Infant Ear Piercing: 7 Helpful Aftercare Tips.
A Baby with Pierced Ears?
Oh My!
I love the mixed opinions that I receive when I’m out in public and random people stop and gush at a little baby, my little Mimi.
They go on and say really nice things and I reciprocate with a polite thank-you and a genuine smile of appreciation and then sometimes, not always, I get the “Oh my, her ears are pierced! Don’t you think she’s a little young? But, don’t they look cute!?”
Or something of the sort, it doesn’t bother me at all though. It’s perfectly understandable why people feel the way they do and why each individual makes their own personal choices and that of their children.
Regardless, I am aware that she is very young and that piercings hold no other purpose but for aesthetic value, that is why I make it my duty and responsibility to care for my girls’ piercings so they never get infected or cause them any aggravation nor hindrance.
So, why do it so early?
Simply because although baby feels pain initially, because they DO. I’ve heard people say that babies don’t feel pain which is extremely ridiculous. They are human beings too! It’s a pain that is temporary and one they will soon forget.
I figure that it would be worse doing so when they are older and are able to remember, vocalize and react to the pain to the point of refusal. We’ve all seen those little girls that end up with only one pierced ear because they couldn’t go through with the second. Not to mention that they pick at their piercings thus transferring germs and ultimately infecting the piercing site.
Well, those are two reasons, though it breaks my heart seeing the pain.
I rather her forget the pain in my arms where I can comfort her.
My Experience Piercing Mimi’s Ears at 2 Months Old:
We set off to the boutique to get 2 month-old Mimi’s ears pierced.
Darasak and I nervously began to look through the 14K gold earrings in the salon. Finally, we decided on some Princess Cuts for Mimi’s first earrings. They were small, dainty and very cute. We were brought over to a stool and the young lady started mapping out where the piercing site would be with a washable marker. She then asked for my approval of the location she had placed. She asked Dara to put one arm across her little chest, keep her in a sitting position and the other hand on the top of her head and across her forehead.
Now it was time for the moment of truth. Poor Dara was the volunteer to hold Mimi and I was the one that had to painfully watch her and try to comfort her when the time arose.
I don’t know which one of us had it worse.
So, one by one the gloved lady set up the piercing gun and in less than a second the first was through. She cried but, very minimally. I think the pressure of being held down was more frightening to her then the actual piercing. The second was done just as quick and the next thing I knew, she was in my arms and I was comforting her.
I rocked her for a good while and once she was she was still and calm we left the boutique. I put her back into her stroller and she began exploring her surroundings, getting lost in the busy and noisy bustle around her. In doing so, she completely forgot the ordeal that I had just put her through and she was looking darn cute while she was at it.
And that was it.
Both of my girls did great during their piercings. Gabs never had a problem with infection and even 7 years later (I pierced her ears at 6 weeks), still enjoys wearing all different types of earrings. They both never fidgeted either by touching them or swatting at their ears because they were unaware of their presence.
Tips for Infant Ear Piercing:
It is also extremely important to do your homework before piercing baby’s ears. Find a clean, reputable & certified place to get the piercings done. If you’re not comfortable, have your pediatrician do it the old-fashioned way, like I had mine done, with a needle & thread.
1. Think Ahead.
Give your baby the recommended dosage of baby Acetaminophen that your doctor has prescribed to your baby before your appointment. I consulted Michaela’s pediatrician prior to piercing her ears due to her age. The Acetaminophen is used for pain relief and is completely optional.
2. Know Your History, Do Your Homework.
I recommend that you double-check with the business you choose, even if you buy 14k gold earrings be prepared to confirm that you are getting Gold Earring Backs
3. Be Prepared to Disinfect.
You will need ear antiseptic. Most piercing places will offer it to you. The price for antiseptic is quite affordable, they range from $5-$12 for farily large bottles. Make sure you buy it and use it!
4. Sometimes, Alcohol is NOT an option!
After baby’s ears have been pierced, some people will choose alcohol for means of cleaning the piercings. From past experience, (I have a lot of piercings), I wouldn’t recommend it because it tends to dry out the piercing and may lead to infection. First and foremost, with me being a slight germaphobe, I highly–HIGHLY recommend that you wash your hands with an antibacterial soap to avoid transfer of any pathogens that may be on your hands to baby’s ears. That’s a given anyway, germaphobe or not.
