Getting your ears pierced is a big decision. Though many people choose ear piercing to celebrate an important milestone, there is no specific time that’s right for everyone. Here are some ear piercing guidelines to help you decide if you or your child is ready for a new piercing.
Consider Age
Age is one of the most common factors used to decide the right time for a new ear piercing. In many cultures, parents choose to have their child’s ears pierced while they are young babies. Others prefer to wait until the child is old enough to ask for the piercing themselves or they wait until a milestone birthday before taking them to be pierced.
Whatever you choose, it’s important to consider what’s going on in your life at the time of the piercing and during the healing period that follows to ensure that you and your child can take proper care of the new ear piercing.
For parents considering a piercing for their baby, Inverness recommends waiting until after the baby’s DTP immunizations which are generally administered at 8 weeks.
School, Work, and Sports Restrictions
Some schools and employers have restrictions about wearing jewelry to school or on the job. Before getting a piercing, you will want to confirm that you can wear small stud earrings at your school or in your workplace while your piercing heals.
If you or your child play a sport, ask the coach prior to getting a new piercing to ensure you’ll be able to wear your starter earrings during games and practices.
Ear Piercing Aftercare
For safe healing, ear piercing aftercare is just as important as the piercing itself. The average healing time for a new earlobe piercing is 6 weeks. For cartilage piercings, you will need to keep your starter earrings in for 12 weeks. During this time – and for the months that follow – it’s critical to keep a new piercing dry and clean and to follow the aftercare instructions provided at the time of your piercing.
Parents considering a piercing for their child should know that ear piercing aftercare requires a high level of attention. Even if your child is old enough to clean their own piercing during the aftercare period, it is a good idea for you to keep an eye on their new piercing to ensure it is healing properly.
Safety First
It’s no surprise that when people are asked the most important factor in choosing an ear piercing location, safety is always at the top of the list. Do your homework to understand the ear piercing equipment and safety procedures used by the ear piercer you’ve chosen.
Choosing a location that uses Inverness ensures you will be pierced with the safest and gentlest ear piercing system available:
- Inverness is the only piercing system with fully-enclosed sterile earring capsules to prevent our piercing earrings from being exposed to potential contaminants prior to piercing. Our piercing earrings are packaged in sealed, sterilized cartridges that are not opened until selected for piercing.
- The exclusive Inverness Safety Back™ allows for the safest healing possible by shielding the piercing tip and preventing the earring back from being squeezed too tight. This allows for proper airflow and prevents the earring back from being squeezed too tight against the ear during the healing process.
Find the Location That’s Right for You
Finding a location that’s convenient and comfortable for you and your child will help ensure you both have a positive ear piercing experience. The Inverness Ear Piercing System is used by retail clothing stores, salons, spas, jewelry stores, department stores, body piercing shops, pharmacies, and doctors’ offices across the U.S. and in more than 40 countries worldwide.
If now is the right time for you, visit our Store Locator page to find an Inverness ear piercing location near you!