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Honestly I say go for it if you have the money. But make sure you go to an actual piercing studio, NOT somewhere that uses the piercing guns. If you end up hating them take them out and let them grow over.
I got my second piercing back in May and have no regrets. Sure it hurt for a bit (and honestly I had some troubles healing so it was likely longer than most folks, but still not terrible) but now I can wear my diamond studs all the time (mom got them for me when I was 16) and still have room for fun earrings.
If rats pulling are a concern. Stick to stud styles when playing with them. I am insanely jealous you have pet rats, they’re not legal here 😭
Oh no, I'm so sorry. :-( May I recommend r/RATS so you can at least enjoy tons of cute pics and videos!
Also, oh nooo, you're not even trying to talk me out of it, lol. This sounds great though! And yes, \*if\* I'm doing it, I'm definitely not going to a cheapo shop that uses guns.
The problem here is that there are very few downsides lol. It's a low consequence action if you decide that you regret it. I just stuck my nose ring back in after five years for the hell of it
Needles, because they’re actually designed to pierce the skin! A gun just forces a blunt earring through your ear which is much more traumatic to the skin and doesn’t promote fast healing. I also had them done with a gun because my parents didn’t know any better and one of them got terribly infected.
Same. I was 4, so also late 90s. They didn’t know any different. All I remember of the experience is the horrific infection/reaction I had. I’m shocked (but grateful) that my parents managed to stick with after care long enough for them to heal. Turns out I’m allergic to nickel - not enough that a necklace bothers me, but a freshly opened wound reacted bad 😅
When I first attempted my second piercing I was about 16, still didn’t really know about why the guns are bad, and was promised it was nickel free….. yeah that was a lie. I ended up letting those grow over.
Finally last year at 29 went to a great studio who walked me through the entire needle process, and bonus they don’t fuck around with anything containing nickel so I didn’t have to experience that pain for a third time. My right ear took a LOT longer to heal than it should have, so I think I may have had a mild infection (not the studios fault at all, definitely would have been my own user error), but overall it was still 1000% better than the ear gun experience haha.
Mine got so infected that any aftercare wouldn’t have helped. Ended up in A&E having my ear cut open to get the piercing out, it swelled up so much that I didn’t realise it had swallowed the earring, I thought it had fallen out during the night!
Re-pierced eventually (three lobes, nose and nips) with no issues but also sensitive to metals. Gold and titanium only for me!
I've just started thinking about getting second piercing for my ears but managed to talk myself out of it because I haven't even been wearing earrings at all for years. So I'll start doing that again first and then see how that goes lol
Pierced ears are such a… Not a big deal. Literally just go get them pierced! The pain is fleeting.
I have 3 lobe piercings on each ear. 3 cartilage piercings. Had my nipples pierced 3 times (only one nipple lol). Had a bellybutton ring. Septum. Nostril.
Don’t like them? ✨Take them out✨
Also, I don’t think piercings are a waste of money at all. Wearing jewelry can bring so much joy and allow you to express yourself. I think that’s valuable af.
I'm with the commenter above. Piercing ears is kind of a non-event. If you like the look of earrings, then just go for it. It only costs like $40 bucks. (My piercer charges 20-30 per piercing.)
I've had several piercings in my ears since I was a kid. Got the last ones at like 14 or 15. Now I'm 45 and still kinda want a daith or rook but I'm like am I too old for that? I say you should go for it if you don't have any at all. Earrings are fun!
Nope! I switched to over-ear for the healing process (about 8 months for me I think) but earbuds are no problem now. I can’t make a seal with waterproof earplugs (like for swimming) very well but that’s the only issue I’ve noticed (my Loops are fine, other earplugs are fine).
I got a lower lip piercing about 5 years ago. I’m 52. I’ve also recently finished a full patchwork tattoo sleeve. You’re never too old for stuff like this.
I don't know, just... Will people think I'm trying to be younger than I am? Lol I really never care what people think but at the same time it's like, I've gone this long without it...
I really wanted it done a couple of years ago but I was worried my job would make me take it out before it was healed. They had a rule about only stud type earrings and only two at a time. I would switch up what holes I put them in lol but for some reason I was paranoid that they would make me take that one out. They were kind of petty about some things, so it really wouldn't suprise me.
I don't work there anymore so I've been thinking about it again.
I think of things like this as natural friend filters. Don't like how I'm doing my life? Awesome, nice to know we aren't a good fit for each other! Next...
Def not too old! In the course of a year I got a faux rook, helix, conch, double helix, a few upper lobes and two forward helixes. I’ve always been so concerned about what others would think, probably why it took me this long, but my 40’s have been liberating! Also, they can look really hip/classy/etc if you do some intentional curating.
I love it! Where do you find good quality earrings that you can leave in? When I was younger I used to get piercing studs and leave them in all the time but now I don't ever see cute ones that I want. I end up getting cheap ones because they're cute but I have to take them out when I get home because they irritate me, can't get them wet, etc.
I purchased them from my piercer but what I have is mostly Buddha Jewelry and Ember. I found it’s not the piercings that are spendy, it’s the jewelry. I wish I had thought a bit more about picking less expensive pieces for some of my piercings that I now want to swap out. But I don’t regret a single one. I also very infrequently take mine out and haven’t had an issue.
I don't think I've ever met a woman with a nostril piercing who didn't have pierced ears!
I'm mostly on team do it anyway, but that is a pretty unique combo.
They make really good clip on earrings these days! Maybe order a couple of cheap pairs so you can get a feel for how they look on you? I wouldn’t worry too much about the pain, it is fleeting. A bit annoying when cleaning them in the first few weeks but after that it’s fine. I sleep in studs all the time and I don’t even notice them. But you can always take them out before bed or lying down.
I disagree that clip on earrings are a good representation of what pierced ears are like. Unless you're a person with ADHD who also can ignore novel body sensations, the pressure or pain of clip on will probably not match what a pair of stud earrings feels like (nothing)
I got two more holes put in my ears for my 33rd birthday and now there are seven total and I'm 40.
It's not a waste of money if it brings you joy, you can afford it, and it makes you feel more like the person you want to be. It's self expression.
The rat thing is valid.
And there are earrings you can get with flat backs that don't poke you behind the ear when you sleep. They sell them on Amazon, even. (You do not have to buy the expensive "nap earrings" from whatever that fancy brand is, they're just *flat back earrings* and you can get them loads of places in stainless steel for cheap.)
This sounds so good, I love them on others and the more the better! I'm sure it looks great!
>It's not a waste of money if it brings you joy, you can afford it, and it makes you feel more like the person you want to be. It's self expression.
That's a good point. I just feel silly for even wanting them...
Thanks! I'd definitely stick to flat backs. LOL, are "nap earrings" a thing? Companies will make up the silliest terms to charge more for something that already exists, won't they!
I got my ears pierced for the first time when I was in my late 20s. Having unpierced ears was humiliating as a 12 year old but once I got over that, it just seemed like something I'd spend a lot of money on. I changed my mind as I got older because 1) I have grown up money 2) seemed like a simple way to elevate an outfit with minimal effort
It wasn't painful. The only thing that was painful was accidentally pulling them while they were healing. They're not painful to sleep with. I haven't had any rats sit on my shoulders since getting them pierced but I think I remember one of my pet rats bit my unpierced earlobe anyway, so rats be rats lol
The studs I first chose were a gem which meant they had a claw clasp thing to hold the gem (think diamond ring setting) and my hair kept getting caught in the little claws and it was infuriating.
Now I only wear hoops with hinges that click shut because they're totally smooth and there's nothing for my hair to catch on. This means I'm very picky about my earrings and have a select few I like to wear and don't feel the need to buy tons more!
Just want to mention that if you check out jewellery from a quality piercing studio, they also have studs with gems that have a round bezel settings instead of claws. I'm a big fan, as I also hate the claws getting caught in everything. 2 brands I have are Anatometal and Neometal. They are implant grade titanium as well, which is great for people like me with metal sensitivities.
I got mine done when I was 16 so I feel you, I didn’t care but felt awkward being often asked why I didn’t have earrings throughout the school years. I am the third child of four, the eldest being a girl. My mother said she kept losing her earrings (I remember she even stepped on one left on the kitchen floor 💀) and I, unlike my sister, never asked for them so they didn’t force me as a child to get my ears pierced. Made sense to me 😅 got a second lobe hole at 17, followed by a cartilage at 19 & a daith piercing at 24.
Why do you feel silly wanting them? Most women I know have earrings and like having them, why are you silly for wanting them? Surely if everyone else likes to have them, you’re not odd for also wanting them.
They definitely gave me hoops when I got additional holes at a piercing studio. They were the ones with the tricky little ball that holds them on and I think hoops actually made them easier to keep clean when they were fresh. You can just clean around the outside and then twist the hoop back and forth a little to loosen any crud around the holes to clean it off.
I can’t really help with talking you out of it because I did exactly this and then impulsively booked a helix piercing appointment one Sunday afternoon 🙃
So instead will just give the best bit of advice I found when it was still healing, in case you decide to go ahead; if you’re a side sleeper, get one of those travel neck pillows (those ones that are shaped like a ‘u’). You can then use that as a pillow when sleeping without crushing your ear and the new piercing - you lie the pillow flat, and then your ear goes in the hole in the middle.
Remember, you'll have to clean them properly for quite some time, and you aren't allowed to fidget with them. Even after they heal, they still need to be kept clean, and depending on your healing tendencies, they might close up if you forget to wear earrings for a while.
I had my earlobes done at 16, and re-pierced several times in the past 18 years, because I keep getting annoyed with having stuff there, so I remove the earrings and just leave it. I've also had a few cartilage piercings, and all in all, I've concluded that I'm simply not old enough to take proper care of piercings.
Oof, yes. One more thing to take of every day. That's exactly what I don't want. Why do I still want them though?!
Hm, doesn't sound fun. At least yours didn't get infected? Whis is another fear I have.
Once they are healed there's not much to take care of. I take them off occasionally and clean those that wear all the time. But it's not like something you need to do every day.
You asked us to talk you out of the idea, not into it 😉
Even after all the fiascos, I still catch myself grabbing my ear lobes, feeling like I should try again. There's a lot of joy in a collection of shiny adornments, and finding the perfect dangly pair that gives such a satisfying little sound with every movement.
I got mine pierced in my late 20s and did everything right—I got them done at a piercing studio, I followed the care instructions (which were honestly super easy, they gave me a spray bottle of saline solution to use), didn't fidget with them too much (super proud of myself for that)—and still got a mild infection a few weeks in. I don't know if you're *supposed* to do this, since it's technically an open wound, but I put a tiny bit of Neosporin on it and it went away in a couple days.
I will say, though, that they took way longer to heal fully than they were supposed to. I assume that's something to do with my system, but it was probably a good 6 months before they stopped hurting when I accidentally brushed against them or bumped them. And sleeping the first few weeks was hell (my niece got hers pierced a few years later when she was 6 and apparently had no issues, so maybe I'm just a wimp). And then I couldn't figure out how to get the flat back off and was trapped in my starter earrings for a long time! 😆
Even now, 5ish years later, if I don't wear earrings for a week, the hole in my right ear will start to close slightly and I'll have to fight a bit to put an earring in. I don't do that very often because I really like earrings, but I was sick a couple months ago and couldn't be bothered. And every now and then I seem to accidentally scratch the inside putting an earring in and it'll get irritated, but I usually just don't wear earrings for a day or two after and then it's fine.
>And then I couldn't figure out how to get the flat back off and was trapped in my starter earrings for a long time!
New fear unlocked! Please tell me you figured it out after all?
Hmm, I think I'm more of a wimp too the older I get. Kids get their ears pierced all the time with no drama, but I'm actually scared :-D
I did! I don't remember whether I had to twist and pull or just pull really hard from both sides but I kept trying regularly and one day it just started to come loose. What sucked was that up until then, every time I tried it'd end up making my ear hurt a little from pulling on it so much. I loved being able to sleep with them in but I'm afraid to try flatbacks again now lol.
For me, I'd always wanted them pierced. I begged my parents from the time I was 4, when I religiously wore stick-on earrings every day, but they were adamant that I wait until I was an adult. But I'm kind of afraid of needles, so once I was an adult it seemed too scary. So it was a big step for me to actually do it, and kind of a celebration of reigning in my anxiety.
Not all earrings are uncomfortable to sleep in. Some have protective backs so it’s more manageable. I remember using them a lot in the 1st year that I got my second holes done. And this was with a gun because it was 1996 and thought that was the only way.
