Reality TV star Kim Kardashian has publicly addressed the growing online debate surrounding her 12-year-old daughter North West's decision to get dermal piercings on her fingers.
The Controversial Piercings
North West, the eldest child of Kardashian and ex-husband Kanye West, first showcased the body modification in August. The pre-teen debuted two small silver balls positioned just below the knuckle on her right middle finger, a style identified as a dermal piercing.
This specific type of piercing involves a microdermal anchor placed under the top layer of skin. Last week, North appeared to get another matching dermal piercing on her left middle finger, sharing a photo of the procedure on her TikTok account.
Public Reaction and Kim's Response
The new piercing quickly drew criticism from followers. A TikTok user named @mazzy_williams created a post expressing she was 'heartbroken' over the decision, asking if others felt the same. The video amassed over 651,000 views.
In a direct reply, Kim Kardashian used her joint TikTok account with North to comment under the viral video. 'it's okay,' the SKIMS founder wrote, followed by a heart emoji made with two hands. Her comment received nearly 10,000 likes and sparked a flood of responses.
While many fans defended Kim's parenting, stating she was allowing her children to express themselves, others remained critical. Some labelled the finger placement as 'hazardous' and questioned the judgement of allowing a 12-year-old to make such a permanent decision.
Expert Warnings and Safety Concerns
According to medical and piercing professionals, dermal piercings on the hands carry significant risks. Healthline states that this piercing type 'carry a high risk of complications' and requires meticulous aftercare.
Trist'n Peterson, a professional body piercer and co-owner of Brightside Body Art, explained that most reputable studios refuse to perform such piercings on minors, and many would not offer them to adults either. 'The finger has so much daily movement and potential to snag, causing the piercing to reject pretty quickly,' Peterson noted, highlighting the risks of infection, rejection, and nerve damage.
It remains unclear where North had the procedure done, as many US studios enforce a strict minimum age of 18 for such modifications.
A Pattern of Parenting Scrutiny
This is not the first time Kim Kardashian's parenting choices for North have been questioned. Last month, she faced backlash for allowing her daughter to wear a corset during an outing in Rome.
While Kardashian did not address that specific incident at the time, she later spoke on the Call Me Daddy podcast about the challenges of raising a pre-teen. She admitted she is 'still learning' as a mother and explained that North often experiments with style to emulate her friends.
Kardashian emphasised her daughter's confidence and her own approach to parenting, stating she would never take away North's creative expression, whether it involves blue hair or piercings. She urged the public to 'have grace on single moms trying to figure it all out.'
