One of the most important services we offer at Modern Ethos is children's ear lobe piercing! It is the first piercing most people get in their life, and for some, the only piercing they will receive. In many cultures it is a rite of passage, symbolizing the transition from childhood to adulthood, or a show of one's status in their society. It is a very big decision, and so a very special one at that. We have a certain way we like to go about working with children in order to make sure the experience is a safe, clean, and comfortable one for both parent and child while allowing everyone the chance to have all the information before making their final decision. Afterall, this is a big deal for mom and dad to see their little one growing up, while for the child this is an experience into the unknown, and a choice for themselves. Much of this information can be found on our "Ear Piering" page.
As many parents and locals to the New Cumberland community know, we offer children's ear piercings by appointment starting at the age of 5 yrs old, with proper documentation, parental consent, and after a scheduled consultation to determine how comfortable they are with the process. We prefer this age so that we are able to have a dialogue with the child, are able to confirm that they want their ears pierced for themselves. We leave this decision up to them. It's their ears. We find that children at this age or older are more likely to leave their piercings alone during healing following our instructions, while also being able to vocalize any discomforts or issues to their parents. The parent and child will not only be a part of the piercing process together, but also involved in the aftercare that is needed during initial healing. The consultation is usually about 30 minutes long, and if it all goes well, an additional 20-30 minutes allows for a non-rushed piercing experience, totaling an approved appointment for about an hour. At times these can move a bit faster, however this has been one of the biggest reasons the studio moved into being an appointment based business.
The consultation includes discussing exactly how the piercings are done, showing everyone the piercing room and equipment, and making sure they understand how to care for the piercings. There are some surprises in how to best care for a piercing such as the infamous LITHA rule that most aren't familiar with. Any and all questions are welcomed to be sure that everyone understands the ins and outs from the studio to home. Usually we have a few laughs too! Our jewelry does not contain any nickel (the most common of allergies), is sized to the individual ear, and has a small flat disc back to assure there isn't any poking from rough edges onto the neck or head. There are tons of options to choose from! If all of this is comfortable to everyone in the room (piercer included), based on how well this is received by parent and child, we will then proceed. We do not guarantee that we will pierce each child, regardless if they are 5 or 10. Each child will feel or act differently, and there are times where it may be safer to wait. Sometimes a younger child will readily sit to be pierced over an older child! If they are unable to be still, aren't paying attention, say "NO" at any time, or seem much too afraid to be pierced, we won't do the piercings. We let them know that they can choose to change their mind or stop at any time. This is also for the piercer, whom assumes all of the risk while piercing another person. Handling sharps (piercing needles) requires awareness not only of it's use on the client, but also safety to avoid a 'needle stick' to the piercer during the procedure. We need your child to be still to avoid any unnecessary contact. Once we decide to move forward, consent forms are filled out, jewelry is picked, ears are cleaned, and the piercings done at a speed the child feels comfortable with. All client's go home with written aftercare instructions, a checkup date 8 weeks after the piercing, and the option to pick up all aftercare right here in studio....maybe some candy too!
The checkup 2 months after the piercing appointment is to be sure that all healing is on track before any jewelry is changed. This way, if the piercings are not healed enough to change jewelry (as many kiddos are eager to do), there is less of a chance the healing will be disrupted and any additional issues arise. Most ear lobe piercings take over 2 months to fully heal. We often give the average timeframe of 2-4 months, though we have seen it take longer. After care instructions are to give you steps to take to aid in the healing (or at least not hinder it), but ultimately the health and hygiene of the client will really determine how easily things will heal or what that time frame may be. The body does all of the healing! All average heal times given are not exact! These are just averages of what we typically see here in central PA throughout the year. A piercer on the West Coast may see slightly different healing time frames due to the difference in their environment, and may even have slightly different advice for care or change their jewelry usage because of different needs. Those environmental differences, along with the time of the year, and type of tissue of the anatomy can make it very easy for things to change or difficult to understand. Google searches will often be misleading, and do not guarantee that the information is correct or up to date. We always have each person come back for the recommended checkup at least once after the piercings were done. We are always happy to checkup on your piercing, even if it has been awhile or if you have already. It is best to schedule a brief appointment for your checkup/jewelry change. If you are coming up on your recommended checkup now, give us a call or shoot us a message. It's free!
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