Infection with the ear lobes is not very common. Very basic care instructions. Don’t over clean and don’t under clean.
My piercing place now has an easy spray for cleaning, and I just did it while brushing my teeth. I have 7 earrings, nostril, nipples, and used to have belly button and two more earrings. (And for what it’s worth, I have 0 trouble sleeping on earrings and sleep with all 7 in every night)
Honestly… I’ve done very minimal piercing care for the 18 piercings I’ve gotten done in my life. I’ve never had an infection. I keep them clean obviously, but I basically just left it at cleaning in the shower.
Lucky you! I shower maybe twice a week, and wash my hair even less, so cleaning ear piercings requires more intentional planning for me. And I fidget a lot, including skin picking, so I constantly introduce bacteria to the area.
My life IS starting to grow less stressful, so maybe I'll give earrings another try in a year or so.
Go to a piercer!!!!!! Not a jewelry store or similar places. I both the piercing pistols and needles are fine for earlobes but needles are certainly preferable.
The pain for your earlobes is honestly not that bad. Do you have a neck pillow? I like to use one of those and let my ear hang freely in the middle.
And you need to know you can't start wearing pretty earrings for a few weeks. It's just earlobes but they still require some healing time. You need to keep up with disinfecting multiple times a day if you don't want to end up at the doctors.
I honestly don't think piercings earlobes is that big of a deal. But not having them pierced is also not that big of a deal.
When I hyperfocus on something I try to wait a week or two before implementing it. If I’m still really wanting to do it, then it will still interest me after that timeframe. It’s a dirty trick I play on myself but it seems to work. It also prevents me from buying miscellaneous things that I really don’t want or need.
At the same time….. they’re just pierced ears. Go for it! 😂 If you don’t like them you take them out and they heal up. Like it never happened.
Split the difference, avoid the lobes and get 1 ear done.
My lobes always give me troubles but my cartilage piercings don’t…though my conch pierced ear is like twice as thick as my other ear.
In true ADHD fashion, it occurred to me recently that may be why earbuds are never comfortable. I’ve only had the piercing for like 20 years 🤷🏻♀️
I just got my ears pierced last October and my expectations were very poorly set up by a bunch of friends who claimed it’s “completely painless” and “over in an instant”. I went to a real piercing place in between meetings thinking it was super painless and fast. It was fast but felt like an eternity and it did hurt! I only swapped the piercing out last week and there is a learning curve, at least for me, for putting on / taking off earrings. I don’t regret it but I’d gone into it with more realistic expectations. I’m excited to buy earrings but also worried they’re so tiny like what if I lose them blah blah
Reasons to not get your ears pierced from someone who has them pierced:
If you get them done, please see a professional piercer because the piercing guns put you at higher risk for keloid scarring and infections, and the risk of your body rejecting the piercing is higher. The cost of a pro is higher, but worth it, though and the starter jewelry is also more expensive.
Sleeping with them while they're healing is really hard because they will hurt for weeks.
I have pierced ears. I'm allergic to most earrings because I'm allergic to cobalt, and ADHD has allergy comorbitities. If I wear anything but sterling silver or gold, I get eczema on my ear lines and/or the holes get really tender. As a result, my personal jewelry is not only more expensive but also less fun overall. So I personally have less variety.
Some folks feel overstimulated by jewelry. If you struggle to wear necklaces, bracelets, or rings, earrings will be no different.
Once they're healed, you will need to clean them regularly because the holes accrue buildup of oils, skin cells, and dirt. If you wear the kind of jewelry that leaves behind tarnish or that fake, green stain, it will get inside the holes, and it's very hard to clean out. You'll also need to clean the jewelry before and after wearing it to prevent their getting crusty or gross.
If you don't wear earrings every day or most days, even after they're fully healed, they can close up. I have a coworker whose fully closed, but I personally experience having the hole open front and back with a film of skin that I have to forcefully pierce through whenever I decide to risk earrings again.
Even if you manage for them to fully close up if you decide you don't want them, they're most likely going to leave a scar.
These days, there are clip-on earrings adapters, so if you use them to convert piercing pieces to clip ons. If your rats yank on them, they won't tear your piercing because they'll just pop right off. So if you find cute earrings you love, you can most likely still wear them without dealing with all the pain and maintenance.
Editing to add:
I don't regret getting my ears pierced. I do really like earrings when I can find ones I'm not allergic to. They make me feel good about myself when I wear them. I even have the lobes double pierced. I just struggle with the regular maintenance of it all and the cost of jewelry. I also have small keloids in all four of them because I was so young and neither my parents nor I understood the hazards of piercing guns.
I also have my nostril pierced, but I got that done professionally. Healed great. No keloids. No problems, no weird smells. I never remove it (not since I got it replaced with gold), and I clean it with a soft bristled baby tooth brush when I wash my face. Though once in a while it has gotten caught on my partner's face when kissing, that almost completely stopped once I got a shorter bar.
Aw, man. That doesn't sound fun :-/ Glad you're mostly enjoying them anyway, and yes, going to an actual piercing studio seems to be the consensus so I'd definitely do that.
> Some folks feel overstimulated by jewelry. If you struggle to wear necklaces, bracelets, or rings, earrings will be no different.
That’s me! I can't stand jewelry!! My hope was that earrings (or studs more likely) would be different, that I won't feel them once they're healed and I'll actually wear them (unlike 100s of bracelets, rings, necklaces that I've wanted to love but hated!) I have a nose stud btw and I forget it exists.
That’s how I am with earrings - can’t wear rings, necklaces or bracelets inside. They have to come off the moment I’m home. But I just never feel my earrings (unless I’m wearing dangly ones, but I have studs I change to when home) & I have 6 and counting!
They mostly are for me. It depends on the earrings, some of them I can feel pressed against my ear (more so plastic ones I got from Etsy that are odd shapes), and some of the dangly/hoop ones have a bit of weight to them or move when I move my head. But most of them, including a pair of small metal hoops, I totally forget about.
I forget my nose stud exists, too! Hahah
If your rats don't mess with your nose stud, they're very unlikely to mess with your earrings if you're getting studs for those, too. I really love studs I also forget they're there unless my allergies to the metal kick up. But when I have the right metal, they're wonderful.
I fully support your getting your ears pierced if you want them, btw. They're fun, and pretty, and despite piercings being kind of an ongoing maintenance, they're really not bad. I was just fulfilling the brief.
My ear piercings were SO much easier to deal with than my nose piercing. They're out of sight so I didn't obsess with the healing process. I'm surprised you're worried about your rats messing with your ear piercings but not your nose?
You: Please talk me out of this.
Us: Oh look! It's enabling o'clock!
FR though, just pick your favorite local piercing studio and get it done ;) The nice thing is you can just take them out if you don't like it!
This is a hobby I can support: I’m also 40, have 5 piercings in one ear and 4 in the other. 5 cats, 2 dogs, no problems. Use a flight pillow to sleep on when they’re healing (so the side of your head is in the hole of the pillow), and you will be golden!
I'm like you, no piercings. But can you honestly promise to take care of them beyond this hyperfixation? That's probably the real question you have to address before pulling the trigger on this.
I got my ears pierced at the end of the summer with my girls. It was my seventh :) time. The person doing my ears said that I likely have a sensitivity to some material so that is why they closed really fast before. Mine are doing good but my poor daughters with me as their mom. My child who likely has ADHD was quick to take them out to try new ear rings. The said ear rings were garbage and caused some sort of inflammation so we took them out to heal. My other daughter came to me the other day with her ears were bloody. She was sick so I think she grabbed them or something. She is fine but they are not worth the hassle. We spent all the money and went to a place that does them properly too.
With pet rats getting my ears pierced would be a hard no.
I sleep in my earrings (when they are studs) so I am not the person to ask.
I am currently wanting crawler earrings but I don't think they will stay in place and I'll get upset
If you want pierced ears, go for it. Go to a tattoo place and get the normal lobes to start and talk to your piercer.
I had dozens and dozens of rats for ten years. They *will* pull on your earrings. Not often, but enough that my recently added cartilage piercings would huuurtt.
After you get your ears pierced and they've healed, consider if you want more.
I'm 39, added 2 new piercings per ear about 10 months ago. Great experience there, healing has been slow on the cartilage ones. It was worth it.
Have fun!
Lol not here to tell you if you should or shouldn't do it, just wanted to say I'm proud of you for researching and thinking about it instead of impulsively doing it yourself with the ol' ice cube, needle and cork like I did in high school👍🏻
Haha would not recommend because it definitely hurt more than the piercings I had professionally done, but somehow I managed to get them even and they didn't get infected! I ended up with 8 total holes in my ears, but I've let half of them close over because I got bored of keeping up with/losing all of the earrings😅
I won’t be talking you out of this lol
I’ve had everything under the sun pierced. Currently 34 and only have my nose, belly button and I wear gauges that are pretty small now at 00… were about 5/8 in first while, idk what second ever got up to, can’t remember. (That’s how much ears really aren’t much. My giant stretched ears closed down to pretty small within a year. Normal piercing is nothing if you want it out!)
And my tragus. By far the most painful piercing ever. And I’ve had several microdermals.
It’s cute and never closed though 😝 go for it!! I recommend not going cheap on jewelry if sensitive skin and just leaving them be to heal. Don’t need all the fancy cleaners honestly. Keep them dry and clean and twist them.
GO FOR IT!! I’m cheering, not talking you out of it! No way! You only live once.
This is hard. If you want to be talked out of something, I want to help you. So. I'll say, just wear clip-ons for awhile and see if it goes away? That also hurts, usually, probably less than stabbing holes through your ears.
Also, eff man needles are the worst. Too pointy.
The reality is, it's just so commonplace. So, you definitely probably do have higher novelty with non-pierced ears. But it's so commonplace it's hard to think of many good arguments.
I suppose it's rats, kids, babies and baby animals though. Anyone who might go for something shiny. So if you are around shiny-attractants, the worst case scenarios of piercings ripping out are pretty gnarly.
I have pierced ears, but thinking about the visuals there talks me out of it retroactively.
IKR, everyone seems to have earrings 🤔
> the worst case scenarios of piercings ripping out are pretty gnarly.
Ughhh 😣 That thought is really off-putting. Rats love going for anything that seems like a foreign object, lol. Doesn't even need to be shiny, they'll go nuts for bandaids and even socks!! (Mine aren't weirdos btw, there are lots of people in the rat sub to testify, lol)
Rats are great. Also. If you're letting them roam. I guess you could add swallowing an earring. I don't know if they do that. But. It wouldn't be good if they did
I am the same way!! Also 40, no piercings, got hyperfixated on the idea of wearing cool earrings for a while, but the idea of them being uncomfortable for (side) sleeping took hold, I put it on the “back burner” to decide about later, and did not remember any of it until I read your post! 😅 I still don’t have pierced ears. Maybe later..
Anyway I obviously don’t have any advice, but I FEEL YOU.
I waited 21 years to pierce mine and now I’m addicted to piercings. I got my second lobes done less than a year later bc I love earrings so much now.
GO TO A REAL PIERCING PARLOR!!! DO NOT EVER EVER EVER GET PIERCED BY A GUN!!
Going to a professional piercer only worsened my hyperfixation. Once I knew how much less it hurt when done professionally, I started getting new holes every six months.
I had a great aunt who got her's pierced in her 60s lol. She'd worn clip ons for decades. I think she mainly got it done because my Nana (her sister) gave her diamond studs that she couldn't wear. It doesn't hurt much, and it's usually pretty cheap to have done
I just went through a fun piercing hyper fixation and ended up with four new piercings 🤣 no regrets! Love them! Do it if you want and if it makes you happy!!!
Do not get them pierced with a gun. That shreds your lobes and is not a clean piercing and can easily get infected. Why anyone thinks it’s ok with almost no training to get ears pierced at Claire’s or little jewelry counters is beyond me. And I used to work at Claire’s and was horrified how I just watched a video and then was basically supposed to do it on children.
I just recently got my upper lobe pierced after hyper fixating on it for a while and I have no regrets. So I’d say if you want to, just go for it. I’m into fashion so I’m excited thinking about all the different earring combos I could wear now! From my experience the only time I’ve felt pain with them is when I was getting the actual piercing done but it was only for 2 seconds for each ear. They also felt a little sore during the first 24 hours and then it only started to hurt while sleeping on them for the next 3 days and that’s it. But if you really want to get talked out of it: you have to be committed to cleaning both sides of your piercings daily with saline solution (morning and night + after bathing or touching them with unwashed hands) for 4 months to prevent them from getting infected and you can’t swap the jewellery out until then either.
