Ear Piercing

Your ten year old still requires adult supervision when you are away. Watching TV with your child allows you to discuss any controversial topics that may come up, but limit screen time to 2 hours per day. Family mealtime is important to keeping communication open and fostering healthy lives.

We do a lot at this visit, including:

We do a lot at this visit, including:

6 month old baby
  • TB Surveillance
  • Anemia Surveillance
  • Lead Surveillance
  • Dyslipidemia Surveillance
  • Oral Health Surveillance
  • Vision Testing
  • Hearing Testing
  • Fluoride Varnish

Your child will be in middle school at this age. Continue your conversations about healthy living practices to include tobacco, drug and alcohol avoidance. Your child should be able to assume more responsibility for personal hygiene and chores. There are no scheduled immunizations at this visit unless your child is behind and needs to catch up on immunizations.

  • Measure your child’s weight, height, and body mass index and record on a growth curve.
  • Screen your child's vision.
  • Review your child’s school performance and development.
  • Complete sports physical forms and discuss sport safety (if your child is participating in sports).
  • Discuss exercise and nutrition, particularly in association with increased awareness of body image and diet.
  • Discuss puberty changes to expect or that may be starting to occur.

Four year olds often like to sing, dance and act. They like to tell "tall tales" and make up stories.  Enjoy these fun moments with your little one!  Parents should continue to help with brushing teeth even though your child will want to do it all by themselves.

Helpful Info:

Immunizations:

Immunizations:

Tests/Screens/Assessments:

Tests/Screens/Assessments:

  • Measure your child’s weight, height and body mass index and record on a growth curve.
  • Provide your child's immunizations.
  • Discuss dental health and apply fluoride varnish to your child's teeth.

We do a lot at this visit, including:

We do a lot at this visit, including:

  • Measure your child’s weight, height, and body mass index and record on a growth curve
  • Measure your child’s blood pressure and heart rate
  • Screen your child's vision and hearing
  • Provide your child’s immunizations
  • Review your child’s school performance and development
  • Discuss involvement in activities and peer relationships
  • Discuss sleep
  • Discuss exercise and nutrition
  • Discuss puberty changes to expect or that may be starting to occur

Your child is now transitioning to adult life! They will still look to you for support and guidance, but will be more on their own when it comes to decision making. 


During the teen years, we provide the opportunity for your teen to have at least a portion of this visit with the parent out of the room.

  • Hearing Surveillance
  • TB Surveillance
  • Anemia Surveillance
  • Dyslipidemia Surveillance
  • Adolescent Depression Screening
  • Vision Testing
  • Vision Testing
  • Hearing Testing
Bright Futures Parent Info

Congratulations! You are solidly in the teen years! It is exciting to see the wonderful person your child is becoming. Possible conflict can arise at this time as your teen assesses your family values versus those of culture and peers. Keep the lines of communication open and give them additional responsibility while being present for them when they inevitably make mistakes. Be supportive and allow them to develop resilience and self-pride. During the teen years, we provide the opportunity for your teen to have at least a portion of the visit with the parent out of the room.

Tests/Screens/Assessments:

Bright Futures Parent Info

Helpful Info: 

  • Vision Testing
  • Hearing Testing
  • Lipid Profile (completed once between 9-11 years)

We do a lot at this visit, including:

Immunizations:

4 year old child

Helpful Info:

  • HPV#2 (if not previously completed; series of 2; 11-12 years)
  • Flu vaccine (during flu season)
Bright Futures Parent Info

Immunizations:

  • Measure your child’s weight, height and body mass index and record on a growth curve.
  • Provide immunizations.
  • Screen your child's vision.
  • Discuss transitions to life after high school—whether that be work, travel, vocational school or college.
  • Discuss importance of responsible decision making and recognizing healthy -vs- unhealthy relationships.
  • Complete college physical forms and any required college screening labs/tests.
  • Perform any recommended yearly screening tests (depending on family history, sexual activity etc.).
  • Reinforce healthy choices and risk behavior avoidance.
  • Transition your child to an adult care provider.
12 year old child

Immunizations:

Immunizations:

Bright Futures Parent Info
10 year old child
Bright Futures Parent Info

Your baby will begin to move more and will be able to sit up independently for short periods of time. Now is the time to start baby-proofing your house - if you haven't already done so. You should move the mattress in your baby's crib down to the lowest level.

Helpful Info: 

Tests/Screens/Assessments:

Bright Futures Parent Info

We do a lot at this visit, including:

  • Measure your teen’s weight, height and body mass index and record on a growth curve
  • Measure your teen’s blood pressure and heart rate
  • Complete sports physical forms and discuss sport safety (if your teen is participating in sports, please bring any forms to the appointment)
  • Review your teen’s school performance and development
  • Discuss involvement in activities and peer relationships/dating
  • Discuss sleep
  • Discuss exercise and nutrition, particularly in association with increased awareness of body image and diet
  • Reinforce healthy choices and risk behavior avoidance
  • Perform any recommended yearly screening tests (depending on family history, sexual activity etc.)
  • Complete PA driver's permit. (If you do not do this at your well visit, your teen must be present and sign in the presence of the physician at another time)
  • Measure your baby’s weight, length and head size and record on a growth curve.
  • Provide your baby’s immunizations.
  • Discuss the introduction of fluoridated water to encourage the development of strong and healthy teeth. If you have city or rural water,  your water is fluoridated. If you have well water,  you should have your water tested for fluoride before offering it to your baby.
  • Screen for post-partum depression.

