Ear Piercing for Babies & Toddlers

• Toddler ear piercing recommendation?
• Baby/child ear piercing recommendation
• $115 for ear piercing for 4 year old?
• Where to get infant's ears pierced
• Ear piercing for 3 year old
• Should we have 18-month-old's ears pierced?
• Where to get infant's ears pierced
• Expecting a girl, want to get her ears pierced
• Looking for a place to pierce 4-month-old's ears
• Want to get 11-month-old's ears pierced but pediatrician won't 

Toddler ear piercing recommendation?

Jan 2016

Debating getting my 2 YO daughter's ears pierced. She has expressed interest (to the extent that a 2 year old understands it all...) and gets over shots at the doctors quickly. Searching reviews here I've seen recs for 2 places that are now closed (Silver Linings and Itsy Bitsy) - and others that do both ears at the same time?? And do you need the screw-in kind of earrings? Thanks in advance. We may end up waiting til she is older, but good to know of good places. Kristen

Baby/child ear piercing recommendation

Feb 2014

Any recommendations on where to get a baby or child's ears pierced? We are not looking for advice on whether or not to pierce the ears, we know this is a controversial topic! Thanks in advance! Kaetlin

I have not done this with my children yet, but I think I know of a place. (I decided to wait until they were old enough to make a commitment to care for the wound, etc.) After looking into it I found out that a piercing studio that was recommended to me (I think it's called Industrial Tattoo, it's on Dwight, near Telegraph) will pierce kids, age 5 and older. Whether you decide to go to this one or not, you might want to look into a piercing studio vs. a piercing place in the mall that uses the old-school piercing gun. I've heard that the folks at the piercing studios are more clean, more safe, etc. I don't know if you can find one that would do a child under five. I only looked into this one particular place. (And now that my older child has turned 5 she knows that she can decide when she's ready- which is both thrilling and terrifying to her!) I just looked it up for you: Industrial Tattoo 2434 Dwight Way, Berkeley, CA 94704 (510) 644-0968 Mailisha

I'm a pediatrician and have been asked this question many times and have also seen the 'after' results. As with any procedure, you want someone who has done this 100 times. My patients have been most happy with Claire's at the mall. They do babies' ears a LOT. Just be sure your baby gets at least one DPaT (tetanus) shot first! Local MD

$115 for ear piercing for 4 year old?

Aug 2011

Hello, My daughter's pediatrician seem to charge a lot for ear piercing :$115 for chrystal plastic, no metal. I can't seem to find any recent going rates. Has anyone done this procedure lately? thank you

Get thee to Claire's (Bay Street or other locations)! The piercing is free; you just pay $20 - $60 depending on which starter earring style you pick. It even includes a care kit, with a big bottle of cleaner. I recommend calling ahead to make sure there are TWO people there with two guns, so they can do both ears at the same time. My 9 year old had it done in January, and it was stress-free and easy, and she's had no problems with infections or anything. Heidilee

I am a pediatrician and we pierce at our office, East Bay Pediatrics, for $30.00. We use 24 k gold plated piercers and it is done in a sterile fashion. Hope that helps. Jennifer M

I had my 4-year-old's ears pierced at zebra on telegraph. I think it ended up being around $70 total for gold stud earrings and the piercing which they do with a hollow sterile needle. Then we got ice cream after, and that has been a more lasting memory than the piercing itself! d

For ear piercing my kids both had a great experience at Itsy Bitsy on College Avenue in Oakland. I think it is right near Pendragon Books. They are super nice. I am not sure if they do 4 yr olds but you can call and ask. My 10 yr old just had her ear's pierced 2 weeks ago and the piercer did an excellent job. Not very expensive at all - but I do not recall the price. I recommend that you buy an extra pair of earrings to be nice. You need to call ahead to make an appointment. Anon Mom

Go to Montclair Jewelers. We just got my daughter's ears pierced last week and they were fabulous! The owner did it, and he was very patient and excellent with my nervous daughter. They are healing beautifully, and we couldn't be more pleased with how it went. Oh, and it was just $15 for 24kt gold plated studs. It's a great place, and I love supporting a local business. We were going to try Claire's, but decided against it when we watched the teenage girl's hands shake as she tried to pierce the ears of a tweener, only to miss the mark. happy mom of newly pierced daughter
 

