When a girl grows up in a family, the question of ear piercing one day comes up in front of her parents in all its frightening glory. Since there are no definite universal advice on this matter, moms and dads are lost in conjecture - when and how to pierce the ears of their daughter and is it not dangerous? We will talk about this in detail in this article.
A bit of history
Humanity learned to pierce its ears almost simultaneously with the use of stone axes and other tools that propelled civilization far ahead. At different times, the pierced ears of representatives of a particular people or tribe could tell a lot about a person - these decorations reflected his social status and well-being. In the Middle Ages, Europeans sincerely believed that a piercing of one ear improves vision, and therefore travelers and pirates wore an earring in their ear.
The tradition of ear piercing was widespread not only among women, but also among men.
Many eminent persons and members of royal families wore an earring in their ear. Earrings are still considered jewelry today. Mostly female. But it happens that the ear is also pierced in a child-boy, if he is brought up in a family of great originals.
There are many types of ear piercings - it is not only a standard earlobe piercing, but also curly punctures in other parts of the auricle, and not in one place. Typically, this type of piercing is chosen by young people, less often by teenagers. For children, parents in most cases choose a traditional earlobe puncture. Despite the apparent simplicity, this manipulation raises a lot of questions, doubts and worries.
Optimal age
The main question concerns the age at which the baby's ears can be pierced. There is no single standard here. It all depends on what opinion the parents came to at the family council. Some daughters pierce their ears as soon as the baby is 5-6 months old, others wait for a more conscious age - 10-14 years. Often, parents deliberately go to puncture the earlobe of a newborn.
Ear piercing is a traumatic procedure, whatever one may say. From the point of view of child psychologists, it is better to conduct it when the child, due to age, cannot remember either positive or negative experiences - up to a year. The baby, of course, will be hurt. But not for long. And there will be no memories of this. The same opinion is shared by many mothers who remember the personal, not always positive experience of ear piercing at an older age.
Most pediatricians and surgeons are inclined to believe that it is better to pierce the ears of a child no earlier than the baby is 3 years old.
This position has serious arguments:
- local immunity in babies is insufficiently developed, and therefore the process of wound healing can be longer and more painful for a child;
- babies cannot consciously relate to a foreign object in their ear, which are earrings, so one should not expect a respectful attitude from them. Children under 3 years old can cling to earrings while playing, while dressing, and this is fraught with rupture of the earlobe and severe pain;
- even sturdy and good earrings can be unfastened from time to time. A brilliant interesting object cannot but interest the child, the baby can taste it, swallow or inhale it;
- even a minor mistake by a specialist who will do the piercing can damage the nerve endings concentrated in the earlobe;
- at an early age, there is a high probability of developing an allergic reaction to the metals that are part of the earrings.
Thus, the answer to the question of how many years or months to pierce a child's ears should be given only by specific parents of a particular child.
Unfortunately, mothers are often motivated not by the desire to make the child better, but to create the appearance of well-being. Therefore, the baby is carried to pierce the ears only for the reason that the neighbor's girl already has golden earrings in the lobes, that the daughters of her friends have already pierced ears almost from birth.
From this point of view, it is wiser to let the child make his own choice. If a girl, having reached a certain age, wants to wear earrings herself, it will not be too late to meet her desire and take her to a beauty parlor or salon in order to pierce her ears. Medicine does not set strict age limits for the procedure. Therefore, the age for piercing can be any. From the point of view of the technical execution of the puncture, there is not much difference in how old or months old the child is.
Right moment
If the question of age has already been resolved, the next most relevant question is at what time it is better to pierce the girl's ears. Firstly, at the time of the procedure, the baby must be healthy, any problems - teething teeth, a runny nose, a cough must first be cured and only then sent to the piercing. Second, it's important to consider the time of year. It is convenient to pierce ears in the summer, because the child does not wear hats, and the risk of mechanical injury to still unhealed wounds in the lobes is minimal. But the risk of infection increases during hot months, because the child is sweating, it is hot outside, dust flies.
Winter is not the best option due to the need to wear a hat, and also because of the likelihood of overcooling the ears injured by the piercing.
The best time for ear piercing is quite rightly considered the end of spring and the beginning of autumn.
May and late August-early September - the most convenient months for this, when there is no risk of inadvertently injuring the ears with a hat or scarf, and there is no pronounced heat, the risk of infection is significantly reduced.
Training
It would not be superfluous to visit a pediatrician before piercing the ears. He will examine the child, give recommendations. The fact is that the procedure is not allowed for all children for safety reasons. We will describe below who should not have their ears pierced.
