Piercing Needles vs Piercing Guns

Bringing a Needle to a Gun Fight; One modifier's quest for safer piercing procedures

The Mission

I suppose I should provide to you what my goal is in writing this. I would like to illustrate for you a valid argument for piercing guns only being used on the portions of the body for which they were intended. I would like our regulations to be amended to include this piercing style in the definition of “Body Art”. I also am aiming for more intensive training and education to those using them as well as more open and readily available information for those opting to be pierced with them. I will do what I can to outline the pros and cons of each method (piercing guns as well as piercing needles) so that upon reading this, you can make your own decision regarding which method you feel is safer overall.

The Facts

The primary issues associated with piercing guns as typically argued by professional body piercers fall into three basic categories: Cleanliness, Efficiency (including the actual procedure as well as the final, healed product), and Qualifications of the performer/facility.

Piercing Guns

The fact is that piercing guns have come a long way in the last several years. For instance, now we are offered a choice of reusable versus disposable guns. The vast majority of gun users now tend to opt for a reusable gun with disposable, single use cartridges containing the piercing stud and back. With this style of piercing gun, the idea is that all areas of the gun that could come into contact with the customer's body are made of medical grade plastic, individually packaged and sterilized at the time of manufacture and are disposed of at the end of the procedure (much like a piercing needle in a body art establishment). In some parts of the world, this modification is legally required for reusable guns. This seems to remedy the disease transmission issues easily found in earlier models.

That said, plastic is still a porous material and there's always that bleeder. Tiny, if visible at all to the naked eye, particles of blood have no guarantee of not touching the reusable gun. While the gun is wiped down, there are still many uneven surfaces which can easily harbor these little specks of body fluid. These guns are not designed to be completely broken down and cleaned thoroughly or to be placed into an autoclave.

The average location of these piercing guns is a little mobile stand somewhere at or near the front of the store, which usually is floored with carpeting. The general public is easily within arms reach at nearly all times of the stand and as such the customer being pierced. There are always exceptions to the rule, but I have personally never seen a hand washing sink anywhere near the location where the procedure is performed with the exception of the procedure being performed in a salon or Doctor's office; neither of which are nearly as popular as options compared to your local shopping mall which is likely a more frequent haunt for most of us than the other alternatives. Not every place is the same, but I have witnessed with my own two eyes, a salesperson putting money in the register then using some hand sanitizer and start to work with a gun. I am sure that there are plenty of places that use the guns who are following some kind of plan that involves respectable cleanliness guidelines, but the truth is that many of the more easily accessible locations do not.

Piercing Needles

Piercing needles that one readily can purchase from a plethora of distributors, specifically online, are nearly always designated as 'single use'. That said – much like with piercing gun users, not all professional body piercers always follow the rules unfortunately. However, by nature – the single use needle eliminates all possibility of cross contamination much like the single use earring cartridges used in more modern piercing guns when instructions and manufacturer's regulations are observed. The only thing commonly sterilized and reused are the clamps or forceps used to immobilize the tissue to be pierced, or to adjust the jewelry. Unlike simply being wiped down at the site of procedure and put back into play like a gun, these items are thoroughly cleaned and placed into an approved machine (most commonly an autoclave) for at least 30 minutes at the appropriate settings to ensure that all blood borne pathogens which could have possibly been left behind after this initial cleaning are killed and the threat of cross contamination from reusing utensils eliminated. A body piercer should always show you something on the package indicating sterility of the contents within; typically one or more color changing strips directly on the pouch in which it is sterilized. Some body piercers will even opt to perform piercings free hand (without the aid of these tools) or with disposable forceps, which are also an option that have grown in popularity among some piercers. In nearly every area of the world, it is completely forbidden to have carpet in or within a certain distance of an area where modifications will be performed because carpet is a harbinger for countless amounts of bacteria and germs. In body art establishments, there are specific requirements regarding hand washing stations as well as storage of needles and reusable tools, and in many places even very stringent guidelines regarding how close onlookers can be to the person being modified because they may contaminate the work area.

Piercing Guns

The one thing that has never changed about a piercing gun from the dawn of their creation is the method by which the hole is made in the tissue. Regardless of the style of piercing gun, its sole purpose is to drive the piercing post through the flesh. Even the most advanced of piercing posts are about as sharp as a darner needle. The lack of a pronounced and clearly defined point on these posts lead to the tissue being punctured enduring blunt force trauma. This is unarguably incredibly damaging to the tissue, be it lobe or cartilage, and typically the damage is permanent. This can cause seriously extended healing time, along with potential scarring – some of which is severe and very visible and can make re-piercing the area problematic by gun or needle.

