# Teenagers and earrings. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 24, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185 "2013-05-24T01:36:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AngelTorres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b4bc9f/32.png) [@AngelTorres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelTorres)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/1 "2013-05-24T01:36:27Z")
Ok, so I’m 13 and I really want a earring. What kind should get? I’m tan and my face is sort of long. What color and/or style should I get and most importantly, which side because I’m not gay?😕 -Angel ---
**Author:** ![Zago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zago)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/2 "2013-05-24T01:43:35Z")
You know you can change earrings like you change your clothes? When you first get it done (if it’s by a legitimate vendor) it’ll probably be a quality metal stud. I don’t know which side denotes gay or straight - I have two holes in my right ear and one in my left. Are you sure you don’t want to do both ears? It’s so pretty (but maybe you want to be edgy). ---
**Author:** ![AngelTorres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b4bc9f/32.png) [@AngelTorres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelTorres)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/3 "2013-05-24T01:48:19Z")
True. I could change the earring when I want…about the both sides…yeah, I think I prefer just one. Maybe I’ll change mind, #IDK Oh, and Thanks Zago for the response, I didn’t think anyone would answer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/4 "2013-05-24T02:00:00Z")
> [@AngelTorres](#): > > most importantly, which side because I’m not gay?😕 > -Angel Well, “righty-tighty, lefty-loosey”. Your right ear. Most certainly. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/5 "2013-05-24T02:02:46Z")
I don’t think the earring-side-sexuality thing has had any meaning for 15 or 20 years, now. ---
**Author:** ![AngelTorres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b4bc9f/32.png) [@AngelTorres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelTorres)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/6 "2013-05-24T02:05:27Z")
Well, I think it would be safer to put it on the left, no? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/7 "2013-05-24T02:10:03Z")
You probably have the same chance of infection in either ear. I suppose that there might be a slightly lower chance of it catching on something and pulling out of the lobe in the left ear, though. Assuming you’re right-handed. ---
**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:** [May 24, 2013, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/8 "2013-05-24T02:10:20Z")
It really, really doesn’t mean anything nowadays. A lot of men have two earrings, anyway! ---
**Author:** ![Zago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zago)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/9 "2013-05-24T02:12:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I don’t think the earring-side-sexuality thing has had any meaning for 15 or 20 years, now. I agree, no one even knows which side meant gay or straight anymore. If I were you, I’d decide which side of my face was prettier and have the piercing on that side. ---
**Author:** ![AngelTorres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b4bc9f/32.png) [@AngelTorres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelTorres)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/10 "2013-05-24T02:15:46Z")
> [@Zago](#): > > I agree, no one even knows which side meant gay or straight anymore. If I were you, I’d decide which side of my face was prettier and have the piercing on that side. Hah, I sure my left is the same as my right. I’ll check…hey! My left is better after all! ---
**Author:** ![Zago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zago)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/11 "2013-05-24T02:20:27Z")
It’s a fact - your face isn’t symmetrical - if it was that would be a freak of nature. I wish I could think of an experiment that would prove this to you but I can’t. Trust me, you look slightly different right to left and one side is usually better - haven’t you heard of celebrities insisting they be photographed on their good side? ---
**Author:** ![AngelTorres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b4bc9f/32.png) [@AngelTorres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelTorres)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/12 "2013-05-24T02:24:20Z")
> [@Zago](#): > > It’s a fact - your face isn’t symmetrical - if it was that would be a freak of nature. I wish I could think of an experiment that would prove this to you but I can’t. Trust me, you look slightly different right to left and one side is usually better - haven’t you heard of celebrities insisting they be photographed on their good side? That means I should go left. Now which style and/or color should I get? ---
**Author:** ![Zago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zago)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/13 "2013-05-24T02:42:43Z")
Well, to start off with, you should have a pure gold or surgical steel stud inserted (a professional will insert the earing at the same time as the piercing). After that - go crazy shopping! You can’t try on pierced earrings for health reasons but you can use common sense. If you have a long face then studs are probably a better choice. If you have dark skin, consider a ruby color or a pearl which would stand out. Gold is also a good choice for dark skin - I’d stay away from silver, it’s just look ashey. Good luck sweetie! ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/14 "2013-05-24T02:44:05Z")
Left is right, right is wrong. That was the reasoning circa 1985 when I pierced my left ear. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/15 "2013-05-24T02:59:10Z")
Moved to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/16 "2013-05-24T03:45:17Z")
Well, for one data point we have [Mr. Clean](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Clean) (Maestro Limpio en México y Puerto Rico), who appeared in 1958, and wore a single ear ring on the left ear. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/17 "2013-05-24T03:58:26Z")
Definitely get both ears done. Do you ever see kids with just one? I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/18 "2013-05-24T06:10:55Z")
[QUOTE=Zago] It’s a fact - your face isn’t symmetrical - if it was that would be a freak of nature. I wish I could think of an experiment that would prove this to you but I can’t. Trust me, you look slightly different right to left and one side is usually better - haven’t you heard of celebrities insisting they be photographed on their good side? [/QUOTE] You can use a folding mirror slightly folded, and reflect yourself across the corner crease. If you do it right, the mirror will reflect it’s own reflection of half your face, showing you what that half looks like if the face was symmetrical. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/19 "2013-05-24T06:51:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I don’t think the earring-side-sexuality thing has had any meaning for 15 or 20 years, now. Now it just means whether you’re People or Folk. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185/20 "2013-05-24T06:58:42Z")
I’m a gay man who has only one pierced ear. I don’t always wear an ear ring in it (though I am now). Guess what? It’s my left ear!! Don’t worry though, I was already gay before I got my left ear pierced. It’s not like it turned me gay or anything. However… it also didn’t turn me straight. Hmmmm. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-and-earrings/659185.md?page=2)