The 6-Week Healing Myth (and Why It’s a Little Too Convenient)
Hey lovely people!
With summer in full swing and school holidays giving everyone a bit of breathing room, I wanted to hop on here to bust one of the most persistent myths in the piercing world—especially when it comes to kiddos and their first ear piercings.
You’ve probably heard it before:
“It takes 6 weeks for ear piercings to heal!”
Sounds neat and tidy, right? Especially considering school summer holidays are—you guessed it—exactly six weeks long.
Almost a little too convenient, don’t you think?
But here’s the truth from someone who lives and breathes piercing safety:
6 weeks is simply not enough time for your child’s ears to fully heal.
Let’s break it down:
If they take them out for school, it could hurt and cause infection.
A fresh piercing is still an open wound—yes, even after 6 weeks! Taking earrings out for school uniform policies or PE class before they’re fully healed can be painful, and reinserting them each night can introduce bacteria or cause trauma. It’s not worth the risk!
Even a short removal disrupts healing.
As soon as jewellery is removed, your body says, “Aha! Time to close this wound!” The hole begins to shrink or close altogether, and reinserting jewellery can reopen the tissue, delay healing, and increase the risk of infection.
Beware of too-good-to-be-true promises.
Any piercer or shop that guarantees “fully healed ears in 6 weeks” is, at best, oversimplifying and, at worst, misleading. Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all—and no one should be rushing that process for the sake of convenience.
Fran’s Golden Rule:
I always recommend waiting at least 16 weeks before changing the jewellery. And if your child needs to remove their earrings during the day for school? You’ll want to wait even longer before doing so comfortably and safely.
So what’s the best plan?
If your child’s school has a no-earring policy, your safest bet is to hold off until a longer break—or wait until they’re old enough to manage healing responsibly. Piercings are exciting (and adorable), but they need time and care to heal beautifully.
So please, skip the 6-week shortcut. Give those lobes the love, time, and patience they deserve 💜
See you in the studio soon (and don’t hesitate to DM me if you have questions)!
Stay sparkly,
Fran x
Luna Piercing Studio