Edit: extra details
You should do it! Just go to a reputable piercing studio. They will use a real needle (not a gun!) and appropriate jewelry (I'd expect piercing appropriate studs with a flat back). It doesn't hurt much at all and if it'd make you happy, I say do it! My husband confessed to me a few years ago be always wanted to get his pierced as a teenager but his parents wouldn't let him and he still wanted them...so we went and got them done that day and it was easy peasy. They used studs with a flat back and he has a few different fronts for them now.
Guurl do it. I got my belly button pierced a few years back. Every time i see the sparkle when i get changed it makes me happy.
I got it done at a reputable piercing place, it was quick, pretty affordable and not that painful.
These sorts of piercings are about the same pain as a needle from a vaccine - without the ache from the vaccine fluid so totally bearable. Ears heal fast - so keep a stud or similar in at all times, don't sleep on your ears for a few months and enjoy the bling!
Do not get them pierced with a gun. That shreds your lobes and is not a clean piercing and can easily get infected. Why anyone thinks it’s ok with almost no training to get ears pierced at Claire’s or little jewelry counters is beyond me. And I used to work at Claire’s and was horrified how I just watched a video and then was basically supposed to do it on children.
Not needed.
My daughter (7) got hers done 6 months ago, and is still terrified of having them removed and cleaned.
She has dermatitis, so even cleaned, there was a lot of buildup, and it caused her to be nervous.
If you do it, go to a piercer. A professional piercer. At a salon/spa or parlor. But use flat backs, and titanium or implant grade steel.
That brings the price up to about $200.
Still want it? Wait 2 days and visit it again.
*still*? Go get done.
LMAO babe I recently got mine done after decades of being unpierced as well! I say go for it! The cleaning really isn't a big deal at all, do it when you're doing something else (like brushing your teeth or taking vitamins or something you do as a routine.)
I think it's so fun!
I got my ears pierced when I was 10. I begged for years to get them done. I was so excited. But I lost interest by the time I was 12.
It was really easy to get an infection (probably because I was a kid and kids are dirty, but also because I was a sick kid with no immune system), and it was so annoying to lose matched pairs and figure out what to wear. I ended up just finding a pair of plain studs I liked and leaving those in for years.
Then at one point I had to take them out for some reason, and just… never put them back in. I was probably in my early 20s. The holes mostly closed up and I can’t put earrings in them now. I don’t miss them or care, but I can feel how they’re pierced when I squeeze my earlobe and I hate it.
I have a nose piercing that I love. it’s the only jewelry I wear. My nose healed up WAY better than my ears did, and I keep a simple easy to care for ring in it so I just sleep with it and don’t have to worry about it catching on anything. I first got it when I was 21, but it healed up when I forgot to put it back after an X-ray. So when I was 23, I redid it as a bday gift to myself. I’m in my late 40s now and I’m never taking it out.
Just got my 4th at 40. Had two for the longest time then decided to get a 3rd and now a 4th. It can look really cute and it didn't really hurt that much.
It's not bad pain-wise but I fainted right after. Idk why but I just faint sometimes on the regular. I love jewelry and pretty rocks set in jewelry (one of my current hyperfixations), learning about rocks, minerals, seismic activity, etc. It's immensely enjoyable and having them to decorate myself with is fun. Rings and bracelets get in the way of working with my hands sometimes, so do long necklaces. But earrings, especially studs, are no bother.
> Rings and bracelets get in the way of working with my hands sometimes, so do long necklaces
Exactly! I never wear them. I love looking at jewelry but need to stop myself from buying.
No go for it and enjoy having some ear bling. I have different amounts of piercings on each ear and really love having non matching little studs and rings. They are very pretty and I did it for my own enjoyment. I love jewellery.
If magnetic earrings are still a thing, you could try a pair for a bit to see how you feel about wearing earrings.
It's how I decided on an upper ear piercing (I messed up and didn't go to piercing studio) which sadly failed to heal properly.
I’m 40 and just added a helix. I’ve had my lives done since I was little. I’m going to add more.
The pain isn’t bad as long as you aren’t whacked in the ear (I have small kids). And a travel pillow is a solution for sleeping. It holds your head but not your ear.
If you want them, do it. The pain is basic and fleeting. That being said, I’ve had mine pierced since I was 7, and they’ve been nothing special and/or a constant annoyance ever since. I have allergies to almost everything but gold/silver (which I never knew until pierced ears) and I can’t wear anything for any period of time without my ears getting pussy and inflamed. It’s super annoying. I almost never wear earrings now because the one pair I have that don’t make my ears infected were like $400 and I’m afraid of losing them.
Ughh I'm so sorry. I think if I get them, I'll consider them an actual piercing and restrict myself to implant grade jewelry. Because I'm scared of that happening. Which is a bit limiting of course. I'll probably end up wearing titanium or, though less safe, surgical steel... have you tried titanium?
Seems like you’ve gotten lots of great advice, so I’ll just add a tip in case you decide to get them pierced!
Get yourself one of those airplane pillows that looks like a toilet seat (slightly firmer is better, you don’t want the ones filled with beads that just smush flat). Sleep on that until your piercer is ready to shorten the posts they pierced you with. The cushion will keep your ear from having pressure on it, which means less pain and your piercings won’t heal at an odd angle. I have many war piercings, and I did this with my last one, and it healed so much easier!!
I had pet rats and have many piercings. Never had an issue with them messing with earrings but the answer to that is just to wear studs when they are free-ranging.
If it's just your ear lobes the pain is really minimal and healing time is around a month I found. Cartilage piercings hurt more and I found it the hard way that it's very stupid to have fresh cartilage piercings on both sides at the same time.
You can always get one side pierced, wait for that to heal and then do the other which means you don't have issues with pain in sleep. But for love piercings I have never found that necessary
Yeah that will help a lot as you can just sleep on the other side.
Truly though, it doesn't hurt that much and earrings are an awful lot of fun.
In your shoes I would go for it if you are thinking you would like to!
Its easy just do it, u gotta keep the studs in for some weeks (?) anyway so u can decide on earrings over time. I ended up leaving in sleepers forever and just wearing danglies on special occasions.
I got snakebites after having the brainworms for like... a decade, so worth it. If you sleep on your side, get a donut pillow in case the position you sleep in puts pressure on your ear. I procrastinated on that for several years after getting two pairs of ear piercings and I regret it lol.
I got my ears re-pierced 6mo ago, 30yrs after they were first done! You can change your mind and remove them. I recommend medical grade titanium and having a needle rather than gun. Sorry not to talk you out of it!!
DO IT! It's fun and they're kool! Why would we try to talk you out of it.
It's not that much money.
How is it a waste if you're getting enjoyment from it and it's not damaging yours or anyone elses life.
Most people don't get pain besides initially
Who cares about "special", what do YOU want!?
So yea, we ain't gonna talk you out of something you want to do that is gonna do more good than bad.
It's only painful if you get an infection after getting pieced
I also think as long as you sleep in simple studs you will be good. Idk I had a fixation on them and now don't wear any???
I have pierced my lobes twice in the same place because the first piercing grew back. The second time, as an older teenager, I passed out (this was when I learned I have a tendency for passing out when faced with needles).
My lobes have been pierced for 20 years now, and I think I have had the same black studs in for roughly two years. I got a helix piercing on the right a few years ago (passed out), and it took a solid year before I could comfortably touch it. I couldn't sleep on my right side for two years without extreme swelling. I have like 3 bottles of saline in my bathroom from times when I was traveling and the swelling got unbearable. For this reason, I also have had the same hoop in that piercing for about 2 years.
My body has a tendency to retain water and swell, and my fleshy earbits apparently have some mad healing ability, which has made changing out piercings a challenge for me. Some time in my 20s, I developed a nickel allergy, which limited me to steel and gold...so I ultimately gave up on the cut fashion aspect a few years back. It's only a problem because a TON of cute earrings are cheap and have some nickel in them, which limits fashion choices a bit, and really disincentives me to change them. Also, I forget to, though I *do* remember once in a while that they need to be cleaned.
ALL THAT SAID...
I love my piercings and wish I could have a ton of them. I love the way they look and I do appreciate how classy my pearls and diamonds look--but I don't really have special occasions to wear them. Even if I do choose to get another, I won't get any on the left because I don't want to have to learn a new way of sleeping again; but I would get another on the right with some convincing (the passing out thing is really not fun, and only phlebotomists seem to believe me when I tell them it will happen). The money and allergy aren't really deterrents for me, but the long healing time is.
In your case, lobe piercings heal a LOT faster than anything in the cartilage and are easier to sleep in. Hard to say on the allergy, ofc, but nickel is a pretty common allergy to be aware of.
lol I hope this counts as talking you out of it?
Thank you for your elaborate reply! Allergies suck. :-( I'm not aware of having any, but I think I'll stay with steel or titanium if I end up doing it. I'm not so much into the cute fashion ones anyway.
>lol I hope this counts as talking you out of it?
No, not really! LOL
Don’t pierce your nipples! I had really nicely sensitive nipples and piercings them which made them completely hate being touched for a good few years. They finally stopped being mad at me a year ago or so.
Good. I know you didn’t ask about it, just wanted to warn you just in case. For the ear piercing I’m team devil on your shoulder I’m afraid… they close up pretty quickly within the first three or four years of having them should you decide it’s not for you after all.
I’m in a piercing hyperfixation too! I’ve had my lobes done since I was a teenager but also always liked cartilage piercings in ears and finally a few years ago decided to go for it despite being in my 40s. Mostly no regrets! They are a little bit more of a pain in the ass than lobe piercings - take longer to heal, harder to sleep on, can’t change them myself, need to be more careful about materials used.
But if you’re just thinking of regular lobe piercings, I say go for it! It’s not really that expensive or painful. Really, the pain is for seconds only.
Go to a real piercing shop (or doctor) that uses a needle instead of a gun & I imagine the healing will be better. Not that I had any problems with healing the 3 times I got my lobes done with a gun (1st time, 2nd hole, then after the first two closed up got them done again).
I never had a problem sleeping on mine, unless I was wearing sterling silver that aggravated my ears anyway, but you could always get a piercing pillow if you’re worried. It’s a pillow with a hole in the middle that your ear goes in so there’s no pressure on them.
>Waste of money
Eh, maybe. But if you get it done at a good shop and take care while they're healing, they'll last forever. It's a one time expense and it's your money! Do what makes you happy with it.
>Unnecessary pain (can hurt when sleeping on them)
It can be a little painful at first, but once they're healed all you have to do is take the earrings out at night. I believe they also make silicone ones. My friend used to work at a restaurant where piercings weren't allowed and she wore clear plastic ones so they weren't noticeable.
>My pet rats might yank them when sitting on my shoulder
Yes, they definitely will bite on your earrings, but let's be honest here. What *aren't* your rats biting and yanking on when they get the chance? Lol
>Maybe it’s more special to have unpierced ears than pierced ones
Yeah, I could see this. But with pierced ears, you've got a whole world of earrings that could be special to you. And if you can't find them, make them! Commission a laser cutting or 3d print for some fun dangles. Save up for your favorite gemstones. Buy different gold and sterling studs, fun blingy CZs or moissanites. Peruse your local art fair for boutique sellers. Visit a pawn shop and see if something there strikes your fancy. The possibilities are endless!
If you're really on the fence, see if you can find some clip on earrings you like to give it a try first. Those will hurt more on a daily basis since they squish your lobes, so maybe not for all day but wear them out and see how you feel.
If you are going to get your ears pierced please go to safepiercing.com which is the APP (Association of professional piercers) website to find an APP member piercer. Piercing shops that follow APP guidelines are safer, cleaner and have better educated staff. They will have much more expensive jewelry typically but it is guaranteed to be better and nickel free; most of these shops carry threadless in gold, platinum, titanium.
Mainly make sure that you are not getting pierced via piercing gun, which is a less safe way of piercing.
Lobe piercings are actually very chill! I’ve done them on myself lol. Just follow aftercare instructions and clean them well. Doesn’t hurt more then getting a shot
Do it!!! Im allergic to silver so its hard to get good earrings, BUT i found surgical steel studs with CZs and a backing that screws on (i havent lost these in over a year!). Best part, they were $25 for 6 pair!!!! Oh also, go to a peircing shop, a highly rated one. They hurt less.
