Ear Piercing

When should I have my child’s ears pierced?

When you have your child’s ears pierced is a personal decision based on your preferences and culture. At AAA Pediatrics, the team provides ear piercing services for children ages four months and up along with documentation of vaccine history. If your child is not a patient at AAA Pediatrics, you can bring vaccine records with you that show your child has had all of her vaccines up to four months in order to have her ears pierced.

Some parents choose to wait to have their child’s ears pierced until she can ask for it herself or once she is responsible for taking care of her piercings herself. If you’re unsure, discuss your concerns with your pediatrician to learn what ear piercing is like for children of different ages.

What is the ear piercing procedure like?

The ear piercing procedure takes less than 10 minutes and can be performed on one or both ears at a time. Your provider first washes their hands, puts on hypoallergenic gloves, and removes the piercing equipment from a sterile, sealed package.

Your provider cleans your child’s ears with rubbing alcohol or peroxide then marks the location of the piercing with a washable marker. Once you’re happy with the placement location, your provider places the piercing equipment against your child’s ear and quickly punctures the skin. Your child may experience brief, mild pain and a warm sensation after the initial piercing.

Your provider carefully places earrings into the newly pierced holes and instructs you on proper care and cleaning. If you’re concerned about skin irritation, the team recommends avoiding nickel-based metals and can offer a variety of other non-irritating options.

How do I care for my child’s pierced ears?

Ear piercings typically take six weeks to heal. During that time, the piercings should be cleaned once or twice daily with either rubbing alcohol or peroxide to prevent infection. You should also gently rotate the earrings in the ears to prevent them from sticking. Don’t remove the earrings until the piercings have fully healed.

It can take up to one year for the piercings to heal completely. It’s important to be gentle when removing and inserting earrings and clean the piercings as needed after the first six weeks. Additional care recommendations are provided based on your child’s age.

Set up an ear piercing appointment at AAA Pediatrics now by calling the office or scheduling online.