The jewelry used for piercing with the gun method is almost always a sterilized post designed for earlobes 1/4” thick. Not all earlobes are the same, and even with ideal size, the jewelry is designed to clamp down to this measurement and will not allow for any amount of swelling (which is often increased by the blunt force trauma), cutting off air circulation as well as blood flow to the area. This leads to drastically increased chance of infection as the snug jewelry also keeps bacteria and body fluids in direct contact with the fresh wound. If the piercing does become infected, this also increases swelling; which creates a potentially endless cycle of irritation, infection, swelling and so on until the jewelry is removed. Often, when the jewelry must be removed – it is already at least partially embedded in the tissue which frequently leads to customers heading to a doctor to have it removed. In more serious cases, the need for surgical removal have been reported. This is not only yet more damaging to the tissue, but can also become extremely costly to the customer in the long run as many cases each year require antibiotics to rectify infections that were left untreated too long. This should be considered – though it does not always happen in gun piercings, the risks are inherently higher than in needle piercings – since one of the primary draws to gun vs needle is the lower cost.

Most customers who have their piercings performed with a gun are also directed to use aftercare products that contain peroxide and/or alcohol, both of which damage white blood cells, which are needed to heal. In addition, peroxide especially is known for literally eating away freshly forming tissue.

Aside from the size of the jewelry, it is generally made of sub-par materials. While some establishments do offer surgical steel or titanium, more often than not the jewelry is made of malleable metals such as gold or silver, which run the risk of alloys being deposited into the tissue by way of corrosion. Yet worse are the plated variety, which basically guarantee particles invading the body.

Now even in a perfect world with the perfect piece of jewelry and flawless execution of a procedure on behalf of an practitioner using a gun, cartilage piercing with this method can be extremely problematic. Many of the manufacturers of these guns even state they are not at all designed for cartilage piercing and are meant purely for earlobes. One of the primary and certainly most concerning reasons the gun is impractical if not downright dangerous for cartilage work is that because it is not particularly sharp, it stands a much higher chance of cracking or breaking the cartilage than a needle. These breaks, even post healing, can sometimes result in a permanent alteration of the shape and structure of the ear along with carrying a high risk of infection. Reports of keloids are also much higher among cartilage piercings performed with a gun versus the same area pierced with a needle.

Because of the nature of the design of the gun, some would argue they are more accurate as it is a machine rather than a hand. One issue with this is that this machine operates still within a human hand, and if in the newer models, the springs do not operate properly – this can result in a post half way through an earlobe with no way to remove without the use of tools to 'unjam' the machine from said tissue. It can sound extremely loud to the customer being pierced which can and sometimes does cause the customer to jump or flinch, moving the area as the post is being inserted. This scenario often results in crooked or shallow piercings (lobe as well as cartilage), and in more serious examples – torn tissue up to and including literally splitting the earlobe in two. Keep in mind, these instances are not extremely commonplace, but have indeed been reported. Additionally, with a perfectly executed procedure with a gun, the initial marks made to identify placement of the piercing are difficult if not impossible for the operator to see, making it extremely common to see ear piercings performed in this way turn out uneven. While this is at first glance a completely cosmetic complaint that some people would not find at all problematic – if the customer should ever decide to increase the gauge of these uneven piercings, at larger sizes it can cause tissue on one side or the other to be much too thin, which can also result in splitting of the ear. While this is obviously not directly related to the gun piercing; it should be considered with all uneven piercings.

Piercing Needles

Body piercing needles are made of high quality surgical steel, hollow and extremely sharp. Contrary to popular belief, they do not remove anything like a paper punch, but rather force open an area of tissue in which to insert the jewelry. This eliminates the blunt force trauma factor. Because it is not a 'one size fits all' tool, there is a much wider array of jewelry that you can select with the guidance of your body piercer. Your professional piercer will be able to assist you in selecting a size and style of jewelery that will appropriately allow any necessary room for swelling and ease of cleaning for a much quicker healing period. The material of your body jewelry for your healing period should be of the highest possible grade (typical options in most body art establishments include surgical steel and titanium), and preferably something approved by the FDA or ASTM to be safe and suitable for long term implantation in the skin – as your individual healing time can vary and be upwards of 8 weeks before it is recommended to change to a new piece. The piercing itself is less damaging to the tissues and properly fitting jewelry can make for an overall more pleasant and expedient healing experience with much less discomfort and lower chance of infection. That said – regardless of how a piercing is performed (gun OR needle), some small portion of customers will inevitably experience some kind of infection at some point along healing. Most commonly with a needle piercing, this is due to poor aftercare and not as much to tissue damage and ill fitting jewelry.

Clearly it is also possible to have uneven bilateral piercing with a needle, it is much simpler to ensure the marks that were approved by the customer prior to insertion are where the hole is going with the needle method, regardless of whether clamps are employed. Many customers would agree that the sound of a piercing gun is terribly startling, whereas the needle method is nearly silent with the exception of certain cartilage piercings.