Where to get infant's ears pierced

Nov 2009

Its been a while since anyone has posted any information regarding good reputable and experienced Pediatrician/Dermatologist/Jeweler that perform infant ear piercing. ~M~

I just had my 6-month old daughter's ears pierced last week at Silver Lining Jewelers on Lakeshore Ave in Oakland. I actually searched the BPN archives for the recommendation and I'm so glad I did! Carol is the person there who does infant piercings and she has been doing them for 30 years. She was kind, patient, and very good. There is no charge for the piercing, you just have to pay for the earrings. We picked the most expensive earrings and paid a total of $33 for everything including the solution to clean her ears with when we got home. Carol works Tuesdays and Wednesdays and they recommend that you call ahead to make sure she is there before you go. Their number is 510-465-5103. Good luck! Happy with piercing

I had both my daughters ears pierced at about 6 months at Claires in the mall. One thing I would suggest is to see if anyone you know has used the particular store that is close to you, as the quality of service really differs from store to store. I was fortunate to have an experienced, nurturing girl who was willing to work with me to make my kids feel comfortable. I prefer to do one ear at a time, as I feel the shock of doing both at the same time is too much trauma to a little baby, but I know of people who feel the exact opposite, so I guess it is just a matter of choice. Good Luck! TMH

There is a kiosk in the middle of Serramonte Mall that will pierce infants - 6 mos & up. I took my daughter at exactly 6 mos. It was a great experience - no complaints! Anon

I second the Silver Lining. It is clean, quiet and was very easy for both my daughter and I. They have been doing this service for many years. My daughter loves her earings

Ear piercing for 3 year old

May 2009

Hi! My daughter just turned three and I would like to get her ears pierced at the earliest. She is already aware of the fact that it's going to hurt. So I would like to go to a place where they are child friendly and would tend to both her ears at the same time.We are in Rockridge and would appreciate it, if anyone had any information on this. Thanks

Silver Lining on Lakeshore Avenue is a traditional jewelry store with expertise and years of experience piercing children's ears. They have a nice selection of starter/piercing earrings (i.e., hearts, stars, etc.), and the staff is warm, friendly, and accommodating. It's generally two women that pierce simultaneously, and they're good with all the kids -- tots to teens. You may want to let your 3-year-old know that it doesn't always hurt a whole lot, actually. Can be more like a hard pinch if done right. My daughter's ears were pierced there at age 6, and she smiled right after the procedure and left the store skipping. Good luck

Should we have 18-month-old's ears pierced?

Jan 2007

Our daughter is 18 months, and since we didn't pierce her ears when she was an infant, I'm wondering when we should have it done. I'd like to do it when she is still young (rather than waiting until 10 years old, for instance), but I know that there are risks, such as fiddling with them too much, pulling out the earrings, etc. What have people's experiences been, and at what age is it recommended to pierce the ears? Thanks! jewelry-loving mommy

Have you considered waiting until she expresses an interest in pierced ears herself? If she's old enough to care for her healing ear lobes herself (cleaning, ointment, etc), she'll be more likely to be cooperative/consistent in caring for them if the brief pain of the piercing was something she chose or had a say in, as opposed to something chosen for her. When we choose to vaccinate our kids, it's briefly painful, but we believe it's for their overall good health. With ear piercing, it's also briefly painful, but it's for cultural and/or cosmetic reasons, not medical reasons. Not a bad thing, of course, but consider letting her have a choice in something that's not a medical issue for her body. proudly had my ears pierced when old enough to not need mom's help to care for the pierced flesh

I was about 2 1/2 when my mom took me to get my ears pierced. I had no problems. I think I stuck with tiny, gold studs for a long time and my mom used alcohol to clean them. anon

