A Guide to Children’s Earlobe Piercing

As a professional piercer with nearly thirty years of experience, I have witnessed many changes in the piercing industry. One of the most positive developments is that parents are increasingly aware of the dangers associated with using piercing guns for their children's ear lobes. Since the risks of piercing guns are now widely recognized, I won’t delve into those concerns here. If you want more information, I recommend reading this article by the Association of Professional Piercers.

When it comes to piercing children’s ear lobes, the prevailing advice I hear is, “Don’t take your children to the mall; take them to a tattoo shop for a proper piercing.” While this is a step in the right direction, there’s much more to consider. Unfortunately, many tattoo studios that offer body piercings do so as an afterthought and do not uphold the same standards as they do for tattoos. For this reason, I have created this guide to help you find the best piercing experience for your child. While we would love your business if you’re in the area, this guide should assist you in finding a reputable piercer near your location.

How Old Is Old Enough?

In my opinion, no piercings should be done on anyone younger than five. Many respected piercers set an even higher age requirement. However, I have yet to meet any piercer I respect who will pierce anyone under five. The ages of five to seven can be particularly challenging for both the child and the piercer, though some children may be mature enough to handle it by then. Therefore, I evaluate each child on a case-by-case basis.

Why not pierce younger children? While some may think it’s easier to pierce a child as a baby to “get it over with,” I believe this approach is problematic for several reasons. Firstly, it takes away your child's bodily autonomy, denying them the choice about what happens to their body. In contrast, when a child chooses to get a piercing, understands the process, and commits to aftercare, it can be a powerful and empowering experience—a significant milestone in their life. The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends waiting until children are mature enough to care for their piercings themselves.

There are additional reasons to wait until your child is at least five years old. A crucial factor is placement. Properly done earlobe piercings should match in location and angle. Take a look at friends and family members who were pierced as infants—are their piercings perfect or even moderately similar? More often than not, the answer is “no.” Achieving the correct and matching angle requires the child to remain still, which is nearly impossible for anyone under five.

What Jewelry Is Appropriate?

Gone are the days of using sharpened studs with butterfly backs. The industry standard now is a flat-back stud made of implant-grade titanium, implant-grade stainless steel, or 14k or higher gold or platinum, all with no exposed threading. Implant-grade titanium is the most biocompatible and is significantly cheaper than gold or platinum options. At Golden Goat, we use American-made, implant-grade titanium jewelry for 99% of our ear piercings, and it comes with a lifetime guarantee.

If you’re shopping for jewelry elsewhere, be cautious. The term "surgical steel" is largely unregulated, while "implant grade" means the metal meets certification standards set by the ASTM, an organization that establishes guidelines for various materials, including medical ones.

The flat-back design means the piece has a flat disc end, which won’t poke your child in the neck and is less likely to snag on clothing. The flat back also eliminates the old-style butterfly back, which can collect bodily fluids during the healing process and become unsanitary. For children’s lobes, we exclusively use flat-back studs made from a single piece of machined metal, reducing the risk of losing parts.

Now, let’s talk about the fun part: the gem or ball your child can choose! At Golden Goat, we offer dozens of options in various colors, settings, and sizes. If you’re offered a “standard starter stud” elsewhere, that’s a red flag—it often indicates that the studio cuts corners.

When selecting jewelry, the most important question to ask is: “How does the end connect to the post?” There are two types: threadless, where the end simply pushes on (sometimes referred to as push pins), and threaded, where the end screws on. The universal rule is to never be pierced with externally threaded jewelry. Externally threaded jewelry has threads on the shaft that passes through the piercing, which can damage the delicate healing tissue and collect bodily fluids. This type of jewelry is typically the cheapest to produce, so it’s likely that other corners have been cut in terms of metal quality and finishing. If you see externally threaded jewelry in a studio, leave immediately—they likely do not care about your child’s piercing, only their profit.

At Golden Goat, we exclusively use threadless jewelry for children’s ears. It is easier to insert, will not slowly unscrew (eliminating the need for regular checks), and, in the event of a severe snag, will pull apart rather than tearing your child’s lobe, which is an excellent safety feature.

What to Look for in a Studio and Piercer

When you first walk in, you should notice a clean studio and a friendly staff. If that’s not the case, move on. Take a look at the jewelry and ensure it is made of at least implant-grade metals and is not externally threaded. Here are some questions you can ask:

What is your jewelry made of?

You should look for implant-grade titanium or stainless steel. 14k (or higher) gold and platinum are also acceptable, but they are not as biocompatible as the more affordable titanium option. If you want to take it a step further, ask for mill certificates verifying that the jewelry is genuinely implant grade.

How do you sterilize your jewelry and supplies?

