Piercings are a hot topic, especially when it comes to those under the age of 18. It’s one thing on which no one can clearly agree – not even the American Academy of Pediatrics has an official stance on it, save to advise that piercings “be carefully performed and conscientiously cared for” – and polarizing feelings either way. Some argue that, for example, pierced ears cause unnecessary pain to children; for others it is a rite of passage and for some even a cultural expectation. So what do the experts say?
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“Each time you pierce the skin you open up the possibility of infection, and since infants still have a developing immune system, I encourage parents to wait until their child is at least 6 months old to pierce their ears,” Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s Hospital, tells the parents. Many parents choose to wait until the child asks to have their ears pierced; However, one study found that keloids, or excessive scar tissue, are more likely to develop when ears are pierced after the age of 11 than before.
If you are getting your baby’s ears pierced, be sure to keep the piercings clean until they have fully healed and watch closely for signs of infection. And if you’re waiting until your child is old enough to decide for themselves about getting piercings, it’s a good idea to wait until they’re responsible enough to take care of their own piercings.
For other piercings such as nose or belly button, the debate is even more heated. Piercings in any other area seem to fall more squarely into the realm of “body modification” than ears, and many states have laws governing whether children under the age of 18 can get such modifications without parents. (You can find a list of regulations by state here).
Love ’em or hate ’em, piercings will always be a topic of discussion—especially if you’re a celebrity parent whose every move in public is scrutinized. If they make the decision to allow piercings of any kind, it’s a guarantee that the key commands will come out of the woodwork to complain. Here are some of the celebrity moms who’ve caught big flak for their kids’ piercings.
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