5. Sterile=Clean.
You will need two q-tips. One for each ear to avoid any contamination from one ear to the other. I use one end of the q-tip for the top lobe. The other end for the back of the lobe. Again, this is to avoid contamination. I carefully push up the earring to clean around it on the top of the lobe. Then, I push down to clean around the earring on the bottom lobe.
6. Rinse Out Those Babies!
While you clean baby’s ears, you need to rotate the earrings at least once a day, every day. I turn them clock-wise a few times and then counter clock-wise a few more times. Then I also place a drop of antiseptic on the top of the piercing as I turn them, making absolute sure that I do NOT touch the tip of the bottle to baby’s ears at any time to avoid any contamination. Make sure to do this so that the antiseptic can go right through the piercing, thus disinfecting it and cleaning it throughly. This is an antiseptic spray that is popular to use.
7. Keep Turning for 3 Weeks!
You need to turn baby’s earrings at least once a day. That way, they do not begin to heal over the earring which can be really painful. I find that rotating the earrings for the first 3 weeks is beneficial. (To me, essential.) Cleaning the piercings twice a day, everyday for the first 6-8 weeks is a must. I’d also wait about the same amount of time to change the earrings as well. I’m sure you don’t want to do all that work and have them close up on you or get infected! Sometimes, your daughter will take her earrings off, check out these tips to help.
So, that’s the gist of it, good luck in any decision that you may choose. Whether it is to pierce or not to pierce, how do you feel about it? Let me know, Lord knows I hear a lot of opinions, but I welcome them! 😛
Did you pierce your daughter’s ears?
Let me know!
Til then, cheers m’deres!
Disclaimer: As always, if you’re ever unsure about anything, consult your physician. These are just tips based on my experiences that I enjoy sharing with other moms. I am not a physician and it isn’t my intention to give medical advice. Use at your own discretion and always seek professional medical help.
Nancy Polanco is a freelance journalist, lifestyle content creator, and editor of Whispered Inspirations. She is a proud Mom to Gabby and Michaela and partner and best friend to Darasak. Having worked as part of a health care team for almost a decade, Nancy is happy to be back to her passion. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post, TODAY’s Parents, and an Oprah Magazine Brand Ambassador.
Wonderful tips Nancy!! These will help out so many momma's contemplateing whether or not to get those ears pierced. I think they look so adorable. But I've got a boy sooooooo…
Thanks, I've been asked a lot and lots of my traffic leads them here because of previous ear piercing posts. LOL. Are you planning on having any more little ones, maybe you'll have a girl next time around!
Great post, as always! You know, I have received A LOT of flack for this same thing! I even waited until Little One was 8 months old. People still told me I was inflicting unnecessary pain and "mutilating" my baby. The thing is, I felt that if I got it done at a young age, she wouldn't remember the pain. Luckily for us, she never even realized (and still doesn't) that they're even there! She never pulled or tugged at them and doesn't mind me cleaning and turning them. Sure, I could have waited until she was old enough to make her own decision.
Great post.
Thank-you love, OMG, mutilating? Seriously, that's awful to say. But, glad you did what you wanted to do.
Mutilated your daughter that is ridiculous. I also pierced my daughter’s ears at 4 months and some don’t agree and I respect their opinion as they should respect mine. She is my daughter. I agree that they should not remember the incident either.
I agree!
I want to get my daughter’s done while she’s 4 months. Did you have any problems with her being in pain while sleeping on her sides or nursing if you nurse her?
U took ur daughter at 4 months did she cry because my daughter barely turn 5 months and I want to do her ears as well but I’m a little too nervous to take her
Good tips whether you are piercing a baby or an older child or even yourself. Keeping them clean is a must. Infection is much worse than piercing for sure!
Thank-you, yes, definitely good for anyone seeking aftercare tips. I know I've used them on my girls and myself.
My daughter has had her ears done since she was four months old. My mother waited until I was four to do mine and I remember how scary it was for me even though I wanted it. K doesn't remember the pinch, she didn't even cry! I also took precautionary care with them!