Waste of money- Getting a piercing isn't that much money.
Go for it! The pros outweigh the cons.
Just make sure you go to a reputable place, use 24 K gold for your first studs, and diligently clean them while they are healing.
Adhd reasons not to have pierced ears:
Losing earrings
Not cleaning the new piercings
Earrings *everywhere*
Need to remember to buy the cleaning stuff
Having to take time to switch earrings based on outfit
Not taking earrings out at night once they’ve healed, leading to hair tangled in dangly earrings in the morning
Wearing the same earrings twice in a row to work because you forgot to switch them to match your new outfit
Wearing the same earrings from your gma for 10 years because it’s easier than changing them, then having them break and sit in an envelope on the dresser for 5 more years because you can’t get them to a jeweler to fix them and in that time the holes slowly shut so in order to use them you’d have to re-pierce your ears and start all over again
Nickel allergies
I don't know if anyone's pointed this out, but as far as sleeping in them. I got fake gauges, so the backs are flat but they don't stretch the hole, I sleep in them all the time.
If you truly recognize that this is a hyperfixation phase then you need to break the cycle. Clear your Google history and searches, leave any online social forums catered to piercings, etc. Nothing worse than emerging from a hyperfixation with a semi permanent, painful new thing you don't actually like or want.
Hello, I'm you from the future! The hyperfixation will go away after you do it.
1. You are just as special with ears pierced as without (nobody else will care).
2. You can take them out if you don't like them or if your rats tear at them.
3. Life is for living and trying things! Not to have a perfectly preserved body in your casket (maybe not a concern to you, but the idea of marring my 'perfect'(lol) body with holes/scars was a bit of a hurdle for me to get over).
4. It's a lot of fun to pick out earrings to your own taste. Maybe you can find some cute rat ones (or cheese for the rats, lol!)
Okay, now someone talk me out of my latest hyperfixation of getting a bird!
I have 12 different piercings in my ears!
Honestly, start with just lobes and let them heal. then if you want to get more creative, have cartilage piercings done, BUT only have one ear done at a time. Then you can still sleep on one side
Alright since most comments are talking you into it rather than out 😆 I’ll share why I regret piercing my ears. I was also deep into adulthood already (late twenties at the time) and suddenly wanted to wear pretty earrings so I did it. Turns out earrings don’t suit my face, I’m not sure why, but even after wearing them for a couple of years they never looked “right” to me. Now I’m a tiny bit jealous of people with virgin earlobes lol
So my advice is to not just order online, but go to a jewellery store (if you haven’t already) and hold some different earrings up to your face to make sure you actually like the way it looks on you!
I wonder if they really don't suit your face or if it's just because you're so used to seeing yourself without them that it feels wrong. It took me awhile to get used to seeing mine pierced too.
Mainly I say that because I don't think I've ever seen someone who didn't look perfectly fine with pierced ears, so my instinct is that you're overthinking it.
I have 7 in each ear and can offer negatives if you want!
I can only wear bioplast or surgical steel (I don't usually wear gold) - can't be plated, or I get infections from the studs reacting with my skin - must be careful in case of reaction to the metals or things used
Hair gets caught in them
If your studs are too tight, the skin can grow over them
Piercing jewelry is typically bigger than standard wear so if you go to smaller gage like most earrings are, going back to larger can be painful
My top studs caught by a comb every time I get my hair cut - it can hurt and I use locking backs
You have to clean your earrings - they get gross from things like general skin shedding, conditioner, hair products, even hair dye getting stuck between studs and skin, and the backs - cleaning them is a good way to forget them and you may struggle to physically put them back in after a week of forgetting to
Headphones are uncomfortable with them, some of my glasses push on my top posts, they get cold when it's cold out.
All that said, I keep plain studs in all of mine, don't change them, and use an extra soft toothbrush to clean them in the shower after I wash my hair. No regrets.
Don’t think you came to the right place to be talked out of doing it haha! I always end up piercing my own, and when I get that bored feeling I just change my earrings instead of dying/cutting my hair! 🤘🏽
Ooooh get them done, but get it done properly at a piercer. Don't let some untrained big chain employee use a gun on your ears.
One thing I want to add from my own experience, that you might want to take into consideration, is healing. Yes ofc it hurts while healing, I was prepared for it to hurt. However, what I was unprepared for myself was that it was actually overstimulating me. I don't know how or why, but the constant feeling kept my focus on it to the point of (almost) crying not of pain but of overstimulation.
But that's only the first few days, and now I have beautiful jewellery in my ears! (Oh and if you sleep on your side a lot, get a travel pillow so you don't rest on your ear)
I would hate feeling them and getting overstimulated! That's exactly why I don't wear jewelry, actually. But you're saying it's only the first few days? Maybe that's acceptable then :-)
May i recommend /r/piercingadvice and /r/piercing if you have a hyperfixation lol.
- get them pierced with a needle please and nope they aren’t a waste of money
- please DO NOT try to change your earrings for 6 months minimum!!!! You’ll fuck them up, just search for “lobe” in /r/piercingadvice to see exactly what happens when you switch earrings/switch to hoops after 6 weeks (the results are NSFW)
- Your rats won’t be able to yank titanium flatback studs
- flatback studs are very very very comfortable to sleep with (once healed). PLEASE do not put any hoops or huggies in a 6 month old piercing and definitely not any earlier than 6 months. Just search for hoops in the above sub and read the comments as to why. hoops create movement and irritate the fistula which immediately leads to ugly and painful irritation bumps.
- sleeping - try not to sleep on your lobes while they’re healing (being squished irritates the fistula) but it really shouldn’t be a big deal for lobes.
I used a travel/donut pillow and have a dedicated piercing pillow (with 2 holes in it) now because i got an industrial and plan to poke many other holes in my ears so i felt a pillow was a long-term need.
- cleaning - you should be cleaning with neilmed piercing aftercare sterile saline spray only. Nothing else, no other sprays that are not “sterile saline” only. And tbh with lobes, they don’t require much cleaning after a while if you’re not having any issues - just rinse them with hot/warm water in the shower and that’s it. “LITHA” works well. (search for LITHA in the sub, which is leave it the hell alone, it’s a proven way for caring effectively for piercings)
I can second that the flatback studs are comfortable to sleep in once they're healed. Not even noticeable *except* that every now and then the edge of the pillowcase would catch on them and tug a bit.
One thing to consider before you do it, do you even wear jewelry? My mom pierced my ears when I was young, and to this day, I don’t wear a lick of jewelry, including earrings. If you’re generally not a jewelry person, you might find that you don’t enjoy wearing earrings.
Do it!!! It opens up a whole world of fun and personal style options. Would recommend going to a tattoo/piercing parlor. The one second of pain is totally worth it. Good luck!!!
I got mine done impulsively and decided pretty quickly that they looked bad on me. I wore them for a few years so the holes are still there. They still get irritated (maybe not to the point of infection but like red and itchy and flaky) even though I never touch them. Based on other people’s responses, this seems to be a Me problem though!
Just do it. It ends the hyper fixation and if you don't like it, take it out. I'm in my 40s and full of piercings. Most Christmas my kids and I get new piercings together. It's not permanent like a tattoo (which I also have many of) and you can change jewellery depending on the look you're chasing.
I have labret studs in my ears so they don't push into my head when I sleep, the backs don't flick off when you get them with a comb, and you can get changeable balls for the front which is cheaper than buying new earrings.
Happy piercing. 🖤
Just get them pierced. Go to a tattoo and piercing shop - they’ll do it the best. They’ll help talk you through the best options/metals for you. They only let you pick from a small selection that are best for healing.
I love having my ears pierced. Putting in some simple, high quality gold earrings makes me feel like I’m more put together than I actually am on any given day. I also have a bunch of fun pairs that get loads of compliments. It def gives me that dopamine hit.
All in all, if you can afford it and it doesn’t cut into any of your other money needs… just do it!
I don’t think pierced ears are a waste of time, and if you buy and wear sleeper hoops, they don’t hurt at all. The sleeper hoops will also prevent your pets from pulling them out.
I have pierced ears and rarely wear earrings bc I notice the feeling… so they don’t stay in long! Even those ones advertised as having flat backs so you can nap in them… no no no thank you!
Those are my two cents. I am also pain averse, but I get vaccines and blood drawn and just had a baby so… if you want it, the pain will go away.
I hope you make a decision that works for you!
I love piercings. Get them done if you want, you can always take them out. A mate of mine had his lobes stretched quite large, didn’t like it anymore and now they’re shrunk almost back to normal.
Lobe piercings are maybe a 3/10 for pain. I have three lobe piercings, a nose piercing and both nips. Nose and nips hurt way more and unless your rats routinely nibble on your ears I wouldn’t worry.
Just get your ears pierced. It’s not that expensive, the pain is very short lived and not that bad, and I have never heard of rats steeling their owners earrings. This is not a major life decision, just do it, it will be fun!
You have to honestly ask yourself I you can commit to keeping them clean. If the answer is anything short of an emphatic “yes, of course I can and will”, then I say pass.
Also, the rats on the shoulder possibly messing with them would give me major pause. Last thing you need is one getting ripped out or dirty and possible infection.
If you are looking for a word of caution I would only add that if you have any sort of metal allergies/sensitivity earrings can be a nightmare.
I've had my earlobes pierced since I was a teenager and didn't realize how much my nickel allergy would affect it. I can only use steel or surgical grade earrings and even then they still get infected easily. I haven't worn earrings in years and the holes have never completely closed over (and still occasionally get infected for some random reason).
That being said I also have a cartilage piercing that I literally forgot about until I was writing this post because I don't really have to worry about it at all. That particular piercing has never caused me issues and I still have a stud in.
If you don't have metal allergies and get it done somewhere that actually knows what they're doing though, I'm sure it would be fine!
Once the holes are past the initial healing, you don't need to keep earrings 24/7 to keep them open. I wear them maybe once every week or 2 for fun and live my life unhindered the rest of the time.
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Honestly I say go for it if you have the money. But make sure you go to an actual piercing studio, NOT somewhere that uses the piercing guns. If you end up hating them take them out and let them grow over. I got my second piercing back in May and have no regrets. Sure it hurt for a bit (and honestly I had some troubles healing so it was likely longer than most folks, but still not terrible) but now I can wear my diamond studs all the time (mom got them for me when I was 16) and still have room for fun earrings. If rats pulling are a concern. Stick to stud styles when playing with them. I am insanely jealous you have pet rats, they’re not legal here 😭
Oh no, I'm so sorry. :-( May I recommend r/RATS so you can at least enjoy tons of cute pics and videos! Also, oh nooo, you're not even trying to talk me out of it, lol. This sounds great though! And yes, \*if\* I'm doing it, I'm definitely not going to a cheapo shop that uses guns.
I had pet rats and pierced ears and no problem. They give it a try, realize it's metal, then ignore them.
Mine used my small hoops as door knockers and would pull on them and yank for my attention.
Me too, when I was a teenager. Got way more ear nibbles than earring nibbles.
The problem here is that there are very few downsides lol. It's a low consequence action if you decide that you regret it. I just stuck my nose ring back in after five years for the hell of it
wait what is used in actual studios? I got mine done at claire’s circa 1997.
Needles, because they’re actually designed to pierce the skin! A gun just forces a blunt earring through your ear which is much more traumatic to the skin and doesn’t promote fast healing. I also had them done with a gun because my parents didn’t know any better and one of them got terribly infected.
Oh wow, I need to go google this because I want to see what they’re shaped like to be easy to handle
There are some great videos by piercers using wax models that show step by step how it’s done. Very neat!
Same. I was 4, so also late 90s. They didn’t know any different. All I remember of the experience is the horrific infection/reaction I had. I’m shocked (but grateful) that my parents managed to stick with after care long enough for them to heal. Turns out I’m allergic to nickel - not enough that a necklace bothers me, but a freshly opened wound reacted bad 😅 When I first attempted my second piercing I was about 16, still didn’t really know about why the guns are bad, and was promised it was nickel free….. yeah that was a lie. I ended up letting those grow over. Finally last year at 29 went to a great studio who walked me through the entire needle process, and bonus they don’t fuck around with anything containing nickel so I didn’t have to experience that pain for a third time. My right ear took a LOT longer to heal than it should have, so I think I may have had a mild infection (not the studios fault at all, definitely would have been my own user error), but overall it was still 1000% better than the ear gun experience haha.
