# piercing babies' ears **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 18, 2002, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372 "2002-11-18T20:04:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/41 "2002-11-19T08:17:05Z")
When I was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, there was exactly one girl in my entire grade school who had pierced ears – and she was the daughter of East European immigrants. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/42 "2002-11-19T10:38:20Z")
> [@](#): > > When did this practice of ear-piercing start? I may be wrong, but was always led to believe that it was introduced into Western culture by us Roma (Gypsies). ---
**Author:** ![j\_kat\_251](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@j\_kat\_251](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_kat_251)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/43 "2002-11-19T10:47:41Z")
Another vote for the “don’t pierce baby ears damnit”. I had one in my left ear ('cause I’m not gay!!!1) done when I was about 13, let it grow over in about 4 months. I only wanted a shiny gold Nike tick like the \*\* great Australian hero \*\* Shane Warne. Unlike tubbo, I was not being paid millions of dollars to do so. D’ya reckon the whole nose/lip piercing started from African tribes? I can picture some wannabe white person all like: “Let’s misappropriate aspects of some other culture so’s we can look cool”. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/44 "2002-11-19T16:11:00Z")
> [@](#): > > In my mother’s world, babies with pierced ears were from redneck families (this is my mother’s opinion!). Oh dear, how do I say this without sounding like a snob? Your mother isn’t that far off. I’ve worked at a toy store and had ample opportunity to compare the parents of tots with pierced ears vs. unpierced ears, and, well … it _is_ a class marker. I don’t know whether this matters to the OP or not, but since it may make a difference in how people think about and treat the child, it’s probably worth taking into consideration. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/45 "2002-11-19T16:19:19Z")
My ex got her ears pierced when she was a baby - by Catholic nuns - _without the mother’s permission_. That’s a bit dodgy, I believe. They did it as a matter of course in those days in rural Ireland. Mind you, she was pleased about it in later life. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/46 "2002-11-19T16:38:44Z")
had mine pierced when i was 8. because i wanted to. my sisters had theirs done at 6 and 10, which is when they asked. my mother had hers done at 32, and always regretted not having done it earlier. we’re not permitted tattoos or belly piercings, but could have upper ear (sister 1) or nose (sister2) if we paid for it ourselves. none of us had infections or anything. we had lebanese friends who pierced their baby daughters’ ears at 12hrs old. the reasoning was that at that age the mother can look after all the hygiene. i’d wait til she was old enough to understand not to pull at her ears. pain isn’t really an issue, it’s about at painful as a normal injection. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/47 "2002-11-19T16:41:24Z")
My daughter was all but bald till she was 2 or so. And I didn’t dress her in frilly stuff, so she was always being mistaken for a boy. I wonder if that’s why she’s turning into a girly-girl in her teens?? We let her get her ears pierced when she was (I think) 13, and she got the second hole when she was (still thinking) 15? Both times, she went with her dad - I got woozy just _thinking_ about my baby getting cold metal jabbed thru her earslobes… ick ick ick Anyway, we made her wait until she was old enough to take responsibility for caring for her piercings. And she’s done fine. Only one infection that I recall. I never considered marking her as a baby. We knew she was a girl - what did I care what strangers thought?? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/48 "2002-11-19T19:13:31Z")
I got mine pierced when I was six-because I had wanted them pierced since I was three. Then, when I was six, my cousin (who was almost five), got her’s done, and I wanted mine pierced, so my mom said okay. My aunt took me and I picked out pretty little pink stones, and we had sundaes at the food court. That was fun. ---
**Author:** ![Venoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@Venoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Venoma)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/49 "2002-11-19T19:26:37Z")
My ears were pierced around age 8 or 9. I wanted to get them done - haven’t regretted it and I don’t regret not getting them done earlier. I will allow my children the choice as well. I had some problems with infection and/or slow healing - same with my navel piercing - however I have not worn earrings on a regular basis in years and my holes have yet to have grown over. ---
**Author:** ![ralphthemuppet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@ralphthemuppet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralphthemuppet)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/50 "2002-11-19T23:26:10Z")
Right then. I’ll start by saying that I’ve not read (only scanned) any of the messages in this thread bar the OP. I’ve been toying with the idea of starting a thread in the pit about this just to have a rant. Please, please, please do not pierce your baby’s ears. Certain things have got to remain the choice of the individual and deformation has to be one of them. When your kid is informed enough to have an opinion rather than have your own ideals (and pressures?) imposed on them then maybe that’s the right time. I’ll admit I’m fairly scared by some of the ages being posted here but surely if you’re going to get the ears pierced why not go the whole hog and do other areas and a few tattoos for good measure. I’ll sign off by saying I’ve not thought this through much and I may have had one too many glasses of wine. But while we’re on the subject why not get them on booze and cigarettes too. Sorry, going to bed now ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/51 "2002-11-19T23:50:08Z")
