My lobes were first pierced when I was six months old. They of course were done with a gun because I had no choice. My mother took me to the hair studio in the mall and, according to her, I screamed so loud that the whole mall could hear me, and she could have sworn I was dying. According to a lot of mothers, babies under 6 months of age don't feel pain. I couldn't disagree more. Even if babies can't feel pain there are a number of reasons why you should wait and let the child decide for his or herself.
At A Glance Author doberuman Contact [email protected] IAM doberuman When N/A In my family, body modification is looked down upon. However, my parents still love me, and they are my best friends. They don't really understand the reasons behind my choices to modify my body, but they respect my right to make my own decisions. They may not realize, but my decisions are more responsible than their decision to create my first body modification. I think about the outcomes, and spend weeks choosing the correct studio.
I am under the impression that when children are uncomfortable, they cry. In every case of young child gun piercing that I've experienced, the child has not only cried, but also screamed. To me this demonstrates to me that young children do feel pain, and they are feeling pain during the piercing process. If an adult chooses to inflict pain on his or herself that is fine by me, but for an adult to willingly choose to inflict pain on an infant is not responsible.
I have experienced many young children get their ears pierced for the first time in their lives. Lucky for many of them, they are too young to remember this trauma. The fact of the matter is, that ear piercing is a trauma that young children are not capable to physically deal with. With the growing trend of young mothers turning away from breastfeeding, babies are now developing poor immune systems. A strong immune system is pivotal to successful healing. If an infection develops in a youngster it will take longer to flush the system.
The places mothers take their children to in order to get these piercings are not the cleanest establishments. Hair salons and accessory shops are clean enough for hair cutting and retail sales, but for creating a hole in the dermis and an entrance to an enclosed system, their standards are just not high enough. That coupled with the weakened youngsters' immune systems make the decision to pierce babies very dangerous.
Another reason why this decision is dangerous is because it causes damage. All piercings cause damage, but piercing guns cause a lot of unnecessary damage. The way a piercing gun works is that it pushes a blunt object through the flesh of the body. This process creates unnecessary swelling and destruction of cells. That coupled with inappropriate jewelry makes cleaning the area difficult and creates unnecessary pain. If adults find this painful, young children, who don't know why they are hurting, must find this terrifying.
Piercing done at that young age is usually done for cosmetic reasons. If this were the goal, the results would be much better if the decision is put off for a few years. If you are lucky and the child doesn't move during the piercing process, the wholes may look straight and perfectly placed. As time goes on however, the ears will grow and the holes will shift and migrate, causing the jewelry to be uneven. This process may also occur if small gauge hoops or dangling earrings are worn in the earlobes. The weight of this jewelry pulls the lobes and lengthens the holes causing the famous "cheesgrater effect". If this kind of jewelry is worn continuously the lobe may in fact be cut in half.
Within the Body Modification community, many are advocates of choice. The role of body modification for many is to mark important life events, and to find oneself. Many young babies don't need either of these things. The best choice in many, if not most, cases is to wait until the child can make their own decisions and to guide them in making them right, and keeping them safe.
There are a few guidelines to follow when deciding if a child is ready for body modification. If the child has asked you for the modification, it may be close to the right time. Another good key factor in the decision to let a child get a piercing is this: is the child physically able to take care of the piercing during the healing process? The aftercare process is relatively simple for adults, but young children may find it difficult to remember to clean the new piercing. If you can answer yes, then the child may be ready.