Children’s Earlobe Piercing

Thank you for considering us to perform your child’s earlobe piercings! Piercing with a sterile single-use needle is a more sanitary experience than piercing with an ear piercing gun. However, this is a more complex and thorough piercing process, and there are some things that you should consider before scheduling an appointment for your child.  (The Association of Professional Piercers’ website has some wonderful information about the concerns with ear piercing guns: https://safepiercing.org/piercing-guns)

Our top priority is to give our clients the best possible experience, regardless of their age. For many children, earlobe piercing is the first time in their life that they choose to receive an elective procedure that is a little painful (for a short period of time). It is important that the child and their parent both have a realistic idea of what to expect, and that this the right time for this exciting new experience.

Age Requirements

We do not often perform earlobe piercings on children under five years old, due to how much a child’s earlobes develop in their first years. While earlobes continue developing past that point, we don’t typically see as dramatic of growth after that. This is important when centering the piercings on the earlobe and performing the piercing as straight as possible, or perpendicular to the tissue if the earlobe has curvature that requires an angle that sits appropriately with the anatomy. Younger children will require an anatomy consultation before moving forward into the other aspects of the consultation.

Even with children that are five and up, there is a minimal possibility that the piercer may suggest waiting to have the piercings performed when the earlobe is still fairly small and/or if there is not a lot of room behind the earlobe for the back of the jewelry to sit comfortably and be appropriately cleaned. Limited space behind the ear can also increase the risk of developing moisture related bumps on the back of the piercing, if the back of the ear is not thoroughly dried after showering and bathing, or if the child frequently goes to bed with wet or damp hair. This can greatly affect the healing of the piercings. (See below)

For children that are eight and up, we can schedule a piercing appointment without a previous consultation. For children seven and under, we require a consultation before scheduling a piercing appointment.

Consultations

Consultations are free and they give the piercer an opportunity to evaluate how well developed the child’s earlobes are, get a feel for how well the child will do during the piercing procedure, and if the child and their parent are comfortable with their role in successfully healing the piercings. We will also check out jewelry options and go over pricing, do a “mock piercing” for your child to get a feel for what to expect during the piercing procedure, and go over aftercare and healing concerns.

There are a few things that we look for during the consultation. We want to make sure that the piercings look great, so it is important that the child is able to sit still enough during the marking process, which can sometimes take a few minutes to ensure that the marks are symmetrical. If the child is really nervous and/or has a lot of energy, this can make it very difficult to mark and determine if the dots look even. Not being able to sit still can also have a huge impact on the piercer being able to properly and safely perform the piercings. We also want to make sure that the child has an understanding of what to expect during the piercing process, and that they feel like they are ready.

While it does not happen often, the piercer may not feel comfortable piercing your child after consulting with them. We do not make this decision lightly, as we know this is a huge disappointment to the child and their parent. However, it is crucial that the piercings can be performed safely, smoothly, and comfortably. We perform the piercing procedure with needles (for sanitary reasons, along with accuracy). If there is a concern about the child being able to stay still during the piercing procedure, the piercer might decline the service out of concern for safety and accuracy. It is essential that your child has a wonderful experience, even if that means waiting a little longer than originally anticipated.

Body Autonomy

Body autonomy is an essential part of piercing. This means that we will give your child the full ability to make decisions about their body. If they decide at their appointment that it is not the day to get pierced, that’s okay! We support their decision and we will never pressure them to get their ears pierced that day.

This also means that if your child gets one ear pierced and decides that they don’t want to get the other side done, we support that as well. New experiences can be overwhelming, and some children need a break between piercing the first ear and the second ear. Usually, the child just needs some reassurance before having the second ear pierced. Our piercers have a lot of experience with young clients and we give great pep talks. However, if a child genuinely does not want to pierce the second ear during their appointment, we will not pressure them into it. It is rare that a child leaves with only one earlobe piercing, but that does occasionally occur. We need you to be able to support your child’s decision if this were to happen.

Healing Concerns

With children's earlobe piercings, it is very important to make sure that the back of the child’s ear is thoroughly dried during the entire 10-12 week healing process, and sometimes even up to the first 6-12 months. Children tend to be more susceptible to developing moisture related bumps than adults, and these bumps can be extremely difficult to resolve once they have developed. It is crucial to do everything possible to avoid having these bumps develop, especially because they can occasionally progress to the point of needing to seek medical help, which is a situation that we do not want your child to be in.

It is also important that your child avoids swimming, submersion of the piercings in standing water, or contact with any water other than clean running water in the shower for the first 2-3 months after receiving the piercings, due to the heightened risk of infection from exposure to possible contaminants in the water.  This should be taken into consideration when you are deciding to schedule the piercing appointment, especially in the spring and summer, or if there are any upcoming family trips or vacations.

Lastly, it is also important to know that the jewelry should not be removed from the piercings for the first three months after the piercings are performed. Even after the initial three month period, you should plan on having your child consistently wear jewelry for at least the first year after having their ears pierced. Sometimes, completely healed piercings can close quickly if jewelry isn’t being worn. We don’t want your child to have to get their earlobes repierced later due to having their piercings unexpectedly close while jewelry was out for too long. Sports, dance, and upcoming medical procedures can all affect these timelines. However, we do stock skin tone silicone retainers that can be worn after the piercings are healed.