boys and pierced ears - Page 3

[Organicavocado]

Do some research (or better yet, have him do it) on properly caring for piercings (look for something advocating leaving it the heck alone, and toss out anything mentioning twisting the jewelry or using alcohol... both advocated by these gun piercing shops, I will let you do your research and figure out why these are bad), and google "piercing guns". You'll want them done at a professional shop as a gun is not sterilizable and creates a tear instead of a healable "tube". You might have trouble even finding a reputable shop that will pierce a minor (even with consent) so that might hinder the process anyway.

Don't assume that lobe piercings aren't permanent, either. All of my gun-pierced holes have massive scarring... even my lobes. I wouldn't assume that stretching the holes (small) would be permanent either. It depends on your body.

[DavinaT]

No problem for me. If it's ok for girls then it's ok for boys. Anything else is just sexist - it IS that simple. Only 3 conditions.
They are old enough to care for it themselves.
They remove it for contact sport.
They get it done in clean sterile environment (no I wouldn't do it for them myself) and I would go with them.

Tongue piercing - NO adamantly NO.
Reason? One accident and they could smash the crowns of 1 or 2 teeth. Result: excruciating pain and months of truamatic, painful and expensive surgery. Yes, it does happen.
bellybutton or other body piercing - they won't do it here before 16 anyway as full growth hasn't been done before that and the skin can stretch and split but at 16 they're not children any more anyway.
Long hair - again, if a girl can have it a guy can too. BUT it should be clean and well looked after.
Remember, piercings aren't like tatoos, they're not permanent and can be removed.

[mamato3cherubs]

Originally Posted by Organicavocado

Do some research (or better yet, have him do it) on properly caring for piercings (look for something advocating leaving it the heck alone, and toss out anything mentioning twisting the jewelry or using alcohol... both advocated by these gun piercing shops, I will let you do your research and figure out why these are bad), and google "piercing guns". You'll want them done at a professional shop as a gun is not sterilizable and creates a tear instead of a healable "tube". You might have trouble even finding a reputable shop that will pierce a minor (even with consent) so that might hinder the process anyway.

Just have to say I would be just fine with it. My 12 yo has no interest and gave me quite a hard time when i got my navel pierced, lol, but i think my younger 2 might have a different idea on this when the time comes.
as for other piercings im pretty much fine with that too, although i want them to be grown enough to really make a good decision before getting into some of the extensive facial piercings, but i have a feeling they would be older before having and interest in that anyways

[Piercedboy]

I can answer just about any questions about piercings. I have some of the more unusual ones. (Ask me about my pierced forearms!) Lobes are pretty easy to heal up if you decide you don't want them anymore. I had mine up to 00 the first time they were pierced, and they completely closed when i took them out. Now I have them at an inch, and they will close up most of the way, but never completely again. I have no problems with kids getting their lobes pierced.

I would be concerned about an eyebrow piercing on kids however. The skin there is exceptionally thin, and even if it is treated very well there is a good chance it will reject and if not removed quickly will scar. And with the way kids are sometimes, it would be very easy to rip out.

[akaisha]

i have 8 piercings (7 ears (including cartilage) and navel) and have always healed beautifully, my 19 year old brother has one (eyebrow) and has had it since he was 16. he used to have two in the eyebrow, but he took one out when it didn't heal right, and he had his nipple done for about a year and took it out when he didn't like it anymore. both the second eyebrow and the nipple healed up fine.

tips:

-make sure the piercing is done at a studio by a professional piercer, don't do any of that hair salon or jewelry store stuff. piercing guns aren't safe - they can't be autoclaved and therefore are never sterile, they also do some serious tissue damage. needles are better. the actual needle used to pierce is always brand new (they're one time use) and the instruments used to drive the needle are surgical grade steel and can be sterilized in an autoclave.
-tour the studio before the piercing is done. they should be more than willing to do this, if they're not, leave. get them to show you the autoclave and the unopened needles and gloves. if you want you can ask to see the piercer's portfolio.
-natural astringents like tea tree oil, lemon juice, and sea salt (all diluted in water) are good for cleaning and promote healing.
-don't use anything alcohol based on an unhealed piercing.
-if you have to use a soap surgical soap is best. in absence of that spectro gel is good. you can get it at any drugstore, it's actually a non-soap based cleaning gel.
-do not touch it, the second you hear someone mention spinning it, run away. if it must be touched wash hands first. make sure to rinse it in the shower after washing hair because shampoo can get all up in there.
-remember that piercings can take 6 months to a year to fully heal. lobes don't tend to take this long though.

