How to Safely Get Your Child’s Ears Pierced Q&A

Taking care of your child’s ear piercings diligently is crucial for ensuring the healing process goes smoothly and your child remains free from infection, keloids, and other complications. You should clean the piercings twice a day using a saline solution. In addition, it’s important to monitor the piercings for symptoms such as increased redness, swelling, discomfort, or discharge that may indicate an infection. If any of these signs appear, you should clean the area more frequently and consult your pediatrician if necessary.

To ensure smooth healing, you should teach your child to be gentle with their piercings. They should avoid activities that could lead to the earrings getting pulled or snagged, which can cause pain and delay healing. You should continue to remind your child to avoid touching their new piercings with dirty hands to prevent the introduction of potentially infectious microorganisms.

Your pediatrician will explain the aftercare instructions in detail at your child’s ear piercing appointment. Our committed specialists are available to help and guide you if you have any questions or concerns.

After getting your child’s ears pierced, it’s important to avoid certain things to promote swift healing. To prevent infection, you should keep your child out of pools, hot tubs, lakes, and oceans for a minimum of six weeks.

In addition, you should not remove the earrings for the first six weeks, as removing them too soon can cause the piercings to close or become infected. It’s important to avoid applying lotions or ointments to the piercing sites, as this can trap bacteria and moisture and lead to infection.

You should avoid cleaning your child’s piercings with anything other than the saline solution or antiseptic provided by your pediatrician. Using alcohol or hydrogen peroxide can irritate and delay the healing process.

For new piercings, it is recommended to keep the earrings in for at least six weeks to ensure the holes remain open and begin to heal properly. During this time, the tissue around the piercing starts to form a stable tunnel, making it more resistant to closing quickly.

If the earrings are removed shortly after the initial healing period, the holes can close up rapidly, sometimes within a few days to a couple of weeks. Children’s skin tends to heal quickly, so it’s essential to keep earrings in place to prevent premature closure.

While ear piercing can involve some minor discomfort for kids, pediatricians take specific steps to make the process as painless as possible. Often, pediatricians use a topical anesthetic cream to numb the earlobes before the procedure to ensure comfort.

In addition, pediatricians create a calm and child-friendly environment to assist in easing your child’s worry about the process. By providing thorough aftercare instructions to caregivers and providing support if concerns arise, pediatricians help prevent infections and promote swift healing, making the entire experience as pain-free as possible.

Children with new ear piercings should avoid sports and other vigorous activities for a short period following their ear piercing appointment to prevent complications. Engaging in certain activities, like sports, increases the risk of the earrings getting caught or pulled, which can cause pain or tearing.

Furthermore, sweat and dirt from physical activities can introduce bacteria to the area of the piercing, raising the possibility of infection. Your pediatrician will advise on how long your child should avoid sports and how to protect the piercings when they return to their regular activities.

To learn more about children’s ear piercings and how to ensure your child’s ears heal swiftly, schedule a consultation at Julia Barriga M.D, P.A. to have your questions answered. Our passionate staff is here to deliver exceptional care and support to ensure the ear piercing experience is as stress-free and comfortable as possible. For more information, contact us today or book an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 5001 East Busch Blvd Tampa, FL 33617. We serve patients from Tampa FL, Terrace FL, Thonotosassa FL, Lutz FL, Greater Carrollwood FL, Lake Magdalene FL, Westchase FL, Town ‘N’ Country FL, and surrounding areas.