Gun Piercings – We’ve all seen high street shops offering the service, as well as countless hairdressers, nail bars and jewellers (among others). But what’s so wrong about it? How do the guns work? What is the difference between a gun piercing and a needle piercing? What are the pros and cons with each? I’m going to cover as much as I can in the blog, but do leave a comment if there’s something that needs more explanation.
To outline many of the issues raised in this blog, I have included pics of gun piercings that have ‘gone wrong’ – these are all at the bottom of the blog.
I operate a strict no-gun policy. I do not own a piercing gun, nor will I ‘recommend’ anywhere that uses them. While we’re on it, I do not pierce babies, toddlers or children either (no one under 16) I have another blog on this subject, if you’d care to read it. There are no laws on ear piercing, but it’s generally accepted that anyone under 16 must have a parent or legal guardian with them who will sign the consent form for their child (by law, there is NO minimum age for ear piercing).
*Piercing guns, and the use of them is completely legal in the UK*
No one can blame you for getting pierced with a gun, you walk in somewhere offering and you – quite rightly – assume that the procedure will be done using the most up-to-date and safest technique possible. This is where the gun-wielders will let you down. And this is why I have made this blog – to educate you on your options, so you can make an informed decision. What you choose to do, and where you choose to take your custom is – and always will be – your choice alone.
A piercing and its quality and the risks involved come down to the following:
The environment you’re in.
The knowledge and experience of the person carrying out your procedure.
The instruments used and their cleanliness.
The jewellery used.
The aftercare instructions you follow.
We’ll discuss each point at length, why it’s important, and where the gun can let you down.
What about the people and places that used guns?
(The Environment you’re in and the person carrying out your procedure)
As mentioned, there’s no laws being broken, but that doesn’t mean that this is the best option. I’m sure there are guns being used in tattoo and piercing studios that uphold the highest standards of cleanliness, however a reputable studio will NOT use a gun for any piercing work.
‘Training’ to use a gun is part of most hairdressing courses at colleges (and employment in certain shops) and takes about 2 hours. So that’s 2 hours, instead of the years of training and experience it takes to be a body piercer. There is no knowledge of the skin, getting the piercings level, how to work with irregularities, the lymphatic (immune) system, and circulatory system required to ‘pass’ a ‘gun course’. Only knowing how to operate the instrument. The ‘gun courses’ do not teach the importance of sterilization or proper aftercare either – the practitioners are simply shown WHAT to use, HOW to use it, and given a template aftercare sheet to hand out (though I doubt that many of the people handing them out have read and understand them). Due to lack of proper training and sheer narrow-mindedness and a refusal to really look at what they are doing as a surgical procedure (albeit a minor one), the practitioners usually have a lax attitude towards cleanliness and sterility. I have seen many places where gloves aren’t worn, the ‘piercer’ will use the gun to pierce ANY body part (which can cause some serious damage), and the piercings are wonky and not marked before proceeding (frequently, even if they are marked, the marks are not level or evenly spaced).
Thinking about WHERE you’re being pierced is something that not everyone does – maybe being nervous makes you less observant, no one could blame you! Look at a piercing studio – all wipe clean surfaces, a large vinyl-covered bed (in case of a fainter, it helps to have something to lie down on), an autoclave (usually in a separate room – ask to see it if you want!) to sterilize the equipment, easily accessible sink, licenced and registered with the local council to perform these procedures in a safe environment. Inside a high street shop or hairdressers there are a whole range of hazards – a small chair to sit on (you faint, you go on the floor), merchandise hanging close to the piercing area (the microscopic blood spray caused by the heavy force of the gun can spray tiny blood droplets all over this), porous carpets, curtains, wallpaper (these are all unacceptable in a licenced studio), as well as people all over the shop. It’s a cross-contamination nightmare. A bottle of disinfectant and tissues is all that is used to disinfect (not sterilize) the re-useable gun. Many places do not have a sink, or separate area for piercing and the procedure (remember, we’re talking about a minor surgical procedure here!) is simply carried out in the middle of a crowded shop. Everyone watching you, which while isn’t exactly a safety issue, it’s not the most calming environment.
What’s so bad about the gun?
(Instruments used)
Points about the gun that you should consider before getting pierced with one:
Guns cannot be sterilized. The gun cannot be vacuum autoclaved, which is a requirement by law for body piercing equipment and hospital equipment. The gun is a (usually) metal frame with a plastic cover; the cover would melt if it was properly sterilized. There is a small plastic casing put around the stud before use which is disposable (though if you’re getting a pair of piercings, the same plastic casing is used for both piercings), but the actual gun is re-used on dozens, hundreds…. Thousands? Of people WITHOUT being sterilized, simply wiped down with some disinfectant.