If the doctor approves of the parents' desire, then, with his support, you can start choosing a salon or an office that deals with ear piercing. It is important to navigate not only for the price list of the organization, but also for reviews of its work, which, if desired, can always be found on the Internet.
You should not focus too much on the child's attention on the upcoming procedure, so as not to frighten him, but it is also not necessary to keep silent about the details. If the girl already understands reasonable explanations, it is worth telling her about the upcoming manipulation, avoiding, however, "bloody" details.
On the appointed day, you need to behave calmly and casually. Be sure to wash your child's hair to keep the hair clean. You should also make sure that the neck and the ears themselves are clean.
Piercing methods
There are several ways to pierce a girl's ears. It was in the days of our grandmothers that the puncture was carried out exclusively with a needle, today the manipulations are carried out in a more humane and less traumatic manner. There are three main ways to make neat holes in your earring lobes.
Studex 75 system
This is the most innovative ear piercing method that came to Russia not so long ago. The Studex System 75 is a disposable body piercing device designed and manufactured in the USA. The device looks like a stationery stapler. According to the principle of action, there is also something in common. This method is considered the most humane for piercing children's ears. The device pierces the skin of the lobes completely silently, so the child will not be frightened at the moment the lobe breaks through.
A puncture with the help of an American device is quite painless, and due to the absence of the fact of skin rupture, the wound heals much faster and gives the child much less unpleasant minutes.
Among the disadvantages of the innovation system is the rather limited choice of jewelry options. Parents will not be able to immediately insert those earrings that they have looked after and bought for a child, since quite specific medical earrings are filled into the device and there is no other option. True, large salons with this technology offer an assortment of medical jewelry, some even have a special children's design. The composition of medical earrings resembles the composition of surgical instruments - it is titanium and hypoallergenic medical steel.
Another disadvantage is the relatively high cost of the procedure. On average, it is 2-2.5 times higher than normal ear piercing. On the other hand, System 75 opens up tremendous opportunities for parents of babies who do not want to injure the child and frighten him. The device can pierce the ears of a child, even when he is sleeping. The procedure is simple - the device is brought to the earlobe, the master presses the trigger - and the earring is in the ear in an already buttoned state.
Puncture with a special "pistol"
This is also a hardware method to make piercing, but for a puncture they use a device that really looks very much like a gun. The device is reusable, which theoretically increases the likelihood of infection. However, before use, both the earlobe and the part of the device that will come into contact with the skin must be disinfected without fail.
The "pistol" shoots a sterile "nail" into the place on the child's earlobe indicated in advance with a thin marker. The master does not have to fasten the “stud” manually, this process is automatic. The undoubted advantages of the method are in the speed and relative painlessness of the process. However, the "pistol" works noisily, the baby will feel the moment of the puncture and hear what may frighten him.
Another disadvantage is the lack of sterility of the method, because the device is reusable and a lot will depend on how anxious about disinfection issues are in the salon. In addition, history knows examples when the device "got stuck" and did not fire at the right moment. The "carnations" themselves are made of medical steel, they are hypoallergenic, but their choice is very scarce.
Despite this, the “pistol” method of piercing children's ears is quite popular and widespread.
Manual puncture
This is an old and time-tested method. It cannot be called painless, but it opens up additional opportunities. So, when piercing with special needles for piercing, the master has the opportunity to choose the size of the needle, according to the size of the lobe. An experienced craftsman guesses the right size almost intuitively, while not injuring the nerve endings of the lobe.
After a manual puncture with a needle, it is possible to insert into the ears not "studs" and earrings-needles, but the pair of jewelry that parents have chosen with love for their daughter in a jewelry store. This is convenient because then you will not need to replace temporary medical earrings with permanent ones. The way is hard for a child's perception, after all, one kind of needle can lead some children into a state of hysteria. Moreover, he cannot be called bloodless.
The possibility of infection exists even if the master has carefully processed both the needle and the earlobe.
Such a procedure is much cheaper than the automatic methods described above. But, taking into account all the disadvantages and disadvantages, the method is not too popular for children's piercing, and this is quite reasonable.
Choosing the first earrings
Choosing the first ear jewelry for a little princess is a crucial moment. It is important that the earrings are not only comfortable and beautiful, but also safe for the baby's health. In order not to talk about the merits and healing properties of titanium and silver, the best option for a child is gold earrings. Moreover, the higher the purity of gold, the less likely it is to develop an allergic reaction to the metal.