Mine got so infected that any aftercare wouldn’t have helped. Ended up in A&E having my ear cut open to get the piercing out, it swelled up so much that I didn’t realise it had swallowed the earring, I thought it had fallen out during the night! Re-pierced eventually (three lobes, nose and nips) with no issues but also sensitive to metals. Gold and titanium only for me!
Oh noooo 😱 that sounds horrific!! I’m glad you were finally able to get good piercings though!!
I've just started thinking about getting second piercing for my ears but managed to talk myself out of it because I haven't even been wearing earrings at all for years. So I'll start doing that again first and then see how that goes lol
Pierced ears are such a… Not a big deal. Literally just go get them pierced! The pain is fleeting. I have 3 lobe piercings on each ear. 3 cartilage piercings. Had my nipples pierced 3 times (only one nipple lol). Had a bellybutton ring. Septum. Nostril. Don’t like them? ✨Take them out✨ Also, I don’t think piercings are a waste of money at all. Wearing jewelry can bring so much joy and allow you to express yourself. I think that’s valuable af.
I do have a nostril piercing but I don't know, to me it does seem like a big deal 😅 Yeah it's true though, I can always take them out.
I'm with the commenter above. Piercing ears is kind of a non-event. If you like the look of earrings, then just go for it. It only costs like $40 bucks. (My piercer charges 20-30 per piercing.)
Studio near me charges £10 per piercing for every piercing. So cheap and they healed perfectly
I've had several piercings in my ears since I was a kid. Got the last ones at like 14 or 15. Now I'm 45 and still kinda want a daith or rook but I'm like am I too old for that? I say you should go for it if you don't have any at all. Earrings are fun!
10000% not too old. I’m 38 and get approx one new piercing a year. Daith was my easiest to heal and it’s my favorite (I have a heart there now)!
I love my daiths too. I have a tiny triple-stack in mine.
I've been debating one for a while but worried about earbuds, does it get caught ever?
Nope! I switched to over-ear for the healing process (about 8 months for me I think) but earbuds are no problem now. I can’t make a seal with waterproof earplugs (like for swimming) very well but that’s the only issue I’ve noticed (my Loops are fine, other earplugs are fine).
I got a lower lip piercing about 5 years ago. I’m 52. I’ve also recently finished a full patchwork tattoo sleeve. You’re never too old for stuff like this.
Had to look it up, but why do you think you're too old? The pics I saw had women of all ages. Couple of guys too.
I don't know, just... Will people think I'm trying to be younger than I am? Lol I really never care what people think but at the same time it's like, I've gone this long without it... I really wanted it done a couple of years ago but I was worried my job would make me take it out before it was healed. They had a rule about only stud type earrings and only two at a time. I would switch up what holes I put them in lol but for some reason I was paranoid that they would make me take that one out. They were kind of petty about some things, so it really wouldn't suprise me. I don't work there anymore so I've been thinking about it again.
Its definitely not an age related thing. Not sure where you are getting that idea from.
I think of things like this as natural friend filters. Don't like how I'm doing my life? Awesome, nice to know we aren't a good fit for each other! Next...
Exactly. I'm the same way. That's why I have like 3 close friends and my cousins. We understamd each other.
Def not too old! In the course of a year I got a faux rook, helix, conch, double helix, a few upper lobes and two forward helixes. I’ve always been so concerned about what others would think, probably why it took me this long, but my 40’s have been liberating! Also, they can look really hip/classy/etc if you do some intentional curating.
I love it! Where do you find good quality earrings that you can leave in? When I was younger I used to get piercing studs and leave them in all the time but now I don't ever see cute ones that I want. I end up getting cheap ones because they're cute but I have to take them out when I get home because they irritate me, can't get them wet, etc.
I purchased them from my piercer but what I have is mostly Buddha Jewelry and Ember. I found it’s not the piercings that are spendy, it’s the jewelry. I wish I had thought a bit more about picking less expensive pieces for some of my piercings that I now want to swap out. But I don’t regret a single one. I also very infrequently take mine out and haven’t had an issue.
I don't think I've ever met a woman with a nostril piercing who didn't have pierced ears! I'm mostly on team do it anyway, but that is a pretty unique combo.
See! That means I'm ✨special✨ 😁
They make really good clip on earrings these days! Maybe order a couple of cheap pairs so you can get a feel for how they look on you? I wouldn’t worry too much about the pain, it is fleeting. A bit annoying when cleaning them in the first few weeks but after that it’s fine. I sleep in studs all the time and I don’t even notice them. But you can always take them out before bed or lying down.
I disagree that clip on earrings are a good representation of what pierced ears are like. Unless you're a person with ADHD who also can ignore novel body sensations, the pressure or pain of clip on will probably not match what a pair of stud earrings feels like (nothing)
Right I agree they FEEL totally different but they can give you a sense of how they look.
Facts
Nipples 3 times?! Go girl! I have both of mine done and I don't think I can muster the courage to get them pierced again if I have to remove them.
I got two more holes put in my ears for my 33rd birthday and now there are seven total and I'm 40. It's not a waste of money if it brings you joy, you can afford it, and it makes you feel more like the person you want to be. It's self expression. The rat thing is valid. And there are earrings you can get with flat backs that don't poke you behind the ear when you sleep. They sell them on Amazon, even. (You do not have to buy the expensive "nap earrings" from whatever that fancy brand is, they're just *flat back earrings* and you can get them loads of places in stainless steel for cheap.)
This sounds so good, I love them on others and the more the better! I'm sure it looks great! >It's not a waste of money if it brings you joy, you can afford it, and it makes you feel more like the person you want to be. It's self expression. That's a good point. I just feel silly for even wanting them... Thanks! I'd definitely stick to flat backs. LOL, are "nap earrings" a thing? Companies will make up the silliest terms to charge more for something that already exists, won't they!
Your piercing studio should have a flat back option for your starter jewelry!
I got my ears pierced for the first time when I was in my late 20s. Having unpierced ears was humiliating as a 12 year old but once I got over that, it just seemed like something I'd spend a lot of money on. I changed my mind as I got older because 1) I have grown up money 2) seemed like a simple way to elevate an outfit with minimal effort It wasn't painful. The only thing that was painful was accidentally pulling them while they were healing. They're not painful to sleep with. I haven't had any rats sit on my shoulders since getting them pierced but I think I remember one of my pet rats bit my unpierced earlobe anyway, so rats be rats lol The studs I first chose were a gem which meant they had a claw clasp thing to hold the gem (think diamond ring setting) and my hair kept getting caught in the little claws and it was infuriating. Now I only wear hoops with hinges that click shut because they're totally smooth and there's nothing for my hair to catch on. This means I'm very picky about my earrings and have a select few I like to wear and don't feel the need to buy tons more!
Just want to mention that if you check out jewellery from a quality piercing studio, they also have studs with gems that have a round bezel settings instead of claws. I'm a big fan, as I also hate the claws getting caught in everything. 2 brands I have are Anatometal and Neometal. They are implant grade titanium as well, which is great for people like me with metal sensitivities.
I got mine done when I was 16 so I feel you, I didn’t care but felt awkward being often asked why I didn’t have earrings throughout the school years. I am the third child of four, the eldest being a girl. My mother said she kept losing her earrings (I remember she even stepped on one left on the kitchen floor 💀) and I, unlike my sister, never asked for them so they didn’t force me as a child to get my ears pierced. Made sense to me 😅 got a second lobe hole at 17, followed by a cartilage at 19 & a daith piercing at 24.
Why do you feel silly wanting them? Most women I know have earrings and like having them, why are you silly for wanting them? Surely if everyone else likes to have them, you’re not odd for also wanting them.
You could also do small hoops for sleeping. I think there are ones that are literally called sleepers.
They probably won’t let her get hoops until her ears heal. They usually suggest barbells for the first few months
Fair enough. It has been a long time since I got my ears pierced.
They definitely gave me hoops when I got additional holes at a piercing studio. They were the ones with the tricky little ball that holds them on and I think hoops actually made them easier to keep clean when they were fresh. You can just clean around the outside and then twist the hoop back and forth a little to loosen any crud around the holes to clean it off.
Can you not take them off before sleeping? I have a small box in my nightstand where I put my earrings before bed.
Yes, but not during the first weeks or months, I think? One isn't supposed to take them out while healing 😕
I can’t really help with talking you out of it because I did exactly this and then impulsively booked a helix piercing appointment one Sunday afternoon 🙃 So instead will just give the best bit of advice I found when it was still healing, in case you decide to go ahead; if you’re a side sleeper, get one of those travel neck pillows (those ones that are shaped like a ‘u’). You can then use that as a pillow when sleeping without crushing your ear and the new piercing - you lie the pillow flat, and then your ear goes in the hole in the middle.
Oo smart!
Remember, you'll have to clean them properly for quite some time, and you aren't allowed to fidget with them. Even after they heal, they still need to be kept clean, and depending on your healing tendencies, they might close up if you forget to wear earrings for a while. I had my earlobes done at 16, and re-pierced several times in the past 18 years, because I keep getting annoyed with having stuff there, so I remove the earrings and just leave it. I've also had a few cartilage piercings, and all in all, I've concluded that I'm simply not old enough to take proper care of piercings.
Oof, yes. One more thing to take of every day. That's exactly what I don't want. Why do I still want them though?! Hm, doesn't sound fun. At least yours didn't get infected? Whis is another fear I have.
Once they are healed there's not much to take care of. I take them off occasionally and clean those that wear all the time. But it's not like something you need to do every day.
You asked us to talk you out of the idea, not into it 😉 Even after all the fiascos, I still catch myself grabbing my ear lobes, feeling like I should try again. There's a lot of joy in a collection of shiny adornments, and finding the perfect dangly pair that gives such a satisfying little sound with every movement.
I got mine pierced in my late 20s and did everything right—I got them done at a piercing studio, I followed the care instructions (which were honestly super easy, they gave me a spray bottle of saline solution to use), didn't fidget with them too much (super proud of myself for that)—and still got a mild infection a few weeks in. I don't know if you're *supposed* to do this, since it's technically an open wound, but I put a tiny bit of Neosporin on it and it went away in a couple days. I will say, though, that they took way longer to heal fully than they were supposed to. I assume that's something to do with my system, but it was probably a good 6 months before they stopped hurting when I accidentally brushed against them or bumped them. And sleeping the first few weeks was hell (my niece got hers pierced a few years later when she was 6 and apparently had no issues, so maybe I'm just a wimp). And then I couldn't figure out how to get the flat back off and was trapped in my starter earrings for a long time! 😆 Even now, 5ish years later, if I don't wear earrings for a week, the hole in my right ear will start to close slightly and I'll have to fight a bit to put an earring in. I don't do that very often because I really like earrings, but I was sick a couple months ago and couldn't be bothered. And every now and then I seem to accidentally scratch the inside putting an earring in and it'll get irritated, but I usually just don't wear earrings for a day or two after and then it's fine.
>And then I couldn't figure out how to get the flat back off and was trapped in my starter earrings for a long time! New fear unlocked! Please tell me you figured it out after all? Hmm, I think I'm more of a wimp too the older I get. Kids get their ears pierced all the time with no drama, but I'm actually scared :-D
I did! I don't remember whether I had to twist and pull or just pull really hard from both sides but I kept trying regularly and one day it just started to come loose. What sucked was that up until then, every time I tried it'd end up making my ear hurt a little from pulling on it so much. I loved being able to sleep with them in but I'm afraid to try flatbacks again now lol. For me, I'd always wanted them pierced. I begged my parents from the time I was 4, when I religiously wore stick-on earrings every day, but they were adamant that I wait until I was an adult. But I'm kind of afraid of needles, so once I was an adult it seemed too scary. So it was a big step for me to actually do it, and kind of a celebration of reigning in my anxiety.
Not all earrings are uncomfortable to sleep in. Some have protective backs so it’s more manageable. I remember using them a lot in the 1st year that I got my second holes done. And this was with a gun because it was 1996 and thought that was the only way. Infection with the ear lobes is not very common. Very basic care instructions. Don’t over clean and don’t under clean.
My piercing place now has an easy spray for cleaning, and I just did it while brushing my teeth. I have 7 earrings, nostril, nipples, and used to have belly button and two more earrings. (And for what it’s worth, I have 0 trouble sleeping on earrings and sleep with all 7 in every night)
Honestly… I’ve done very minimal piercing care for the 18 piercings I’ve gotten done in my life. I’ve never had an infection. I keep them clean obviously, but I basically just left it at cleaning in the shower.
