To use piercing gun for DD first earlobe piercing?

Using a needle at a tattoo place wasn’t any harder or more expensive though - she wanted DD (8 at the time) to confirm she wanted it then it was painless for DD to do. And it hasnt (7 years later) had any issues (and some of her friends have) and used titanium (and I think the picking of the earrings is just as important)
I agree though with aftercare

I have never known a single person other than my mum have lobes done with a needle. And hers are wonky.

So long as the hygiene is ok, I'd be ok with a gun for lobes. It's not like cartilage, it's just soft flesh. I know when I had mine done, the earrings had thicker, pointier posts than regular earrings. PS several of my friends did theirs with a needle and an ice cube!

Aftercare is more important. I'd recommend whatever saline solution they have and some of this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N8WVAEJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I've bought it 8 times . It's brilliant for soothing sore piercings (wouldn't use on brand new ones, but after a week of healing it's brilliant, assuming no sensitivities to essential oils.)

(If it makes a difference I have multiple ear piercings, lobes done with a gun and the rest with a needle. Bold Street Piercing is good in Liverpool if you're that way inclined).

I had mine done at Top Shop 😂 She used a gun, one of the three holes got infected, it was no big deal. I've had to re-pierce them a few times, I just use an earring (but now keep permanent, gold, screw-on studs in them so it never happens again).

It's definitely best to have it done at a tattoo place. I'm just saying that piercing guns aren't as evil as they're being painted - it's all about your aftercare.

Was it H Samuel??? I've had my cartilage done there using the Inverness system, my youngest has also had hers done there with no problems. I took my oldest daughter to a tattooist/piercer who used a needle and labrettes. She ended up with a big lump on the back of her ear and my husband having to use pliers to take the earrings out so I guess it shows everyone's different.

My daughter has had a few from a local chemist using a gun, aged 14-18. The piercing studio didn’t take under 16s. All her friends went to this chemist too. No issues.

I've had my ears pierced both ways - needle as a child, gun when I was older and wanted a second piercing.

Luckily no major issues with either, but needle is better - hurts less when it's done, heals better.

How painful is a needle piercing in the lobe for a child? My elder daughter had hers done at Claire's, I'm just planning ahead for my younger daughter. I have a cartilage piercing that was done by needle that hurt like hell for a few seconds. I'm thinking if it's the same for a lobe piercing, my daughter will only end up with one ear done!

Exactly. What a waste of money.

Sewing needle and a lighter is all you need.

I had mine done by gun at local beauty salon when I was a teen, it was fine and hygiene was decent.
I'd say aftercare is most important aspect.

This. I have 3 piercings in each ear, all done with guns and they were fine (even a cartilage piercing). The most important part really IS the aftercare - you do need to clean them every day without fail for a number of weeks.

How much are we expecting to pay for decent ear piercing these days? There’s a lady who’s highly rated locally who charges £75 (including earrings).

In my experience, if you ask on the Internet everyone talks about blunt force trauma and how you must go to a piercing studio as that is the only way to prevent ears from falling off.

If you ask folk you know, most will have gone to Claire's or a beauty parlour and had a gun to pierce their ears and nothing fell off.

When i agreed to get my daughter's wars pierced, I got in touch with half a dozen piercing and tattoo places and they all said they wouldn't do it as she was 10, they all said she had to be 16.

We went to Claire's and it was fine. No issues. No manky ears and the blunt force trauma holes in her head haven't been a problem.

If you tried to screw a not very sharp screw into wood without drilling a hole first, it would probably send cracks outwards and weaken the wood, because it is being forced into something that didn’t have space for it. That’s why you should drill first.
Gun piercing is similar. All the flesh is still there but forced outwards, and the stud is not very sharp. As a PP said, it’s blunt force trauma.
A cannula needle is super sharp and actually punches out a little hole, so there is room for a stud/earring. A needle is far superior for piercing.

Indeed. Ear-piercing is the tip of a vast tradition iceberg of body modification and cultural adornment. The anthropology angle is fascinating. I recommend the Pitt Rivers Museum for early examples. And that's before you get near suspension.....

Still been used routinely though for a vast amount of people. Of course they're not going to be perfect for everyone. Aftercare is important. Correct piercing size and metal is important. It's not simply the gun.
It's too frowned upon imo. If you want to get a needle then good, but for simple ear piercings I'd not overthink either option.

Well, no. Humans have pierced their earrings since prehistoric times, as evidenced by mummies and ancient drawings. Guns have been in use for about 40 years, and have rapidly fallen out of favour in that time.

My dd had a gun just not at claires. Somewhere I've been pierced multiple times so trusted. I bought spray for them off amazon.

I made sure she didn't keep her earrings in if they got wet as it's a breeding ground for bacteria.

Healed fine. If you think about it, most generations probably had the gun. I know I did and most of my friends. Just avoid Claires

That was the safety back thing I was thinking of that my nieces had. They haven’t had any issues either.

We went to a reputable jeweller where they used the Inverness system - it was a great experience and healed brilliantly. Will take my younger one if she wants them done when she's older. Lots of friends have gone to Claire's and also ok, I don't actually know of any of their friends who have had them pierced with a needle!

All 3 of mine were Claire's and absolutely fine

Cleaner, more experience, and training. There is nothing necessarily wrong with a high street gun piercing, but I wanted it done by a professional, and not some wee lassie with minimal training in the middle of a shop

I had 2 sets of lobe piercings done with a gun, many more ear piercings with a needle. No infections, no complications with any. However, knowing what I do know re. hygiene and potential for complications, there is no way I'd go near a gun to get pierced now. Absolutely, a thousands times, no.

Where are you based (ISH) my local piercing shop is amazing.

I have three in each lobe all done with a gun and all fine. I also have several other piercings done with needles which have also all been fine. It's an unpopular opinion but I think the most important thing is good aftercare (not touching, cleaning etc.)

Also many tattoo studios and piercing studios offer a gun option, I've never been in one that doesn't. Definitely don't go to a jewellers though, make sure you see a specialist.

No they aren’t- but then hardly anywhere is because it’s a voluntary sign up thing.

None of the ‘proper piercers/tattoo studios that use needles only’ etc are round here.

Only one is a member of UKAPP/APP within 40 miles of my house, and I don’t live in the arse end of nowhere.