When it comes to ear piercing, men, women, and children have been having this done for thousands and thousands of years. Today, ear piercing is still very popular, even for little babies. When my daughter was six months old, I wanted to get her ears pierced. I found a place that used a gun, which made the process quick and precise. I’ll never forget, as I sat in the chair with this little baby in my arms, people gathered around to wait for her reaction.
Two older women made comments about what a horrible parent I was, which to be honest, surprised me. Everything was sterile, she was calm, and the piercing began. The first ear brought a good cry at which time I pulled a bottle out of the diaper bag. As soon as she saw that, her crying stopped immediately. I was expecting another loud cry with the second ear but this time, she didn’t even respond. Instead, she kept sucking on the bottle as if nothing had happened. Today, she is a beautiful, 22-year-old, still with pierced ears.
The only real concern about having a baby’s ears pierced is to make sure the process is being performed by a doctor or reputable ear-piercing company. Then of course, you want to make sure the equipment is sterilized and that only the highest grade, hypoallergenic studs are used. The technician performing the ear piercing should wear sterile gloves, use alcohol on the ears prior to the piercing, and have years of experience behind him or her.
Once the ear has been pierced, simply keep it cleaned each day while the ears heal. Although keeping your baby’s hands away from the earrings may be somewhat of a challenge, like my daughter, she never paid any attention to them. The only consideration of not having your baby’s ears pierced is if your family has a history of keloids, which are large, scars that appear more as growths. If you have any concerns or questions, simply talk to your baby’s pediatrician. More than likely, you’ll be told to go ahead with the piercing.