What are opinions on whether you should allow your son to have pierced ears?

Answer 1

You should NEVER let him get it pierced with a piercing gun. They're the bane of the piercing world: Horribly unsafe, horribly damaging, and could even give you hepatitus or HIV (http://www.homiegfunk.com/gunssuck.htm). All good piercers know that. Now, regarding SAFE piercings done by a real piercer... It's up to you :) I have 24 piercings and love body modification but it is my personal opinion that kids and young teens aren't old enough to make decisions about major things like tattoos or non-standard piercings. I'd let my kids get regular ear piercings (at a real piercer) but would make them wait til they were 16 for other stuff.

• He is your son, yours is the only opinion that matters

• My son just recently turned 13 years old. He was asking and asking if he could get his ear pierced and I let him on his 13th birthday. I feel it is okay when they get a little older. The thing about getting your ears pierced is that if you don't like it all you have to do is take the earring out and the hole will close up by its self.

• Yes I think boys should be able to have their ears pierced with out exception no differently to girls. It becomes a parental decision when to pierce, but why boys should be treated any differently to girls i don't know. It may take another generation before we see a 50 /50 balance boys girls being treated the same.

• Yes, boys should be encouraged to have their ears pierced. It's harmless and beautiful. It's also sexy and in fashion.

• It is really a pity that so many boys are not allowed to get their ears pierced. A boy who wants to wear an earring or earrings should be allowed to do that. It is harmless and it is beautiful. Also, for many boys it is important to follow the example of their friends. When a boy's wish to wear an earring is suppressed, that restriction may later cause the development of an obsession for various piercings. Conservative parents will probably find that much more disturbing than a small hoop or a little stud in their boy's left earlobe. On the other hand, I remember boys that got an earring at the age of 9, proudly wore that earring for several years and finally abandoned it when they left school. That is an development that all parents should be able to accept.

• I just had my 10 year old son's ears pierced. It's fashion and it looks really good. I was a little confused about which ear to get done or both. So we went with having them both pierced and he has hoops in both. It's really very cute. I'm 29 years old and my parents don't like it. I think a majority of older people are against it simply because it wasn't the going thing when they were young. But I think if boys want to have their ears pierced then they should be allowed. I'm also thinking about letting him have a second piercing higher up on his ears. I don't understand why its okay for girls and not okay for boys. In my opinion its perfectly normal and fine. Not to mention its very cool.

• If girls can have pierced ears, I see no reason why boys should not. If any of my sons had asked, I would have said yes. They didn't, so they don't have pierced ears. Incidentally, my wife is totally opposed to males with ear piercings, for which reason mine aren't pierced, even though I desperately want them to be. We all make compromises in relationships.

• No my son is 14 and I have said that he can get it done on his 15th birthday. He goes on about it all the time but I disapprove of earrings for boys.

• Well just let him get it done now he should have already had it done at his age. Parents don't let their children get it done like you because they are old fashioned and disapprove of things like this that where not going on in their young years of life. Stop being so pathetic and take your son to get it done. He has probably done so much for you to let him get it done, worked hard been nice? Just let him get it done and stop being so stupid about a little earring that you probably will like! If not let him get it done and if you REALLY don't like it then tell him to take it out an let it heal up. He will respect your answer and do it.
• Would you ever say that Hillary shouldn't be president just because she's a woman? Well, I feel it is extremely sexist to say that boys shouldn't have earrings just because they are boys. I am a man and I got my ears pierced at age 9. I've worn earring(s) every day since then and I've never regretted it. Honestly, it's just a tiny hole.

• It's just a fashion statement and once he grows weary of it he'll take it out and the hole will grow over. No harm done. However, I agree with the one mother who is making her son wait until he's 15. Children should learn to go through life on their own merit, be leaders and not followers (just because the other kids do it) and learn the meaning of the word 'no' and that they can't have everything they want.

• My friend's 14 year old son asked his dad (he is a real comedian) if he could get his ears pierced (his mother had previously said no) and without glancing from his newspaper the father said, 'Do you see a pirate ship out on our front lawn?' When his son replied 'no', his father said, 'Well, when there is one out there you can get one ear pierced!'

• If your son cannot get a job with pierced ears at Sonic or McDonalds, he can still find a job at Taco Bell or other restaurants which are not concerned with the superficial. He can also get his nose and eyebrow pierced if he wants, and someone will hire him. [This contributor is an unpierced freak still working up the courage for that nipple ring he wants, but he is less concerned with the government dictating his life than with corporate intervention.] My opinion is to let him pierce his ears if he wants, and let him accept the consequences for his decision.

• I got my ear pierced when i was five and i don't see anything wrong with it. I don't understand why people have so much beef with tattoos and piercings. It's whatever though, just thought I'd add my two cents worth.

Be Rational. Be Understanding.

The first rule of piercings is: Keep it healthy. Keep it clean.

If your son (OR daughter for that matter) is not yet ready to take care of a new piercing as though it is a puncture wound (because that's exactly what it is), then they're not ready to have the jewelry.

It's been a rite of passage for centuries for a good reason.

As far as the cultural mores and norms and stipulations and other hang-ups go--

they're different from culture to culture, from generation to generation, from region to region, and from individual to individual. For some, piercings mark a point in one's life where he or she learned something or an important event changed him or her. For others, it's just a pretentious fashion statement or an effort to fit into a social clique. For most, it's a combination of the two.

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This is NOT true.

I have loads of piercings, the gun should ONLY be used in the ear lobes.

And if you look after a piercing properly there is no danger what so ever. [To whomever wrote this: No, piercing guns are NOT okay. For ANYthing. Ever. Please read what's at the link I posted... I'm glad your piercings worked out but "I did it and it was okay for me" is TERRIBLE evidence that something is okay! The two biggest piercing organizations -- BMEzine and the Association of Professional Piercers -- have official statements saying how terrible they are, and so does the CDC (Center for Disease Control). It is NOT possible to sterilize them properly, they cause terrible damage, and the studs don't allow for proper healing. They were designed for tagging the ears of cattle...]