Keloids :: Piercing ears early lowers risk of keloids

Ear piercing is seen by many young girls — and some boys — as a rite of passage, an outward sign that they’re starting to grow up. So, they beg for their parents’ permission, but they’re often told to wait until they’re teenagers. Now, a small study in the May issue of Pediatrics may help them convince their parents that sooner is better than later.

Ear piercing done before the age of 11 might actually be better for health and cosmetic reasons, said study author Dr. Joshua E. Lane, an assistant professor at Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Ga. He conducted the research while at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.

In a survey, those who had ear piercings done at age 11 or older were much more likely to develop keloids — unsightly scar-like growths that occur at a site of an injury — than those who had the piercing done before when they were younger.

With co-researchers Jennifer Waller and Dr. Loretta S. Davis, both of Georgia college, Lane surveyed 32 patients, including 27 women and five men, who were, on average, 24 years old when they were seen. About 85 percent of the participants were black, and keloids are more common in blacks, Lane noted. And 56 percent had a family history of keloids; it’s known that these run in families.

Lane found that 80 percent of those who had their ears pierced at age 11 or after developed keloids, but only 23.5 percent of those who had their ears pierced before age 11 did.


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