One Year Old Getting Her Ears Peirced

I say go for it! I had my ears pierced at 6 wks. My 3 daughters (aged 8, almost 2 and 2mths) all or will for the 2 mth old have their ears pierced. The younger you do it the better. My 8 yr old has gone through my phases of wanting to hating to wear her earrings. She went almost 6 months without earrings and still the holes are fine. I STRONGLY recommend not to let them double pierce though (piercing both at the same time). Kids are little and way too active and that could be a disaster. Remember you and many others had it done and lived through without major complications.

Hi,

I got my daughters ears peirced at 6 months of age. The peditrician did my daughters. I have not had any problems with her dugging them or the earnings getting snagged etc. She is now 18 months. Anything can happen at any age weather it being young or an adult. It is honestly up to you.

My daughter got hers peirced at 3 months. The best thing to do is use plain balls and safety backs. When the have healed put small hoops in them since they don't poke or snag on clothes or hair. I had my ears pireced when I was in the hospital at one day old. I am Native American and it is a cultural thing. My daughter has never had a problem with hers, we got them done at one of the piercing things in the mall. Some Pediatrician's will do it too if you would feel better. If you go to the mall, make sure they wash their hands and the equipment infront of you for your own peace of mind. Good luck.

I had two friends growing up who both had the same disfigured ear. The lobe had seperated into two parts after the earing had been pulled down through it. One had been wearing a hoop that had been pulled by another child in pre school and the other had caught hers on her clothes while doing a handstand at the age of seven. Both had received stitches I believe but the two parts in both cases never grew together properly leaving an interesting and not too attractive w shape. I don't think either could have worn an earring afterwards even if they had wanted to. Both were teased about it by other kids who really can be cruel. I lost touch with both after high school and don't know if they were able to fix them with plastic surgery but it certainly made me wait to get my ears pierced and I will be waiting until my daughter is 12 or so and alittle less rough and tumble.

C.,

Our daughter was 3 months old when we had her ears pierced. She never had a problem with them. I kept them clean and turned them each day. Just check them at least once daily.

Unless its a cultural thing, I think 1 is too young. There is a lot of maintenance for earrings, cleaning 2x a day, turning the posts, etc. for like 6 weeks. Also, I know several people who had them as kids and pulled them out the hard way. Now they can't wear earrings.

What about just getting those cute little stick on earrings?
M.

I had my daughter's ears pierced at 4 months at her Peds office. She has done fine since. She has no problems letting me clean them or twist the backs. As far as added pain, she didn't even cry until the Doctor was making sure the backs were secure and then stopped when she left her ears alone. It may be a little more difficult with a 1 year old but it can be managed. After a few days she won't even notice they are there.

I had both my daughters first piercings done when they were between 12- 18 months. If it is what you and your husband want to do then do it. She won't hate you and after it's done she more then likely won't mess with them either. I would suggest giving her a dose of tylonal before getting it done, and making sure there are 2 piercers on hand so they can do both ears at one to cut down on her discomfort.

hi C.,

aside from the pain and the damage she could cause by pulling them out, i wouldn't want to pierce ears in a child that young simply because the ears are so tiny! you have no idea how her ears are going to look as an adult, or where you're putting the hole and where the earring might migrate once it's done. i wouldn't suggest piercing ears until at least 7 or 8 - i've told my SD she needed to be 10 before we got it done, simply for this reason.

First, I have to ask why your husband insists on piercing your daughter's ears?? Is it a cultural thing? I think if you'd done it when she was a tiny baby it would have been more manageable. I don't know about YOUR one year old, but MY one year old would pull them right out of her ears! At the very least, she'll be tugging and touching her ears because they hurt after piercing and that could cause a very nasty infection!!!! My parents made me wait until I was old enough to understand and deal with the pain and I did the same for my oldest daughter, who had hers done at 6 years old. With all the shots our little ones have to endure at their pediatrician visits, why would you want to add 2 more?!?!? Seems like unnecessary pain to inflict on your precious little one.

I would wait until she is old enough to tell you that she wants them pierced. My parents tried to do my ears when I was 2, but my mom says I cried so much they stopped after the first hole. So I had one ear pierced for the next 13 years. The worst part is I developed an allergy to nickel, probably from the early exposure to it. When I got my ears re-pierced, I could wear nothing but gold or nickel-free earrings; now even gold makes my ears itchy, red and crusty. If you do go through with it, only use nickel-free earrings. Most gold and stainless steel are not safe. Nickel allergy is a growing problem for women.
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Well, personally, I don't agree with piercing ears for kids too young to care for their ears themselves, but for those that choose to, it is much easier to do to infants - they can't reach their ears to pull them out. By the time they are old enough to grab at them, they don't even notice them anymore.

Piercing a one-year-old's ears however is a whole other kettle of fish. = ) I do think she's going to grab at them, and if she by some miracle doesn't, her little friends at playgroup might want to check out the new pretties and grab at her earrings themselves.

No, I think the window has closed until she's old enough to ask for it and to take care of them.

Having said my opinion, I also think if you choose to go ahead and do it, don't take any flack from your family over it - they should respect you enough to deal with your decision. If they choose not to, you should let them know that they are welcome to their opinion and that you'd prefer them to keep it to themselves. It's a slippery slope and you don't need them second-guessing all of your parenting decisions for the next 20+ years!

Good luck!

I would wait until she is old enough to tell you that she wants them pierced. My parents did my ears at 4 and I was too afraid to let anyone clean them b/c I thought it would hurt. I had them re-done as an adult and of course there were no lasting problems from having them pierced the first time just a waste of money for my parents and probably a big headache for them dealing with getting them out.

I think it will be a pain. I would skip it, but it is between you and her father.

She will be too young to take care of them and she or a playmate can pull on them or get them caught on something.

I'm assuming it isn't cultural given the fact that your mom and sister have a problem with it. Given that assumption I would personally wait until your daughter asks to get them pierced (without pressure from you and her father about it). That way you will know for sure that it is HER preference and not YOURS. They are HER ears, after all.

I think that you should do what you think is right but I personally disagree with the getting of the ears pierced before the child is able to tell you that she wants it done. I just think that it causes unnecessary pain. Babies and toddlers have to go through so much as it is without adding on something that there is really no need for.