If you take care of them as you said and there are no issues people should just mind their own beeswax! Your baby looks adorable!!
I think so too Alyssa, that's why when I get snide remarks I don't take it personal. I don't really care what people think. Just like I respect other people's parenting decisions. I'm confident in mine and I know that eventually they would have asked for them. I had mine done pretty much the day I came home from the hospital.
My oldest was just over 6 months i believe, no problems… and my youngest was maybe 5(one of her ears has a pinched lobe so we waited, but the one never really healed so we took them out – booo)
Aww, that's a shame, sometimes they don't like them or don't take to them. Which is okay, my littlest doesn't wear them most times while her sister wears them all the time.
Great article! I decided against this when my girls were young and now I see it might have been a better. My 6 year old wants her ears pierced but is scared to do it. My baby now is a boy but if I ever have another girl, I think I will pierce her ears.
I think some people can be harsh but, ultimately you know what's best for your kids. I think it's better for that exact reason, they get scared even though they want them. 😛 That's my humble opinion though.
Hello,
Thanks for these tips! I just got my 9 mo old daughters ears pierced last night and love it! I was curious what anticeptic you used.
Thanks,
Amy
Hi Amy, I've talked to lots of moms with differing opinions but, a lot of them tell me that they wish they had done it younger, others say that they are happy they did it young and while others are adamant on not doing it. I used the antiseptic that I had bought at my piercers. I'm not quite sure the brand. But, the reason why you need antiseptic is that you are treating a wound. There are infected wounds (that need to be treated with antibiotics) and then your piercing which is an uninfected wound that needs to be kept clean to avoid infection.
Thanks for the tips! .. I'm getting my daughters this Friday and was looking for this info! .. she will be 5 months old … I was looking to get them pierced in her 3 month but ped suggested a month we didn't have any vaccinations scheduled.
People who make snide remarks are ignorant .. my niece is 6 and she didn't have her ears pierced .. she used to cry everyday after school because she wanted to have earings like the other girls .. yet she understood the pain and was scared to go through with it … sad.
Thank you!
You're welcome, I wish you all the best with the piercings. I think it's best at a young age and people who have their two cents can keep them. I brush them off because there is no sense trying to reason. My 8 year-old loves her earrings, they make her feel girly.
Some people have pointed out to me that you shouldn't use a gun, either. I had no idea but apparently those cannot be cleaned to the extent of just using a needle. (Or maybe that information's dated, I don't know.)
That said, I don't have kids but if I ever have them and decide to pierce their ears, I plan on doing so around 2 months. It's not a matter of personal desire for what the baby looks like, for me. When I demanded to get my ears pierced and my parents allowed, I freaked out so much with the first ear that I flinched on the second one. My piercings are forever unequal and the one I flinched on looks almost like the ear is torn. Better to do it when the kid's too young to move, IMO, and if the kid doesn't like dealing with pierced ears they can just take the earrings out, unlike me – I can't wear earrings without people commenting on how weird my ears look now, so I just don't.
tl;dr: I wish my mom had done it when I too young to really move that much in response to the piercing and unable to be anxious about it! I don't blame her at all for taking me when she did instead of making me wait until I was eighteen – I was really pushy about it, I remember. But what happened basically made it so I could never wear earrings, because the piecings have never sealed back up so that I could have a chance at it being done properly. If something like that happens during a piercing, the pierced person has to live with it for life, assuming it doesn't heal up for them like me.
I think baby piercing are darling. All my girls get pierced at 1 day on the way home from the hospital 🙂
Many congratulations having both your girls ears pierced when they were infants. I have two daughters and took the decision that each of them would have their ears pierced when they were six weeks old and we are really glad we did. The salon where I have my hair done offers an ear piercing service from six weeks and the lady who does my hair strongly advises her customers with baby girls to let her pierce their ears pierced from six weeks. She pierced her own three daughters at six weeks and has recently pierced her first granddaughter at six weeks. My partner and I were both a little worried about it to start with but with our older daughter agreed to have her start wearing earrings from six weeks. We had no problems with them and when our second daughter was born, we did not hesitate to have this little girl done too. Our girls love wearing earrings and keep changing them trying on new ones. Girls at their school who do not have ears pierced (about half) are very envious of girls who do (the other half). We would advise all moms of little girls to have their ears pierced as babies – it really is a lot less trouble and does look very cute !
