i myself am waiting until my little one askes for them, but i do not think that four is too young. allergys to different metals is something to watch out for, when i was little i couldnt wear any metal without severe infection, but we bought little plastic tubes that fit over the part that goes in your ear and i never hacd a problem after that. i would think they still make them and would be sold about everywhere they pierce. they are easy to lose when a 4 yr old is cleaning her own ears but they are cheap and you get alot in one package.

I don't think it's too young at all. In fact, I had my daughter's ears pierced when she was a baby. Because she had them pierced so early, picking with them was never an issue.

me and my 4 year old talked about it a lot before she decided she wanted her ears pierced. I told her it would sting at first, but then it would be ok and if we took real good care of them they should not get infected. I took her to Claire's and we watched a couple of little girls get their ears pierced. She decided she didn't want them pierced after that, but she changed her mind soon after. Our doctor's office did it and they did both ears at the same time...doc did one, nurse did the other. I thought that was the best way to go. I think your daughter's age is fine for ear piercing as long as she knows what she's in store for.

A., if you think she is too young, then she's too young. If you let her do this now, even though you feel she's too young, what happens when she's 8 or 9 and wants something else that you feel is wrong for her but everyone else, to her, seems to be doing it? Always remember this: you are the parent first, not the best friend. If you have moral standards you want to go by, then do so. It's hard in a world where most kids think they should get what they want when they want it, but don't let that distract you from what you want for your family. I, too, have to remind myself of this all the time, but I want my son to know my values, not someone else's. Best wishes to you!!

Hi A.
i have two girls 3 1/2 & 18 months and they both have their ears pierced. My 3 1/2 was 6 months old when i got hers done and my baby was 1 year. I waited for the baby because i was afraid if my older one may want to touch or pull them so i waited until she was a little older and she never touched them. I say if she wants it do it. They look so cute with earings.

Good luck
M.

most of the little girls I know got theirs pierced at 2 months. My daughter was 18 months. At the age of 4 I'm sure your daughter is ready, especially if she's asking. You just need to talk to her about the process and prepare her for the soreness and the upkeep. I'm sure the little lady will do just fine. God bless you.

We got my grandbaby's ears pierced at 6 months. It nearly killed ME at the time, but now she doesn't even know she is wearing them (she's 18 months old). She's never had a problem with them.

What she is too young for is running the household. If you aren't in favor of it, or unsure about it, DON'T.

my daughter was 2 and she just HAD to have her ears pierced because her best friend's were. I really think it was easier because she didn't fuss about my caring for them like she did at 10 when she got her 2nd hole. They didn't get infected either time but I did have to keep after her alot more at 10.

My daughter has had her ears pierced since she was 3 months old. My dr.s office did it . I have had mine pierced since I was an infant as well. My sister has a little girl who is almost 2 and they are waiting till she can ask to have it done, so that it is her choice . The only draw back for my child has been the constant loosing of jewelry ,but she is only 3 ( just turned) she only started messing with her earings at the age of 2. It is a bit painful at first and you have to keep the ears cleaned really well but otherwise it is cute and harmless.

i would let her know it hurts i think 4 is a decent age...(at least you didnt get it done when she was an infant!! how tacky!!!!!) they arnt permanent like a tattoo they can always come out. go with your gut

I know a lot of people have their baby's ears pierced when they are little and won't mess with them, but I was scared to do that in case there was any problem. So, I let me daughter get hers pierced for her 5th birthday -- she was the only girl in her class at school and in her Sunday school class that didn't have them pierced and she had been asking for a while. I left the 'good' earrings that were first put in her ears for about 6-9 months and I didn't let her change them out for the 'play' earrings and her ears have been perfect with no problems. Now, when she puts in fun earrings, we leave them in for a couple of days and switch back to the good ones. It's worked for us!

I, for many years, lived on the left coast and it was commonplace to see infants with little gold or silver balls in their ear lobes, the mother's having had their child's ears pierced when they were about 8 months or a year old. A four year-old is a bit dicier, however. She may be quite excited at the outset but, after having the first ear pierced, may decide that it is more painful than she anticipated and back out leaving her with one pierced, but unadorned, ear developing scar tissue which will make having her ears pierced later a more difficult prospect. How is she about getting shots at the doctor's office?

