Needles, guns?
- The first time I had my ears pierced was by a doctor after I was born. Not a problem at all. But, after a serious allergy problem I had to take my earrings off for a while, so the holes closed. I got them re-done at home with a friend's help. We did it with a needle and thread, and it did hurt a bit. I got the allergy again after a little while, so I took the earrings off and the holes closed again. I did the holes a third time just using my earrings at home. It didn't hurt and up to date they are perfect. Then I wanted another set of earrings, so I went to the mall to get the piercings there -- they were done with a gun. Now, that was a problem. After awhile they got infected and each time I changed my earrings it hurt. So, if planning on getting your ears pierced, don't use a gun. Go to a professional or do it at home. At the moment of the piercing the pain is the same, but after a while it's better with a needle.
- —Guest Danny
I hate piercing guns
- I am 31 years old and I had my piercings done at a young age. I cannot remember the piercing, but assume it was with a needle. But, the holes are mix match. So when i was 14 I decided to even it out by going to a shop and getting it done with a piercing gun. Bad mistake. They became infected and I had taken out the cheap earring. From what I can recall I cleaned it correctly and twisted and did all the nonsense that everyone else mentioned here. So, I decided to do it again four years later and the same thing happened again. I believe it works for some and not others. I now have a little girl and I don't want her ears to become infected. I will have it done professionally for the both of us.
- —shakima4
I love the Piercing Gun
- I have been a licensed Ear Piercing technician for 20 years at our jewelry store in Beverly Hills. I have also had my ears pierced with the gun. In about 1000 clients, only 2 have had any real problems: one girl was fine until she tried to change her earrings out too soon, and they closed up around the new earrings that were too tight. One guy didn't do his cleaning routine and they got infected. It's all about where you go to get pierced: The technician needs to be good and explain the daily cleaning routine, the gun needs to be sanitized after every use, and the person's ears need to be cleaned and de-bacterialized. The piercing gun is the quickest way to insert the earring without any blood. The pain usually subsides within the hour. I love it.
- —JanetRothstein
Uneasy with piercing gun
- I had my ears pierced with a piercing gun. It was quick, but the problem is, my ears got infected before I could wear any earrings. I have had my ears pierced at two times, and both times they were infected. I don't know whether it is the problem with my skin or the problem with the way we go with the piercing gun.
- —gdjewelry
Uneven Ear Lobes
- I had my ear lobes pierced about thirty or forty years ago. One ear lobe was lower than the other one. I have had to watch and be careful what earrings I wore to make sure it was not obvious. I was leary about going back to have one ear redone. I felt I could end up having holes all over the bottom of my ear lobe.
- —Guest Betty Hamline
Holes Pierced with Guns are Trouble
- My first pircing, my mother did with a needle embroidery thread and ice. Never have had a problem them. No infection or closed holes. Second piercing was with gun. Nothing but trouble. They get infected occasionally and start to close if I don't wear earrings for awhile. Same ears, different procedure. I don't get why the gun piercings are so much trouble. Though it is the popular way to go I wouldn't recommend it. ali
- —foxalice
Issues with Piercing Guns
- I have been piercing for over 10 years and I have never once used a gun. Fortunately I have only had a handful of people who didn't listen to my cleaning and swelling advice. DO NOT USE ALCOHOL! An antimicrobial hand soap works wonderfully. When I had first started piercing, I worked for a guy that said this is what not to do more than he said this is what to do, he was adamant that guns were bad! I never questioned it as there was a good argument about cleaning and the way the jewelry enters the skin and swelling. Since then I have 'fixed' several gun piercings that were not straight, or sensitive with hard knots that are cause by the gun, and seen dozens of people with shattered cartilage due to guns. When fixing piercings, I have found simply using a piercing needle that is a larger gauge than the original hole will remove the scar tissue and cause the 'new' piercing to heal with no issues.
- —Guest Angel,
Piercing guns are fine.
- I had my ears pierced with the ole gun. I have like 8 piercings in each ear, all were pierced with the gun, The gun was great. Not a thing wrong with the gun.
- —Guest Timothy Williams
Piercing Guns Are Unnecessary
- I think piercing guns are unnecessary. I pierced my own ears many years ago with a needle dipped in alcohol. It didn't hurt, and I have never had any problems. Why pay somebody to use such a contraption when you can do your own?
- —Guest Mary
Guns should be banned
- Forty years ago I went to the mall and in a deptartment store I had my ears pierced by a person who was supposed to know what she was doing. NOPE! My left ear lobe has been fine. On the right ear lobe she shot the hole tooooooo low down. I can't wear large earrings in that ear as they always look like they are falling out of my ear. Also, the hole is so close to the edge that it looks like it will become a torn hole any day now. Someone with a needle would have balanced the holes. This has bothered me for 40 years. NEVER USE A GUN!
- —Guest LIBreeze
piercing at the mall
- I had my ears pierced at the mall when I was 14. I am now 41. Worst mistake of my life. I have never been able to wear earrings of any kind. One time I could not get a hoop out the infection was that bad. So I stopped and have never tried to again. I love jewelry and have a lot of necklaces and bracelets. The earrings I always give away.
- —Guest Lola
Professional Piercers Are Best
- Why would anyone not go to a professional piercer? They are trained and most take pride in their work.
- —Doziem
Not Everything is Perfect for Everyone
- I had my ears pierced the 1st time by my family Doctor, stupidest move I ever made. I had so many problems with this, including infection and an allergy to the 14k gold. I had them re-pierced in college at a party one night. My friends used a darning needle, a pair of sterling posts and a bottle of vodka to sterilize it. Never had the first bit of infection with these at all. They are perfect and I still wear earrings of all sorts in these. Then in my early 40s, I had a few extra holes put in my ears at 3 different times and places & they all used the piercing gun, never had the first sign of infection with these piercings and I have a severe immune problem as well. Everything boils down to the skills of the person doing the piercings. Alcohol kills some germs, but it also toughens the area helping it heal faster. Peroxide on the other hand is very disruptive to the skin and will keep the wound from healing. I had to learn this the hard way, (road rash from a motorcycle accident).
- —nobodyintexas
Pierced with a stuck gun...
- I had my ears pierced with a gun in '94. I had just ditched my ex, and wanted to do something 'just for me' and I'd always wanted pierced ears, but was terrified of using a needle and thread. I went to a jewelry store in my neighborhood, and had them use their gun... which jammed on me... the thing was literally hanging off my earlobe! We DID get the thing unstuck, and I went home and healed up fine. I went back a few weeks later to get my ears pierced again (I wanted 2 holes in each lobe), and ooops! The gun jammed again.. same side, same thing. When my daughter wanted her ears pierced, I took her to the doctor. I figured that he might have a handle on how to do this! She wound up fine.
- —Guest cathryn
Piercing Guns Suck
- Piercing guns should never, ever be used. They can't be fully sterilized. They'd melt if they were put into an autoclave, which is the only way to truly sterilize something that's going into your body. Things like hepatitis can't be killed with alcohol wipes, which is all they use on the guns. Also, guns cause WAY more trauma to the piercing than necessary, especially with cartilage. The jewelry is almost always low-quality and sometimes the studs are too short or too tight to accommodate swelling. The aftercare instructions they give you at places that use guns are totally wrong. They tell you to use a solution which can kill good bacteria necessary for healing and to twist the studs, which interrupts and destroys healing tissue. The people using guns, especially at malls, only have a few hours of training, while a professional piercer will have a minimum of one year's experience using proper piercing needles. ALWAYS go to a professional even if you find tattoo shops intimidating.
- —Guest Lindsay
