What’s the Deal with Piercing Guns?
I for one, as a pierced person, am always harking on about how terrible piercing guns are. But what’s really so terrible about them? Well, keep reading to find out!
They Don’t “Pierce” as Much as “Push”
The way a needle works is that it’s actually hollow. That means that when pushed against your skin a circular hole is actually being cut out of the spot you’ve chosen. It may sound scary, but it’s much safer than the piercing gun alternative!
Piercing guns are much faster than a needle. This isn’t for the customer to feel less pain, but because it needs to be fast in order to jam the earring it uses as a needle straight into the ear. Rather than cutting a hole in the skin, a gun pushes the skin aside in order to make room for the earring. This can be really bad for your skin!
My ears were pierced with a gun when I was a young girl, and I can still feel a hard layer around the hole where the excess skin has been forced to reposition itself. Just imagine the damage this could cause to harder cartilage areas like the nose and upper ear?
They Can Never Be Entirely Hygienic
When getting pierced with a needle, each one is used only once and made entirely of metal which can be properly sterilised. Don’t expect as much from a piercing gun.
Piercing guns are often at least partially made from plastic, which can’t be sterilised. But what does that matter in the long run because a mall store wouldn’t have access to an autoclave or the training to properly sterilise the surrounding area anyway.
This becomes a serious issue when talking about piercings that can bleed. This leads to spreading viruses and infection.
They Don’t Allow for Swelling!
Another issue when using the standard earrings in pharmacy sets to pierce ones ears is that they only come in one size! A piercing professional would allow for swelling when initially choosing body jewelry, and then help you size down when you’ve finished healing.
Well, don’t count on this when going to the mall for a piercing, they only have one size!
This is actually very dangerous during healing, as swelling around too-small piercings can cut off blood supply to some parts of the body, lead to infection, or even swallow your jewelry entirely.
You’ll End up Uneven!
Even if you’re considering opting for a gun for something as simple as your ears, be prepared to come out lopsided. Guns are designed to be easy and fast, not for accuracy.
There goes! Do you really want to go get that five dollar mall piercing now? In the long run, you never know how much your choice to get pierced with a gun will actually cost you.
BONUS** - Checkout Johnny getting his ears pierced by Matt Southwood below