When my kids were born, I always planned to wait until they were old enough to ask me to have their ears pierced. As cute as babies look with their sparkling ears, I wanted my daughters to make the decision themselves and to be mature enough to care for their own piercings. Although my girls are two years apart, they both expressed that they were ready for earrings on their sixth birthdays.
A few options for getting kid’s ears pierced are jewelry stores, piercing kiosks, pediatricians, and piercing studios. After reading reviews and doing a little research, I felt most comfortable with Raw Body Piercing. They have two locations in Columbia. Since their focus is solely on piercings, their facilities are DHEC licensed, and piercers are certified specialists.
One thing that drew me to a piercing studio was that they use needles instead of piercing guns. I still remember how painful it was having my ears pierced with a piercing gun when I was five and I was hoping to avoid that with my kids. Studies have shown that needles are sharper and gentler, so they cause less tissue trauma. They’re also more sanitary than piercing guns, which have elements that can be difficult to properly disinfect between customers.
Scheduling appointments with Raw is easy through their website. They have lower pricing for children younger than five, but the cost to pierce both ears for each of my six-year-olds was $70. If that sounds like a lot, just remember that you’re altering a part of your child’s body and you’re paying for expertise, cleanliness, and ear care education.
I brought my oldest daughter to Raw a couple of years ago, and I just took my youngest this spring. While Raw was likely designed with adults in mind, the entire staff was so friendly and patient with my kids. For each visit, I brought their birth certificates and my driver’s license to verify that I was authorized to make this decision with them. After completing a couple of forms electronically, my kids got to pick out the earrings they wanted. The earrings were thoroughly sterilized and placed in our private room.
We were fortunate to have Kat both times and she was fantastic at talking my daughters through every step of the process. She playfully explained when she was cleaning their ears and marking the spots where the earrings would go. My youngest daughter did start having second thoughts once she saw the needle, but Kat masterfully calmed her down enough to pierce the first ear. Once my little one saw the pretty, shiny earring on one side, she was eager to finish what she started.
In terms of pain and tears, my girls handled it much better than I expected. My older daughter hates getting shots at the doctor, but she didn’t shed a single tear getting her ears pierced. My younger daughter started to tear up in anticipation, but she was all smiles once it was done. Although they both said it stung in the moment, any complaints stopped by the time we were home.
My girls were instructed to spray a saline solution morning and night for six to eight weeks to keep their piercings clean. They have now healed perfectly, we never dealt with infections, and they love showing their earrings off to everyone they see!
If your kiddo is asking to get their ears pierced, I enthusiastically encourage you to consider a piercing studio. I’m grateful that my children have positive memories from their experiences and will certainly go back if they want additional piercings in the future.
Thank you so much for trusting me with your sweet girls ❤️
We are so grateful to you!