What triggered her interest in getting her ears pierced in the first place? Does she have friends whose ears are pierced? Does she watch you change your earrings and she desires to emulate you? How long has she been interested in this? Give her four or six months and if she still wants to have her ears pierced, then it's time to sit down and talk about it.

My advice, fwiw, is two-fold. 1) Wait until she is older - 12 or 14 - and can fully understand the process. (Even 6 or 7 is probably too young to make this decision on her own); 2) If you do decide to go ahead and have her ears pierced now, sit her down and talk to her about it. Explain that, initially, getting her ears pierced can be a very uncomfortable undertaking. Let her know that it is much like getting a shot from the doctor and after she gets the first "shot" she still has to have another one. Make sure she understands that, once she gets the first ear pierced, whether she wants to back out or not, she will have to get the second one done, too. Take her to a salon to watch others, preferably another little one, have their ears pierced. (I guarantee at least one child will cry when having it done and this, in itself, may scare her into changing her mind!)

Also, you should know that four year-olds are not the epitome of personal hygiene and this will mean extra responsibility for you in cleaning and caring for her piercings both as they initially heal and in daily care. Imagine what a four year-old can get into when she plays. Is she going to be willing to let you take the extra time when bathing for the ear-cleansing ritual? This will be especially difficult during the healing period when her ears are sore and tender and she will not want you to touch them.

Lastly, while it is precious and sweet to see cute little earrings on toddlers, brace yourself if you get her started so young. When she is ten or twelve she will be begging for a belly-button ring and, by the time she is 16 she will have 3 piercings in each ear, cartilage in one ear pierced, a nose ring, and maybe even an eyebrown piercing. Then, when you least expect it, your beautiful 18 year old will come home with a most indiscreet tattoo and she will wonder at your dismay when she already has two other tattoos where you never saw them!

We got our daughter's ears pierced at 6 months and we have had no problems. Do you think she'll let you clean them everyday? That would be my only concern at this point is that she would put up a fuss when time to clean them.

Well I have 3 daughters and although they asked, I made them wait till they were 13. It was like a right of passage for them. Even though you hvae a mature 4yo, you'll have to deal with it the most most likely. I just feel that some things should wait, something to look forward to like wearing make up & coloring your hair.

I know some cultures pierce infants ears and it seems to work for them as they grew up use to them, but for us it was a big deal when they turned 13 & could get their ears done.

If you are agreeable to the piercing then go ahead with it. If you are not in favor or have questions hold off, and do your research. Discuss with your daughter that it will be a 'birthday' present for... (set a specific birthday). That is not a no and will give her something to look forward to.
If you choose to get it done check with your Pedatrician, often times they will do it as an addendum to a routine visit. Both of my girls had their ears pierced by their Dr. when they were 4 months old. We have had zero problems and they are now 9 & 10. If problems do arise you have a trusted professional to go to.

Is old enough to take care of them during the healing phase? If not, it might be best to wait until she can.

Mine is 3.5, and she has casually asked. We considered it, and haven't told her "no," but decided that we would make sure it was something she really wanted to do so she wouldn't be mad at us when it hurt.
On the other hand, I was about 4 when I had mine done. I remember it like it was yesterday... and I don't remember it hurting all that much. They even did them one at a time then too. (Which I know now that for young kids they do both at once now.) My G-ma was there with us, and was so impressed thought she would have hers done too. She was the one crying that day... not me!! Anyway, I think that 4 is ok. It worked for me. But you know yours best.

Hello A. four is not to young i had my child ear pierced at age two and had know problem she is now 20. You will have to take care of it.

I was 5 when I had my ears pierced and I wore really little studs all through childhood. Some get their ears pierced when they are toddlers. It is really a personal decision for you to make. If you don't feel comfortable with this, then wait a little while.

I think if you have doubts, you should make her wait. When you both feel comfortable with the idea, then you can take her. Maybe in week she will decide she doesn't want it done any more anyway. Get her some clip-ons in the meantime.

I'm not even sure what my own opinion is on this topic, but I think the fact that you're questioning it means that you should probably hold off for a while. I definitely don't think there's anything morally wrong with it, but I have decided to make my daughters wait until they are entering middle school. I got my own ears pierced when I was around 3 or 4. My mother says I was old enough to ask, so she thought it was OK. However, by the time I was in fourth or fifth grade, I wanted a second ear piercing (this was the late 80s...it was in style I guess). And then by the time I was in high school I wanted a third. Fast forward to now, in my late 20s, and I truly wish I'd only been allowed to get the one ear piercing. I feel that if my mom had waited until I was a little older, maybe 10 or 11, then I probably wouldn't have ended up with three piercings in each year that I don't even use. I hate that I have three holes in each ear and usually don't wear any earrings at all.