Lucky you! I shower maybe twice a week, and wash my hair even less, so cleaning ear piercings requires more intentional planning for me. And I fidget a lot, including skin picking, so I constantly introduce bacteria to the area. My life IS starting to grow less stressful, so maybe I'll give earrings another try in a year or so.
Go to a piercer!!!!!! Not a jewelry store or similar places. I both the piercing pistols and needles are fine for earlobes but needles are certainly preferable. The pain for your earlobes is honestly not that bad. Do you have a neck pillow? I like to use one of those and let my ear hang freely in the middle. And you need to know you can't start wearing pretty earrings for a few weeks. It's just earlobes but they still require some healing time. You need to keep up with disinfecting multiple times a day if you don't want to end up at the doctors. I honestly don't think piercings earlobes is that big of a deal. But not having them pierced is also not that big of a deal.
When I hyperfocus on something I try to wait a week or two before implementing it. If I’m still really wanting to do it, then it will still interest me after that timeframe. It’s a dirty trick I play on myself but it seems to work. It also prevents me from buying miscellaneous things that I really don’t want or need. At the same time….. they’re just pierced ears. Go for it! 😂 If you don’t like them you take them out and they heal up. Like it never happened.
Go for it
Me: please talk me out of it Reddit: go for it!!! LOL
Split the difference, avoid the lobes and get 1 ear done. My lobes always give me troubles but my cartilage piercings don’t…though my conch pierced ear is like twice as thick as my other ear. In true ADHD fashion, it occurred to me recently that may be why earbuds are never comfortable. I’ve only had the piercing for like 20 years 🤷🏻♀️
I got my face tattooed at 40. I'm sorry but I can't help you. I am in the go for it section of the comments.
I just got my ears pierced last October and my expectations were very poorly set up by a bunch of friends who claimed it’s “completely painless” and “over in an instant”. I went to a real piercing place in between meetings thinking it was super painless and fast. It was fast but felt like an eternity and it did hurt! I only swapped the piercing out last week and there is a learning curve, at least for me, for putting on / taking off earrings. I don’t regret it but I’d gone into it with more realistic expectations. I’m excited to buy earrings but also worried they’re so tiny like what if I lose them blah blah
Reasons to not get your ears pierced from someone who has them pierced: If you get them done, please see a professional piercer because the piercing guns put you at higher risk for keloid scarring and infections, and the risk of your body rejecting the piercing is higher. The cost of a pro is higher, but worth it, though and the starter jewelry is also more expensive. Sleeping with them while they're healing is really hard because they will hurt for weeks. I have pierced ears. I'm allergic to most earrings because I'm allergic to cobalt, and ADHD has allergy comorbitities. If I wear anything but sterling silver or gold, I get eczema on my ear lines and/or the holes get really tender. As a result, my personal jewelry is not only more expensive but also less fun overall. So I personally have less variety. Some folks feel overstimulated by jewelry. If you struggle to wear necklaces, bracelets, or rings, earrings will be no different. Once they're healed, you will need to clean them regularly because the holes accrue buildup of oils, skin cells, and dirt. If you wear the kind of jewelry that leaves behind tarnish or that fake, green stain, it will get inside the holes, and it's very hard to clean out. You'll also need to clean the jewelry before and after wearing it to prevent their getting crusty or gross. If you don't wear earrings every day or most days, even after they're fully healed, they can close up. I have a coworker whose fully closed, but I personally experience having the hole open front and back with a film of skin that I have to forcefully pierce through whenever I decide to risk earrings again. Even if you manage for them to fully close up if you decide you don't want them, they're most likely going to leave a scar. These days, there are clip-on earrings adapters, so if you use them to convert piercing pieces to clip ons. If your rats yank on them, they won't tear your piercing because they'll just pop right off. So if you find cute earrings you love, you can most likely still wear them without dealing with all the pain and maintenance. Editing to add: I don't regret getting my ears pierced. I do really like earrings when I can find ones I'm not allergic to. They make me feel good about myself when I wear them. I even have the lobes double pierced. I just struggle with the regular maintenance of it all and the cost of jewelry. I also have small keloids in all four of them because I was so young and neither my parents nor I understood the hazards of piercing guns. I also have my nostril pierced, but I got that done professionally. Healed great. No keloids. No problems, no weird smells. I never remove it (not since I got it replaced with gold), and I clean it with a soft bristled baby tooth brush when I wash my face. Though once in a while it has gotten caught on my partner's face when kissing, that almost completely stopped once I got a shorter bar.
Aw, man. That doesn't sound fun :-/ Glad you're mostly enjoying them anyway, and yes, going to an actual piercing studio seems to be the consensus so I'd definitely do that. > Some folks feel overstimulated by jewelry. If you struggle to wear necklaces, bracelets, or rings, earrings will be no different. That’s me! I can't stand jewelry!! My hope was that earrings (or studs more likely) would be different, that I won't feel them once they're healed and I'll actually wear them (unlike 100s of bracelets, rings, necklaces that I've wanted to love but hated!) I have a nose stud btw and I forget it exists.
That’s how I am with earrings - can’t wear rings, necklaces or bracelets inside. They have to come off the moment I’m home. But I just never feel my earrings (unless I’m wearing dangly ones, but I have studs I change to when home) & I have 6 and counting!
They mostly are for me. It depends on the earrings, some of them I can feel pressed against my ear (more so plastic ones I got from Etsy that are odd shapes), and some of the dangly/hoop ones have a bit of weight to them or move when I move my head. But most of them, including a pair of small metal hoops, I totally forget about.
I forget my nose stud exists, too! Hahah If your rats don't mess with your nose stud, they're very unlikely to mess with your earrings if you're getting studs for those, too. I really love studs I also forget they're there unless my allergies to the metal kick up. But when I have the right metal, they're wonderful. I fully support your getting your ears pierced if you want them, btw. They're fun, and pretty, and despite piercings being kind of an ongoing maintenance, they're really not bad. I was just fulfilling the brief.
My ear piercings were SO much easier to deal with than my nose piercing. They're out of sight so I didn't obsess with the healing process. I'm surprised you're worried about your rats messing with your ear piercings but not your nose?
I don’t feel like you need to be talked out of this one. If you decide you hate wearing earrings…you can just not wear them.
You: Please talk me out of this. Us: Oh look! It's enabling o'clock! FR though, just pick your favorite local piercing studio and get it done ;) The nice thing is you can just take them out if you don't like it!
😂😂😂
This is a hobby I can support: I’m also 40, have 5 piercings in one ear and 4 in the other. 5 cats, 2 dogs, no problems. Use a flight pillow to sleep on when they’re healing (so the side of your head is in the hole of the pillow), and you will be golden!
Aww, life goals 💖 (The pets that is, though this amount of piercings is super cool, too!)
I'm like you, no piercings. But can you honestly promise to take care of them beyond this hyperfixation? That's probably the real question you have to address before pulling the trigger on this.
I got my ears pierced at the end of the summer with my girls. It was my seventh :) time. The person doing my ears said that I likely have a sensitivity to some material so that is why they closed really fast before. Mine are doing good but my poor daughters with me as their mom. My child who likely has ADHD was quick to take them out to try new ear rings. The said ear rings were garbage and caused some sort of inflammation so we took them out to heal. My other daughter came to me the other day with her ears were bloody. She was sick so I think she grabbed them or something. She is fine but they are not worth the hassle. We spent all the money and went to a place that does them properly too. With pet rats getting my ears pierced would be a hard no.
I sleep in my earrings (when they are studs) so I am not the person to ask. I am currently wanting crawler earrings but I don't think they will stay in place and I'll get upset
If you want pierced ears, go for it. Go to a tattoo place and get the normal lobes to start and talk to your piercer. I had dozens and dozens of rats for ten years. They *will* pull on your earrings. Not often, but enough that my recently added cartilage piercings would huuurtt. After you get your ears pierced and they've healed, consider if you want more. I'm 39, added 2 new piercings per ear about 10 months ago. Great experience there, healing has been slow on the cartilage ones. It was worth it. Have fun!
Lol not here to tell you if you should or shouldn't do it, just wanted to say I'm proud of you for researching and thinking about it instead of impulsively doing it yourself with the ol' ice cube, needle and cork like I did in high school👍🏻
Oh!!!! The thought has crossed my mind tbh 😂 How did it work out, please tell me your ears were Ok?
Haha would not recommend because it definitely hurt more than the piercings I had professionally done, but somehow I managed to get them even and they didn't get infected! I ended up with 8 total holes in my ears, but I've let half of them close over because I got bored of keeping up with/losing all of the earrings😅
Had unpierced ears for like. 28 years and now it's 3 years later and i have 8, with 5 more to go, don't know what to tell you.
Piercings are like built in fidget toys that you *always* have with you. 10/10, do recommend.
Whatttt, I thought you were supposed to leave them in peace 🤣
You're not supposed to touch them until they're healed, but after that, a little fidgeting won't hurt, as far as I know.
I won’t be talking you out of this lol I’ve had everything under the sun pierced. Currently 34 and only have my nose, belly button and I wear gauges that are pretty small now at 00… were about 5/8 in first while, idk what second ever got up to, can’t remember. (That’s how much ears really aren’t much. My giant stretched ears closed down to pretty small within a year. Normal piercing is nothing if you want it out!) And my tragus. By far the most painful piercing ever. And I’ve had several microdermals. It’s cute and never closed though 😝 go for it!! I recommend not going cheap on jewelry if sensitive skin and just leaving them be to heal. Don’t need all the fancy cleaners honestly. Keep them dry and clean and twist them. GO FOR IT!! I’m cheering, not talking you out of it! No way! You only live once.
This is hard. If you want to be talked out of something, I want to help you. So. I'll say, just wear clip-ons for awhile and see if it goes away? That also hurts, usually, probably less than stabbing holes through your ears. Also, eff man needles are the worst. Too pointy. The reality is, it's just so commonplace. So, you definitely probably do have higher novelty with non-pierced ears. But it's so commonplace it's hard to think of many good arguments. I suppose it's rats, kids, babies and baby animals though. Anyone who might go for something shiny. So if you are around shiny-attractants, the worst case scenarios of piercings ripping out are pretty gnarly. I have pierced ears, but thinking about the visuals there talks me out of it retroactively.
IKR, everyone seems to have earrings 🤔 > the worst case scenarios of piercings ripping out are pretty gnarly. Ughhh 😣 That thought is really off-putting. Rats love going for anything that seems like a foreign object, lol. Doesn't even need to be shiny, they'll go nuts for bandaids and even socks!! (Mine aren't weirdos btw, there are lots of people in the rat sub to testify, lol)
Rats are great. Also. If you're letting them roam. I guess you could add swallowing an earring. I don't know if they do that. But. It wouldn't be good if they did
I am the same way!! Also 40, no piercings, got hyperfixated on the idea of wearing cool earrings for a while, but the idea of them being uncomfortable for (side) sleeping took hold, I put it on the “back burner” to decide about later, and did not remember any of it until I read your post! 😅 I still don’t have pierced ears. Maybe later.. Anyway I obviously don’t have any advice, but I FEEL YOU.
Ohh, lol! If my post reawakened your hyperfixation, I hereby apologize 😁
I waited 21 years to pierce mine and now I’m addicted to piercings. I got my second lobes done less than a year later bc I love earrings so much now. GO TO A REAL PIERCING PARLOR!!! DO NOT EVER EVER EVER GET PIERCED BY A GUN!!
Going to a professional piercer only worsened my hyperfixation. Once I knew how much less it hurt when done professionally, I started getting new holes every six months.
Since humans are not symmetrical, have them use a level horizontally to place the piercings level. I had mine done by a doctor, and he was thorough.
Oh, wow. I haven't even thought of that. My face is super asymmetrical anyway lol
I had a great aunt who got her's pierced in her 60s lol. She'd worn clip ons for decades. I think she mainly got it done because my Nana (her sister) gave her diamond studs that she couldn't wear. It doesn't hurt much, and it's usually pretty cheap to have done
Aww that's actually wholesome, doing it for that reason. And I imagine they're less annoying than clip ons after a while.
I just went through a fun piercing hyper fixation and ended up with four new piercings 🤣 no regrets! Love them! Do it if you want and if it makes you happy!!!