Guns use blunt pressure to push the stud through the tissue which creates much more swelling and trauma to the area than a needle piercing. Because of the excessive swelling, the jewellery used is usually too short and does not allow adequate room for swelling and increased blood flow. Needles part the tissue as they go through with the bevel (sharp end), making a crescent-shaped hole which gets larger and larger as the needle moves through, allowing jewellery to be placed in the hole, sliding it through on the end of the needle (or via a plastic tube if a cannula needle is used). When a gun is used, the stud and back crush the tissue between them until the ‘sharp’ end of the stud (which is nowhere near as sharp as a needle) clicks into position, smashing through any tissue (i.e. your body bits) which are in its path.
Gun piercings are cheaper and arguably quicker to do than a needle piercing. An experienced piercer can move a needle through your ear faster than a gun can move a stud (which slows down when the resistance from your ear starts), but when using a needle, the jewellery then has to be inserted, which means that the OVERALL time to do the piercing is slightly longer when using a needle. With the gun, it’s a quick ‘click’ and it’s done; which if you count it as an advantage is the ONLY one.
This is a diagram of the piercing gun. Notice the plastic handle. As mentioned – this would melt if you put it in an autoclave.
This is a close-up of the stud and back loaded in the gun. In this photo the gun is white (not blue as shown above) and the disposable holders for the stud and butterfly back are shown in blue. Your ear/random body part goes between them and the back and stud are pushed towards each other until they snap together.
What type of jewellery do guns use?
(Jewellery being used)
The jewellery used in gun piercings is rarely good quality (I say rarely to be conservative – I have not seen any gun-jewellery which is acceptable, but maybe it does exist). The ‘one-size-fits-all’ studs (arguably, the entire set up and procedure are a one-size-fits-all when it comes to gun piercings, as mentioned, the “piercer” is essentially shown how to operate a machine, and that is it) are too short to allow for swelling on the piercing (I think around 6mm is the standard length). I rarely pierce earlobes with anything less than 8mm. The metal is usually nickel plated and coated in 9ct gold or sterling silver, both of which are porous metals, and unsuitable to be worn in fresh/healing piercings. The backs have a large surface area which means that there are a lot more hiding places for bacteria, any body fluids and general grime than the smooth, simple design of a barbell, labret stud or ball closure ring. I have seen cases (mostly gunned nose piercings) where a back is not used, but the stud has a wider ‘arrowhead’ on the end of it, meaning taking the stud out is very painful and often does further damage. The backs are often painful to sleep on and the sharp point on the stud (which is used to make the hole) can even stab you in the side of the head and neck.
Lots of different places use guns – even some piercing studios that also use needles will use guns for lobe piercing. But the vast majority of gun-use is in hairdressers, nail bars, tanning/beauty salons and some high street accessories shops.
If the practitioner is giving out aftercare, surely, I should follow it?
(Aftercare)
The aftercare advice given (if any) is usually inaccurate and any professional piercer will disagree with 90% of any information given on the aftercare sheets (pre-typed by the gun company) from these places – trust me, I’ve read one.
The general consensus from professional piercers is that a piercing should be cleaned with saline solution twice daily, and not touched or moved.
Reading through the recommended aftercare sheets from companies that sell the guns (part of the ‘kit’ is a pre-typed aftercare sheet to be handed out to each client) the recommendation is to twist the jewellery back and forth (this will re-open any wound, drag dry lymph through the piercing, and scramble up any healing that your body has started to do), and often recommend the use of cleaning products which are far too strong (surgical spirit, hydrogen peroxide, TCP, benzalkonium chloride, etc) which WILL kill bacteria and germs, but can also strip the skin of its natural oils and damage healthy skin cells which are working to rebuild the area that has been pierced.
What about the law?
According to government legislation, it is not against the law to use a gun on earlobes (its grey-area for everywhere else, but as any PROFESSIONAL AND EXPERIENCED piercer will tell you, they should not be used AT ALL!) However, many places will pierce other parts of the ear, and body with a gun.
These shops and hairdressers, etc. get away with using the guns because their licencing and registration (from what I understand – if anyone knows otherwise, please correct me) is separate from that of tattoo/piercing studios. The ‘training’ certificate given to the people who do (either from the gun company, or as part of a hair and beauty course) it is all they need. I’m unsure if the companies and businesses offering gun piercing are insured in the same way as a tattooist or piercer. Most people using guns will agree that the needle is a better option, but continue to do what they do because of one thing – MONEY.
