Ear piercing

[Lil Laura]

So I gather from things I've read on here that you should always get piercings done with a needle rather than a gun.

Why? And would it actually be likely to cause a problem if I were to get my ears pierced (regular plain boring ear-lobe piercing) with a gun rather than a needle?

[Char_Baby]

The only thing i've heard is that you shouldnt use the gun on a cartilage piercing (i.e top of your ear) as it shatters the cartilage. But I had it done before with no problems and will probably get it done again (the other one fell out and healed up)

[my name]

Heres an article I found, gun vs needle

http://tattoo.about.com/cs/psafety/a/piercing_guns.htm

[lucifer devil]

i've always had my ears pierced with a gun. the thought of a needle scares me as i can't imagine it's as quick as a gun.

this includes the top of my ear which was also pierced with a needle.

[purplebutterfly]

Guns are loked down on by normal trained pierces as they are a lot harder to keep clean/disenfected properly while a decent place will use a new needle everytime unwraped in front of you etc. Guns can also damage the skin more and lead to problems later on such as keloid scarring. My lobe gun pericing are forever getting infections, swollen etc (nine years later on), but my needle cartlidge peircing are absoulty fine.

[SuzyCreamcheese]

needles hurt less tbh. Ive had my ears done with both, and the gun hurt more and took longer to heal for some reason.

[Ilora-Danon]

Piercing Guns carry bloodborne diseases such as Hepatitis and AIDS because they are 90% plastic, they cannot be autoclaved (cleaned above boiling temperatures) and are wiped over with an 'alcohol wipe' which is totally useless because they simply aren't strong enough to kill any bacteria. The same guns are used over and over on different people, thus the spread of bloodborne diseases.

Needles however, come fresh out of a sterile packet and are then disposed of in a sharps bin - therefore being used once only.

Guns also 'shoot' a blunt piece of metal through flesh - tearing it, causing unnecessary scar tissue to form. The studs they use are of a lesser quality than BCRs, they are also blunt. They are also too short and don't allow for swelling - so many find themselves having to have the butterflies being surgically removed.

Needle piercings are a breeze. They are hollow needles, that come to a point - therefore they don't just 'force' their way through the flesh, they part it gently with a sharp blade. Healing is healthier and quicker with a needle and there are less complications with a needle piercing.

[Lil Laura]

Hmm. Yeah, I think I'd rather have it done with a needle to be honest, but I've heard bad things about all the 'proper' piercing places round here that I know of. Might just put it off a bit longer... heh.

[lucifer devil]

i had my second piercings done at claires, they've never been quite right. i never wear earrings in them anymore cos they seem to be really sensitive. :(

[Ballerina]

i had all my ear piercings done with a gun, my belly button was obviously done with a needle. My belly button hurt less but took about a year before it healed completly. I think when it was done she hit a vein because after i couldnt move without it triggering a massive bleed....i had clots coming out. It was so bad i couldnt go to school the next day.
But i dont think my body takes kindly to piercings unless they're pure gold or titanium.

[AlmightyBob]

To be honest, i think that if your old enough to make the decision to be pierced (im discounting all of the people who insist on taking their babies to claires to be masacred by some half trained 16 year old with a gun) then you should be intelligent enough to research and ultimately recognise that piercing with needles is indeed the safest and best way to be pierced.

"ooooh im scared of the big needle" - you obviously dont want a piercing bad enough
"ooooh the places are dirty and icky" - find a cleaner one

To the original poster, glad your actually looking into it as opposed to the legions of morons who just see "ear piercing £3" in claires window and think its all hunky dory.

Peace

[Guest]

i had all my ear piercings done with a gun, my belly button was obviously done with a needle. My belly button hurt less but took about a year before it healed completly. I think when it was done she hit a vein because after i couldnt move without it triggering a massive bleed....i had clots coming out. It was so bad i couldnt go to school the next day.
But i dont think my body takes kindly to piercings unless they're pure gold or titanium.

