Children’s Ear Piercing is one of our specialties at Contempo Jewelers. We should know, we have been piercing ears for over 20 years!!
In fact, Dr. Robyn Cadet, and Dr. Daniel Camillery, two prominent pediatricians on Long Island, highly recommend us for infant/baby ear piercing. And “YES” we pierced both of their kids ears!!
Here are answers to the most common questions about ear piercing.
‘What age is best?
Wait until after 3 months to make sure your baby’s ear lobes are developed and she has received her first set of vaccines. We have a highly experienced staff who can pierce all ages. I’ve also had a few kindergartners who after piercing one ear, refuse to get the other ear pierced. NO worries, I always get the job done!! (We are extremely patient with all situations)
What should piercing studs be made of?
We prefer to use 14k white or yellow gold earrings that are nickel free and come from the factory in a sterilized package. Unlike some places that use stainless steel earrings, 14kt. gold earrings allow for beautifully designed earrings that don’t need to be changed for many months.
Are the piercing tools sterilized?
I use a piercing gun, that is simply a tool that holds the cartridge and pushes the earrings into the ears. We also have a great selection of ear piercing earrings, from simple studs to fancy flowers. Little girls love them !!
How do you ensure the holes are symmetrical?
Nobody has perfectly symmetrical earlobes, so when placing “dots” on the ears, I take accurate measurements, but also look to make sure the holes are visually symmetrical and look great. I tell parents that I can hit the “dot” exactly, so I want them to make sure they like the position of the dots before we go ahead and pierce.
Other factors to consider:
Make sure your child does not have soccer, karate or another sport where she has to remove piercing studs for at least 2 months or holes will close. Also, it’s best to avoid hanging or heavy earrings for at least 6 months after a new piercing as it can pull on the hole and create a larger or elongated hole. Also, we advise to keep earrings in as long as possible to maintain the longevity of the hole.
Make sure the person piercing your or your child’s ears has many years of experience…I have over 20 years piercing baby’s ears !! It’s your child and if not done properly, trust me, you don’t want your child suffering or having here earrings uneven.
How long should you wait before changing earrings?
Ideal time to leave in piercing studs is 4-8 weeks because piercing studs are a bit thicker and over time the holes contract. For infants, I like to wait 3 months, but older children and teens can switch out their earrings after 2 months.
What’s the best way to care for earlobes after piercing?
We recommend ear piercing solution made by the company that we purchase our earrings from. I find it’s more gentle on the ears than solutions purchased over the counter.
If you mention this blog article, I will give it to you FREE after I pierce your child’s ears.
Always wash your hands before touching the ear lobes and use the solution to clean the front and back twice a day for the first month. Continue cleaning the earlobes and earrings with solution every time you put new earrings on to prevent infection.
Signs to look for after piercing that something may be wrong.
Although I’ve never seen an infection in ears I have pierced. If your child complains of any soreness, or you notice redness or puss at the site of piercing, see your doctor right away.
Sometimes, if it is a mild infection or irritation I can save the earring, by cleaning and using a strong antibiotic ointment at the site. Sometimes it is worse and the earring needs to be removed, oral antibiotics are prescribed and after a period of time (6 to 12 months) the ear can be re-pierced. In rare instances, the infection is so bad that the earring backing is “swallowed” by the earlobe. This can be challenging to remove the earring backing from the ear lobe and clear up the infection. As you can imagine, it’s no fun for the patient either.
Take home message:
If you are considering piercing your child’s ears, consider doing it sooner vs later and contact us at Contempo Jewelers to assure it’s a quality, professional and safe piercing.
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