I remember when my little sister got her ears pierced. I didn't see it as I was standing out on the street with my brothers, but I heard it. She doesn't remember, as she was six months old, but I remember her screaming for a couple minutes until it was over. Back then, things were different.
Yesterday, I took my own daughter to get her ears pierced, which was part of her ninth birthday present a few months ago. We would have done it earlier, but she isn't allowed to swim or go to sauna or sweat for a few weeks.
It is an experience she isn't likely to forget.
Not because of pain.
An hour before we went, I put a topical anaesthetic on her earlobes so that she wouldn't feel much of it at all. Much easier. And we went to "the best" piercer in the city, who has been recommended by so, so many people to us. But we were warned.
So when we went into the studio, which is in an apartment building, Smallsteps was a little bit surprised, since the guy is covered in tattoos, has long, hangy earlobes with weights in them and under-skin body modifications in his hands. He had grown his hair, so the horns weren't showing.
Up until this point, Smallsteps had been pretty confident, but when the guy said "ready to go" and we started to walk into the room, I could feel the trepidation in her hand. And once in the seat, she was definitely having second thoughts. However, I reminded her how she has had so many blood tests in the past and this is far easier than that, and with a single tear in her eye, she was ready.
The guy was really good.
His English was brilliant and he first went through all the care instructions. But after that, he also spoke through everything he was doing, leaving nothing as a surprise. He said to Smallsteps what was happening (leaving out technical details) and said what she would feel, which put her mind at ease. He did the first one and she didn't feel it at all, other than pressure on her ear. Then, she was confident for the second, which after she said she felt like a bee sting, but then downgraded it to more like a mosquito bite.
We chose the basic metal studs that will stay in her ears for about four months until we change them, because they are smooth and are unlikely to get hooked on clothes and whatnot. She looked in the mirror at herself and she was pretty proud she went through with it, and is happy with the way they look.
About half her friends have theirs pierced, some for a couple years already. It seems there is a cultural thing with it in Finland where parents put it off for quite a long time, until the kids are twelve or more. But those with foreign parents tend to get them done at about half that age. I have no idea what is better or worse, but getting them done is really only a slight physical discomfort, so as long as it is psychologically prepared well enough, any age is okay.
Not sure if I would have got my daughter's done at 6 months old though.
As we were driving home, we were talking about it a bit and how when the ears are healed enough, I will get her some nice gold earrings, or platinum, to cut down on the chances of infection and reaction. Too many people change the earrings over too soon, and then put in metals that cause reactions. Many people even get reactions to silver.
I am looking forward to going earring shopping with her.
Not the spending on them though.
However, what I also liked about this was that it was a daddy-daughter thing that we did together. So that her memory (other than the guy) will be with me. Having a daughter means that many of these kinds of things get done by the mother, and the dad is just around the place. So for me, it was special too and a far better experience than having to listen to my little sister scream when I was only four myself. I think I was more traumatised by that than my sister.
But no trauma this time for anyone.
Taraz
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