Piercing FAQs for Children & Young Adults (Under 18)

Your child’s first piercing can be nerve-wracking! At Rowan, our licensed Nurses are trained to provide a safe, fun, and celebratory piercing experience for our tiny (and not-so-tiny) guests.  We pierce all ages starting at 2 months; however, there are special considerations for those under the age of 18. Read on to have all your questions answered for children’s ear piercing.

 

How old does my child have to be to get a lobe piercing?

 

Rowan pierces all ages starting at 2 months old! We require one DTaP vaccine (administered at 2 months old) for ear piercings for children 5 and under. For minors under 18, a parent or legal guardian is required to be present for the piercing.

 

How old does my child have to be to get a cartilage piercing?



In select locations, we can perform cartilage piercings on children 12 years of age or older. Please see your local piercing location to ensure we have that offering available.

 

Cartilage piercings include:

 

Mid Helix

Upper Helix

Forward Helix

Flat

Conch

Tragus

 

 

Do you pierce with piercing guns?

 

We do not use a piercing gun! Rowan nurses use a hand-pressurized device which uses the pressure (and complete control) of the nurse's hand to safely guide, place, and pierce! This instrument holds a sterilized single-use cartridge containing the starter stud earrings that pierce the ear. Unlike piercing guns, which use spring-loaded mechanisms to forcefully pierce, a hand-pressurized instrument allows for gentle and direct control with each and every piercing.

 

Do you offer needle piercings for children?

 

Lobe needle piercings can be done on children as young as 5. However, for the safety of the child, they must be able to sit without fidgeting and be able to follow directions well. If a nurse feels that needle piercing is not the safest option for the minor, device piercings will be offered. 

 

What happens if my child gets too nervous to pierce the second ear after the first?

 

This is less common than you’d think but can happen with some of our younger clients. We're happy to try again another time. You’ll pay for the piercing jewelry and the one piercing that was completed.

 

Can both ears be pierced simultaneously?

 

We can often accommodate this request, for device piercings, at our Rowan Studios when we have more than one nurse working at a time. Please contact your preferred studio team directly to ask what days and times may be available prior to scheduling your appointment online.

 

Do I need to bring an ID for myself and my child?

 

For minors under 18, a parent or guardian is required to be present for the piercing. We will not ask for the child’s ID, unless stipulated by local regulations, but we will ask for the parent/guardian’s ID.

 

Can I get a piercing on my own if I’m under 18?

 

No, even with permission from a parent/guardian, we cannot pierce you if you are under 18 and unaccompanied by an adult. We need the parent or legal guardian to be physically present in the studio in order to perform the piercing.

 

Can I bring my own earrings?

 

No, Rowan Nurses are not able to pierce with earrings provided by the customer. We pride ourselves on our hygiene standards, so we only use piercing earrings that come in sterile packaging and made from verifiable clean metals. These earrings are made to be compatible with the hand-pressurized instrument and hollow needles we use for the piercing process.

Once your piercing is starting to heal (in as soon as 3 weeks for a lobe piercing and 12 weeks for a helix/conch/tragus piercing), you can change the jewelry to whatever style you like – just make sure to sanitize it first and use hypoallergenic, nickel-free earrings!

 

What makes ear piercing with Rowan safe?

 

We are pediatrician-recommended for many reasons! We put safety first, with ear piercings performed exclusively by a licensed nurse and hypoallergenic earrings made from premium, nickel-free materials. Rowan nurses have extensive experience in creating a stress-free environment, are experts (overseen by our Medical Advisory Board) in the use of PPE and maintaining sterility, and always put their clients first. Rowan nurses use a gentle, hand-pressured device with pre-sterilized hypoallergenic earrings to pierce all ages. Our piercing jewelry has safety backs and long posts to ensure sufficient airflow and optimal healing. We never use piercing guns, which are spring-loaded and can damage the ear tissue.

 

It is important to choose safe materials when having your ears pierced because metal allergies are common and can develop at any point in life, and an ear piercing makes your skin more vulnerable to irritation-causing metals like nickel, brass, and zinc. This is why Rowan only uses the safest materials – pre-sterilized 14K gold, stainless steel, and titanium earrings.