My mom wouldn't let me pierce my ears until I was 18. She had a lot of problems with getting her ears infected when she was younger... I waited until the day after I graduated from high school. I was only 17, but my grandparents signed the waiver for me. My grandmother (on my dad's side) thought that it was "Ridiculous" that I couldn't get my ears pierced!
I now have my cartilage and belly button pierced. I still only have one hole in each ear done.
By the way, my younger sisters were able to get their ears pierced at 14 and 12 years old. My mom took them... Oh the joys of being the oldest!!!