Piercing Your Infant's Ears: What to Consider

• The minimum recommended age to pierce your baby's ears is 3 months, but it's up to you! Do what you think is best for your baby: ear piercing is generally safe.
• Piercing your child's ears when they are old enough to take care of the piercings themselves may reduce the risk of infection.
• Regardless of your child's age, there is low risk involved in piercing their ears. Just be sure to use a reputable piercer, and keep the piercings clean to avoid infection.

When is it safe to pierce a baby's ears?

Many pediatricians recommend waiting until your baby is 3 months old. Beyond that, it's up to you! There's no real consensus about the absolute minimum age at which a baby should get their ears pierced, though most pediatricians don't recommend piercing a newborn's ears. Generally, the recommended minimum age ranges from 3 months to 4 months, because by then your baby will likely have had at least one set of vaccines, meaning the risk of fever due to infection is less concerning. Though many pediatricians recommend 3 months, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests delaying piercing until your child is old enough to take care of the piercing themselves to reduce the risk of infection—around 5 years old. The most difficult ages to pierce a child's ears are 2 to 5 years, when they're old enough to understand what an earring is, but still young enough to be anxious, fearful, or squirmy while they're getting their ears pierced and to fuss with the piercing while it heals.

Risks of Ear Piercings

There are minimal risks involved in piercing your baby's ears. Lots of people get their babies' ears pierced for cultural reasons or just because it's so darn cute, and by and large, their babies are totally OK. There are always a few risks, but ear-piercing is generally considered to be a harmless practice, since the potential side effects are unlikely to occur and usually mild when they do occur. Light bleeding and slight pain are common upon piercing, and slight discomfort may occur while the piercing heals. Embedded backings pose an extremely rare risk. This is when the back of the earring (most commonly a spring-loaded earring) becomes embedded in the ear. Tearing could happen if a dangly earring or hoop catches on something, or if your baby tugs at their earring. Your baby could develop contact allergies depending on the material the earring is made from, such as nickel. The piercing may get irritated and swollen, but it's likely to heal upon removal of the earring.

Mild infections occur in 24% of all piercings. That might seem like a big number, but most infections go away within a couple of weeks with proper home care. Rarely do piercing infections require a doctor's visit, but if you're concerned about your baby's piercing, it's worth making an appointment to ease your mind and make sure your baby is healthy. Deformation may occur as a result of the piercing becoming infected, but this usually only occurs in piercings that are higher up along the ear, meaning this isn’t really something to worry about when piercing lobes.

Keloids are a potential risk of ear piercing. A keloid is a large raised scar that forms after an injury, such as a piercing, has healed. Keloids pose no physical danger and don't require treatment, but many people choose to get rid of them for aesthetic purposes, often by having them surgically removed. Keloids are likely genetic, meaning if you and your family don't have them, your child likely won't either.

Ear Piercing Safety Precautions

Get your baby's ears pierced by a reputable professional. Research the places you’re considering taking your child to get their ears pierced, and take your time making your choice. Ask the piercer about their training and experience, sterilization of equipment (like heat-sterilization or disinfectant solution), and safety procedures (like fresh gloves for each client). You can go to a piercing parlor, but many tattoo artists, jewelry stores, and department stores in your area probably pierce ears as well. Just make sure the piercer you see is licensed. Beware of piercers that employ piercing guns. Piercing guns have been shown to be less safe than traditional needles. Don't be afraid to ask questions before committing. If they avoid questions or seem irritated, that's a big red flag! Reputable piercers will be totally transparent and open to answering any questions you have. Some pediatricians actually pierce baby/child ears in the office. If you’re lucky enough to have one of these pediatric practices in your area, consider going this route.

Use gold, sterling silver, or plastic earrings to prevent contact allergies. The AAP officially recommends using gold posts to reduce the risk of contact allergies. Sterling silver and titanium are also hypoallergenic. If your baby has a metal sensitivity, or if metal sensitivity runs in your family, plastic earrings are a safe option. Avoid nickel, which has a high rate of triggering an allergic response. Good quality earrings will reduce the risk of contact allergy or infection. Pediatric offices that perform piercings may stock medical-grade earrings, which are sold only to medical offices that perform piercings.

Use small, round, flat earrings to reduce the risk of tearing. Dangling earrings and hoops can partially or fully tear the earlobe if they get caught on something or if your baby tugs at them. Stick to small, round, flat earrings to be safe.

Keep your baby's ear piercing clean to prevent infection. Caring for the piercing is especially important while the piercing heals. Try not to touch the piercing or the area, and only do so with freshly cleaned hands. Clean the piercing and the area around it with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol 3 times per day for the first 2 weeks. Gently rotate the earring during each cleaning. Antibiotic ointment can be used on the piercing site as well.

Keep the initial earrings in for 4 to 6 weeks while the piercing heals. You might have already bought a dozen adorable pairs of earrings for your little one, but it's important not to remove the initial earrings, even to replace them. Removing the earrings in the first month or so may cause inflammation or injury or cause the piercings to close up. Let the piercing heal. Keep in mind that it actually takes about 4 to 12 months for the earring hole in the lobe to become permanent. While it's likely safe to change out your baby's earrings after the 6-week mark, make sure your child wears earrings for at least a year to prevent the piercings from closing.

If your family has a history of keloids, pierce early or don’t pierce. If keloids don't run in your family, it's unlikely your baby will develop them. If you or someone in your family does have keloids, get your child's ears pierced before age 11 or not at all: 80% of people with keloids got their ears pierced after the age of 11.