It’s very common for children to get their ears pierced. It’s mostly girls that have their ears pierced, but a growing number of young boys are getting their ears pierced too. Is a piercing right for your child? And if so when and where should they get their ears pierced? This post offers all the information you need to help you make the right decision.
When is the best time to get a child’s ears pierced?
You can get your child’s ears pierced at any age. Some parents like to get their child’s ears pierced as a baby. Your child won’t remember getting their ears pierced, making it a less traumatic event, and they’re unlikely to tug on their ears if they’re still very young, minimizing any complications.
Other parents prefer to wait until their child is old enough to consent to having their ears pierced. This ensures that it’s your child’s choice and not yours. By not pressuring your child to get their ears pierced and letting them ask you to have their ears pierced, you know that it’s their decision. This could be at the age of 5 or 14.
The average age for girls to get their ears pierced is 7. For some cultures, it is traditional to get ears pierced much younger. All in all, you should wait until you feel it’s right – do not allow others to pressure you into getting your child’s ear pierced if you are not happy with the idea.
Where should you take your child to get their ears pierced?
Ear piercing should be done by a trained professional. While there are many shops that offer cheap ear piercing, it is usually much safer to visit a specialized clinic where you know such training is likely to be much more thorough. .
When it comes to baby ear piercing, look for clinics that specialize in this service. A baby’s ears are so much smaller, and so a greater level of accuracy is needed. Medical piercing equipment should ideally be used to limit infection.
What are the risks of getting a child’s ears pierced?
Infection is one of the biggest risks of getting ears pierced. If it’s done professionally in a clinical environment, you can greatly reduce the risk of infection. Of course, the piercing also has to be cared for properly – you need to be sure that you or your child will keep it clean and that they will not fiddle with it as it’s healing.
A piercing is something that causes permanent scarring and there is always a chance that a child may resent getting it done at an older age. This is rare with girls due to the popularity of ear piercing – as much as 80 to 90% of women have their ears pierced and most wear earrings regularly. Boys may be more likely to regret a piercing as it is less commonplace, although as popularity of male piercings increases this may not be so much of an issue in the future.
