New ear piercing...which type to go for?

aliasojo

Can I ask why the gun isn't good? I thought it would quicker and easier?

juno

It forces a blunt stud through your (well, your daughter's) skin, and tears it. A needle is sharp and makes a cleaner cut. So it's then easier to heal. The jewellery is also higher quality. The guns themselves can also go wrong and sometimes get stuck, but with a needle there isn't anything like that to go wrong.

Needles are used once and then thrown away. Piercing guns are used over and over again, and can't be sterilised properly. The only way to kill all the icky germs properly is using an autoclave (imagine a pressure cooker, but it stays at a higher temperature for longer), and guns would melt at those temperatures. So the only way they clean them is by alcohol wipes or similar, but some germs will remain.
They may take the studs themselves out of a sterile case, but this isn't enough. The person will handle the gun, then the studs etc and cross contamination can occur. Piercers will change their gloves several times throughout to minimise this risk.

If you go to Claire's Accessories or anywhere like that, they get taught to pierce ears in about 2 hours. A trained piercer will have done an apprenticeship for a minimum of 2 years, so they will have a better idea of what to do if anything goes wrong - but their extra knowledge means it's less likely to.

That's just a quick summary. If you want to read more, I suggest this or this or even this.

aliasojo

Thanks Juno. I have to say I did think about the bluntness of the stud and naively thought there would be some sort of pointed end cap or something put on it which would go through the skin first. I didn't realise it was the earring itself that did the piercing.

The stuff in the links make perfect sense so I'll look around to see if there any body piercers in the area.

Thanks for all your advice everyone.

x.x.x.

just a quick note...check to see if they can use PTFE/ bioflex studs...they dont contain any metal, and are ment to pormote quicker healing times...also best aftercare treatment is saline solution, or you can make your own using boiling water thats been left to cool, and sea salt...a quick google will give you all the info..

Mely

I second all that Juno has said! Also ear piercing guns should be banned. They make a punch hole in the skin and if used through cartilage(upper ear) they actually shatter it. So many complications can happen with them. Risk of infection is higher. The jewellery used is sub standard IMHO. The hole the gun makes is larger and can increase the chances of infection further. Also the butterfly can get pushed into the back of the ear during/after piercing....and the list goes on.....
As already advised go to a RECOMMENDED piercer. And definately have it done with a needle and Titanium(i cant recommend it highly enough and i have the worlds most sensitive skin... lol) is the best metal to use and as has already been said also have ball closure rings. These can come in various pretty colours,pink,purple etc or just plain. Dont use any kind of cotton wool to clean the area as it can get into the piercing and cause problems. Soak the lobes in some water in a small bowl or similar, with either sea salt in it (remember to rinse thoroughly after though) or use the blue anti bacterial soap in a pump dispenser(sorry i cant remember what its called.
I hope this is of some help to you xxx

Mely

The ptfe studs are great. xxx just reminded me about them. They are plastic and because its a straight bar and not a hoop it will heal quicker, if looked after as with all piercings. So theres another choice for you lol xxx

aliasojo

Lol...I have 2 holes in each ear, the second ones I did myself with a needle and an icecube when I was about 13. It seemed so much easier back then. Even taking into account my Mother's wrath afterwards. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I'll need to start asking around about where to go now. Body piercers aren't something I'm too up on, lol.

juno

The initial piercing studs are slightly sharper than the ones you buy in shops, but they don't have any special end put on. They just go through as they are. Then they get left in for 2 months for sleeping on etc, so they can't be that sharp otherwise everyone would get a hole in their neck!

PTFE is ok for initial healing, but would be unnecessary for ear lobes. I have heard bad things about bioflex so I won't recommend that, but I know some people have used that ok. Again, I'd say it's unnecessary. Usually, PTFE and bioflex are used for bendy bits like navels which get a lot of movement.

You can have a read of other people's experiences on BME and you can search for studios in your area. They don't allow gun stories any more, but there are some old horror stories that you can read if you want. Do be careful, though, as some bits are extreme. I don't think you can see too much without subscribing, but depending on your daughter's age it's probably not a good idea to let her browse on her own.

Mely

I should have added that my daughters and myself have had our lobes pierced with a needle and had studs, and we all healed well with no problems.