I got my ears pierced when I was four, because I kept asking for it. My mom was surprised that I knew what I wanted so adamently, but she went along with it. I still remember that day as being really really special. I got my second hole in sixth grade, and my final hole in ninth grade. I was with my mom for each of them, and they all kind of mark important times in my life. My earring are pretty special to me and I am glad to have them as a connection to my past and my mother. I could never understand my friends who were forbidden from getting their ears pierced until a late age. It seemed pretty arbitrary. Then again, almost every girl I know has her ears pierced, so it is more of a question of “when” than “if”. I don’t see anything wrong with pierceing a baby’s ears. In plenty of cultures, it’s a pretty standard practice. Having pierced ears later in life doesn’t carry a social stigma, and it hurts a lot less than a lot of other things that we do to kids. Then again, I don’t see a lot of good reasons to pierce a baby’s ears. It is better to wait until they ask for it, so that you can make it a special event. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/52 "2002-11-20T00:04:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KarlGrenze \* > \*\*h. sapiens, yes it is a tradition, at least in Puerto Rico (and I’m assuming other Latinamerican countries). \*\* Same here in México. My daughter’s were pierced at 1 day of age. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/53 "2002-11-20T01:51:53Z")
We pierced my daughter’s ears when she was six months old. About two minutes after I got mine pierced. And not only did it not hurt very much, it didn’t hurt at all - not even a little. Neither of us cried. Never any trouble, and it never occurred to me that it was unusual. Nor did she look like a boy. (At six months old, they don’t look either way, IMO.) We aren’t Latino, either. We just wanted her to be able to wear earrings. My son does not have an earring. The rest of us do. Go figure. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/54 "2002-11-20T03:01:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shodan \* > **We pierced my daughter’s ears when she was six months old. . . We just wanted her to be able to wear earrings.** Why did you want her to be able to wear earrings? ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/55 "2002-11-20T04:42:11Z")
I had my ears pierced at age four. I don’t remember any pain. My sister was much younger, a baby, I think. Her daughter has had hers pierced for months, and she’s not even a year old yet. It’s not that big a deal. As for growing back, nope, it probably won’t. I haven’t worn earrings in many, many years and I still have the holes. Of course, it’s not like I have some major scars. Most people wouldn’t notice it, or would just assume that I have earring holes. 🙂 And piercing doesn’t really hurt. I pierced my own earlobe with a hat pin and an ice cube in college. I don’t recommend this, however, for two reasons: you can’t donate blood for a year and you may not get it straight. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/56 "2002-11-20T04:45:38Z")
My sister’s husband is of Mexican descent, but I don’t know if a cultural thing had anything to do with it, or if they just wanted to get my niece’s ears pierced at a young age. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/57 "2002-11-20T05:15:47Z")
I was born in India and my ears were pierced at my naming ceremony in temple when I was six or seven months old (yeah, they waited that long to get around to it). I know that it’s definitely a Hindu tradition-and it extends to both boys and girls, although the boys will eventually take them out when they hit 5 or 6 or so. Everyone in my family with the exception of my little sister, who was brought to Canada as a 1 month old infant, was pierced within 1 year of their birth-most by the 7th day. My sister’s pediatrician pierced her ears when she was about 2 years old. I never had an infection till I became a teenager and promptly added 6 holes to my left ear :p. I think it’s an individual decision that can be influenced by many factors. If and when I have kids, I would have no objection to piercing their ears at a young age but it wouldn’t be high on my priority list or anything. BTW, there was a heated discussion about this in the Pit last summer, if I recall. ---
**Author:** ![hegel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cab0a1/32.png) [@hegel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hegel)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/58 "2002-11-20T06:22:37Z")
My old g/f (20 yrs. old) is an ear-virgin (her ears aren’t pierced). I always thought that was cool. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/59 "2002-11-20T06:37:24Z")
Piercing babies ears is definitely a cultural thing, and it’s something that’s done (as people in this thread have attested to) in many different cultures. I didn’t have my babies’ ears pierced because it’s not part of my particular culture. My mother never did pierce her ears, and I had to beg and plead for two years before she let me pierce mine (at 14). Her father had told her that it was cheap to have pierced ears, because “only Catholic girls wear earrings.” I’m sure no one in **this** day and age could be that ignorant and prejudiced, though, right? Right? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372/60 "2002-11-20T11:30:07Z")
I view ear piercing babies on the same level as circumcism - a totally unnecessary modification of the body done without the consent of the modified individual, usually for purely cultural reasons. The fact “every does it” does not justify it. The issue of pain is irrelevant - you just do not jab holes into another human being without good reason. And given the way kids howl when routine injections, even mild pain is upsetting to infants. Yes, I’m biased - my ears were not pierced as a child. I have never desired to have holes drilled in me. I am 37 and still do not have pierced ears. I will never have them because I simply do not want them. And, as a 37 year old, I find it extremely annoying when people _ask me_ when I’m going to get my ears pierced. Um… _get a clue_. If I haven’t done it by now, it ain’t gonna happen no matter what you say. And the rationale is _always_ the same: “Everyone else has it done!” Well, I’m not “everyone else”, thank you very much. It’s my body and my decision. Showing me cute doodads and such will not convince me. I do not understand how worked-up some women get because I choose _not_ to pierce - what’s it to them? Oddly enough, I do _make_ earrings… but that’s no more odd than a man designing dresses he’ll never wear himself. If I had a daughter and she _wanted_ pierced ears I’d most likely allow it, provided she was old enough to take care of them (probably I’d judge it by the rest of her personal hygiene practices). But she’d have to initiate it. And, assuming she was a minor, I’d probably require she “earn” it, as an earlier poster suggested, through good grades or something of the sort. I don’t oppose someone _choosing_ to pierce their ears, what bothers me is _someone else_ doing the choosing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piercing-babies-ears/137372.md?page=2)