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Your ears aren't pierced? How old are you?

In my family's country of origin it's customary to pierce a baby girl's ears while she's still too young to fuss over them, it keeps the risk of infection down. This means it's usually done around their first month, after the baby's doctor gives the all-clear.

I have a second set of ear piercings about 3/4" above the first set. I got them when I turned 18 and my parents couldn't say anything. Of course by then they were just relieved I didn't opt for a nose ring and eyebrow barbells...

If you do get your ears pierced, make sure the posts are 24kt gold plated or stainless steel. Once you get them, twirl them several times a day to prevent them from sticking to the skin as it heals, and clean around them with a cotton swab dipped in peroxide (alcohol BURNS!).

That.

From someone who doesn't wear earrings often at all, I can say its easier down the road if you have them pierced. It makes costuming easier (Halloween, cosplay, renaissance faires, what-have-you...), and also keeps relatives/friends from getting on your back during special occasions (such as weddings) to look nice and/or uniform.
And it's nice to just have the option open if you ever decide you find something you like.

The hassle at first will kind of suck. I hated the piercing process (My mother did it the ol' numb-with-ice-and-poke-you-with-a-thick-needle job), and healing kinda sucked. But that is only for a short while, and all you really do need to do is be sure you wear a non-reactive metal that you're not allergic to (gold or stainless steel as stated by our lovely Gigi), I recommend gold or gold plated, and keep them clean. I have super-sensitive ears, and anything that isn't gold long-term hurts.My mother gave me an old pair of tiny gold hoops that i keep in and I forget they're even there honestly.

But yeah, it's easier in my opinion to go with a little hassle to pierce and heal, and just wear a pair for a day every few weeks to keep your holes from healing over and keep the option for them open over time.

But in the end it's your choice, as long as you're happy. : D

cat_surprised Holy crap! cat_gonk My metaphorical hat is off to you. I got it done with the... well, the best I can call it is a piercing gun and numbing gel, and I still yelped.

As for allergy problems with costume jewelry, I coat the posts of mine with nail polish. I used to use clear on everything, but since nobody can see the posts anyway, I use red for short posts and clear for hooks/French wires. That way I can tell when the short posts need a new coat; those little butterfly things end up chipping the polish off.

You're welcome. emotion_hug

My family is from Central America, and most Hispanic cultures are big on feminine girls and manly boys. Long hair is encouraged... and I'm donating mine as soon as it's long enough. I'd get a crew cut just to freak the relatives out cat_rofl but I know it would look awful on me, so it'll be just a short bob.

Healing was hard? Oi. I thought about never getting a tattoo or piercing, like so many Americans are today, but with the current media, I can't really blame them. So many bad people are being influences for others, and some of the media is not helping. However, I do really like the way some earrings look, and that just thinking about how they'd pull an outfit together is driving me nuts. I'm a Tom-boy, not a fashionista. Unfortunately, I've been such a tom-boy, that I'm like re-coiling into the girly lifestyle I never lived. 3nodding Not that I mind, though.

Re-coiling into the girly lifestyle is exactly what happened to me! I had always been a tomboy thanks to growing up with two older brothers, but when they moved out, I kinda edged into the girly world a little bit. It's not bad really. xP

As for healing, it was hard at the time for me, being so little. But as a more mature person, I guarantee you have better hygienic habits than I did back then (No 8 year old really cares to be squeaky clean all of the time... And I hated the smell of peroxide too). As long as you're sure to swab your ears and earrings with peroxide in the morning and at night, and be sure to rinse your hair and ears of shampoo and conditioner really well after showers, you'll be fine. I can tell you that I skipped out on a few swabbings back then and it came back to bite me in the butt.

My sister was ten when she got her ears pierced. Our family gave her a hard time when she refused to keep up with caring for it. cat_xp I'm a little afraid to get my ears pierced, because it sounds short, but painful. My sister said her ears were sore from the piercing. She might've been trying to scare me, so I am unaware of whether or not that was true. cat_xd