Totally random... pierced ears for baby?

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  • BamBam125
    BamBam125 Posts: 229 Member
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    My ear piercing (in my teens) made me develop a metals allergy. Kids are more prone to allergies than adults; on the off chance that she'd develop an allergic reaction, I'd wait.

    This. I've been allergic to Nickel from the day I was born. Snaps on my onesies set me off. I'd hold off on poking metal through a kid's ear until the kid is old enough to ask for it.

    As for me, I'm nearly 30 and have never had my ears pierced. No one notices the lack of a piercing. Occasionally I do get earrings as a gift and I just thank the person and re-gift them.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
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    I haven't read the whole thread, but I had to wait until I was 14 or 15, when I could make the decision on my own and handle the aftercare on my own. I wore clip-ons for about a year before my mom finally let me get them pierced. That hurt more than the piercing.

    A lady who used to bring her poodle to the vet had little rhinestones glued onto her dog's ears. And while I'm not a fru-fru dog kind of person (I have a Pekingese, but he's badass) I admit they looked cute.

    So... a dot of eyelash glue and some stones from the craft store could give the same look for a special occasional without pain on a little girl.
  • Lizrobin3108
    Lizrobin3108 Posts: 102 Member
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    I would'nt. I think that it her body and she can decide what she wants to do with it when she's old enough. My step-daughter had her ears pierced as soon as it was possible after birth. They poke her regardless of those saftey cover things. I know it's "the" little girl thing to do but I just can't agree with it.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    Oh, the drama.

    Mine were pierced when I was an infant. It was common, where I lived in the US, for babies to have them pierced during the time period when I was born. I never had infections, my mom said it was easy to care for them when I was an infant. In many cultures it is the norm, including in the US. Such dramatic reactions are really unnecessary. If a person doesn't think they should be pierced at such a young age, I say great - it's definitely a personal decision, but to be so dramatic about it is laughable. We're not talking about large gauges here.

    I know OP already said she will wait, but for those who are thinking of it two of the most important things to remember are: 1. Get real gold earrings, preferably threaded for an infant, and the chances of an allergic reaction are very slim, and 2. Go to the pediatrician, or a professional piercer. Even if a child is older, or if an adult is getting pierced, piercing guns should be avoided. The guns can cause more trauma to the ear and there can be more chance of infection. Go to a professional who sterilizes equipment properly, has been trained, and does not use a gun.
  • leopardjunkie
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    I had mine done when I was super little and don"t regret it at all. I feel if you are comfortable or not comfortable you are really the only one who can make that decision.

    I used to pierce ears for years. And it was always easier when they were little from both peircing, cleaning and maintaining standpoint. The wee ones let out a cry occasionally and are over it, the bigger kids alot of times come in with a big crew, have been told everything from it hurts, to it doesn"t hurt to it feels like a bee sting (don"t tell your kids this please!!) and they are avergage all worked up and stresed out and it is common that the parent comes in drops $30 or more on earrings if you are doing it right and getting good ones, and then the kids is so freaked that after the first one they are mentally done and they don"t want to get it done. They have one ear peirced and won"t go on and are crying and going about...now all their friends are like oh I am never getting that done :) and the mom is out $30+ and still has to help keep the one ear cleaned until it heals.

    I do suggest waiting until they are 6 months to a year, I kid you not some parents would come straight from the hospital (even though we could not do it then obviously) and want it done. around 6 months to a year they take it better, Their ears are a bigger, the smaller they are the harder it is when their ears are growing that rapidly to make the holes even :) Also when they are young the shampoos you use are less likely to get all gooped up on the earings and they do not use hair/gels and sprays which can trap bacteria and dirt. so IMO it helps with healing. Also if they are still sleeping on their backs they are not putting a ton of pressure on the earings which can be painful, and cuase impair the air circulation again infection if they do not get proper air flow.

    also this is a newer issue, but lots of people come in now when they are old and then get them done and then don"t think about sports which make them tape them in some areas to avoid the liability of having them ripped out. some kids are embarassed about it, and from an infection standpoint its not ideal. So if they are older at least wait until the end of the school year so they can heal over before they have to start taping them. And some times kids get big ole fat ears, and those big ole fat ears swell up bigger and then there is no air circulation and they get infected and embedded :) So if your older kid gets thick ear lobes, and the peicer does not offer extended posts, consider getting them done at a peircing shop with barbells instead to increase their chances of healing.

    so do what you feel is right for your family. If it was my daughter i would do it but that is me.

    if you do it I would offer a few suggestions...1. call ahead and tell them you bringing in a baby and ask them when the most comfortable and experienced peircers are available. generally speaking some of the peircers are not as comfortable with babies, some are great at it :) Ask when they have two peircers on staff at a time :) this helps with the older kids too, they can do both ears at the same time, its quicker and with the older kids you will get both of them in :) don"t go on the weekend if you can avoid it, you will have a much better experience if you go during the week when two people are on hand and it is quiet. Don"t be cheap or too fancy get a simple style in a less allergenic metals some places will only do 14k on kids under a specific age or titanium. They can still react but it is more common to react to the silver coated ones. ps the cute flat flowers at some places are super cute...but they can be really hard to turn :) just saying

