a simple survey about ear piercing

I would like to ask those who have (or have had) pierced ears to answer a few plain questions:

1) your gender

2) how old were you when you got it done?

3) did it hurt and if so, exactly how much?

4) did you decide to do it voluntarily or were you under some kind of compulsion (family member getting it done for you without your consent, friends coaxing you into it, feeling the need to do it because of fashion etc)?

The first hole was done when I was 2 days old by my grandmother. She is from Spain and it is tradition. The second and third I did myself, 1 pair at home and the other in the girls bathroom at school with my best friend in the seventh grade. I then went on to do my sister's second piercing and my brother's first piercing.

I have one more piercing in the top part of my ear. Had that done in high school.

They were all quite voluntary I guess.

jacqui

[QUOTE=duke] 1) your gender female

2) how old were you when you got it done? about 5 or 6 the first time the second time about 8.

3) did it hurt and if so, exactly how much? no. just a pinch unless the earring gets put on too tight then they just loosen it.

4) did you decide to do it voluntarily or were you under some kind of compulsion the first time i got my hair cut super short like 1 1/2 so i got them so i wouldn't look like a boy.[/QUOTE]

Hi! This is fun! I am a female. I was a freshman in High school when I first had mine done. The second holes- while I was a Sr. in high school, and the third holes about 7 weeks ago. It didnot hurt, but I am having trouble with the 3rd holes healing. My mom did the 1st holes at home with a needle, I had the 2nd and 3rd holes done with a gun at the mall. I did them all on my own except the 2nd one. I had a boyfriend that told me if I got it done he would break up with me. I want to do another hole in the cartlidge but that kinda scares me! I hope this helps! Debbie
(Edited once- I just read what I wrote and it was the 2nd holes that I was not allowed to get from a boyfriend.)

[QUOTE=duke] I would like to ask those who have (or have had) pierced ears to answer a few plain questions:

1) your gender Female

2) how old were you when you got it done? Let's see. . . sixteen at first, that was both ears. Then I got a second hole in my left ear at about. . . *thinks* somewhere between 18 and 21? Not quite sure. All I remember for sure is that I had to have that one done twice, because the first time it got infected and I had to take the earring out. I still have a tiny scar from the first attempt. Then maybe four or five years ago I had a third hole put into the left ear. My right ear still has just the one, though.

3) did it hurt and if so, exactly how much? I seem to remember the first time hurting a lot, but the other times, it's just a quick stick, and you're sore for a little while after, but it's not really that big a deal.

4) did you decide to do it voluntarily or were you under some kind of compulsion (family member getting it done for you without your consent, friends coaxing you into it, feeling the need to do it because of fashion etc)? Well, I wanted my ears pierced from a very young age, because my ears seem to be pressure-sensitive-- if I try to wear clip-ons, ear cuffs, headphones, etc. for more than a few hours it makes my ears really sore. But uber-conservative parents wouldn't allow it, so it was like everything else, I had to wait until I was out of their control. The second hole, I hate to say, was because I had a teacher with two holes in her left and one in her right. Not that she was a great teacher or that I wanted to emulate a middle-aged lady, just it looked cool. The third hole was that I was at the mall, had wandered away from the rest of my party, and ended up in an accessory shop. *shrugs* Kinda on impulse.
[/QUOTE]

I got a question. What does it mean if a guy has both earlobes pierced? Just wondering! Debbie

It doesn't mean anything Debbie if a guy has both ears pierced.
Years ago, if a man had his left ear pierced, he was hetrosexual. If he had his right ear pierced, he was gay. If he had both pierced, he was bisexual.
But that went out years ago, in my mom's generation.
Today , most men who have both ears pierced are ordinary hetrosexual men who are with women.

I have each of my ears pierced twice, but I usually only wear one pair of earrings.

I would actually like Brent to get his other ear pierced and wear earrings in both ears. We could share pairs of earrings then.

I am female. I got my ears pierced when I was 12 or 13 years old. My little sister (at that time 6 or 7 years old) got her ears pierced in a jewelleryshop, and after that I insisted having earrings too. It had never occured to me to ask my mother for piercings, but if my sister had had it, I wanted it too.
My right ear was more sensitive than the left, it hurt more and got infected afterwards. I remember that I had to clean it with a smelly lotion many times a day.

No, I'm actually not getting mine done. This survey serves certain socio-political purposes. Thanks for all answers, very informative.

Ummm...if you were a newborn then, do you ACTUALLY REMEMBER that it didn't hurt?

You weren't given a choice, Ginger, it was just done, so AFAIK, it was forced on you.