Piercing Guns

This is one of the most argued points in the seemingly endless battle of Needle vs Gun – qualifications. While the concept of the piercing gun can easily be construed as a cheaper and more accessible option to people who would certainly not find themselves in a body art establishment on any given day, piercings done by any means are indeed a body modification by definition. With basically no anatomical knowledge and basic if any training regarding cross contamination and disease transmission control, many operators of the piercing gun have extremely minimal training which is usually carried out on a stuffed teddy bear often just before their first customer. In the event that someone should bleed excessively (in gun piercings, this would most commonly occur in the event the customer should move causing additional tearing or in cartilage piercings), most establishments offering gun piercings are not properly equipped with the correct first aid materials to safely rectify the situation. While in the worst of cases, medical care may be required – this is more rare in any piercing method than the simple need for bleeding to be curbed and the area to be bandaged with sterile gauze for a short time. It is also nearly unheard of for practitioners using guns to have any kind of first aid training. That said, not all establishments are the same and it is not at all rare to see guns used in the setting of a doctor's office, where obviously there IS medical training or by more seasoned operators in a salon setting who may have years of experience in the procedure.

Piercing Needles

While professional body piercers attain this title in any number of ways, the most common of them is through an apprenticeship under a knowledgeable, experienced body modifier. Even those of us who are of the primarily self taught breed of body piercers would have an incredibly difficult time being taken into a shop without being able to demonstrate a clear knowledge of the human body along with the various risks of at least the common piercings we perform on a daily basis. While state to state our regulations vary, I firmly believe that all piercers (gun and needle alike) should at least take it upon themselves to go through and keep up to date on current first aid and CPR classes/information if their state does not already require it. The fact is that in a body art establishment, where basically all we do in a day is cause various types of wounds to the human body through all types of methods, it is substantially more likely that the appropriate training and materials to administer basic first aid in the event of any amount of actual bleeding for any reason should occur. In a body art establishment, you are also more prone to finding people who have the necessary training to handle any issue that could reasonably arise from a modification of any type. Somewhat less unheard of among needle piercing (based solely on the non-ear related piercings that we perform on the rest of the body) are customers going into shock and passing out as a result of the endorphin rush they can experience with certain piercings, or just frankly from nerves. To be fair, this has been reported among ear related piercings done by both gun and needle methods with about the same frequency. However, the average consumer should be aware that while a risk with a relatively low rate of occurrence (as with many risks associated with body modifications in general), which practitioner is more likely to be able to safely handle the situation. Again, please bear in mind that with either method – this is worst case scenario, but should still be taken under advisement.

Summary

Realistically speaking, it is highly unlikely that a unanimous decision will ever be made on the debate of piercing guns vs piercing needles for the purposes of ear piercing. I have made every attempt in what you have just read to provide you with the facts, the pros and cons of each style and reasons behind each one. In summation, I propose that ear piercing by way of guns at least become more regulated to increase the safety of the customers who ultimately choose the guns as their piercing method of choice. I feel that in the Body Art Establishments and Operations regulations, specifically in my own state of Wyoming, section 2B (Definitions) should be amended. This section currently reads as follows:

(b) “Body art” means the practice of physical body adornment utilizing, but not limited to, the following techniques: body piercing, tattooing, cosmetic tattooing, branding and scarification. This definition does not include practices that are defined as medical procedures by the Wyoming Board of Medicine, such as implants under the skin, which cannot be performed in a body art establishment. This definition does not include piercing of the outer perimeter or lobe of the ear using pre-sterilized single use stud and clasp ear piercing systems.”

I move that consideration should be made to include piercing of any portion of the ear using pre-sterilized single use stud and clasp ear piercing systems – A.K.A. the piercing gun – in the legal definition of “Body Art” or “Body Modification”. This will allow all ear piercing customers, whichever piercing method they prefer, to have a greater chance of a safe procedure in the hands of someone with the appropriate level of expertise to handle any situation that may arise as a direct or indirect result of the modification. There are indeed risks with every imaginable body modification, regardless of the tools used to complete the process. I don't believe it is in any way justifiable to treat an earlobe or outer perimeter of the ear (helix) with any less seriousness than we tend to a lip, navel, eyebrow or nipple to name a few. I feel that even 'just an ear' should be regarded with the same care we afford to the rest of our bodies in terms of considering the overall safety and well being of those who are being modified in any way, substantial and seemingly inconsequential alike.

The completely finite and clear cut fact of this situation is that regardless of the regulations in Wyoming or any other state, by definition, the act of having an elective procedure done that involves in some way intentionally wounding the body – particularly for purposes of adornment or decoration – is a body modification.