Celebrity3 min(s) read
Published 15:32 15 Jul 2026 GMT
Kim Kardashian is getting heavily criticized on social media after her daughter North was spotted with what appeared to be hand piercings.
The reality TV star became North's primary caregiver after splitting up with Kanye West, now known as Ye, in 2021.
In case you weren't sure if the piercings were real or not, the 13-year-old released a song, which also happened to be her debut single, titled 'Piercing on My Hand'.
But Kardashian has faced intense backlash from the public after allowing her daughter to get the cosmetic changes.
It has sparked a debate about what age kids should be made to wait until they can get not just piercings, but tattoos too.
Health and parenting experts have weighed in on the discussion surrounding the teenager, who is about to set off on her first tour as a signed music artist, following in the footsteps of her father.
The teen showed off her new look on Instagram earlier this year, with the number of piercings increasing as the weeks have gone past.
Despite many voicing their disapproval at the look, North and her mom took to their shared TikTok fans to speak to their fans about it.
They told fans that it's "OK," with the teenager responding to a critical video by speaking to “everyone that’s mad over a finger piercing.”
Kardashian has previously spoken about giving her daughter the freedom to experiment with different clothes and looks, which include her light blue hair and sometimes unorthodox chunky shoes.
While this may seem liberating at first, medical and parenting experts have raised concerns about the decision.
The main concern from medical professionals is to do with young people needing to manage the cleaning and aftercare of piercings.
If they are neglected, long-term complications can arise, such as scarring and disfigurement if you are not careful, as well as being in a location that can be easily knocked.
Speaking to the New York Post, Corey Hartman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder and medical director of Skin Wellness Dermatology, simply said: “Just don’t do it.”
The expert added: “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.”
Amy McCready, a parenting expert who is also the Founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, told The Independent that the decision can only be justified by the child's maturity.
Speaking to the publication, she pointed out that there should be an age limit for when children can get uncommon piercings.
Most tattoo studios in the US insist that clients must be over 18 with a valid ID, but this can change depending on the state, with some needing a present parent to consent.
McCready admitted: “I would love to see a strict age limit,
“But the more important criteria is the child’s amount of maturity in the decision-making process that they've put forth.”
She advised parents to ask their child why they want a piercing or tattoo, suggesting: “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?”