Tests/Screens/Assessments:

  • Post Partum Depression Assessment
  • TB Surveillance
  • Lead Surveillance
  • Oral  Health Surveillance
  • Fluoride Varish
16 year old teen
  • Hearing Surveilllance
  • TB Surveillance
  • Anemia Surveillance
  • Dyslipidemia Surveillance
  • Adolescent Depression Screening
  • Vision Testing
  • Urine Chlamydia Screen (females)
  • Hemoglobin Test (females)
  • Universal HIV Testing

Tests/Screens/Assessments:

Medical Ear Piercing is now available at All Star Pediatrics!!

A sleeping baby wears a large cream bow headband and matching ruffled diaper cover with pearl trim on a white blanket.

Dr. Melanie Lachman & Nurse Jessica Wojciechowski is excited to be able to offer Medical Ear Piercing to our patients. We have selected the Blomdahl Medical Ear Piercing System which is available ONLY to physician offices. Medical ear piercing in our office means that your child will receive professional care from a pediatric provider who has been trained in sterile technique and wound management.


Why should I use All Star Pediatrics for ear piercing?



We believe that using the Blomdahl Medical Ear Piercing System, available only to physicians, provides your child with a safer and more sanitary alternative to the mall or jewelry stores. While malls and jewelers do more piercings as a whole, their employees tend to be short-term, often with significant turnover, and they may or may not be experienced.

Blomdahl is a sterile system where a disposable cartridge is replaced with every piercing and it uses medical grade plastic or titanium studs to reduce the chance of allergic reactions. In a medical office, you have professional care from Providers trained in sterile technique and wound care management. You also have access to medical professionals for any questions, problems or concerns before, during and after the procedure.


Age Restrictions


We will do ear piercing for infants age 3 months to 10 months and for children 5 years of age and older. This ensures that infants have received their first set of vaccines, including th DTaP, and allows the ear to grow big enough for more accurate placement of the earring.

After 10 months of age, children are more active making the actual piercing experience more difficult and less safe. After this age, they are also more prone to picking at the earrings making them more susceptible to infection.

Infants are held in their parent's arms during the procedure and the worst part for them is when their head must be held still, and most babies cry only briefly. For children over 5 years of age, it is important that the child has requested to have their ears pierced and the Parent/Guardian has agreed. The child needs to be able to sit still during the procedure and has to allow or participate in responsible after-care to ensure a good outcome. The child will sit beside the parent and will lean against the parent's shoulder. Teens will simply sit quietly on their own.

We will not hold an older child down for this procedure as it is an elective cosmetic procedure. The staff reserves the right to cancel a procedure if they feel for any reason, the situation may become unsafe due to the child's inability to cooperate.


Where do we pierce?


We only pierce earlobes and will do multiple piercings per earlobe. We do not pierce cartilage or other body parts. How much does it cost? The cost is $100.00 to pierce both ears. This includes the visit fee, procedure fee, earrings, and cleansing kit. This will also include a follow up visit if there are concerns.


Payment


Payment is due in full when you check in for your ear piercing appointment. Since this is a cosmetic procedure, it is not covered by your insurance and it will not be billed to your insurance. The payment includes the ear piercing stud made of medical grade plastic or titanium, and the cost of the ear piercing procedure by the Provider.
 

Ear Piercing Appointments

You may schedule an Ear Piercing Visit with Dr. Lachman, which would be to solely perform the medical ear piercing procedure. OR You may wish to have the medical ear piercing procedure done in conjunction with a Routine Well Child Care Visit. If you desire to have your child's ears pierced at one of these visits, you MUST notify us in advance so that we may schedule your child for some additional time to have this procedure performed.

 
What are the risks of ear piercing?


Before we begin the procedure, the Parent/Guardian will be asked to sign an Informed Consent Form which reviews the risks listed below.


  1. Infection--There is a risk of infection anytime the skin is broken. We reduce this risk significantly by using sterile technique. The Blomdahl Medical Ear Piercing System utilizes sterile, single-use piercing cassettes. This also eliminates any cross-contamination because only the sterile, single-use part of the equipment ever comes in contact with the skin at the piercing site. We also provide specific After-Care Instructions to keep the piercing clean and healthy during the healing process.
  2. Pain--Even without numbing cream the pain is brief and similar to a vaccine injection using the Blomdahl system. Some patients may complain of a warm, flushed feeling on their earlobes after the procedure. Numbing cream is available to further reduce the pain if so desired.
  3. Bleeding--There is a risk of bleeding anytime the skin is broken. However, the earlobes do not contain significant blood vessels so that this risk is minimal.
  4. Nickel Allergy--Allergic Contact Dermatitis is an itchy rash that occurs when your skin comes in contact with a typically harmless substance. Nickel is one of the most common causes, and once you develop a nickel allergy, you will always be sensitive to it. Nickel is commonly used as a metal hardener and most metals used for ear piercing contain or "leak" enough nickel to trigger a potential allergic reaction. Fresh piercings allow direct and constant contact between a minor open wound and the metal which contains the nickel. However, the Blomdahl Ear Piercing studs utilize only medical grade plastic or medical grade titanium, the most superior non-allergenic metal, thereby eliminating this risk.
  5. Keloids--Keloids are shiny, smooth and rounded skin elevations, which are a type of scar tissue, which can form at the piercing site in some patients after the earlobe piercing because of altered wound healing. Keloids tend to run in some families, are more likely to occur in patients with darker skin pigmentation, and generally occur in people 10 to 30 years of age. Please inform us if your child has any health conditions that could cause excessive bleeding, difficulty fighting infections or keloid scar formation.
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Is Your Child Sick?®

Two children sit on a bed with rainbow-striped bedding, looking at a book together.