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A note on ear piercing methods: Ear piercing businesses either use a piercing device, gun, or sterile needles. Piercing guns and devices are fast, and some places allow for both ears to be pierced simultaneously. The guns are spring -oaded and make a “pop” as the post goes through the earlobe. These days, many places use piercing devices, which are quiet and use gentler hand pressure to pierce the lobe. Medical-grade ones often are loaded with single-use cartridges that avoid cross-contamination. Tattoo and piercing places usually use a single-use sterile hollow needle to make the hole, which is said to be gentler and more precise. This ear piercing technique can be used on older children. Talk to a piercing professional about the pros and cons of each method.

Where to Get Ear Piercings for Kids in NJ

1. Banter by Piercing Pagoda — Multiple Locations

Banter can do ear piercings on babies as young as 2 months old provided they've had certain vaccines. The team can pierce both ears at once if you schedule ahead. Banter also offers cartilage device piercings and hollow-needle body piercings for teens 13 and over at certain locations.

2. Bee Kind Pediatrics — Westfield

Bee Kind offers medical ear piercing by trained medical professionals. Numbing creams, or medicine-free numbing agents, are used, and nickel-free, hypoallergenic studs are placed in the ears. A sterile, hollow needle is used to pierce the earlobes. Piercing starts at 6 months old.

3. Bowfish Studios — Ocean City

This salon offers piercing with medical-grade titanium earrings. For younger kids, private piercing can be booked for when the salon is closed. Kids must be 3 years old to get pierced and provide verbal consent.

4. Claire's — Multiple Locations

The popular chain now uses a touch-free piercing system with single-use sterile cartridges and no needles. Piercing is free with the purchase of a Claire's ear piercing kit. 

5. Clinical Piercing — South Orange

Clinical Piercing is owned by a healthcare provider using a medical ear piercing system. This involves a cartridge that ensures earrings are sterile, single use, and not touched. Earrings are made of implant-grade titanium or medical-grade plastic to help avoid allergic reactions. Numbing cream can be used on children ages 10 and up.

6. Diamond Heart Studios — Flemington

Kids who are at least 8 years old can get their ears pierced at this tattoo and piercing studio with the necessary paperwork (birth certificate, photo ID, and a parent's photo ID). Piercers use a hollow needle to pierce the lobe before inserting the jewelry, which is medical-grade titanium flat-backed studs. You will need to return for a "jewelry downsize" at 4-8 weeks of healing.

7. Ear Piercing by Jaclyn RN — North Howell

This piercing facility offers calm, comfortable piercing in a private setting. Ear piercings are done by a pediatric registered nurse and certified ear piercer using a hand-pressure piercing device. Nickel-free, medical-grade earrings are used for all piercings. Piercings are done by appointment only.

8. First Place Tattoos — Hackettstown

This shop offers safe, sterile tattooing with hollow needles for kids ages 6 and older. Appointments are required

9. Medical Ear Piercings — Multiple Locations

Piercings at Medical Ear Piercings are done by licensed nurses who can pierce babies who weigh at least 8 pounds. You can choose numbing cream before the nurse uses a hand device to pierce the ear lobe. The device has a sterile cartridge containing the earrings for a touch-free, sterile experience.

10. Rowan — Princeton, Closter

Rowan offers ear piercing by licensed nurses who only use hypoallergenic earrings made from premium, nickel-free materials. At Rowan, you can choose to have the team use a hollow needle (for kids 8 and older) or a gentle, hand-pressured device.

11. Sweet & Sassy — Cherry Hill, Ridgewood

This salon and spa for little divas offers ear piercing for children as young as 4 months old. A certified ear piercing specialist will walk you through the whole process. Choose from 14K gold or surgical steel earrings. You'll be sent home with sanitizing solution, a certificate, a keepsake photo, a lollipop, and more.

12. Ulta Beauty — Multiple Locations

Head to Ulta for sterile ear piercings by licensed professionals. The team uses hypoallergenic earrings (24K gold or stainless steel) and provides guidance about aftercare. Babies as young as 3 months old can get their ears pierced.