Hi:

Great topic. I was in Middle school, when I had mine done. I think I was around 13, maybe 14. I just have one in each ear. It hurt a little, not that much.

Susan

Aloha! I am female and had my first set of ear piercings at age 12. A friend's sister did it, using a needle, thread, a cut potato and ice cubes..once the ice numbed my earlobe, I didn't feel a thing and healing was pretty fast and I've never had problems with the holes closing up.
The second set of piercings was done when I was 42, in a jewelry store, with a piercing gun-which really HURT for about 2 minutes. The recovery time for this set was much longer than the first set, and the holes tend to close up in a few days if I don't wear earrings in them.
Why? I got earrings as a gift when I was 12 and I wanted to wear them - the second set because I liked the look on other people :)
Mahalo and have a gorgeous day!

[QUOTE=duke] I would like to ask those who have (or have had) pierced ears to answer a few plain questions:

1) your gender - female

2) how old were you when you got it done? - probably a few weeks old

3) did it hurt and if so, exactly how much? - i wouldnt know

4) did you decide to do it voluntarily or were you under some kind of compulsion (family member getting it done for you without your consent, friends coaxing you into it, feeling the need to do it because of fashion etc)? - im from Nigeria and its impossible to find a girl wiht ears that are not pierced.. so its sorta tradition
[/QUOTE]

I have my ears pierced and my septum pierced in my nose.
It doesn't hurt that much and it doesn't hurt to wear earrings or noserings.
I wear fine jewelry only, usually gold.

I'm female. I got mine first done when I was 1 b/c my mother wanted them done. I slapped the lady when she did them lol. I got my 2nd hole pierced when I was 7 and It didnt hurt!

1) your gender -Female

2) how old were you when you got it done?-Ten

3) did it hurt and if so, exactly how much? -Yes, but not much, and it was only for a second.

4) did you decide to do it voluntarily or were you under some kind of compulsion (family member getting it done for you without your consent, friends coaxing you into it, feeling the need to do it because of fashion etc)? -It was my decision.

I'm a middle aged man, married, and have four daughters.

I wear long hair (straight blonde hair, mid-back length) and I have each ear lobe pierced twice.

I am getting my ear lobes pierced again for a third time each, next Friday, Feb. 18th.
My wife, for a Valentine's day present, bought me an afternoon at a full service beauty salon.
At the salon, I'm getting my hair trimmed (just a small trim to get rid of the split ends and even out my tresses in a blunt cut, I'm keeping my hair long), a massage, my hair highlighted, my nails done, and my ears pierced again.

I wear all types of earrings; studs, hoops, long dangle earrings, etc.. I like to wear 14 ct. gold earrings.

I first got my ears pierced in my early 20s (I'm now in my mid- 40s).

I got my ears pierced because I wanted to, (although a woman I was dating at the time encouraged me to get my ears pierced and was wild about pierced ears and earrings and jewelry on men).

The main reason I got my ears pierced is because I believed I would look good with long hair, a beard, and earrings.
I believe it is a look that suits me.
I have worn long hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and earrings ever since.

BlondeJohn,
My husband has long hair and earrings too. I love it on him!

Good for him DakotaDiva.
There are quite a few men who wear long hair and even more who wear earrings nowadays. It's common.

I am female. Had my ears done when I was 15, hurt a bit but not too much, just one in each ear. Had it done for me, not because of peer pressure or any of that stuff.

The Last Starfighter38633.8738078704

[QUOTE=duke]I would like to ask those who have (or have had) pierced ears to answer a few plain questions:

1) your gender [ Female]

2) how old were you when you got it done? [5, 13]

3) did it hurt and if so, exactly how much? [cried at 5, only pinched at 13]

4) did you decide to do it voluntarily or were you under some kind of compulsion (family member getting it done for you without your consent, friends coaxing you into it, feeling the need to do it because of fashion etc)? [at 5 my mom decided to get my 1st hole pierced, at 13 I wanted it done, then I got my belly button pierced when I was 18 b/c I thought they were sexy] [/QUOTE]

1) Female

2)5, 12,17

3)Never even winced.

4)Wanted it done sooo bad!

Hi there l never had my ear pierced till l was about 25, all ways wanted one but parents very old fashioned, after left home went on a mad spree, but not till l hit late 30s had 2 tattoos done and had both nipples done, looking to get more tatts done and bigger rings put in my nips, and none of them hurt when done.

Female, I was 2 weeks old. My mom had them done for me. I still have them and so I have no idea of the pain. Altho Im taking my 10 year old son to get his pierced here next week. From my understanding its not  that bad at all.