Children's Earlobe Piercings

One of the questions we get most often is “Do you pierce children’s earlobes”? The answer is an enthusiastic YES! We are happy to pierce children ages 4 and up with mom or dad present. (Parents will need to bring their ID and their child’s birth certificate) Children’s earlobe piercing is one of the most rewarding services we offer. It is a privilege to get kids started out right: with a safe piercing, implant grade jewelry, attention to placement, but above all else- a focus on a positive experience.

In recent years, parents have become more and more wary about having their children’s ears pierced with a reusable “piercing gun”. We think that wariness is well placed. The Association of Professional Piercers says “While piercing guns may seem to be a quick, easy and convenient way of creating holes, they have major drawbacks in terms of sterility, tissue damage and inappropriate jewelry design”.

How we pierce children’s ears

Ear piercings at Gamma are performed the same way any of our piercings are. We use sterilized implant grade body jewelry, and sterile, single use needles and tools to perform the piercing. We don’t believe there is a safe ear piercing gun design, so we never use ear piercing guns.

The jewelry we use is, more often than not, a “flat-back” stud design. This prevents pointy ends from digging in to your child’s neck when they sleep! It also means that butterfly backs are a distant memory as well. No more getting hair wrapped into those clasps! And no worrying that the clasp is going to be made of a different material that will oxidize over time.

Our gemstones are expertly set in the United States into implant grade titanium, implant grade steel, 14 karat gold, 18 karat gold and platinum settings. Our jewelry is guaranteed against manufacturer’s defects and we’ve taken every possible step to eliminate chance of allergic reaction.

Pre-piercing Consultations are Strongly Suggested

An earlobe piercing is often the very first decision a child will make about their own body. That is an important decision, one that the child should be coached through by their parents and their piercer. At Gamma, we encourage our young clients (and their parents) to visit the shop before they actually get pierced. This way, we can explain how the piercing will be performed, how the jewelry works, and how the aftercare will be done. We love the chance to answer your questions, your child’s questions, and to discuss issues you may not have even considered. We can pick out jewelry and even make some marks on your child’s ears. We have found that visiting our store beforehand makes the piercing significantly easier on both the child and the parent, and often gives a child who is “on the fence” the information they need to really decide whether they want to go through with the piercing or not. We also strongly suggest watching our video aftercare tutorial before deciding to get pierced.

Will it hurt?

We believe this is a very important question, and one that we have a responsibility to answer honestly. “Yes. It’s a lot like getting a shot at the doctor”. It isn’t bad though! Most of our young clients leave smiling and proud of themselves. For others, it can be a bit tougher. No matter what, our piercing staff is there to guide the whole family through the process and make it as easy as possible.

What if my son or daughter wants to back out?

The piercers at Gamma believe it is very important to take “no” for an answer from your child. Getting their ears pierced was their decision! Forcing them to go through with it is traumatic for all of us: parents, piercers, but especially the child. Ear piercings aren’t worth it! Yes, that means occasionally we deal with a little ‘wasted’ time. From our point of view it’s always worth it to stop, wait, and deliver the best experience possible, even if that means no piercings are performed that day.

Can I bring my own jewelry?

Unfortunately, no. As members of the Association of Professional Piercers, we really must insist on implant grade materials for initial piercings, and we must have the paperwork to back that up. Often, ear piercings can heal in as little as two to three months. Once the piercings are healed, you can change them to other styles of jewelry.

How much will it cost?

Gamma Piercing charges a piercing procedure fee of $50 for paired children’s ear piercings, plus the cost of jewelry. Our most popular jewelry for these piercings is an 18 gauge (1 mm thick) flatback or barbell style “post”, with a pushpin gemstone. These start at $120 plus tax for a pair. Our average children’s ear lobe piercing ends up costing (in total) $170 to $200 depending on the options you choose.

How do we prevent infection?

Our aftercare information is located here, and familiarizing yourself with the aftercare before deciding to get pierced is strongly encouraged.

The best policy is to make sure your son or daughter is empowered to clean the piercings, as well as communicate problems to you. We are here to help, and can put a nervous parents mind at ease. That said, if you believe you see a legitimate infection, see a doctor immediately.

We will need to take precautions against touching, removing, or changing jewelry while the piercing is healing. We will also want your son or daughter to avoid swimming while they are healing.

The complication we see most often is moisture related. We recommend against sleeping with wet hair, as this can cause irritation to the healing piercing.

A lot of times kids are jokingly referred to as “wet behind the ears”, but we have found that a buildup of moisture is THE most common issue with children’s earlobe piercings. Moisture results in a telltale “bump” on the back of the ear (sometime on the exit of the piercing, sometimes next to the piercing toward the junction of the ear and the neck). This bump does not respond to changes in material (a material reaction would look like blisters on both sides of the piercing). The most common fix for this is doing our absolute best to prevent children from having wet hair for long periods of time, and wiping the back of the ear with a rubbing alcohol swab to encourage the driest environment possible.

The good news is this: true infection is extremely unlikely. In general, the small problems that can creep up with an earlobe piercing are usually fixed with small adjustments in aftercare. We strongly encourage our clients to visit us for free follow-up consultations, even if all is well we absolutely love seeing how your piercings are healing and making sure jewelry is working out as planned.