Hey there, I’ve just pierced my daughters ears she is 15 months on wednesday and on Saturday she is going for her injections, did I do the wrong thing? Nobody told me I needed to wait if she was due for her injections. Also how do you get your daughter to sit still to clean them? She screams and squirms away from me when I try to clean them, when they actually pierced her ear though she didn’t cry and it didn’t bother her. I’m just so worried about infection. Please any tips. My mom wasn’t to happy about me doing it so I can’t go and visit her and ask her to hold my child down and my husband is away for work for a few months.
I don\’t think there is a wrong or right Keisha, I waited until she had her shots as an extra precaution. But, my eldest daughter, I got her ears done at 6 weeks old. If she\’s having a hard time during cleaning and turning time, do it while she takes a nap or goes to bed for the night. You have to be stealthy but, make sure to clean them! I think if you make it traumatizing, she will always be afraid. Try to make it fun and maybe award her with stickers. 🙂 Don\’t feel bad for the decision you made for YOUR child. Please let me know how it goes, I hope it works out!
Soak a cotton ball and squish it so it RUNS out. It will be wet, but job will be done. Rotate while she's in your lap reading a book, as she's aleep, or dare I say watching tv. Probably do this before cleaning it.
I am planning on having my daughters ears pierced next month after her two month vaccinations. I have done my research and talked to other piercing mothers a tip that I have heard and had confirmed by my paediatrician is to use Elma cream applied one hour before in order to numb the site. Another tip is to find a place that does both ears at once.
Thanks for the article I just thought I’d add my thoughts!
Thank-you those are great tips. Yes! Totally forgot to add that. Both done at once works beautifully! I will add your tip and credit you! Also, best wishes on piercing them Jessy!
Thanks for that. I will get the cream so it helps her feel less pain. I just thought of something else. Has anyone used this cream to numb the area where they need to be vaccinated?
what is a good age to ensure proper placement? I would hate for them to be crooked later
Question?? I was wondering if or where can I get order or take my baby for ear piercing that has a infant back (flat) to the earring? I went to Clair’s but all their earrings look so long and I am afraid it will poke into her skin when she sleeps.
-concerned mamma
I\’m not quite sure where you can find these. I never had a problem when I went to a salon to their piercings.
I have a 3 month old I want to get her ears done but just been afraid she’ll be in too much pain. :-/ how did your little ones act after piercing….did it hurt for them to sleep on them or when you held them/rocked them? Did it seem like their ears bothered them at all the few days/weeks after having it done?
Hello Brittany, my girls both cried at the initial piercing. When I comforted them, they were fine. Soon after that, they had forgotten about them. They did not show discomfort when I held them or rocked them. The first few cleanings and turnings were uncomfortable but, I tried to clean them and turn them when they slept. I definitely do not regret doing it. My girls are older now and they absolutely love this earrings now. Good luck!
Hi
Thank you for your article, I had my daughters ears pierced today (7 months old) and all she did was blink, did not cry once! 🙂 just wanted to ask what u clean your daughters ears with? As I was told you cant get them wet for the first 3 days i was told? I am still using the sterile drops
I used anti-septic from the get-go. I just made sure to turn them! I\’m not sure about not getting them wet, I have never heard of that.
I am all for piercing when their babies. I teach first grade, and every little girl who gets her ears pierced ends up with infected ears. My daughters had them done when they were six months, four months, and five months- not one problem. I had mine done when I was two months old, and I can go years without without wearing them and they never close. If you're willing to circumcise a boy you should have no hesitation piercing your little girls years. After the first minute, or when given a boob, they never seem to act like it bothers them anyway.
These are terrific tips. I debated getting my girls' ears pierced as babies but with them being twins, I had enough on my plate to worry about the aftercare. Now, I wish that I had done it after reading your post.
All great tips. As long as you are taking the precautions and doing the proper aftercare I don't see anything wrong with doing their ears when they are babies.