My mother told us that we could get our ears pierced when we were old enough to take care of them ourselves--the magic age in our family was 12. My daughter is 11 and she still does not want her ears pierced. She wears clip on earrings.

We got my daughter's done at 6 months.

My daughter is six now but when she was four she asked to get her ears pierced too. My husband and I decided to make her wait until she was five. We explained to her that when she turned five she would be a big girl and was going to be going to a big girl school so if she waited until then she could get them pierced. This gave her time to think about it too. We decided to let her do it about two months before her fifth birthday because we wanted them to be healed in time for her party. We went to the mall and made a whole day of it. I would suggest to go when they have two people trained to do it so they can pierce both ears at the same time. When we went they did not and I was very worried about them doing one at a time. Turns out my daughter held up better than I did.(lol) I let her pick out any earrings in the store to wear when they were healed. It turned out great.

My dd, Becky also asked to have her ears pierced at age 4, I let her, no problems, she is now 31. another dd, Rachel,at age 4 wanted hers pierced too, like her big sis... she kept getting infections in hers, and it was a battle to keep them clean and let them heal, finally I just let them close up, rather than keep traumatizing her to keep them clean. When she was in hs, she decided to get them pierced again, and this time took responsibility for them herself. It turns out she still had lots of problems with them, we found out the piercing had caused keloids, but that had nothing to do with her age, just her skin type,(we found out the hard way, she is allergic to nickle, found in most cheap and even some expensive jewelry) at least by hs, she was able to understand what was necessary and deal with it herself, not battle with me over it. She is now 29 and still has her pierced ears Another dd, Anna, never asked, therefore never had hers pierced, she is 24 and still content not to wear earrings, another dd, Jessi, was so bald as a baby, I had her ears pierced when she was only 1 yr old and she never had any problems with her ears at all. She went through a phase for about 3-4 yrs where she didn't want to wear her earrings at all, so when she wanted to again, it was a little hard to get the earrings through again, but we finally did, and she hasn't had any trouble with them since then. She is 20 now.
The biggest problem with little kids and earrings is loosing them! It will happen with alarming frequency!

My little girl got her ears pierced when she was 5 months old and we have never had any problems. Two of my grandbabies got theirs pierced also and both of them have done fine. Jade was less than a year old and Cheyenne was around 3 years old. Just keep them clean with alcohol or a solution that they give you to use on them. Also, try to call around and find a place that can pierce them both at the same time. Make sure they mark each one before piercing. A lady blindly did mine and they were so crooked that I got them redone when I was in my 40's. One of my ears has one hole on the front and two on the back because it was so crooked. The second one has two on the front and one on the back.

Hope this helps you.

I have 4 daughters and I won't be encouraging about ear piercing so I know this is not what you asked for. We have made a big deal out of getting it done when they are 10. A trip to the mall with some of their friends and they think it is very special. When they are more capable of doing the cleaning and care of their ears. Plus their ears won't be doing as much growing which means they won't end up with lopsided holes. That can happen if you do it young. The other issue is that when they are playing at young ages it is more possible for them to have their ear tare. I have a 9 year old who has asked several times, but it is suppose to be a big deal at 10 so she knows she has to wait. 10 is a big number and big deals come with big numbers.

my daughter started begging to have her ears pierced when she was 2. finally, right before she turned 4 i agreed and took her to have them done. i was very pregnant with my second child, and i felt like it would be really hard to take care of her ears after the baby was born. by the time my son was born her ears had healed. she is now 5, and just started to really love dangle earings. we found some really cute, age appropriate ones at clairs. little monkeys, tinker bell, and ice cream cones. she loves them, and has never had an infection or a problem at all. that being said, my sister in law had my nieces ears pierced when she was 2, and her ears got infected all of the time and they finally had to take them out. i think if you are willing to clean them a lot, and help her to take care of them, she is the perfect age.

My 6 yr old daughter decided at 2 1/2 that she wanted her ears pierced. I waited until she had asked me everyday for about 1 1/2-2 weeks to make sure she was serious, and not wanting them pierced because her older sister had hers pierced. I got her ears pierced and its been 4 yrs.

