We've all seen the misleading videos of a piercing gun or Studex device verses a piercing needle. They show someone pushing a dull soft tipped regular earring through rubber verses a piercing needle. The tips of piercing earrings are super sharp and pointed like a needle. They go through the skin very easily and quickly just like a needle. No fool would just shove a dull soft regular earring through their ear. That would effing hurt. Paid piercers like to show these misleading videos to scare people into using a professional paid piercer so they can make money. Don't get me wrong. There are many reasons why you'd want to use a professional piercer but the type of piercing device isn't the main issue depending on piercing type.
Scroll down for research which proves that piercing guns and needles cause the same amount of damage to the ear. They tested this on cadavers. You basically are just shoving a sharp needle through your ear. Doesn't matter how you do it. Shoving anything through flesh and cartilage will cause damage.
Piercing guns, Studex and the many other similar devices are approved by the US FDA for safety and sterility. Piercing studios like Claire's who use Studex are approved by the FDA and Health Department. Using piercing guns is totally legal and safe IF you know what you're doing. Same goes for using needles. You can get a horrible piercing from a piercing gun or needle if the operator doesn't know what they're doing. I've gotten bad piercings at Claire's and a highly recommended piercing studio because they didn't actually pierce the spot they drew on my ear. They also got it at a bad angle because they moved while piercing. On the other hand I've used Studex and a needle to pierce myself at home with 100% perfect results. I pierced my lobes, tragus, helix and nose with Studex. It's quick and painless. You just need to make sure you have it lined up perfectly before you do it and you hold the gun and your ear perfectly still while using it. I've used a needle and it hurts more than a cartridge.
Let me clear up some lies, wives tales, fallacies told by paid piercers.
1. Piercing guns can't be sterilized. You will get an infection. FALSE.
The piercing gun just holds the sterile cartridge. Most don't even use the gun. They only use the disposable sterile cartridge which is sealed, see photo below. You prep the ear by wiping it with a sterile alcohol wipe first. You should wear gloves. Proper after care will keep you from getting an infection after the piercing. You still can clean and sterilize a piercing gun holder if you want.
2. Piercing guns crush the ear with their force. FALSE.
The guns and cartridges don't crush the ear! If they did, no one would use them because it'd effing hurt. There is a stop so the cartridges don't just clamp all the way down on your ear. The needle only goes far enough through your ear to clamp down on the earring backing then it stops. The earring backing, needle length and cartridge prevent it from clamping down and crushing your ear like pliers.
I suggest people who want to use something like Studex to buy an extra one to practice with. They are reloadable, reusable but I suggest it only for practice. They are only sterile for one use. Once you use the cartridge, put the plastic pieces that break in two back together and put the piercing earring back in the gun. Then you can use it again for practice. Get one and pierce an orange peel skin the thickness of your ear. You can also pierce a piece of paper, rubber, fake ear...whatever. You can clearly see it doesn't crush anything. You can also practice so you're used to the feel of the cartridge when it releases the earring. If you are doing it yourself on your lobe or nostril, you can use one hand. If you're doing it on your tragus, use both hands for full control so you won't move.
If you look at piercing studios, many use the guns on little kids even though they use needles on adults. They do this because it's quick and pain free. Kids are more likely to move and pull away. Kids don't sit still. I use them because they're quick and painless. I've had both types of piercings so I definitely know. Using a needle which is slower hurts! Guns are instant and painless.
3. Piercing guns cause more damage and trauma than needles. They prevent healing. FALSE.
I explained this above. The research is below. Guns produce same damage as needles.
4. Piercing guns have no precision. FALSE.
This goes back to the operator. You can get a bad piercing from a gun or a needle. You need to know what you're doing or use someone who knows what they are doing. Placement and angle are important. So is actually using the gun or needle to pierce it where you drew the dot. Some piercers move when they are piercing. This is why I do my own piercings though I had a pro do my daith.
Should you use a professional piercer? Sometimes it's a very good idea to use a professional piercer to pierce your ears or other body parts with a gun or a needle. I personally believe guns should only be used with lobes, nostrils and maybe helix, tragus if you're experienced. You can't position a gun well enough to do some other piercings. You definitely can't use it with a daith, conch, contra conch, industrial, rook, snug or orbital. I'd definitely suggest using a professional for nipples, genitals and of course dermals.
If you are new to ear piercings, have odd ear anatomy, I'd use a piercing studio. They can design and curate multiple piercings for the best placement and overall effect with your anatomy. If you just want to get first or second lobes, Claire's would be good enough if you get an experienced operator.
Research which proves guns and needles cause same damage to the ear.
"Ear piercing techniques and their effect on cartilage, a histologic study
M P van Wijk 1, J A Kummer, M Kon
Affiliations Expand
PMID: 17684004 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2007.01.077
Abstract
Background: The popularity of high ear piercing has led to an increased incidence of perichondritis. Damage to the relatively avascular cartilage will make the ear prone to infection. The literature suggests that a piercing gun, mainly used by jewellers to pierce the lobule, may give excessive cartilaginous damage. Therefore some authors favour the piercing needle, as used in piercing studios. But until now, no comparative histological studies have been performed.
Purpose of study: To evaluate the extent of damage to ear cartilage using different piercing techniques.
Methods: Twenty-two fresh human cadaver ears were pierced using two spring loaded piercing guns (Caflon and Blomdahl), one hand force system (Studex) and a piercing needle (16G i.v. catheter). Extent of damage to the perichondrium and cartilage was quantified using a transverse section along the pin tract and compared between the different methods.
Results: The pattern of injury was similar in all techniques, showing perichondrium stripped from the cartilage around the pin tract, with most damage present on the exit site (mean length of 0.43 mm). Cartilage fractures and loose fragments were present over a mean length of 0.21 mm. No significant difference in the amount of injury between the different techniques was observed.
Conclusions: In contradiction with assumptions in the literature, all piercing methods give the same extent of damage to cartilage and perichondrium. Each method is expected to have the same risk for perichondritis, thus in the prevention of post-piercing perichondritis focus should be on other factors such as hygiene and after-care."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17684004/
Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate is a certified residential licensed appraiser in Los Angeles, California. Mary Cummins is licensed by the California Bureau of Real Estate appraisers and has over 35 years of experience.
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