A mom has left the internet divided after allowing her nine-year-old daughter to get her nose pierced.
Meagan Black from Illinois, Chicago has stirred up quite a debate online after she posted a video of her daughter, Bella, displaying her new nose piercing.
For some reason, this led to an outcry from social media users who slammed the 28-year-old as a "bad mom" for allowing her daughter to get a gold hoop - the enemy of all nine-year-olds, it seems.
In a series of follow-up videos that have now gone viral on the platform, the frustrated mom decided to hit back at those who were calling her out stating that the piercing was just her way of letting her child "express herself."
Replying to someone who said that the pair had been taking "too much drugs," the mother-daughter-duo raised their eyebrows and shook their head's in unison, standing against the hater.
In a separate video, the mom-of-three paraphrased a comment she'd seen, writing: "You're a bad mom for letting your 9-year-old have a piercing," to which she responded: "But why is it just 'so cute' when a 2-year-old is wearing a crop top but y’all flip over a nose ring?"
Black also explained that she allowed Bella to get the piercing because her daughter "does not like earrings" and "all she wanted was her nose pierced."
She went on to add that there was "no age restriction" when she took Bella to get the procedure done because she had her "parent's consent."
But some people just couldn't get their head's around the mom's reasonable explanation.
"Are you serious?", asked one TikTok user.
"A kid shouldn’t haven’t have a nose piercing," another agreed.
"Bc her face isn’t done growing and can cause scarring if it’s left in. I’m not one to tell off a parent but it should be taken into consideration," said another.
And this person said nine was a little too young, adding: "Personally I think 9 is way to young, I’d let them get it in middle school but you do you !!"
However, others jumped in to defend the pair.
"She’s adorable. you’re an amazing mom for letting her express herself," wrote one user.
"So piercing ears is fine but nooooo not the nose," added another.
A third slammed people for sexualizing the hoop: "People legit sexualize these piercings. Your little girl looks great!"
While some people questioned whether it was legal or not to get a piercing at such a young age, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, it's acceptable as long as the child receives parental consent before doing so - which Bella did.
Nose piercings are usually more painful than ear piercings due to the nostril being thicker than the flesh of the earlobe, though both take a similar amount of time to heal completely.
Piercings in the nose and mouth also need more attention to aftercare while healing due to the concentration of bacteria in these areas, which is why many consider them more suitable for older teens who are more likely to keep on top of it and prevent infections.
Wearing a hoop rather than a stud can also increase the risk of getting the piercing caught on something - for example while playing on a playground - but as long as proper care is taken with the piercing, accidents can usually be prevented.