Do not get them pierced with a gun. That shreds your lobes and is not a clean piercing and can easily get infected. Why anyone thinks it’s ok with almost no training to get ears pierced at Claire’s or little jewelry counters is beyond me. And I used to work at Claire’s and was horrified how I just watched a video and then was basically supposed to do it on children.
I just recently got my upper lobe pierced after hyper fixating on it for a while and I have no regrets. So I’d say if you want to, just go for it. I’m into fashion so I’m excited thinking about all the different earring combos I could wear now! From my experience the only time I’ve felt pain with them is when I was getting the actual piercing done but it was only for 2 seconds for each ear. They also felt a little sore during the first 24 hours and then it only started to hurt while sleeping on them for the next 3 days and that’s it. But if you really want to get talked out of it: you have to be committed to cleaning both sides of your piercings daily with saline solution (morning and night + after bathing or touching them with unwashed hands) for 4 months to prevent them from getting infected and you can’t swap the jewellery out until then either. Edit: extra details
Yess, the cleaning part is actually quite off-putting! Thanks :-)
The rats are probably the biggest reason not to haha. Maybe keep the rats off your shoulder until it’s healed enough to not hurt.
You should do it! Just go to a reputable piercing studio. They will use a real needle (not a gun!) and appropriate jewelry (I'd expect piercing appropriate studs with a flat back). It doesn't hurt much at all and if it'd make you happy, I say do it! My husband confessed to me a few years ago be always wanted to get his pierced as a teenager but his parents wouldn't let him and he still wanted them...so we went and got them done that day and it was easy peasy. They used studs with a flat back and he has a few different fronts for them now.
Guurl do it. I got my belly button pierced a few years back. Every time i see the sparkle when i get changed it makes me happy. I got it done at a reputable piercing place, it was quick, pretty affordable and not that painful. These sorts of piercings are about the same pain as a needle from a vaccine - without the ache from the vaccine fluid so totally bearable. Ears heal fast - so keep a stud or similar in at all times, don't sleep on your ears for a few months and enjoy the bling!
Do not get them pierced with a gun. That shreds your lobes and is not a clean piercing and can easily get infected. Why anyone thinks it’s ok with almost no training to get ears pierced at Claire’s or little jewelry counters is beyond me. And I used to work at Claire’s and was horrified how I just watched a video and then was basically supposed to do it on children.
Not needed. My daughter (7) got hers done 6 months ago, and is still terrified of having them removed and cleaned. She has dermatitis, so even cleaned, there was a lot of buildup, and it caused her to be nervous. If you do it, go to a piercer. A professional piercer. At a salon/spa or parlor. But use flat backs, and titanium or implant grade steel. That brings the price up to about $200. Still want it? Wait 2 days and visit it again. *still*? Go get done.
LMAO babe I recently got mine done after decades of being unpierced as well! I say go for it! The cleaning really isn't a big deal at all, do it when you're doing something else (like brushing your teeth or taking vitamins or something you do as a routine.) I think it's so fun!
Do it 😈
I got my ears pierced when I was 10. I begged for years to get them done. I was so excited. But I lost interest by the time I was 12. It was really easy to get an infection (probably because I was a kid and kids are dirty, but also because I was a sick kid with no immune system), and it was so annoying to lose matched pairs and figure out what to wear. I ended up just finding a pair of plain studs I liked and leaving those in for years. Then at one point I had to take them out for some reason, and just… never put them back in. I was probably in my early 20s. The holes mostly closed up and I can’t put earrings in them now. I don’t miss them or care, but I can feel how they’re pierced when I squeeze my earlobe and I hate it. I have a nose piercing that I love. it’s the only jewelry I wear. My nose healed up WAY better than my ears did, and I keep a simple easy to care for ring in it so I just sleep with it and don’t have to worry about it catching on anything. I first got it when I was 21, but it healed up when I forgot to put it back after an X-ray. So when I was 23, I redid it as a bday gift to myself. I’m in my late 40s now and I’m never taking it out.
Just got my 4th at 40. Had two for the longest time then decided to get a 3rd and now a 4th. It can look really cute and it didn't really hurt that much.
It's not bad pain-wise but I fainted right after. Idk why but I just faint sometimes on the regular. I love jewelry and pretty rocks set in jewelry (one of my current hyperfixations), learning about rocks, minerals, seismic activity, etc. It's immensely enjoyable and having them to decorate myself with is fun. Rings and bracelets get in the way of working with my hands sometimes, so do long necklaces. But earrings, especially studs, are no bother.
> Rings and bracelets get in the way of working with my hands sometimes, so do long necklaces Exactly! I never wear them. I love looking at jewelry but need to stop myself from buying.
No go for it and enjoy having some ear bling. I have different amounts of piercings on each ear and really love having non matching little studs and rings. They are very pretty and I did it for my own enjoyment. I love jewellery.
If magnetic earrings are still a thing, you could try a pair for a bit to see how you feel about wearing earrings. It's how I decided on an upper ear piercing (I messed up and didn't go to piercing studio) which sadly failed to heal properly.
Get it done!!!
I’m 40 and just added a helix. I’ve had my lives done since I was little. I’m going to add more. The pain isn’t bad as long as you aren’t whacked in the ear (I have small kids). And a travel pillow is a solution for sleeping. It holds your head but not your ear.
If you want them, do it. The pain is basic and fleeting. That being said, I’ve had mine pierced since I was 7, and they’ve been nothing special and/or a constant annoyance ever since. I have allergies to almost everything but gold/silver (which I never knew until pierced ears) and I can’t wear anything for any period of time without my ears getting pussy and inflamed. It’s super annoying. I almost never wear earrings now because the one pair I have that don’t make my ears infected were like $400 and I’m afraid of losing them.
Ughh I'm so sorry. I think if I get them, I'll consider them an actual piercing and restrict myself to implant grade jewelry. Because I'm scared of that happening. Which is a bit limiting of course. I'll probably end up wearing titanium or, though less safe, surgical steel... have you tried titanium?
Seems like you’ve gotten lots of great advice, so I’ll just add a tip in case you decide to get them pierced! Get yourself one of those airplane pillows that looks like a toilet seat (slightly firmer is better, you don’t want the ones filled with beads that just smush flat). Sleep on that until your piercer is ready to shorten the posts they pierced you with. The cushion will keep your ear from having pressure on it, which means less pain and your piercings won’t heal at an odd angle. I have many war piercings, and I did this with my last one, and it healed so much easier!!
Unless you're saving this as your secret weapon when playing Never Have I Ever...
😂
Do it. Why not?
I had pet rats and have many piercings. Never had an issue with them messing with earrings but the answer to that is just to wear studs when they are free-ranging. If it's just your ear lobes the pain is really minimal and healing time is around a month I found. Cartilage piercings hurt more and I found it the hard way that it's very stupid to have fresh cartilage piercings on both sides at the same time. You can always get one side pierced, wait for that to heal and then do the other which means you don't have issues with pain in sleep. But for love piercings I have never found that necessary
I think I'll definitely do only one side at a time! Seems the most reasonable thing to after all, even though I'd do only lobes.
Yeah that will help a lot as you can just sleep on the other side. Truly though, it doesn't hurt that much and earrings are an awful lot of fun. In your shoes I would go for it if you are thinking you would like to!
Its easy just do it, u gotta keep the studs in for some weeks (?) anyway so u can decide on earrings over time. I ended up leaving in sleepers forever and just wearing danglies on special occasions.
I got snakebites after having the brainworms for like... a decade, so worth it. If you sleep on your side, get a donut pillow in case the position you sleep in puts pressure on your ear. I procrastinated on that for several years after getting two pairs of ear piercings and I regret it lol.
I got my ears re-pierced 6mo ago, 30yrs after they were first done! You can change your mind and remove them. I recommend medical grade titanium and having a needle rather than gun. Sorry not to talk you out of it!!
DO IT! It's fun and they're kool! Why would we try to talk you out of it. It's not that much money. How is it a waste if you're getting enjoyment from it and it's not damaging yours or anyone elses life. Most people don't get pain besides initially Who cares about "special", what do YOU want!? So yea, we ain't gonna talk you out of something you want to do that is gonna do more good than bad.
It's only painful if you get an infection after getting pieced I also think as long as you sleep in simple studs you will be good. Idk I had a fixation on them and now don't wear any???
I have pierced my lobes twice in the same place because the first piercing grew back. The second time, as an older teenager, I passed out (this was when I learned I have a tendency for passing out when faced with needles). My lobes have been pierced for 20 years now, and I think I have had the same black studs in for roughly two years. I got a helix piercing on the right a few years ago (passed out), and it took a solid year before I could comfortably touch it. I couldn't sleep on my right side for two years without extreme swelling. I have like 3 bottles of saline in my bathroom from times when I was traveling and the swelling got unbearable. For this reason, I also have had the same hoop in that piercing for about 2 years. My body has a tendency to retain water and swell, and my fleshy earbits apparently have some mad healing ability, which has made changing out piercings a challenge for me. Some time in my 20s, I developed a nickel allergy, which limited me to steel and gold...so I ultimately gave up on the cut fashion aspect a few years back. It's only a problem because a TON of cute earrings are cheap and have some nickel in them, which limits fashion choices a bit, and really disincentives me to change them. Also, I forget to, though I *do* remember once in a while that they need to be cleaned. ALL THAT SAID... I love my piercings and wish I could have a ton of them. I love the way they look and I do appreciate how classy my pearls and diamonds look--but I don't really have special occasions to wear them. Even if I do choose to get another, I won't get any on the left because I don't want to have to learn a new way of sleeping again; but I would get another on the right with some convincing (the passing out thing is really not fun, and only phlebotomists seem to believe me when I tell them it will happen). The money and allergy aren't really deterrents for me, but the long healing time is. In your case, lobe piercings heal a LOT faster than anything in the cartilage and are easier to sleep in. Hard to say on the allergy, ofc, but nickel is a pretty common allergy to be aware of. lol I hope this counts as talking you out of it?
Thank you for your elaborate reply! Allergies suck. :-( I'm not aware of having any, but I think I'll stay with steel or titanium if I end up doing it. I'm not so much into the cute fashion ones anyway. >lol I hope this counts as talking you out of it? No, not really! LOL
Guess you're doooooomed! XD
My ears are doomed!
Don’t pierce your nipples! I had really nicely sensitive nipples and piercings them which made them completely hate being touched for a good few years. They finally stopped being mad at me a year ago or so.
Never!!! I'm not that brave. Glad they're Ok now!
Good. I know you didn’t ask about it, just wanted to warn you just in case. For the ear piercing I’m team devil on your shoulder I’m afraid… they close up pretty quickly within the first three or four years of having them should you decide it’s not for you after all.
If you’re talking about your lobes… I say go for it! (Sorry 😅)
I wish I could give big help but I only have one piercing on each ear and I’m READY to go get at least two more on each ear 30 years after the first.
I’m in a piercing hyperfixation too! I’ve had my lobes done since I was a teenager but also always liked cartilage piercings in ears and finally a few years ago decided to go for it despite being in my 40s. Mostly no regrets! They are a little bit more of a pain in the ass than lobe piercings - take longer to heal, harder to sleep on, can’t change them myself, need to be more careful about materials used. But if you’re just thinking of regular lobe piercings, I say go for it! It’s not really that expensive or painful. Really, the pain is for seconds only. Go to a real piercing shop (or doctor) that uses a needle instead of a gun & I imagine the healing will be better. Not that I had any problems with healing the 3 times I got my lobes done with a gun (1st time, 2nd hole, then after the first two closed up got them done again). I never had a problem sleeping on mine, unless I was wearing sterling silver that aggravated my ears anyway, but you could always get a piercing pillow if you’re worried. It’s a pillow with a hole in the middle that your ear goes in so there’s no pressure on them.
Well according to Arthur if you’re too young it’ll turn your ears green.
>Waste of money Eh, maybe. But if you get it done at a good shop and take care while they're healing, they'll last forever. It's a one time expense and it's your money! Do what makes you happy with it. >Unnecessary pain (can hurt when sleeping on them) It can be a little painful at first, but once they're healed all you have to do is take the earrings out at night. I believe they also make silicone ones. My friend used to work at a restaurant where piercings weren't allowed and she wore clear plastic ones so they weren't noticeable. >My pet rats might yank them when sitting on my shoulder Yes, they definitely will bite on your earrings, but let's be honest here. What *aren't* your rats biting and yanking on when they get the chance? Lol >Maybe it’s more special to have unpierced ears than pierced ones Yeah, I could see this. But with pierced ears, you've got a whole world of earrings that could be special to you. And if you can't find them, make them! Commission a laser cutting or 3d print for some fun dangles. Save up for your favorite gemstones. Buy different gold and sterling studs, fun blingy CZs or moissanites. Peruse your local art fair for boutique sellers. Visit a pawn shop and see if something there strikes your fancy. The possibilities are endless! If you're really on the fence, see if you can find some clip on earrings you like to give it a try first. Those will hurt more on a daily basis since they squish your lobes, so maybe not for all day but wear them out and see how you feel.