In case of severe allergies, earrings "do not take root", the ears are inflamed and festering for a long time, hurt and cause a lot of trouble. As a result, it happens that you have to completely remove the earrings and let the ears overgrow themselves calmly.
So that such a scenario does not become your reality, it is better not to risk it and immediately buy the girl 999 earrings. Today, on the shelves of jewelry stores, there are many children's jewelry made of jewelry alloys. Despite their high cost, belonging to well-known brands, they are not suitable as the first jewelry after ear piercing. If desired, later, when the wound is completely healed, it will be possible to change the earrings.
It is best to change earrings for silver or alloy products then, when the child fully adapts to wearing jewelry in the ears, this should be done in dosage, carefully observing whether an inadequate reaction of the body appears on the new jewelry - redness, inflammation, the formation of a purulent plug.
The first earrings should not pull back on the lobe, so it is important that they are light in weight and small in size.
You should not choose designer original models with sharp elements, protruding edges. It is better to choose smooth and even decorations, with a secure lock. For the first couple, it is better to opt for an English or French type of castle.
Pendant earrings look elegant and stylish on teenage girls, but this type of jewelry is not suitable for a little girl. Pendants and any hanging elements can cling to hair and clothes, the baby can catch them during a passionate game. This is fraught with breakage of the earring and earlobe injury.
When choosing earrings taking into account all the above safety requirements, do not forget to consult with your daughter herself. If she is at an age at which children are able to express their preferences, it is imperative to ask her opinion about the product.
Contraindications for the procedure
Not all babies can have their ears pierced. Like any procedure involving interference with the activity of the body, piercing has very specific contraindications. So, if the child has diseases of the organs of hearing or vision, it is better to refrain from the procedure. This also applies to temporary problems with these sense organs - otitis media, conjunctivitis, myopia or strabismus.
After correction of diseases with the permission of a doctor - ENT or ophthalmologist — ears can be pierced. Piercing is contraindicated in children with diabetes mellitus and a congenital tendency to form keloid scars on the skin (this fact can be established by visiting a dermatologist).
Recently suffered traumatic brain injuries, as well as existing neurological diseases, are also an indication for refusing to pierce the ears. If a girl from birth is prone to allergic reactions to food, medicines, detergents, then it is better to postpone the piercing.
Certain blood diseases, especially those associated with a low platelet count, may also be a contraindication to the procedure. You should not pierce the ears of a child with HIV infection and other ailments associated with a state of immunodeficiency. After suffering an infectious disease (any), it is better to wait at least a month before going on earlobe piercing.
It is categorically contraindicated to pierce the ears of a child with mental illness, as well as with epilepsy, since the procedure can provoke a severe painful attack.
Doctors do not recommend the procedure to children with congenital heart defects.
Post-procedure care
How careful and correct the care of the child's pierced ears will be depends on how the lobes will heal and how long the baby will experience inconvenience:
- Bathing. Bathing a child after ear piercing is not worth at least the first 3-5 days. Do not wash your hair, take your child to the bathhouse or swimming pool. Many viruses and bacteria are transmitted with water, in addition, the chlorine contained in the pool water can cause severe inflammation if it gets into the wound. You can wash your face, but with care, avoiding getting soap and water on the earlobes. Open bodies of water, including the sea, should be avoided for the first month.
- Physical exercise... For a week after the puncture, the child should be protected from physical exertion, active games associated with movement. In the process of physical activity, sweating increases, and the ingress of sweat into an unhealed wound is not only dangerous from the point of view of possible infection, but also quite painful.
- Hairstyle... It is important to ensure that the girl's hair does not come into contact with the earlobes. To do this, it is best to make her a high tail, a bun at the back of her head.
- Replacing earrings... Earrings that are in the earlobes during the puncture should remain there for at least one and a half months. This is how long it takes for the traumatic canal in the tissues to heal completely and be able to calmly "perceive" the change of jewelry.
- Wound treatment. Wounds need to be treated at least three times a day - preferably in the morning, afternoon and evening. The best way to do this is to use hydrogen peroxide. Alcohol-containing products, including vodka, are best left to similar procedures in adults and adolescents. For children, alcoholic liquids are completely contraindicated even locally. During the treatment, peroxide is dripped onto the wounds and gently roll the "carnation" around its axis. If there is a gold earring with a bow in the ear, you can move the bow back and forth.