The main culprit is a big company, and a pair of ear piercing studs and a couple of squirts with some disinfectant (to clean the gun – NOT to sterilize it) and some surgical spirit that they give as aftercare (please do NOT use surgical spirit on your skin), along with a sheet that tells you to turn the studs in their holes (actually causes more trauma, swelling and bleeding) costs THEM about £5. And I know that this place offer ‘free’ ear piercing when you buy a ‘starter pack’ (which consists of the surgical spirit, pre-printed ‘aftercare’ (using the term loosely!) sheet from the gun company and a pair of studs which vary in style/price). The starter pack (last time I checked) costs £15-£20+ for a pair, with the cost depending on the style of studs you pick – some options are up to £70. I offer ear piercing with NEEDLES and properly sized, appropriately processed and high-quality titanium jewellery for £35/pair.
What is it about needles that put people off?
Needle piercings are often snubbed because people are scared of needles. Talk to your piercer about this and they will keep the needle out of sight and tell you when they are going to do the piercing, so you can keep your eyes closed, and then dispose of the needle before you have a chance to see it. Why not ask to see the needle(s) after you’ve had the piercing done? It may help you get over your fear of them! Many people have a warped view of needles, stemming from a fear of injections, but if you speak to a piercer, they will explain the procedure to you, maybe ask for a consultation so that you can see all the equipment before you decide to get pierced. Most piercers (myself included) offer this free of charge. It’s worth noting that a piercer will use a new needle for each piercing, so if you’re getting both lobes done, there will be 2 needles. They are not re-used at all, and placed in a sharps bin after use so they can be disposed of appropriately.
Most people find that needle piercings hurt MUCH less than gun piercings. And the burning or throbbing pain which is often experienced after the piercing with guns is reduced to a dull ache/tenderness for a few minutes when a needle is used.
The healing time on a needle piercing on an earlobe is roughly 2 months. Yes, the gun-wielders will tell you it’s 6 weeks with the gun, but this is purely so parents will take their children to get their ears pierced at the start of the summer holidays (remember, it’s moneymoneymoney with big companies). With a gun, I would expect anything up to a year for healing, though of course different people will experience different healing times.
The needles I use are delivered to me in pre-sterilized blister packs and are taken out of the packet to be used, and then put safely in a sharps bin once used. They are super-sharp to reduce trauma (therefore swelling/bruising) to the area. The jewellery and forceps (“clamps”) are sterilized in the studio using a vacuum autoclave (the same kind used in hospitals) which I am more than happy to show you if you ask. Notice that everything is taken out of packets when it is used, and once used it is either thrown away or put in a container to be sterilized again BEFORE its next use. I use as many disposables/single use items as possible. The ONLY items that are sterilized/re-used are my tapers, receiving tubes and forceps.
I actually asked an employee of one of the big high street gun-piercing companies how the gun was sterilized when she asked me if I would like my ears pierced (she had no idea what I did for a living). Let’s call her Claire, I think that’s what her name badge said. The conversation went [something] like this….
Claire: Hi there, would you like your ears pierced?
Kim: No thanks.
C: Oh…. I just saw you had a few already?
K: Can I just enquire as to how your equipment is sterilized?
C: *looking flustered* Oh, well we sterilize the gun after each use.
K: And how exactly do you do that, can you talk me through the process?
C: Well, we spray the gun all over with disinfectant [I can’t remember the name of the product she told me] then wipe it down and put it in a sterile pouch, so it stays sterile.
K: And what is done with the pouch?
[To sterilize a re-useable tool, it should be placed in an ultrasonic cleaner with a detergent to ‘shake off’ any blood, etc., checked for any residue, rinsed, dried thoroughly, placed in a steri-pouch, sealed into the pouch, which is then placed in an autoclave and sterilized. This should be repeated after each client, and the whole process takes an hour to an hour and a half]
C: Oh, it’s put back in the cupboard ready for the next customer.
K: So… it isn’t sterilized?
C: Yes it is, the [product] sterilizes it, and it stays sterile when the pouch is closed.
K: No, no it isn’t. This DISINFECTS it. It will not kill the MRSA virus, nor will it thoroughly remove blood/tissue splatters caused by the force of the stud shoving and misplacing the tissue.
C: But it does sterilize it. You have to wear gloves when you spray it.
K: Spraying the instrument disinfects it. Putting it in a pouch and sealing it does not sterilise it. The bag should be put in a vacuum autoclave. If you did that with one of your guns, it would melt.
C: No, all our equipment is sterilized before use
K: *sigh*
I know LOADS of people who have had gun piercings and are fine!
Obviously if everyone who had a gun piercing was reporting issues, the practice would be stopped. There are risks present in any piercing method (gun or needle) but the risks with guns, the environment they are usually used in and the people who usually use them, are much higher than with a needle piercing. I’m not saying that a needle piercing has never caused a problem, but the frequency with which these are observed is much lower than with guns.
OK, I know why you’re here…. You wanna see something gross….
