What age to get ears pierced?

My daughter is turning 7 in February and has asked to get her ears pierced.  If you have girls with pierced ears, what age did you do it at?  I think I was closer to 9 or 10 when I had mine done.  DH thinks we should wait till she is older and a bit more responsible, but she really wants to do it.  I have explained how it is done and she says she can do it, but am not convinced the tool they use won't freak her out and she backs out.  Thanks!
 

 

Meghan had hers done at 6 1/2.  We went to Claire's where they had one person on each side of her and did both ears at the same time.  She did great and had a big smile on her face.  She wanted it so badly that she paid $25 for it.  She also had to find 10 people that thought it was a good idea before I would bring her.  She's done fine with it.  She's had one or two infections but nothing too bad. 

 

If it was up to my inlaws? Straight out of the birth canal. But I digress....


I dug my feet in for a long time(almost four years!) and listened to that grief the entire time. When Annabella asked and she knew what it entailed, we did it. She was 3 1/2. We've had absolutely no issues, although changing the earrings makes me nauseous looking for the clearance on the other side. Lol! We too went to Claire's, have had no infections or anything.

 

I got mine pierced when I was 7 and figured I would let my girls do it at 7 too. So far Ana is adamantly opposed to getting hers pierced and Meara used to ask daily, but as they are approaching 7, hasn't asked in months. I think several of their friends have gotten them pierced recently (turning 7), so I anticipate Meara will ask again soon.

 

My girls have never asked. They are 8--- DH and I said when they are old enough to do all the care.
 
I think I had them pierced at 11 or 12.  

 

Both of my girls got their ears pierced twice.  First time, earnings came out and either we didn't realize or could not get it back in (lost the back).
Dani got her ears pierced when she was 6.  She asked for it.  Sydney probably did it a year later.  We have only had one infection and it was not even on the ear but where the earring was digging in to her neck area as she slept.  
 
 
They are very good at taking the earrings in out out for soccer practice and games.  

 

I told Alice she could decide when she was ready, and I've been telling her this since she showed interest in my earrings (and I have a lot of ear piercings.)  I got my first holes done when I was 5.  The rest between high school and the time I was 30.  I might get one more pair done when Alice gets hers done. . .
 
Anyway, she keeps fluctuating between 7 and 9.  Last time she mentioned it, she said when she turns 7. 

 

I got mine done at 10.  My daughter asked a year ago I think.  She does not have her ears pierced... yet.
 
Sidenote:  I had pierced ears for 20 years.  I took them out for the final time right after I got married.  I have a nickel allergy.  I could ONLY wear ONE pair of earring and even then they still got infected.  I would even buy different nickel free earrings and by the end of the day, my ears were sore.  It was just this ONE pair of nickel free earrings that I could wear (single fake pearl).  So, there is a chance that my daughter has this allergy (my dad has it).  I will probably have her do an allergy study IF she really wants them. 

 

My daughter got hers pierced when she was 7. I've left all the care up to her and she's done really well. One of her ears did get infected after a year or so and that was rather gross, but she cleaned it several times a day and got past it.
 
I didn't get mine pierced until I was 13 and that was my plan for our daughter, but she started asking when she was 7. She's a good kid and we thought she could handle it, so after several months of casual conversations about what it entailed, we let her.
 
Like others have said, Claire's will have a person on each side and they will get both ears done at the same time. My daughter was furious at me right after because it hurt more than she thought and she said I didn't tell her it would hurt (I had!). It was kind of funny (to me). She got over it quickly though.
 
I love her pierced ears. It's fun to buy her new earrings and I just like her look with the earrings!

 

Thanks for the feedback.  If she keeps asking, I will probably do that for her birthday.

 

I was about 10 when I had mine done, but it was because my younger sister (she was 5-6) wanted hers done, and I didn't want her to have pierced ears and i didn't! lol!
 
My daughters are 7.5 and nearly 5, and so far neither one of them wants them done.  I keep bringing it up, because *I* think they would look adorable with pierced ears, but so far they keep saying no, they are scared of it hurting!  I was hoping to have them pierced before my sisters wedding this fall, but I'm not going to force them to get pierced either

 

All 3 of my girls had theirs pierced around 5.  I waited until they were old enough to ask to have them done.  We just went to Claire's and none of them have ever had any problems with them.

 

I was 4 when I had mine done.  My daughter was 5 1/2.  She was asking since she was 4 and after she had a successful 1st quarter in Kindergarten, she got her ears pierced as a reward.  I needed her to be responsible enough to do some of the care (turning them and putting the cleaner on it) as the boys were 3 then and I think we all remember (or want to forget) the challenges of 3 yr old twins.  

 

I was 5 when I had mine done.  My DD is not very interested in having hers done at the moment and my husband would prefer that we wait until she is 10-11.    I plan on waiting until when she does show interest and would want to have them done.

 

I waited until both my girls asked for their ears to be pierced.  That said, my oldset DD got her ears pierced  at 5 1/2 years old and my youngest DD got her ears pierced on her 4th bday.  We've never had any trouble with either of them.  For my oldest we went to Claire's and my yongest we went to Piercing Pagoda.  I was 8 when I got my ears pierced.

 

We waited until girls asked us. So at 5, they finally asked and we let them. They took excellent care of them and didn't cry when it was done.

 

DD is almost 10 and doesnt want her ears pierced.
 
I tell her if she wants to, i"m ok with it.
I think it's a childs choice and not the parents. Lot's of boys here with pierced ear
 
I have 10,
had 13 butt 3 got infected.

 

My girls got theirs pierced in September, just before school started.They turned 8 in November. We also got them pierced at Claire's. Things have been fine so far.

 

First time Abby had hers done was at 9 months...one fell out in the crib and closed up so we waited till she was 2.5 - has never had issues.

 

My youngest just got hers done at age 6.
she did great did not even cry! I did explain several times exactly what would happen.

 

One of my girls got it done at 6. The other one wasn't ready until about 6 months later. I waited for them to ask and want it. I don't think it's much responsibility as I made them leave the earrings in their ears for at least 6 months without changing them before I started letting them wear different earrings and even then they only had like two other pairs. I still often help them change them at age 10, but they are starting to get better about doing it themselves. Also, we did it at Claires. They had one girl draw the dot on each ear to make sure it was even, and then the two employees did it at the same time, so there was no backing out if it hurt too much. Neither of my girls even cried. They said it hurt but it was like a hard pinch. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

From some one who pierces ears:
7 and older
If they are too young to sit still, it makes it really hard to pierce straight and the chances of something going wrong is much bigger.