Getting your baby's ears pierced at a young age is a growing trend, and while some might not have considered this practice, it's very popular in certain cultures around the world.
First and foremost, your childrens’ health comes before anything else. If your child is sick or has a lowered immune system, don’t get their ears pierced. At least not yet. We’ll get into the precautions you can take before getting your baby’s ears pierced soon, and help you in picking out that first pair of earrings safely.
Sterling silver is a great choice for a baby’s first earring. Why? Because silver is hypoallergenic, meaning that the precious metal is highly unlikely to cause any allergic reaction. Please practice caution here though, as sterling silver is not pure silver and is in fact an alloy of 92.% silver and 7.5% of other metals like copper or zinc.
So, can babies wear sterling silver earrings? Most of the time sterling silver will not cause any issues with a piercing because of its hypoallergenic properties. But, sometimes sterling silver is completed with nickel, which is known to cause allergies. Be sure to check that the sterling silver you are buying does not contain any nickel, or the piercing could become infected.
The vast majority of sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper, so you won’t have any trouble finding the right silver for your baby’s piercing. Now, if your baby doesn’t already have an ear piercing and you are planning to have it done, here are some safety tips and precautions.
Overview:
- When Can Babies Get Their Ears Pierced?
- Should I Wait to Get My Baby's Ears Pierced?
- Looking After Your Baby’s Ear Piercing
- What Kind of Earrings Can Babies Wear?
When Can Babies Get Their Ears Pierced?
There are no age restrictions for getting your baby’s ears pierced. It’s tradition in many Latin American countries for babies to get their ears pierced even before they leave the hospital for the first time. This cultural decision has been met with some scepticism online, but if the piercing is checked and well looked after there shouldn’t be any cause for concern.
An earlobe piercing isn’t thought to have any effect on the growth of a baby's ears or their development. For this reason, babies can have their ears pierced very early in their lives. Paediatricians generally recommend parents wait 2-4 months until they make the decision. This is a great time for a baby to have their ears pierced for a few reasons.
At around 2 months, a baby has usually had their tetanus shots. This is quite important, as using a piercing needle is the most common (and probably best) method for earlobe piercings. This procedure is known for being clean and less painful than piercing guns, but when your baby is in contact with metal, it’s best if they’ve had their tetanus shot.
At the ages of 2-4 months, babies aren’t likely to grab or interfere with their piercings while they heal. The healing process for an earlobe piercing is about 6 weeks, and if done at an older age your child is more likely to pull or tug at their earrings.
Note: Poor care of the piercing can lead to an infection. If your baby is under 3 months old and symptoms subsist over 2 or more days, take them to a hospital or paediatrician.
Should I Wait to Get My Baby's Ears Pierced?
As we’ve mentioned, the ages of 2 to 4 months old are an ideal time to get your baby's ears pierced, but the choice is yours if you want it done earlier or later. If you have decided you want to get an ear lobe piercing for your baby, you should talk to a paediatrician first for some feedback and recommendations.
For some parents, it’s best to wait until your kids are all grown up and they want the piercing themselves. Young girls are likely to want their ear pierced around the ages of 10-16, generally as more and more of their friends get them done. An estimated 80% of all women in the US have their ears pierced, so it’s a fairly safe bet that your little girl will eventually want to wear earrings. In this sense, getting a piercing at a young age will take away some of the fear and worry for a young girl getting their firsts done.
It can be a hard decision to make, but if your heart is set on seeing your little one with an adorable pair of earrings, then go for it. Keep doing your research, ask a professional and make sure you take care of the piercing after the procedure’s finished.
Looking After Your Baby’s Ear Piercing
While ear piercings in babies are no more likely to get infected than adult’s piercings, your child's health should come first. You will have to practise some aftercare with your little one while they’re wearing their first earrings.
Firstly, keep a close eye on how the area around the piercing looks. Redness, swelling and high skin temperature are signs of infection and should be taken seriously.
The best thing you can do to clean and look after your baby’s piercing is to wash it gently with a saline solution (essentially salty water) and a cotton bud. This is very similar to how you’d treat a piercing in an adult or teen, except it’s best to avoid alcohol-based cleaning solutions. You can also turn the earrings while cleaning to get more of the healing area. Don’t turn the earrings when they’re dry or you can cause more irritation.
The piercing will heal in around six weeks, and you’ll need to keep the earrings in during this time. If you take them out, the piercing will eventually cover over and your baby won’t be able to wear earrings anymore.
Another good way to take care of your baby’s ear piercings is to pick the right kind of earring.
What Kind of Earrings Can Babies Wear?
So, to the main focus of our blog: can babies wear sterling silver earrings.
Always go for gold or silver for your first pair of earrings. Both precious metals are hypoallergenic and would very rarely cause any kind of allergic reaction. Almost all silver earrings are made from sterling silver, however, and you should ask your jeweller if the piece contains any nickel before giving them to your little one. As we’ve mentioned earlier, nickel is one of the main culprits of jewellery allergy. If there is an allergic reaction, it’s not the silver.
It’s a good idea to pick a small sterling silver or gold earring that’s light in weight. Obviously, babies can be delicate so you should pick a gentle, smooth and light earring as their first. Making sure that the back end, or stem of a stud is a suitable length is also important. You don’t want the stem sticking out too far and potentially poking the skin of your baby so it’s best to go small here.
Speaking of studs, they’re the type of earring we’d most recommend for a baby. A little sterling silver stud can look gorgeous on a baby girl, and best of all won’t be tugged at or played with. Drop earrings are a big no-no. These dangly earrings can get caught on household objects, can easily be pulled at and just aren’t the safest option for you to choose. You could potentially go for some huggie hoops that stay close to the ear — we want to avoid all catching and pulling!
We’d recommend that you choose screw backed studs for your baby’s first pair. These studs will screw on securely and prevent the stem from sticking out and being a nuisance. Butterfly backed studs are very common and also an option, but aren’t as reliable as screw backs and won’t cover the end of the stem. Screw backed studs sit comfortably in the ear and are a great option while the earlobe heals.
After six weeks, all should be good! There’s nothing cuter than a baby in a lovely pair of sterling silver earrings, and we wish you all the best if you decide to get your little one’s done!