All the pics below are from www.bmezine.com, but if anyone wants to link to others (or correct me on where my photos are from) please leave comments below!
Lobes.
The back of this stud is playing hide and seek. I have seen one (or both) ends of a stud embedded several times before. Most piercers are a dab hand at getting them out, but as the old saying goes “Prevention is better than cure!”
Upper Ear/Cartilage Piercing.
This piercing looks like it is a few weeks old (note that there is still a significant amount of bleeding, swelling and redness). A big problem with the large backs on the studs is hair getting caught around the stud – which you can see here.
This photo shows that a piercer has had to devote their time and materials to removing a pair of studs and putting in BCRs – you can see where the back of the stud has put so much pressure on the ear tissue that it has left a red circle. Notice the white ring where the skin cells have died due to lack of blood flow, caused by the pressure from the back.
The pic labelled ‘3’ is of the girl’s other ear, but her right ear obviously has a lot of trauma from the gun piercing (this could be an allergic reaction). The swelling has gone down by the looks of it, but this takes a lot of time. This is not a common thing to happen.
This is an extreme ear collapse. This isn’t common but it can happen. This is irreversible without surgery.
Close up of the back of a stud. As mentioned earlier, the quality of jewellery used in gun piercing is not the greatest. As you can see the back here has a lot of ‘crusties’ stuck to it. The backs are difficult to clean thoroughly.
It’s unlikely this will heal straight enough to allow a long bar to be worn through both piercings. And even if it was straight, butterfly back studs tend to be 1mm or 1.2mm, standard industrial bars are 1.6mm so would require a stretch when healed.
(Thankyou to Jessica for the pic!)
Tragus piercings – I have no idea how people manage to do these piercings using a gun (I’ve seen conch piercings done with a gun as well, again, no idea how much shoving and pushing that it took to get the tissue into the gun).
FAR too short for swelling. Note all the dried blood and crap stuck in the butterfly back….
And it doesn’t stop there….
People will pierce anywhere that they can with a gun. I’ve seen nipples, navels, conches, rooks, eyebrows and even in one case – an intimate piercing done with a gun. Below are a few more examples of other body parts pierced with a gun. This is rarely the fault of the piercee, as mentioned before, when you go somewhere that advertises that they perform piercing, you expect the piercings to be done in the safest, most hygienic way possible. It is not for the client to question the piercer’s methods, but as is the purpose of this blog, ask which method will be used and then you can make an informed choice.
Nose piercing with a gun in progress (gloves, anyone?)
Nose piercing that has been taken out – the piercer has taken a few pics to show how ‘sunken in’ the jewellery was.
Lip piercing (not very straight) done with a gun.
Navel done with a stud. Not quite sure how they managed to get the skin into position in the gun, part of me wonders if they used forceps and then pierced with a gun in the same way a needle would go through the forceps.
Another Navel, you can really see how swollen this is due to the tissue not being able to expand along the stem of the jewellery. Ironically, giving a piercing enough room to swell makes it swell a lot less than if you fit it with shorter jewellery, as the pressure from the balls on the barbell causes a lot of trauma.
Another lip piercing, it isn’t the straightest piercing I’ve come across, and in the bottom picture you can really see the damage done by the stud when a ring has been inserted.
So, in conclusion….
I’m not for one minute saying that EVERY gun piercing will cause problems, or that EVERY needle piercing will heal without incident. Needle piercings can be problematic and swell, just like gun piercings, but it’s a much less common occurrence. And the damage done (if any) is much more rarely permanent/extensive. Proper aftercare is required with any piercing; failure to follow it can easily result in a poorly piercing, whether done with a gun or needle. The main problem with gun piercings is the jewellery used being sub-standard. I see many more gun piercings that have triggered an allergic reaction than those which are infected. Needle piercing can be SAFELY used for a much wider range of placements, and with far more jewellery options.
Much as I (and no doubt some of you guys too) would LOVE to see guns banned, it isn’t going to happen. The people using them are NOT breaking any laws. The best course of action is to refuse to go to any establishment using a piercing gun, and do your best to educate your friends and family on the dangers. Show them this blog if you think it will help!
The reason I have put this blog together is to educate people that you DO have a choice when it comes to piercings! If after reading all this, you are happy to be pierced with a gun, then there’s nothing anyone can do to stop you, but I do hope that this has given you food for thought.
You can read other articles on gun piercing at the links below:
http://www.compunction.org/guns.txt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_piercing_instrument
http://www.bluestartattoos.com/piercing/piercinggun/piercinggun.html
http://www.homiegfunk.com/gunssuck.htm
Interesting video showing how sharp a needle is compared to a ‘gun-stud’:
If you have any links, comments, stories, experiences or photos to contribute, please post them in a comment below.