Fucking hell, that's one talented piercer you went to... If it's done correctly you barely have blood spotting and that's if you have any blood at all...

And to OP, go needle piercing, specially for ears you won'tfeel a thing and it is prper medical equipment...

[Ballerina]

Fucking hell, that's one talented piercer you went to... If it's done correctly you barely have blood spotting and that's if you have any blood at all...

And to OP, go needle piercing, specially for ears you won'tfeel a thing and it is prper medical equipment...
well it was done in the normal spot, and wasn't too thick. I must have a random vien there. The rest of it was fine.

[clementine_the_tangerine]

To be honest, i think that if your old enough to make the decision to be pierced (im discounting all of the people who insist on taking their babies to claires to be masacred by some half trained 16 year old with a gun) then you should be intelligent enough to research and ultimately recognise that piercing with needles is indeed the safest and best way to be pierced.

"ooooh im scared of the big needle" - you obviously dont want a piercing bad enough
"ooooh the places are dirty and icky" - find a cleaner one

To the original poster, glad your actually looking into it as opposed to the legions of morons who just see "ear piercing £3" in claires window and think its all hunky dory.

Peace

haha you rule

[Ballerina]

To be honest, i think that if your old enough to make the decision to be pierced (im discounting all of the people who insist on taking their babies to claires to be masacred by some half trained 16 year old with a gun) then you should be intelligent enough to research and ultimately recognise that piercing with needles is indeed the safest and best way to be pierced.

"ooooh im scared of the big needle" - you obviously dont want a piercing bad enough
"ooooh the places are dirty and icky" - find a cleaner one

To the original poster, glad your actually looking into it as opposed to the legions of morons who just see "ear piercing £3" in claires window and think its all hunky dory.

Peace
lol am i not the only one that hates seeing babies/toddlers having their ears pierced. It looks horrible.

[my name]

lol am i not the only one that hates seeing babies/toddlers having their ears pierced. It looks horrible.


I feel so bad for the poor kids. I don't even know why parents do it. They have to listen to the kids scream after it, they have to sit and clean and change the kids earrings for the next half a decade. Whats the point.

[Ilora-Danon]

I won't go near any claire's for that reason - I fear I may say something rather offensive to the idiotic parents. I saw a 12 month old baby having it's ears pierced by claire's. I couldn't help but tut and shake my head in the most obvious way.

There really should be laws when it comes to body mods. :grump:

[Ballerina]

i remember when i was 8, i found it hard to find a place that would do mine because i was under 10!
Yet babies and toddlers who cant give consent get earrings shot through their ears just cause parents think its cute.

[my name]

I won't go near any claire's for that reason - I fear I may say something rather offensive to the idiotic parents. I saw a 12 month old baby having it's ears pierced by claire's. I couldn't help but tut and shake my head in the most obvious way.

There really should be laws when it comes to body mods. :grump:

There should be. Thats horrible. I've never actually *seen* a baby getting it done, oh I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth shut either! Sick, tbh.

[Kaff]

My mum wouldn't let me have my ears pierced until I was 16, and at the time I thought she was an evil beast, but in retrospect she was totally right. Why would people do that to their kids?? :( I once saw a tiny baby (probably only a few months old) who not only had her ears pierced (wtf) but had dangly gold Argos type hoops in (wtf x 100000).

Anyway, needles all the way. I had my lobes done nearly 10 years ago and they still aren't properly healed and get very tempermental.

[my name]

My mum wouldn't let me have my ears pierced until I was 16, and at the time I thought she was an evil beast, but in retrospect she was totally right. Why would people do that to their kids?? :( I once saw a tiny baby (probably only a few months old) who not only had her ears pierced (wtf) but had dangly gold Argos type hoops in (wtf x 100000).

Anyway, needles all the way. I had my lobes done nearly 10 years ago and they still aren't properly healed and get very tempermental.