in my province you can get pierced at any age with a parent present (they even ask for ID to make sure they're actually your parents), and the age of consent for piercings without a parent present is 16. when my brother went to get his eyebrow at 16 i told him "ask if they pierce minors alone and if they say yes then leave even though you're old enough" reason: if they're willing to pierce a minor without express parental permission i don't trust them to use proper cleaning and other practices, because their ethics are obviously dubious at best.

[snazzy_mom]

my oldest ds (10) has had his done 2x, at his request. The first time, his teacher took it out and told him it was infected yet, by the time he got home that afternoon, it was fine, no redness or irritation. I think she just didn't like it and advised her not to touch my sons ear again.

He wanted it redone for his bday so we took him to get it done again.

I think as long as the child is responsible enough to care for it, then why not? I wouldn't agree to any other piercings until he's older but that's just me. I don't like eyebrow piercings, they just aren't attractive and they can either grow out or get pulled out too easily.

[Stinkerbell]

Originally Posted by Organicavocado

Do some research (or better yet, have him do it) on properly caring for piercings (look for something advocating leaving it the heck alone, and toss out anything mentioning twisting the jewelry or using alcohol... both advocated by these gun piercing shops, I will let you do your research and figure out why these are bad), and google "piercing guns". You'll want them done at a professional shop as a gun is not sterilizable and creates a tear instead of a healable "tube". You might have trouble even finding a reputable shop that will pierce a minor (even with consent) so that might hinder the process anyway.

Don't assume that lobe piercings aren't permanent, either. All of my gun-pierced holes have massive scarring... even my lobes. I wouldn't assume that stretching the holes (small) would be permanent either. It depends on your body.

word to all of this!!

[rightkindofme]

Originally Posted by akaisha

tips:

-make sure the piercing is done at a studio by a professional piercer, don't do any of that hair salon or jewelry store stuff. piercing guns aren't safe - they can't be autoclaved and therefore are never sterile, they also do some serious tissue damage. needles are better. the actual needle used to pierce is always brand new (they're one time use) and the instruments used to drive the needle are surgical grade steel and can be sterilized in an autoclave.
-tour the studio before the piercing is done. they should be more than willing to do this, if they're not, leave. get them to show you the autoclave and the unopened needles and gloves. if you want you can ask to see the piercer's portfolio.
-natural astringents like tea tree oil, lemon juice, and sea salt (all diluted in water) are good for cleaning and promote healing.
-don't use anything alcohol based on an unhealed piercing.
-if you have to use a soap surgical soap is best. in absence of that spectro gel is good. you can get it at any drugstore, it's actually a non-soap based cleaning gel.
-do not touch it, the second you hear someone mention spinning it, run away. if it must be touched wash hands first. make sure to rinse it in the shower after washing hair because shampoo can get all up in there.
-remember that piercings can take 6 months to a year to fully heal. lobes don't tend to take this long though.

in my province you can get pierced at any age with a parent present (they even ask for ID to make sure they're actually your parents), and the age of consent for piercings without a parent present is 16. when my brother went to get his eyebrow at 16 i told him "ask if they pierce minors alone and if they say yes then leave even though you're old enough" reason: if they're willing to pierce a minor without express parental permission i don't trust them to use proper cleaning and other practices, because their ethics are obviously dubious at best.

All really good points.

I am willing to let boys do what girls can do and vice versa. I consider lobe piercings to be non-permanent and not a big deal. I'm going to discourage permanent body mods until a kid is 18. I don't think that tats or stretching is a good idea for a minor. You have no idea what kind of adult you will be yet and getting pigeonholed that young is terrible.

[gina72]

I'm only against him getting only "one" ear pierced. If he is going to do it, he should get both

I have known young boys with their ears pierced, and I think it looks great, particularly with small hoops.

[bigeyes]

my kids got them done at the same time. I think he was 8 and she was 7.
I don't see why the rules should be any different for boys than girls.