Hi, I had my daughter's ears pierced at age 3.5. We were in Claire's one day and she wanted a certain pair of (pierced) earings. I said, ''Well, you can have those kind of earrings if you get your ears pierced. Do you want to do it?'' She was excited (but a little reluctant) to do it, but she did. She never (and still hasn't) fiddled with them. She doesn't care to change her earrings very often though becuase of one incident where her daddy tried to do it while I was out of town. She's 5 now and still doesn't fiddle. So I guess what I'm trying to say is you can probably do it at any time, even at 18 months. Just make sure you prevent the holes from getting infected by turning the earrings regularly, etc etc.
Early ear piercer

Hi jewelry-loving mommy,
We had our daughters ears pierced by her pediatrician when she was 3 months old. She used the gun, though if I had been able to find someone who would have used a thin gold wire instead, I would have preferred that. The pain was temporary, Im thinking, because she stopped crying within 15 minutes of the procedure. I suspect her discomfort was increased because of the spring loaded mechanism of the gun. We didnt have any issues with infection- its important to rotate the post within the ear and lubricate it with oil to prevent discharge coagulating and so on. Im glad I had her ears pierced- shes six now and loves wearing earrings!! Vaiju

I wonder if your daughter will want pierced ears as much as you want her to have them. You might consider waiting until she's old enough to make the choice herself. anon

Where to get infant's ears pierced

July 2004

I'm looking for reputable and experienced jewelers that perform infant ear piercing. Thanks. Maria

Hello! Believe it or not the best place is at the mall. I took my daughter to the doctor's office thinking it was the best, & it turned out to be a diaster. The doctor even had my daughter's ears noticeably uneven. I took her to Piercing Pagado at the mall & they fixed the problem & my daughter who was 6 months didn't even blink an eye whereas at the doctor's office she was crying bloody murder. skasha

I HIGHLY recommend Silver Lining on Lakeshore in Oakland (465- 5103). We used were there 11/02 and plan to take our 3.5 month old there as well.

We originally had our 11 month old daughter's ears pierced at one of those mall places by the extremely shakey hands of a teenager. Big mistake, because she was moving so much and the girl was shaking, she ended up missing the hole completely and pierced the ear at a funny angle at the very tip! We didn't even get the second ear pierced, we waited a month and went to Silver Lining. The owner of the store did it for us, she's been doing it for like 20 years and was VERY good. My husband did have to keep my daughter in some what of a head lock as this time around she knew what was coming, she did cry, but it was over after a few mins.

Just some advice add'l advice, if she's old enough, make sure to have some sort of treat in hand to reward her with afterwards. Also, the sooner you get it done the better; the older they get, the feistier they get! Good luck. HB

You may try your daughter's doctor. I just made an appointment with my daughter's pediatrician. They had a display that they now offer this service which costs $40. This pediatrician is in Concord but others on the other side of the tunnel may also offer it. My pediatrician's phone number is (925) 827-9195 in case you want to call. ARA

I know that my pediatrician's office has a nurse who does piercing for infants and children, though I am not sure whether it is drop-in or by appointment. Bancroft Pediatric Group in San Leandro. Here's their contact information: 1300 BANCROFT AVE # 204, SAN LEANDRO, CA, 94577, (510)483-2605 Good luck. Rachel

Expecting a girl, want to get her ears pierced

March 2004

I am 37-weeks pregnant with my first baby (a girl!) and I would love to get recommendations from moms that had their little girl's ears pierced when they were still infants. I'm from Brazil and in our culture there are nurses that come to the hospital to pierce infant's ears with special little needles, not the usual guns. Does anyone know of any place or anyone that does that? I would really appreciate any recommendation. Thank you! can't wait to be a mommy

Hi, I had much angst over this question as well. My partner's family is latino and it is very normal to pierce the baby's ears in the first 3 months. Her grandma was very sad and always asked me when I was going to get my baby's ears pierced. But being a first time mommy, I was scared and didn't want to inflict much pain or deal with infections.