Oh my parents were the same way, wouldn't let me do it till I was 14. Also hated them at the time :p *Also* now agree with them too.

Hoop earrings on a baby. Thats shocking. Thats so bad :(

[Ilora-Danon]

I had my ears pierced in F Hinds, with a gun when I was 5. :no:
My next piercing was my nose (also with a gun) when I was 12 and had no end of problems with it.
I've had 10 piercings since my nose and all have been done with a needle. :yes:

[my name]

How did they do the nose with a gun? Did they have to stick it up your nose? :p

Is your nose piercing now still from that one?

I don't like the earrings they use for the guns either, I don't know what it is about them, that weird shape how their so think on one end or something... I don't know.

Random nose piercing question, what kind of stud do you have in it? One of those short straight ones or one of those spiraled ones or something else? I had the spiral one as the straight ones just poped out, but then it just collected boogies and went into a whole new mess :p How does that work out for you.

[SuzyCreamcheese]

I was thinking of getting my babys eyebrow done

[Ilora-Danon]

How did they do the nose with a gun? Did they have to stick it up your nose? :p
Is your nose piercing now still from that one?
I don't like the earrings they use for the guns either, I don't know what it is about them, that weird shape how their so think on one end or something... I don't know.
Random nose piercing question, what kind of stud do you have in it? One of those short straight ones or one of those spiraled ones or something else? I had the spiral one as the straight ones just poped out, but then it just collected boogies and went into a whole new mess :p How does that work out for you. Well, I stupidly went to a hair salon who tried to pierce it with an ear gun, but ruptured a vein that gave me nosebleeds for 3+ years. Grrr.
So, I went to my local piercer (who offered me the gun) and it was smaller than the ear gun, and all was well. The stud was hilariously big though - the size of a normal ear stud :yuck:
The piercing itself was very temperamental for about the first year and I had several granulomas which looked a right sight and was so sore. I had to take it out for P.E. at school one day, and when I got home, it had closed up - so I had to literally force the stud through myself.

8 years later and it's a perfect neat little hole, that doesn't close up. I wear a simple straight stud that I cut down with nail clippers, then file so it's not sharp - I don't like the bent ones, they don't tend to fit properly and sort of hang out of my nose like a booger :flirt: sexy lol.

[purplebutterfly]

I cant stand anyone that peircies thier kids ears when they are below about the age of eight and cant look after the peircing on their own. The risk of infection/damage from the earrings is ridiculous. I have seen toddlers in claires getting their ears peiced and have blantly 'eviled' the parents and tutted loudly at them.

My mum didnt let me have my ears peirced until I was about 12 for the first pair. It took me a year to convince her as well. I understand now why now as well, and will probably do the same thing when I have kids.

[SuzyCreamcheese]

it can be a cultural thing as well though. If you go to Spain for instance - all baby girls have their ears pierced, usually before they leave the hospital. Youd be seen as weird if your daughter didnt have it done.
I personally dislike it on children though.

[lucifer devil]

i had to wait till i was 13 till i could have my ears pierced.

think i'll do the same kinda thing when i have children.

[Char_Baby]

I had mine done when I was a few months old, never really bothered me. It was the 80's remember ;)

[jenni30]

:nervous:

i had both my pairs done at claires with a gun :S they get infected sometimes but rarely - and i always thought its because im allergic to nickle and cant afford to constantly buy earings made of solid silver

hopefully gettin cartilage done soon so will get a needle for that.

[Lil Laura]

My mum wouldn't let me have my ears pierced until I was 16, and at the time I thought she was an evil beast, but in retrospect she was totally right.


Same story here. Then by the time I hit sixteen the novelty of it had worn off and it didn't even cross my mind to get them done.

Then for like, I dunno, a year or so? I've been thinking about getting them pierced, but not with any seriousness cos I'd have to wear fat blue plasters over them at work and look a reet tit.