These are perfect tips I will past to my friend ,she is getting the little ones(7 month) ears done on Saturday
I’m a bit confused why children need to get there ears pierced? If they don’t have it now when it will be less painful it will be worse later? I don’t care if you do or don’t pierce your kids ears but is this seriously the argument for it?
There really is not an argument here, if a parent chooses to pierce their ears–that is up to them. I do not think it is less painful, babies still feel pain but, both my daughters have NO memory of getting their ears pierced. In that sense, it is easier. Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for sharing these great tips,i also think the younger the better.
Sister in law waited way too long with my neice at 3 or 4 to pierce her ears. After a long car ride the earings disappeared and holes closed up. My coming baby girl is going to get her ears pierced as soon as I can. Maybe two months or so. I went threw circumcision with the boy, I feel like it is the same concept.
In some ways. It works for me, of course many disagree but, I feel it works much better when you do it younger. Good luck!
Great post, although I don't know how I feel about piercing.
Thanks, it is not for everyone! 🙂
Need some help! My daughter’s earring came out today, so I took it out the other (think I could change them to a new pair that might stay in better). Now she is freaking everytime I try to get the earrings back in! I have tried holding her, and tried Dad holding her but she has a complete melt down when we go near her ears! Her ears look fine and have looked fine all day. Now long do we have until the grow in and does anyone have any advice for getting them back in???
Need some help! My daughter’s earring came out today, so I took it out the other (think I could change them to a new pair that might stay in better). Now she is freaking everytime I try to get the earrings back in! I have tried holding her, and tried Dad holding her but she has a complete melt down when we go near her ears! Her ears look fine and have looked fine all day. Now long do we have until the grow in and does anyone have any advice for getting them back in??? Help 🙁
Hello there, have you tried putting them on while she is asleep?
Hi,
I’m conflicted. I’m a Nigerian and the practice is one your baby girl is born, her ears are pierced. I have a CS. Had twins. A boy n a girl. I was still in recovery and the babies were with my in laws. The next day, I saw my baby girl’s wars pierced. Weeks later I found out that one of the piercings was on her cartilage. Got infected. I took it out. When it got repierce, the foolish nurse didn’t even wait to confirm the position. She just did it. Now my baby is one year old. I intend to pierce again in the correct position but somewhere else. Both piercings are high. Looks weird.
Now my question is, if I take out her earrings now and never put anything in it, Will it close up over time as she is still young or will she has 2 ear piercings since she has been wearing earrings for a while now?
Sorry for the typo. Was in a hurry
From my own experience, if the piercing is not left in for too long, they tend to close up with no issue. The longer they are in, they longer they stay open. I have had piercings in that have got infected and I took out the piercing and it healed closed but, you can feel a tiny bump and see where the piercing was. Everyone heals differently but, the less time in the less visible it will be. Using myself as an example, I had a nose piercing and only had it in it for months. Took it out, healed and no scar, closed. Good luck!
Sorry for my long leave. Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it.
No worries, hope it worked out!
Hi! We’re looking at having my daughter’s ears pierced for her first bday but it would be the day before her party. Do you remember any significant redness?
It was red the day of but, do not remember significant redness or swelling the next day. Just take care of them properly! Good luck and Happy Birthday!
These are such great tips that are helping my sister care for her little one is ears
Thanks so much! Glad it helped her!
Great tips , I used to pierce ears and while I didn’t get my daughters done yet she’s 2.5 I I certainly see why parents would , II really bothers me that people think it’s their right to make judgements on this subject . Choosing where to get it done and the aftercare are so important
I completely agree!
Ive had my daughters ears pierced since she was 2, shes 5 now.Every once in a while she’ll get an infection on the piercing. I leave the ear rings on at all times. How am i suppose to care for them?
What I made sure to do was to clean them everyday and turn them. Make sure that the earrings are not too tight, they need room to move and be sure to tell her not to touch them.
Everyone got a different view my daughter was 5 but i wish i had done it earlier.
My sister thought these tips were very helpful with the care of her daughter ears
So glad to hear that!
Hi. My granddaughter has had her ears pierced since she was a few months old and she is now 3. She lost
an earring this morning..She is refusing to let me put the earring back in. How long before the hole closes up?