Finally, I got them done at 10 months and I think that is about the uppermost limit to get them done or wait until they want them (maybe after 5-7 years old?)cuz then they are more ''aware'' and will freak out! We went to Bombay Jewelry on University and they did a wonderful job. i wanted a place where it is ''normal'' in the culture to pierce baby's ears and have done it for a long time, not a jewelry stand w/ no experience (hey! I used to pierce ears in college for such a place). They've been doing it for over 10 years. They say they only pierce between 9 months up to a year - interesting window. They said something about the earlobes developing and doing it before the ''too old'' and freaked out age.

I do recommend taking someone with you for support and whoever can hold the baby's head firmly.

Anyhow, we did have a little bump in the road with an infection, but that was because the backing fell off and i put a gold one on and it bugged her ear. once i replaced it was fine and really didn't bother the baby much. When you consider all they go through with shots, the piercing isn't a biggy.

Lot's of moms (including myself) wondered if the baby would tug or bother w/ the earrings and they never have bugged her.

good luck! happy i got it over with

Looking for a place to pierce 4-month-old's ears

June 2003

Our daughter is now 4 months old and I am looking for a clean/professional/reliable place to have her ears pierced. He pediatrician recommended that we wait until she got the second tetanus shot. That's done and we don't want to wait any longer or else I know we'll never do it. I checked the web site and only found recommendations for older children and teenagers. Oddly enough it seems that the most reliable places are the tatoo/piercing shops on telegraph. It feels wierd to take a baby there, although I do trust them better than the Mall. I also suppose that for baby it is better to use a needle (vs gun). I will greatly appreciate your advice! Mariel 

DEFINITELY stay away from the mall. It is impossible to properly sterilize the needle guns that they use. Professional piercers are the way to go, as they are very adept at what they do, plus they sterilize their needles in an autoclave. However, some piercers won't do children who are so young, some will. For some, it's a personal consent issue, ie, the baby is not able to give consent. Robin

Want to get 11-month-old's ears pierced but pediatrican won't

March 2003

I'd like to get my 11 month old daughter's ears pierced, but her pediatrician has a policy of not piercing infants. I am reluctant about having it done at a place like Afterthoughts or Claire's Boutique. If anyone knows of an alternative, I'd like to hear from you. I'd also like to hear about your experiences (good and bad) if you've had your baby's ears pierced at a jewelry/accessory store. Denise

We had our daughter's ears pierced at Hilltop Mall, and it was a total DISASTER. Since you asked for people's experiences, I will offer you ours, and also try to discourage you from getting your daughter's ears done at this age. First of all, it hurts. Second of all, at 11 months, she will be grabbing at them, pulling at them, and won't understand that she has to leave them in until they heal. One of our daughter's posts was put in at a slant, so you can see the back of the post from the front (this really bugged me). Also, one got infected, despite our cleaning them daily, and the pus oozed and dried around the post and...need I go on? I would suggest waiting, since you have already waited 11 months, until she is old enough to understand, ask for them herself (after all it is HER body), and help in the care and maintenance of them. I will NOT pierce my second daughter's ears until she is at least ten years old! Wiser the second time around

I had my daughters ears pierced when she was a year old, at ''Piercing Pagoda'' (we lived in PA then), a run-of-the-mill accessories island at the local mall. Make sure that they break open a new pair of ear studs, sterilize her ears and do both ears at once (very important, one at a time is obviously traumatic). It also helped to have my daughter sit in my lap while it was done. We called ahead to ensure that there were 2 people at the store at that time who had dealt with infant ear piercing before. She cried for exactly 2 minutes, at which point we entered a toy store and that was the end of the tears :) I diligently swabbed her ears with the solution they gave me and she had no problems at all. I know it's scary, but it hurts them less than it hurts the parents :) Richa

I'd recommend Beadazzled at the Hilltop mall for infant ear piercing. My daughter had her ears pierced there at about 5 months with no problem. My wife is from Bali, where it is customary to pierce little girls' ears early. The Balinese wisdom is that the younger the child, the less pain they feel. My daughter responded more to the fussing over having her hold still than to the piercing itself, but never even cried. I also have several friends whose kids' ears were happily pierced there, and based on whose recommendations we went there. The lady who did the piercing is very calm and gentle. Good luck! Ralph