Not too young. My granddaughter has had pierced ears since 6 months old. She has never had an infection or a problem. The key is to always using 14kt gold or really good earrings and keeping them cleaned. She will do fine and she will be in style with the rest of her little friends and she will love it. By the way my granddaugher is now 6.

I had my first daughter's ears pierced at 2 years old, (she wanted them), and then my second daughter I did when she was 6 months old... I figured that she wouldn't ever remember the pain if I did it that young and I was right. Just so you don't think I'm a monster, the reason I pierced her ears so young was because she was COMPLETELY and I mean completely bald. My poor beautiful little girl had no hair. And she didn't have hair until she was about 8 years old... so I am glad I did it. She is 11 now and can grow hair (very thin hair) just shy of her shoulders and if we let it get really whispy, it will go to her shoulders.... she hates it. But if we keep it bobbed, then she looks fantastic! It looks a lot thicker that way.
It is completely up to you and a personal choice, you can get a rainbow of opinions on the subject...you can go either way....

Hi A. My daughter is 3 and she asked for her ears to be pierced so I talked with her about how she would have to turn them and keep them clean and not touch them and she agreed. So we went and got it done and that was May 13th and she has actually reminded me to help her clean and turn them each night before bed. If your daughter knows what she has to do to care for them then go head and gt it done.

wow! the opinions vary widely on this one. I'll preface by saying have fun and do what you want, there's no harm done here by piercing a child's ears! I personally am amazed that 2 y.o.'s ask to have their ears pierced. I have an almost 3 y.o. and although she plays with my earrings occasionally, she has no perception of pierced ears or wanting them for herself. I also have two very girly older daughters ages 7/6 that have never asked to have their ears pierced, and would probably be horrified to think that someone was shooting holes in their earlobes LOL. I will definitely wait until a certain age 10-13 when they show interest and are 'old enough'. I guess I'm the old-schooler here that thinks this is more for the tween or teen. Good luck with your decision.

I was four when I got mine pierced - I got them done when I entered Kindergarten with no issues. I had a couple of older sisters with pierced ears and wanted to be like them.

Just realize that the piercings need to be cleaned several times a day, so if your daughter is likely to fuss about that, then she is not ready.

My little girl wanted her done when she was a little over 3-1/2 and I was worried that if they did one ear at a time she would only get one done. As it happened we were in the mall by one of those places like Clarie's that does ear piercing and some one was have a tiny tiny little baby's ears done and I told my daughter to stand there at the glass and watch the baby get hers done. I warnedher that the baby ws going to cry because there was going to be a pinch like getting a shot at the Doctors office (which she detests). I thought sure this would turn her off but she stood right there and even after watching she still wanted hers done. She was more determined about it than anything else I had ever seen. So her dad and I agreed to let her. We got lucky, becasue right hten the store got slow and both of the ladies that were working were able to do both of her ears at the ame time. They marked them and then clicked the earrings in on three. She never even cried. They let her hold a teddy that they told her she could squeeze really hard if it hurt. That was over 2 years ago and she hasn't complained about it one time. I got the earrings that snap on tight in the back for smaller kids so they would be hard for her to get out but she has never even tried to. She still loves to tell the story about how she got her ears done at the mall. I think you just have to judge if you think your little one will let you clean and care for them.

Hi A., just wanted to let you know that my little girl just turned four on june 11th and she wanted the exact same thing!!! I was kind of hesitant at first but when ahead and too her when we got there I figured she would back out and told her that we will have to take care of them and clean the everyday and she was ok with that they went and pierced both at the same time and she LOVED them and has taken care of them everyday twice a day!!!!! It gives her a chance to start doing things that are important and showing her that taking care of yourself is one of many to come!! Hope this helps:) Oh and another thing I figured she would pick at them or try to take them out, well she has not not even to touch them :)

If you think she can handle it, go for it. Do expect that you might end up doing most of the work, though.