I'm still not sure that it wouldn't look weird. I don't think pierced ears look at all strange on other people but I just can't imagine it on me now. Mental :/

ETA: I'm actually really, really shocked at the number of my mates that've told me to just 'go get it done at Claire's,' and think the only reason I won't get it done there is cos a) I don't want people to be able to watch and b) I'm scared it'll hurt. I'm nineteen, for Christ's sake, I honestly didn't think anyone above the age of about ten got piercings done at Claire's Accessories :|

[Ilora-Danon]

Please please don't go to claires. Go to someone who knows what they're doing. A real body piercer has studied anatomy and physiology, and should hold certificates in health and safety and know how to use an autoclave. I can't stress it enough, don't go to Claire's Accessories - it's a kids jewellery shop, not a place to be pierced.

[Char_Baby]

No, I wouldnt get it done at Claires either. Seems a bit of a shambles, and I wouldn't sit on a stool getting my ears done with loads of ten year olds milling around me :yuck:

[my name]

Claires and other places is scary for exatcly what Illora says. Its just some scabby teenager with a piercing gun. They don't know anything. I used to know someone who worked at one. They have an extensive peircing procedure knowledge.

Put a mark where they want it, put the gun near that and pierce. Twas all she was told, and she could go pierce.

:S

I got my lobes done at a Claires-like place in a mall. I didnt' know any better but it is shady to look back on. Luckily nothing has gone wrong.

Proper piercing places should bring down their price, imo. Get your ears pierced in a mall ~$7 Get your ears pierced properly ~$40-50. When you think about it, how many early/pre teens and their parents are going to spend half a hundo getting their ear lobes pierced when they can get them for under a tenner.

[purplebutterfly]

Claires is about £10 proper places can vary from £20 - £30 for a pair of earrings. I know I'd perfer to pay a bit more to get it done properly. I'm sure its because of the gun peircings I have a nasty nickel allergy and can only wear surgigal grads stainless steel earrings. Plus I have to change the lobe ones about once I year or I get a lot of infections. I've only changed the rings once and that was because I had an operation and cba to put a bcr back in, the cartlidge peircings went back in about two hours after the operation.

[sprocket]

gun piercings = "blow outs" & infections = unhappy holes :(

needle piercings = less damaging & less painful = happy holes :)

my mate's a piercer and the amount of times she's seen peoples ears that have been fucked by gun piercing is stupid :yes:

[Blah]

i had my ears done with a gun, even my cartilage piercing, which took about a year to heal.

I was too young at the time to know i should do my own research into the ways of piercing, i dont think i even knew that a needle could be used, i was at the age where i trusted that it was safe if it was allowed to be done. My mum didnt know guns are bad either, as she had hers done with a gun and had no problems so had no problem me letting me have mine done in the same way.

Nowdays i cant wear earrings anyway as every time i do, my lobes swell and go itchy. Im not bothered- i prefer myself without anyway but it would be nice to wear them for a special occasion. Im able to leave the cartilage one in, ive had a BCR in it for years with no problems now.

Im completely totally against babies and toddlers having their ears pierced. And even without the welfare implications, i think it looks cheap and tacky.

I think there should be regulations that the minimum age for ear-piercings is 14, and i think piercing guns should be banned.

[puss-in-boots]

I'm WTFing at the people saying needles hurt less & heal better than guns. I had my first ear piercings done with a gun - it hurt for literally a split second & then it was over (I remember I let out a weird yelping noise that probably freaked ut the piercer LOL), healed up with no problems. I had a 2nd pair of ear piercings just a bit further up my earlobe than the first lot. They were done with a needle - it hurt like shit going through my ear, & they were throbbing for ages afterwards. They never healed right & I ended up getting sick of them & taking them out a few months later. It's almost a year later now & the scar tissue has only just gone (used to be that when I pinched my lobe between 2 fingers I could feel a hard lump of scar tissue). Admittedly I did go to a gig a few weeks after the second lot, but they weren't healing right anyway, & they didn't get caught on anything while I was there. *shrug*