For treatment, you can use antiseptic agents such as "Miramistin", "Chlorhexidine", when suppuration appears, you can apply antibiotic ointment to the wound - "Levomekol" or "Erythromycin".
If everything is done in a timely manner and correctly, if the child does not touch the ears during the recovery period, then the wound in the lobe heals quickly enough - from 2 weeks to one and a half months.
Possible consequences
Puncture of the ears, if carried out in compliance with hygienic rules, in the sterile conditions of a special clinic or office, rarely leads to complications. More often complications occur with self-piercing at home with a non-sterile sewing needle or a needle from a syringe. Now there is such a service - the departure of a piercing specialist at home, and many mothers use it.
This is convenient, because the child does not change the usual environment, and it is easier for him to endure the manipulation. But even a good specialist with good equipment and solid work experience cannot guarantee one hundred percent sterility of the procedure carried out in an ordinary apartment. The most common complication of ear piercing in children is bacterial inflammation of the wound. Sometimes it is so severe that the pediatrician insists on removing the earrings and starting antibiotic treatment.
Even with proper care, earrings may not “take root” and the wound may not heal. In this case, we are most likely talking about the immune rejection of the material from which the jewelry is made. If there were contraindications described above and their parents recklessly ignored them, then after the piercing, a disease of the hearing or vision organs may worsen. therefore it is important to take expert advice more than seriously.
Children with diabetes mellitus and blood diseases can have complications associated not only with poor and slow healing of the wound after a puncture, but also with a deterioration in general well-being, especially if the infection enters the bloodstream. According to the existing pediatric practice, you should consult a doctor after piercing your ears in the event that if healing has not occurred in a month and a half, and also earlier, if the child has an allergy, fever, neurological symptoms appear, which can cause damage to the active point of the earlobe and nerve endings.
Useful Tips
You should not buy earrings with any nickel content for your child to wear. It is usually added even to inexpensive gold. Nickel causes severe allergic reactions in children.
To dispel doubts, you should demand from the seller a quality certificate and a certificate of conformity for the selected gold items.
In order not to risk the health of the child, you need to make sure that the chosen cosmetology clinic or office has the appropriate license for the right to carry out mini-operations, minor surgical interventions, which include piercing. The master who will pierce the ears of the child must have the appropriate qualifications and medical education. Do not hesitate to ask for supporting documents, because we are talking about the health of the child.
You should pay attention to the situation in the treatment room. The fact that all sanitary requirements are observed in it can be indicated by the presence of tiles, easy to clean, the cleanliness of all surfaces, as well as the presence of a quartz lamp. Before manipulation, personally make sure that the packaging of sterile medical earrings used in "pistols" or in silent devices "System 75" is intact, not broken. Ask the master to open it in front of you.
Some cosmetology clinics and an office provide additional services - physiotherapy in the process of wound healing after piercing. If possible, be sure to attend UV therapy at least in the first week, this will help the faster healing of the canal.
Medical opinion
Too early piercing of the girl's ears is as undesirable as "late". The fact is that after 12 years, the process of puberty starts in girls' bodies, and wounds on the body at this age heal a little longer. Therefore, it is best to get your piercing done before adolescence.
Earrings are not considered a prerequisite or even an important condition for a girl's normal life and development, and therefore this process can be quite successfully postponed until the onset of adulthood, especially since it may turn out that the girl does not at all consider it necessary to pierce her ears, because now there is a lot of jewelry with a clip, for which a puncture is not required per se.
The structure of the earlobe, from a medical point of view, is quite complex. Indeed, under the thin skin there is a mass of important points, nerve nodes and plexuses, the stimulation of which allows you to influence the work of some internal organs. This knowledge is actively used by acupuncturists and neurologists. Lobe puncture is always a big risk after all, even an experienced specialist who does this every day cannot guarantee that he will not touch one of these "strategically important" points.
So, below the middle of the lobe, in the direction closer to the cheek, there are points that are responsible for visual acuity. Their injury can be the beginning of the pathological process of the formation of glaucoma, a decrease in visual function in a child. Naturally, the changes will not be lightning fast.
The pathology will develop gradually, and after a few years, when the child is diagnosed with an eye disease, parents are unlikely to be able to compare these two events - illness and ear piercing at an early age.
Neurologists are not so categorical. Most of these specialists believe that the injured active point is simply "turned off" from the chain of nerve impulses. Whether such a "shutdown" is harmful is still unknown to science. If there are consequences, they are quite distant.
About when to pierce the ears of children, the cosmetologist I. Sysueva will tell in the next video.