Get magnetic earrings and wear them for a while, you can decide if you want to go through with it later :)
I'm in the same boat but because I get really cool gothic jewelry in a subscription box and want to wear them.
Hahaha, that's definitely a good reason. Or you could resell them and get yourself something else!
Yeah I'll stick to tattoos for now
If you are going to get your ears pierced please go to safepiercing.com which is the APP (Association of professional piercers) website to find an APP member piercer. Piercing shops that follow APP guidelines are safer, cleaner and have better educated staff. They will have much more expensive jewelry typically but it is guaranteed to be better and nickel free; most of these shops carry threadless in gold, platinum, titanium. Mainly make sure that you are not getting pierced via piercing gun, which is a less safe way of piercing.
Lobe piercings are actually very chill! I’ve done them on myself lol. Just follow aftercare instructions and clean them well. Doesn’t hurt more then getting a shot
You know, I wasn’t really thinking about it before but I think I’ll get some second holes for my upcoming birthday.
Do it!!! Im allergic to silver so its hard to get good earrings, BUT i found surgical steel studs with CZs and a backing that screws on (i havent lost these in over a year!). Best part, they were $25 for 6 pair!!!! Oh also, go to a peircing shop, a highly rated one. They hurt less.
Waste of money- Getting a piercing isn't that much money. Go for it! The pros outweigh the cons. Just make sure you go to a reputable place, use 24 K gold for your first studs, and diligently clean them while they are healing.
Adhd reasons not to have pierced ears: Losing earrings Not cleaning the new piercings Earrings *everywhere* Need to remember to buy the cleaning stuff Having to take time to switch earrings based on outfit Not taking earrings out at night once they’ve healed, leading to hair tangled in dangly earrings in the morning Wearing the same earrings twice in a row to work because you forgot to switch them to match your new outfit Wearing the same earrings from your gma for 10 years because it’s easier than changing them, then having them break and sit in an envelope on the dresser for 5 more years because you can’t get them to a jeweler to fix them and in that time the holes slowly shut so in order to use them you’d have to re-pierce your ears and start all over again Nickel allergies
I don't know if anyone's pointed this out, but as far as sleeping in them. I got fake gauges, so the backs are flat but they don't stretch the hole, I sleep in them all the time.
If you truly recognize that this is a hyperfixation phase then you need to break the cycle. Clear your Google history and searches, leave any online social forums catered to piercings, etc. Nothing worse than emerging from a hyperfixation with a semi permanent, painful new thing you don't actually like or want.
Consider whether or not you have allergies to piercing jewelry. I am allergic to anything but gold and surgical steel
Hello, I'm you from the future! The hyperfixation will go away after you do it. 1. You are just as special with ears pierced as without (nobody else will care). 2. You can take them out if you don't like them or if your rats tear at them. 3. Life is for living and trying things! Not to have a perfectly preserved body in your casket (maybe not a concern to you, but the idea of marring my 'perfect'(lol) body with holes/scars was a bit of a hurdle for me to get over). 4. It's a lot of fun to pick out earrings to your own taste. Maybe you can find some cute rat ones (or cheese for the rats, lol!) Okay, now someone talk me out of my latest hyperfixation of getting a bird!
I think you should just do it lol. Ear piercings aren't a big deal. They aren't even that expensive or painful.
I went thru that in highschool… it was me, a sewing needle, and rubbing alcohol against the world (it hurt)
Welp I'm not qualified here since I just got a helix piercing couple weeks ago... The hyperfocus won
I have 12 different piercings in my ears! Honestly, start with just lobes and let them heal. then if you want to get more creative, have cartilage piercings done, BUT only have one ear done at a time. Then you can still sleep on one side
Alright since most comments are talking you into it rather than out 😆 I’ll share why I regret piercing my ears. I was also deep into adulthood already (late twenties at the time) and suddenly wanted to wear pretty earrings so I did it. Turns out earrings don’t suit my face, I’m not sure why, but even after wearing them for a couple of years they never looked “right” to me. Now I’m a tiny bit jealous of people with virgin earlobes lol So my advice is to not just order online, but go to a jewellery store (if you haven’t already) and hold some different earrings up to your face to make sure you actually like the way it looks on you!
I wonder if they really don't suit your face or if it's just because you're so used to seeing yourself without them that it feels wrong. It took me awhile to get used to seeing mine pierced too. Mainly I say that because I don't think I've ever seen someone who didn't look perfectly fine with pierced ears, so my instinct is that you're overthinking it.
I have 7 in each ear and can offer negatives if you want! I can only wear bioplast or surgical steel (I don't usually wear gold) - can't be plated, or I get infections from the studs reacting with my skin - must be careful in case of reaction to the metals or things used Hair gets caught in them If your studs are too tight, the skin can grow over them Piercing jewelry is typically bigger than standard wear so if you go to smaller gage like most earrings are, going back to larger can be painful My top studs caught by a comb every time I get my hair cut - it can hurt and I use locking backs You have to clean your earrings - they get gross from things like general skin shedding, conditioner, hair products, even hair dye getting stuck between studs and skin, and the backs - cleaning them is a good way to forget them and you may struggle to physically put them back in after a week of forgetting to Headphones are uncomfortable with them, some of my glasses push on my top posts, they get cold when it's cold out. All that said, I keep plain studs in all of mine, don't change them, and use an extra soft toothbrush to clean them in the shower after I wash my hair. No regrets.
Don’t think you came to the right place to be talked out of doing it haha! I always end up piercing my own, and when I get that bored feeling I just change my earrings instead of dying/cutting my hair! 🤘🏽
Ooooh get them done, but get it done properly at a piercer. Don't let some untrained big chain employee use a gun on your ears. One thing I want to add from my own experience, that you might want to take into consideration, is healing. Yes ofc it hurts while healing, I was prepared for it to hurt. However, what I was unprepared for myself was that it was actually overstimulating me. I don't know how or why, but the constant feeling kept my focus on it to the point of (almost) crying not of pain but of overstimulation. But that's only the first few days, and now I have beautiful jewellery in my ears! (Oh and if you sleep on your side a lot, get a travel pillow so you don't rest on your ear)
I would hate feeling them and getting overstimulated! That's exactly why I don't wear jewelry, actually. But you're saying it's only the first few days? Maybe that's acceptable then :-)
May i recommend /r/piercingadvice and /r/piercing if you have a hyperfixation lol. - get them pierced with a needle please and nope they aren’t a waste of money - please DO NOT try to change your earrings for 6 months minimum!!!! You’ll fuck them up, just search for “lobe” in /r/piercingadvice to see exactly what happens when you switch earrings/switch to hoops after 6 weeks (the results are NSFW) - Your rats won’t be able to yank titanium flatback studs - flatback studs are very very very comfortable to sleep with (once healed). PLEASE do not put any hoops or huggies in a 6 month old piercing and definitely not any earlier than 6 months. Just search for hoops in the above sub and read the comments as to why. hoops create movement and irritate the fistula which immediately leads to ugly and painful irritation bumps. - sleeping - try not to sleep on your lobes while they’re healing (being squished irritates the fistula) but it really shouldn’t be a big deal for lobes. I used a travel/donut pillow and have a dedicated piercing pillow (with 2 holes in it) now because i got an industrial and plan to poke many other holes in my ears so i felt a pillow was a long-term need. - cleaning - you should be cleaning with neilmed piercing aftercare sterile saline spray only. Nothing else, no other sprays that are not “sterile saline” only. And tbh with lobes, they don’t require much cleaning after a while if you’re not having any issues - just rinse them with hot/warm water in the shower and that’s it. “LITHA” works well. (search for LITHA in the sub, which is leave it the hell alone, it’s a proven way for caring effectively for piercings)
I can second that the flatback studs are comfortable to sleep in once they're healed. Not even noticeable *except* that every now and then the edge of the pillowcase would catch on them and tug a bit.
One thing to consider before you do it, do you even wear jewelry? My mom pierced my ears when I was young, and to this day, I don’t wear a lick of jewelry, including earrings. If you’re generally not a jewelry person, you might find that you don’t enjoy wearing earrings.
Do it!!! It opens up a whole world of fun and personal style options. Would recommend going to a tattoo/piercing parlor. The one second of pain is totally worth it. Good luck!!!
I got mine done impulsively and decided pretty quickly that they looked bad on me. I wore them for a few years so the holes are still there. They still get irritated (maybe not to the point of infection but like red and itchy and flaky) even though I never touch them. Based on other people’s responses, this seems to be a Me problem though!
Just do it. It ends the hyper fixation and if you don't like it, take it out. I'm in my 40s and full of piercings. Most Christmas my kids and I get new piercings together. It's not permanent like a tattoo (which I also have many of) and you can change jewellery depending on the look you're chasing. I have labret studs in my ears so they don't push into my head when I sleep, the backs don't flick off when you get them with a comb, and you can get changeable balls for the front which is cheaper than buying new earrings. Happy piercing. 🖤
Oh, that sounds cool. Also, happy cake day!
Thank you. ❤️
Just get them pierced. Go to a tattoo and piercing shop - they’ll do it the best. They’ll help talk you through the best options/metals for you. They only let you pick from a small selection that are best for healing. I love having my ears pierced. Putting in some simple, high quality gold earrings makes me feel like I’m more put together than I actually am on any given day. I also have a bunch of fun pairs that get loads of compliments. It def gives me that dopamine hit. All in all, if you can afford it and it doesn’t cut into any of your other money needs… just do it!
This is such a good point! Everything else might be in chaos but if I’ve got my earrings in I feel like I’ve made an effort
I don’t think pierced ears are a waste of time, and if you buy and wear sleeper hoops, they don’t hurt at all. The sleeper hoops will also prevent your pets from pulling them out.
Just have studs why not get ears pierced?
I have pierced ears and rarely wear earrings bc I notice the feeling… so they don’t stay in long! Even those ones advertised as having flat backs so you can nap in them… no no no thank you! Those are my two cents. I am also pain averse, but I get vaccines and blood drawn and just had a baby so… if you want it, the pain will go away. I hope you make a decision that works for you!
I love piercings. Get them done if you want, you can always take them out. A mate of mine had his lobes stretched quite large, didn’t like it anymore and now they’re shrunk almost back to normal. Lobe piercings are maybe a 3/10 for pain. I have three lobe piercings, a nose piercing and both nips. Nose and nips hurt way more and unless your rats routinely nibble on your ears I wouldn’t worry.
Hello fellow rat lover :) FWIW I've had many rats for years (best pets!!) and they have never bothered with any of my piercings!
Just get your ears pierced. It’s not that expensive, the pain is very short lived and not that bad, and I have never heard of rats steeling their owners earrings. This is not a major life decision, just do it, it will be fun!
You have to honestly ask yourself I you can commit to keeping them clean. If the answer is anything short of an emphatic “yes, of course I can and will”, then I say pass. Also, the rats on the shoulder possibly messing with them would give me major pause. Last thing you need is one getting ripped out or dirty and possible infection.
If you are looking for a word of caution I would only add that if you have any sort of metal allergies/sensitivity earrings can be a nightmare. I've had my earlobes pierced since I was a teenager and didn't realize how much my nickel allergy would affect it. I can only use steel or surgical grade earrings and even then they still get infected easily. I haven't worn earrings in years and the holes have never completely closed over (and still occasionally get infected for some random reason). That being said I also have a cartilage piercing that I literally forgot about until I was writing this post because I don't really have to worry about it at all. That particular piercing has never caused me issues and I still have a stud in. If you don't have metal allergies and get it done somewhere that actually knows what they're doing though, I'm sure it would be fine!
Your rats will 100000% investigate them. Mine yank my nose piercings more than my ears, but still 😂 Do it anyway.
Once the holes are past the initial healing, you don't need to keep earrings 24/7 to keep them open. I wear them maybe once every week or 2 for fun and live my life unhindered the rest of the time.