North West, 13, had her hands pierced — and sparked a parenting debate
It’s a dilemma many parents face: where do you draw the line on your children getting piercings or tattoos, and more crucially, how old should they be?
That question has been thrust into the spotlight this week after reality star Kim Kardashian drew ire from health and parenting experts for allowing her 13-year-old daughter North West — whom she shares with rapper Kanye “Ye” West — to have multiple piercings on the back of her hands.
North, who is about to embark on her first tour as a signed music artist, debuted the look on Instagram, with visible discoloration and scarring noticeable near the piercing sites. Since early 2026, North’s collection has expanded to several more piercings across her fingers and hands, which she referenced in her debut single, “Piercing on My Hand.”
While critics have flooded social media, neither North nor her mom appears concerned. On their shared TikTok account, the pair told fans: “It’s OK,” while North later clapped back with a sassy video to “everyone that’s mad over a finger piercing.” The Independent has contacted Kardashian’s representatives for comment.
Kardashian has been vocal about letting daughter North West express herself through experimental clothes, her aquamarine hair and signature chunky footwear — but medical experts have highlighted the risk of dermal piercings, especially for young people who are expected to manage the cleaning and aftercare, with risks including long-term complications, rejection, scarring and disfigurement.
“Just don’t do it,” Corey Hartman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder and medical director of Skin Wellness Dermatology, told the New York Post.
“Long term, these piercings can lead to hypertrophic scars, hyperpigmentation, disfigurement and loss of function of the body part where the piercing is done, particularly in patients with highly melanated skin, like North West,” he told the publication.
But parenting experts say that the decision to allow your child to get a piercing is a choice that can only be understood within the context of the child’s maturity.
Amy McCready, Founder of Positive Parenting Solutions and author of the parenting book The Me, Me, Me Epidemic, tells The Independent that there should be an age limit for when children are allowed to have unconventional piercings. At most tattoo studios in the U.S., the standard guidance is that a client needs to be over 18 with a valid ID, though that can change between states and when a parent is present to give consent.
“I would love to see a strict age limit,” says McCready. “But the more important criteria is the child’s amount of maturity in the decision-making process that they’ve put forth.”
McCready says that when advising parents in this scenario, she would tell them to probe their child on why they want a piercing or tattoo before making snap judgments.
“It’s a similar conversation when deciding to get them a cell phone, asking them: ‘How long have they wanted to do this?’ And especially for a dermal piercing, like, ‘What’s really driving this decision?’ Is this something they’re seeing on Instagram, where they’re seeing celebrities and their peers doing it?”
“Dermal piercing is a very different proposition than getting a second hole in your ear, so part of this is asking your child if they have done research, ‘What are the risks associated with this particular type of piercing?’” McCready says. “You need to determine if they can handle having a piercing independently…. if they deal with their personal hygiene well and can take responsibility for aftercare themselves.”
Kardashian, who is North’s primary caregiver after she split from Ye in 2021, may have received backlash for her daughter’s piercings, but McCready urges people to think about it on a case-by-case basis.
“I think we have to give Kim Kardashian the benefit of the doubt that she’s had the conversation with North. She must have a level of confidence that her daughter can handle this,” she says.
“When these situations come up in the media, it can be shocking and surprising, but I would rather us reflect how we might handle it in our own family rather than casting judgment on somebody else’s family because there’s too much of that anyway,” she adds.
Ultimately, the expert says, it comes down to the child’s preparedness for having a piercing. “If the child doesn’t have the level of maturity required, then the answer should be no,” she concludes.