While some supplies, like needles and other disposables, may come pre-sterilized, the jewelry must also be sterilized. The only acceptable method is an autoclave; I can't imagine any reputable studio would say otherwise. However, the effectiveness of the autoclave can only be confirmed by an outside lab conducting a spore test. In Texas, monthly spore tests are required to ensure autoclaves are functioning correctly. At Golden Goat, we conduct these tests weekly for added safety. We exclusively use Statim autoclaves, which feature a vacuum cycle that fully sterilizes the insides of hollow items. This is crucial for the complete sterilization of threaded and threadless jewelry. As an added benefit, our autoclave operates in less than ten minutes, so while you complete your paperwork, your child’s piercing setup is being freshly sterilized. This capability also allows us to offer a vast selection of jewelry for initial piercings, as we can autoclave pieces on the spot instead of pre-packaging them.

How experienced is your piercer? How experienced are they with children?

Experience levels can vary widely, and a less experienced piercer isn't necessarily a bad choice. However, I wouldn’t recommend anyone with less than two years of professional experience for a child’s lobe piercing. At Golden Goat, our head piercer and co-owner, Sean, has been piercing for 27 years, with about 15 of those years dedicated to children's lobes. Over the last decade at this shop, children’s lobes have become a significant part of his business. Additionally, he has two children of his own, which better prepares him for dealing with stressed-out kids.

What documentation do we need for the piercing?

This varies from studio to studio and state to state, so it's best to ask your piercer or their studio directly. In Texas, we only require the parent’s ID for a child’s lobe piercing. However, at Golden Goat, we ask for the parent’s ID and the child’s birth certificate. If the names on the birth certificate and the parent’s ID don’t match, we will need documentation proving the legal name change. For children old enough to have school IDs or driver’s licenses with photos, we request those as well. Our main concern is ensuring your child doesn’t come in with someone who isn’t their legal guardian and get pierced without your consent, so we take every step to verify guardianship.

What is the process like?

This is a good question to ask with your child present. Have the piercer explain the process thoroughly and in a kid-friendly manner. This will help you gauge their ability to interact with children. At Golden Goat, we start by verifying all necessary documentation. Then, we look at jewelry options and discuss prices. Once your child selects their perfect piece, we’ll have you begin the paperwork while we sterilize the supplies in the back. When we return to the room, we confirm that your child still enthusiastically consents to the piercing. Then, we mark the spots and allow your child to check the marks, with the parent having final approval. Once we agree on placement, the child lies down on the exam table flat on their back, with their head tilted to the side. If it comforts them, you can hold their hand and stand beside them for support. At this point, our piercer will explain what will happen next: “I’m going to tell you to take a big breath in and then blow it out slowly. When you blow out, that’s when you’ll be pierced. Let’s practice that real quick.” Once your child understands the process, we can begin. The actual piercing is very quick. We line everything up, instruct them to “take a big breath in,” and then say, “blow it out slowly.” By the time they exhale, the needle will be through, with the jewelry attached. We quickly remove and dispose of the needle and gently push the end into place. From saying, “take a deep breath in,” to the jewelry being in place typically takes well under thirty seconds, with the actual piercing lasting just a fraction of a second. We then give them a moment to adjust, if needed, and repeat the same process on the other ear.

How should we care for the piercings?

Even among reputable piercers, opinions on aftercare can vary slightly due to climate differences. However, some universally poor practices include rotating the jewelry, using harsh products like alcohol, peroxide, non-diluted soap, or tea tree oil, creating your own “sea salt solution,” soaking the piercings, or removing the jewelry to clean it. If your piercer recommends any of these, that’s a significant red flag, and you should consider moving on.

At Golden Goat, we recommend a simple, gentle aftercare routine. The basics are: rinse the piercings in the shower, follow with a rinse using sterile saline (which we sell or is available at any pharmacy), and then dry the piercing with a hair dryer on low or by blotting it dry with a clean paper towel or gauze. That’s all you need for cleaning; in our experience, anything more can lead to complications. Your child should keep the initial jewelry in place 24/7 for the first three months. After that, they can switch to different jewelry, as long as it’s made of the biocompatible metals mentioned earlier. They should also ensure they have something in their ears full-time for at least the first year to prevent the piercings from closing up. The most crucial aspect? Make sure they do NOT touch their healing piercings. Infections are extremely rare, but when they do occur, they are almost always due to dirty hands.

This covers the basics of what to look for. When you go in for the piercing, whether at Golden Goat or elsewhere, your reputable piercer will likely provide more detailed aftercare instructions and answer any questions you or your child may have. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for caring enough about your child’s bodily autonomy and safety to read this entire blog post.

We hope to see you at Golden Goat, but we also have reputable piercer friends across the states (and the world) that we are happy to recommend if we’re not local to you. Just email us with your city and zip code, and we’ll be glad to help you connect with one of the good ones.