Mine aren't pierced and I am in my 70's. When I was a girl my mother told me only gypsies had their ears pierced. When I was in college all the girls in the dorm were holding ice cubes on their lobes until they were numb and then using a sewing needle, had another girl punch the lobe while holding a potato behind it. I opted not to go through that torture and never did get around having it done professionally. My only problem is that it is hard to find clip earrings.