    I do not reccomend using peroxide or alcohol to clean their ears but do your own research. If the peircer sells or includes an alcohol free wash i reccomend that first. You want to gently clean them, alcohol dries them out and can cause cracks which is a great place for bad bacteria, peroxide will kill of all your good and bad bacteria on the skin, you need the good bacteria to help with healing. So I would suggest if they do not offer an alcohol free gentle cleaner to use regular dial diluted to 3 or 4 to parts water to 1 part dial to clean. NO lotion that should be a no brainer, but it is not sadly people will use the alcohol and peroxide it dries out the skin and they combat this with lotion which just collects bacteria and has added alcohol in it...The little bottle they sell will go a long way use just need to saturate a cotton swab and clean around the post to remove crusties and turn the post. You do not need a big old cotton ball saturated. Anything goopy or thick or greasy will attract dirt and dust from my experience

    That being said...do your research find what you are comfortable with :) don"t be afraid to plan this out, ask questions and request that no new people are doing it :) there are risks such as infection allergies, and you have to weigh that risk. I am not a dr this is just my personal experience and opinion so I urge you to do your own research.
  • ImperfectedBeauty
    ImperfectedBeauty Posts: 124 Member
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    My mom pierced my ears when I was 3months old. I dont remember a thing, and I love wearing earrings so I say go for it!
  • WillLift4Tats
    WillLift4Tats Posts: 1,699 Member
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    I had mine done when I was super little and don"t regret it at all. I feel if you are comfortable or not comfortable you are really the only one who can make that decision.

    I used to pierce ears for years. And it was always easier when they were little from both peircing, cleaning and maintaining standpoint. The wee ones let out a cry occasionally and are over it, the bigger kids alot of times come in with a big crew, have been told everything from it hurts, to it doesn"t hurt to it feels like a bee sting (don"t tell your kids this please!!) and they are avergage all worked up and stresed out and it is common that the parent comes in drops $30 or more on earrings if you are doing it right and getting good ones, and then the kids is so freaked that after the first one they are mentally done and they don"t want to get it done. They have one ear peirced and won"t go on and are crying and going about...now all their friends are like oh I am never getting that done :) and the mom is out $30+ and still has to help keep the one ear cleaned until it heals.

    I do suggest waiting until they are 6 months to a year, I kid you not some parents would come straight from the hospital (even though we could not do it then obviously) and want it done. around 6 months to a year they take it better, Their ears are a bigger, the smaller they are the harder it is when their ears are growing that rapidly to make the holes even :) Also when they are young the shampoos you use are less likely to get all gooped up on the earings and they do not use hair/gels and sprays which can trap bacteria and dirt. so IMO it helps with healing. Also if they are still sleeping on their backs they are not putting a ton of pressure on the earings which can be painful, and cuase impair the air circulation again infection if they do not get proper air flow.

    also this is a newer issue, but lots of people come in now when they are old and then get them done and then don"t think about sports which make them tape them in some areas to avoid the liability of having them ripped out. some kids are embarassed about it, and from an infection standpoint its not ideal. So if they are older at least wait until the end of the school year so they can heal over before they have to start taping them. And some times kids get big ole fat ears, and those big ole fat ears swell up bigger and then there is no air circulation and they get infected and embedded :) So if your older kid gets thick ear lobes, and the peicer does not offer extended posts, consider getting them done at a peircing shop with barbells instead to increase their chances of healing.

    so do what you feel is right for your family. If it was my daughter i would do it but that is me.

    if you do it I would offer a few suggestions...1. call ahead and tell them you bringing in a baby and ask them when the most comfortable and experienced peircers are available. generally speaking some of the peircers are not as comfortable with babies, some are great at it :) Ask when they have two peircers on staff at a time :) this helps with the older kids too, they can do both ears at the same time, its quicker and with the older kids you will get both of them in :) don"t go on the weekend if you can avoid it, you will have a much better experience if you go during the week when two people are on hand and it is quiet. Don"t be cheap or too fancy get a simple style in a less allergenic metals some places will only do 14k on kids under a specific age or titanium. They can still react but it is more common to react to the silver coated ones. ps the cute flat flowers at some places are super cute...but they can be really hard to turn :) just saying

    I do not reccomend using peroxide or alcohol to clean their ears but do your own research. If the peircer sells or includes an alcohol free wash i reccomend that first. You want to gently clean them, alcohol dries them out and can cause cracks which is a great place for bad bacteria, peroxide will kill of all your good and bad bacteria on the skin, you need the good bacteria to help with healing. So I would suggest if they do not offer an alcohol free gentle cleaner to use regular dial diluted to 3 or 4 to parts water to 1 part dial to clean. NO lotion that should be a no brainer, but it is not sadly people will use the alcohol and peroxide it dries out the skin and they combat this with lotion which just collects bacteria and has added alcohol in it...The little bottle they sell will go a long way use just need to saturate a cotton swab and clean around the post to remove crusties and turn the post. You do not need a big old cotton ball saturated. Anything goopy or thick or greasy will attract dirt and dust from my experience

    That being said...do your research find what you are comfortable with :) don"t be afraid to plan this out, ask questions and request that no new people are doing it :) there are risks such as infection allergies, and you have to weigh that risk. I am not a dr this is just my personal experience and opinion so I urge you to do your own research.

    Holy novel batman.