Age for first ear piercing?

[farouk]

On 11/28/2022 at 10:59 AM, kwikphilly said:

I think I might have been 12 yrs old when I asked my Mom to get my ears pierced - she had a close family friend do it( physician)....My Moms own ear lobes were near split in 2 from yrs of heavy earrings so she gave me lots of info & warnings....Now I have about 10 holes,lol. Earrings can encircle the entire ear

My opinion is that it should be up to the individual,I think when a girl or boy is 18 they can decide for themselves,my own son asked long before that and my answer was" no, when your 18 you can do as you please"- by age 16 he convinced me,lol. I bought him a diamond stud,he still wears it ( around 40 yrs now)

❤️

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@kwikphilly

It's so often a matter of family custom:

Quote

My grandson was about 9 years old when he got one ear pierced, to wear one earring like his father. Nobody in my family could get a tattoo until they were over 18, all the females including my mother got little shamrocks on their left shoulder blade, about 1/4 inch in diameter.

quora dot com

When a family has gotten into its custom, it seems that it kind of works for them, whatever exactly it may be....right?

(Life would be dull if every family were the same....)

[farouk]

@Annette FYI......any wisdom here?

[Neighbor]

On 11/23/2022 at 2:19 PM, farouk said:

It seems to vary a lot between ppl...

(Thoughts...?)

Don't know all local customs, but I would think the age of one's first sailing across the international date line would be appropriate.

[farouk]

Just now, Neighbor said:

Don't know all local customs, but I would think the age of one's first sailing across the international date line would be appropriate.

Traditionally sailors would wear an earring.....The idea was that if they died overseas doing hazardous work the cost of the metal in the earring would pay for what was understood as a Christian burial (rather than being thrown over the side of the ship).

There is thus a sense in which it was an oblique allusion to Christianity.

[farouk]

On 11/23/2022 at 3:17 PM, missmuffet said:

It used to be more fashionable for men to have ear piercings years ago.

@missmuffet To an extent it still is; I think in some areas more than others, maybe.

In history, Cossack soldiers would wear earrings. So did a lot of sailors; in an oblique way, it was a sort of identification with Christianity in the sense that if they did hazardous work overseas and died, the metal in the earring - gold, etc. - might be sold to pay for what was regarded as a Christian burial.

Like you said, it was very widespread decades back; and insofar as I remember at all some of the young men whose baptisms I attended decades back would have been wearing earrings.

FYI:

.................

Earring as a military attribute...Men wearing earrings in their ears have a long history and are found in different peoples of the world. For example, in ancient Egypt, the presence of an earring in a man’s ear meant his high position and indicated his viability. ... And the military-liable inhabitants of Rome - the centurions - adorned themselves with an earring only after achieving high merit before Caesar.

The Cossack wore an earring in his ear solely as a military attribute. .. For some nationalities, the earring in the ear symbolizes the military rank or speaks of the degree of his merits. In a similar way, the number of stars on the military uniform informs us of the military rank. source: rioo .ru

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For a lot of young men it has indicated the general idea of growing up to be a man, capable of more responsibility, etc.

It does vary a great deal from area to area and from family to family. @kwikphilly was mentioning about her son who still wears his ear stud that she gave him decades back, anyway.

Edited December 23, 2022 by farouk

[farouk]

On 11/28/2022 at 10:59 AM, kwikphilly said:

My Moms own ear lobes were near split in 2 from yrs of heavy earrings so she gave me lots of info & warnings....Now I have about 10 holes,lol. Earrings can encircle the entire ear

@kwikphilly If you think about it, in the late 70s, teen girls - and their moms - were already getting doubles/multiples put in. (They would now be in their 60s and their moms in their 80s/90s...all those holes...)

So for decades now, if mom or sister already have doubles/multiples, then for a son to have earlobes studded once: in comparison it's rather tame really, isn't it?

(I guess you already came to a similar conclusion, decades ago.....)

 

( cc @Rosie1jack2pauline3 Maybe this would seem logical to you also...? )

Edited December 29, 2022 by farouk

[farouk]

On 11/28/2022 at 10:59 AM, kwikphilly said:

I think when a girl or boy is 18 they can decide for themselves,my own son asked long before that and my answer was" no, when your 18 you can do as you please"- by age 16 he convinced me,lol. I bought him a diamond stud,he still wears it ( around 40 yrs now)

❤️

-

@kwikphilly

I reckon you don't regret having given your son his ear stud gift all those years ago!

And I certainly reckon he still appreciates it as much as ever, by the sound of it!

[farouk]

Quote

"I was 14 when I got my own ear piercing. At my mums suggestion, I have to add.

In my case, I’ve always worn a simple red gold creole ring, and it has been the same one for more than 20 years."

 

It really is a well established custom now for young men. As the poster, above, shows, a lot of moms are well aware of this and thoroughly approve of the custom.

At times it has seemed that at our conservative local church a majority of the young men/boys have been wearing earrings. It's likely that their moms in turn have been quite willing for them to have the opportunity to go for the custom.

quote source: enjoyoutdoors reddit dot com

Edited June 21, 2023 by farouk

[farouk]

@Piata FYI..............another - miscellaneous - thread I started..................

[farouk]

I think a professional would be better than either self piercing or the kid in the kiosk at the mall.

@ayin jade

It's natural that adolescents would expect to receive a pair or two of ear piercings that mom (and maybe dad) already has.

They might as well go get them from an establishment where they really know properly what they are doing.

(As @Piata just said.)