I can’t tell you specifically since everyone heals differently. But, my DD healed pretty quickly. Try to grab her during a nap!
I had my daughter ears pierced when she was 1 year old. I cared less about what people thought about it but worried about about the care after the piercing. Everything went well until after 3 months. One of her ear started bleeding and with all the caution it still happened that I must have yanked it accidentally when taking her shirt off. It took 2 weeks to heal and it’s painful during the healing process. Because of the trauma, she constantly fight with me when I try to clean her ears. Did you continue cleaning the ears and turning the earrings everyday after 2 months?
I continued until she was fully healed and the earrings turned with no issue.
This was a perfect article, my granddaughter had her ears done at 6 months and my daughter is glad she got them done early, she doesn’t know she has them in and never bothers with her ears, and they look so cute on her too
I love how they look too!
Kinda wish I’d done my daughters ears when she was a baby…
I did it with both my girls.
I love all the great tips and I think it’s up to the discretion of the parents whether they want to pierce the baby’s ears or not.Personally I think they look adorable when they get it done.
Me too! I think they look so adorable!
Your tips are very good but no I did not pierce my daughter’s ears.
Thanks!
I’m a dad so don’t know much about earrings. Just had my daughters’ ears pierced today at Claire’s. They instructed me to clean and rotate the posts three times per day.
Rotating the post seems tough to do, as it hurts my girls as much as the initial piercing did. I think they may have slid the back too far onto the post, so that the earrings and backings are compressing the lobe. Which is what’s making them resistant to rotation. Could that be right? Can I loosen them up a bit without doing any harm, so that they rotate easier?
I think you should be fine to loosen them a bit. If they are too tight, that can cause them to get infected too. Try dousing them with some antiseptic to loosen up the crust that sometimes builds up.
I pierced my daughter’s ears recently at 12 months old. They really look so adorable on her, but I make sure I’m on it to clean them properly. I was instructed to rotate the earrings back and forth. Is that the same thing as rotating clockwise or counterclockwise? I guess my question is should it matter? Also, I find it a challenge to clean her ears as my daughter is quite fiesty. She doesn’t like being messed with. lol I think because of the struggle, I may have caught some of the cotton tip on her earring because after her bath, as I was drying her ears I saw some wet white stuff. I was scared it was pus at first. But, the area did not look infected. I cleaned it off easily. Is there another method I can use to clean her piercing besides using a q-tip?
To be honest, I do not think it matters if it is back and forth or counter clockwise etc. I think it is important to just keep them moving and rotating so that it doesn’t start healing over it and it gets crusty and then when it does move, it hurts. I am not sure what else you can use. Maybe cotton pads? I would stay away from using any other fabric or something reusable because of bacteria. Again, I am not an expert but, this is what I would do.
I really want to pierce my daughter who is almost 6 months. I have read everything I can possibly find on the topics of piercing and piercing babies. My one question that I have left can only be answered by seasoned mommies who have pierced their babes. Is it true that earlobes grow out and downward which makes piercings become lower with age? Or have your daughters piercings stayed in the same centered locations where they were pierced? Thank you so much for you time and experience!
Hi MJ, my oldest is now 14 years old and she was pierced very young. Her lobes have not shifted and are still centered perfectly! My youngest is 8 and hers are perfect too.
Hi, I got my daughter’s ears pierced today .old fashioned way..as u said..! By thread and needle.! Nurse prescribed me to use alcohol twice a day for 5 days.
Is that okay? Also when to remove thread and put earrings?
Thank you in advance:)
I always advise that you follow your caregiver’s instructions. Personally, for me, alcohol tends to dry out the piercing. I used an antiseptic solution and it works well for us. I only know about piercings but, that is usually 6-8 weeks.
Doctor suggested us to remove the thread after 7-10 days and put gold earrings.we are really clueless what to do.! Won’t it be too early to do that?
I would do what the doctor suggests. I think it may sound a bit early but, it may be to prevent the body from growing over it and healing. Once earrings are in, you can begin turning and cleaning them regularly.
Whatis the best antiseptic we can buy here in thephilippines for my babys newly pierced ears
Sorry, I am in the US/Canada and not sure what you have available there. It is always best to ask a doctor or pharmacist what they recommend.