Piercing your child’s ears is certainly a moment worth remembering and can be a rite of passage. In many cultures, ear piercing for babies is an important part of family traditions. Whatever your reason for getting your child’s ears pierced, choosing the right place to get it done doesn’t need to be a hassle.
A pediatrician is a great person to perform this task for your child. As a physician, I am well versed in sterile procedures and can provide this exciting procedure in a quality manner. I am also able to manage any potential complications that may arise after the procedure.
Medical Ear Piercing
I have heard many parents tell me “I don’t want to get my child’s ear pierced with a piercing gun.”
I’m here to tell you why I disagree.
Piercing guns are the safest option for a little ones’ ears, especially babies. The instrument allows for the earring to be placed in a way that does not risk harm of poking your child. It is a closed system that places the earring back and front in close approximation on their earlobe without exposing a child’s other delicate features to a needle.
Medical ear piercing is also a sterile procedure. The piercing gun that we use at 127 Pediatrics allows for the earring to be placed on the earlobe without having to touch any of the components. A cover keeps the earring and plastic placing device sterile right up until they are ready to use for your child’s piercing.
Using a piercing gun is also fast. Whether we pierce one ear at a time or do both a once, the whole procedure takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.
What age for piercing
I like to pierce baby’s ears when they are between 4 and 6 months old. This gives them the opportunity to have at least their first two sets of vaccines. As a pediatrician, I feel better that a baby has had a couple doses of DTaP vaccine because it includes vaccination against tetanus. The risk of tetanus infection after ear piercing is extremely low, but having this vaccine on board helps this risk-averse pediatrician to sleep better at night.
Younger than 4 months old also makes it difficult to place an earring on their teeny tiny ear lobes. And babies older than 6 months old are SUPER wiggly which makes it difficult to accurately place an earring.
If your child is older and wants their ears pierced, it is best to do both ears at the same time. I have two piercing guns for just such an occasion. We would hate to have a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds walking around with just one earring because they were too upset to get the second side pierced.
What type of earrings
Two different materials make for great first earrings.
Medical grade plastic and medical grade stainless steel are the two different earring options. These materials eliminate the possibility of inducing a nickel allergy.
At 127 Pediatrics, our piercing studs are made of medical-grade plastic. These are light weight and easy to care for in your little ones’ ear lobes. We have a couple of sparkly options to help make your little one’s earlobes shine.
Caring for your child’s pierced ears
I recommend that you keep the piercing studs in place for 6-8 weeks. This allows for the piercing to heal and maintain the ability to accept other earrings in the future.
You should clean your child’s piercings with warm water and soap once or twice a day. You can also use saline wipes that are made for newly pierced ears. I don’t recommend using alcohol wipes or hydrogen peroxide as these can be painful and dry out the skin around the piercing.
© 127 Pediatrics; December 2021
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice.
Dr. Andrea Wadley is the owner, pediatrician, and breastfeeding medicine specialist for 127 Pediatrics. She has an established house-calls-only concierge pediatric practice in Colleyville, TX. She is also the owner and operator of the 127 Pediatrics Online Breastfeeding Medicine and Education Center.