I think the advice of having her to go and see what it entails is great, along with having it done either by your pediatrician OR a professional piercer.

hi A.,yes we got our little girl's done when she was 5,i was going to when she was born,her dad said no,but he let her at 5 i don't think it's to young but tell who ever you get to do to do both at the same time my little girl got one side done at a time and after the first got done she didn't want to get the other side,so if you do let her get both done at the same time.

my only input is to let her try wearing some other jewelry like some metal bracelets first to test for sensitive skin. I break out with ANYTHING less than 24K gold - which means I don't wear much jewelry. When I had my ears pierced we didn't know about my sensitivity and it was excrutiating. Of course the original studs were gold so we didn't realize there was an issue until after they had healed and I switched to other earrings. Even now if I take a chance on something cute looking that isn't high quality my lobes will break out and produce puss and be just nasty. Since little ones often have difficulty describing weird issues like that I'd try her with s few bracelets or a little watch for a few days if there's no reaction the rest of the decision is more about what you think she is capable of taking care of/ what you're ready for.

The Center for Disease Control, CDC, does not recomment you go to Claire's , Piercing Pagoda, etc because they use the plastic guns to pierce. The guns are not cleaned and disinfected properly because it costs a good deal of money to do so and the companies are not willing to buy them. After a lot of research I took my daughter at 5 months to a tattoo and piercing shop and had it done there. The needles and environment was as sterile as a doctors office. These businesses are regulated by health officials who inspect them on a regular basis, I think monthly. The places in the mall are unregulated and never inspected by health officials. Thinking of the people who work piercing in the mall, they do not take as much pride in their work as the people who pierce in Tattoo shops. I know these places look sketchy, but they take pride in their work. My daughter cried for 10 min or so and I was suprised at how little her ears swelled. Shots were a LOT worse. She was more angry about being held down than the piercing. The man who pierced her ears made sure I knew how to clean and take care of them before I left. He takes pride in his craft. She is 18 months now and I have never had any problems. I would reccommend screwback earrings. Kids cant wiggle the backs off of them. I found quite a few at online jewelry stores. If you would like to ask me any further questions feel free to message me through mamasource.

Here are some resources to read over .....

Fashttp://tattoo.about.com/cs/psafety/a/piercing_guns.htmt

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bbp/bodyart/vaccinate.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_piercing_gun

http://www.namaii.com/suck/

My mother waited until I was 9 years old and in the third grade-- I still remember discussing it with her and finally deciding I was ready to take the responsibility of twirling them and cleaning them daily. I plan to wait until my daughter is about the same age as I was..... it was a neat feeling of responsbility and I felt very mature that I was able to make my own decision. Funny that I still remember it after all of these years-- didn't think about it until I saw your post.

Mel

Hi A.,
We just got our daughter's ears pierced and she is 13. I have made it a right of passage. When the girls graduate 8th grade they get pierced ears. My 10 year old has been begging me for them but she will have to wait. It's just how we decided to do it. Plus my daughter can take care of her own ears and if they get infected it isn't my fault. The decision is yours. The younger they are the more you have to be the one to take care of the ears so they don't get infected.

My mother says I asked to have my ears pierced when I was two,however I didn't let her take care of them properly so she took them out. I asked again at 4 and everything worked out fine that time. I had my second holes by the time I was 9 and in my teenage years had my ears pierced many different times all different ways, not to mention other body parts. I'm now 25 and have only the original ear piercing. I would love to get my 12 week old daughter's ears pierced but am trying to wait until she is at least old enough to ask for it herself. As long as you think your daughter will let you take care of the ear piercings I definitely think you should let her. Earrings are so much fun!

She is not to young. We had my daughters ears pierced when she was 2 months old. and my mom pierced mine when I was 2 weeks old.

Hey A.,
My daughter got her ears pierced for her 4th or 5th birthday...it was rough going at first because she is a picky little thing. She loves them though.

I have 3 nieces that had their ears pierced since they were babies and they do great....

I think if this is what your daughter wants let her give it a go.

Jen

I got my ears pierced when I was 5 (many, many years ago) and have 2 daughters myself and plan on letting them peirce thier ears when they ask for them (at least 4 years old). In high school (many years ago!) I worked at a Claire's and did ear piercing. My suggestion is, be sure there are 2 people there that can pierce ears at the same time. This will be sure they end up even and your daughter will only have to go through the shock & pain once. Some hair stylist do this and they are actually trained to do that in cosmetology school, which may be a better option. The people at Claire's, or similar, have no training... just watching somebody do it and then doing it! Even though I did it, I don't plan on letting some high schooler pierce my little girl's ears!!! Best wishes!