I’m often asked what system I use for piercing, and which tool is better. It’s wild to think that when I was younger there wasn’t an option – my first piercing was with a gun in a small independent tattoo studio, and I felt badass for getting my little lobe pierced in the first place! Heaven forbid a male get 2 lobe piercings though, that would clearly mean they are homosexual …*sigh*

Comfort

For me, my priority is always the comfort and happiness of my clients. The use of a gun is quite literally blunt trauma – forcing a stud through the flesh may be faster than a needle, but the heal is going to be far more temperamental. A sterilised disposable needle is not only more hygienic, but it allows for more precision, a better heal and in my experience, a happier client.

Clean equipment

It has been reported that despite the fact that piercing guns can be contaminated numerous times per day, they can not be fully sanitised in the same way as other piercing equipment. For example, plastic piercing guns, which remain extremely popular, cannot be sterilised in an autoclave, and a simple wipe down of the surfaces of the gun will not clean the internal working parts of the gun. Medical studies report that due to this, blood from one client could come into contact with another, risking transmission of bloodborne disease. Aside from this, it’s just a bit grim, isn’t it?

Is quick and dirty truly better?

I appreciate that piercing with a gun might be faster, cheaper and seem less ‘scary’ than a needle, but trust me, the risk simply is not worth it. It blows my mind that you can now purchase at-home kits online to do this yourself, I dread to think the amount of injuries caused by an attempt without training or appropriate sanitisation methods. I’ve had a surprising number of clients visit me requesting a re-pierce for a failed gun piercing, or describing awful experiences where a gun was used on a nostril or cartilage. Cringe.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you what you get. Either way make sure you follow aftercare advice and keep your piercings safe and clean while they heal. However, I won’t be rushing to stock any piercing guns – I’ll stick with needles thank you!