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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think ear lobe piercing with a gun really isn't that bad?

183 replies

AngryAtYouTube · 07/02/2020 13:48

Been asking around for local recommendations as my daughter has been begging for years.

And get lots of the "don't go anywhere that uses a gun" replies.

Which I get - I have numerous tattoos and piercings. But my ear lobes were all gun and were all fine (have 6). As are anyone else I've met who has ear lobe piercing.

It's pretty hard to find a piercer who'd needle pierce someone under 13 anyway.

OP posts:
suitepea · 07/02/2020 22:10

Hepatitis can live outside the body for weeks. And piercing guns cannot be properly sterilised between uses.

Nuff said!

11hairylegs · 07/02/2020 22:13

I have a fair amount of piercings and although I’ve not had issues with the ones that were done with a gun (as a teen), they are wonky. I even had 1 of my cartilage piercings done with a gun! It was my first non-lobe piercing and didn’t know any different. Luckily they all healed well but I do remember it hurting a lot!
I’d only recommend a needle piercing now as it’s far more precise and, as long as you go to the right place, far more hygienic.

YeOldeTrout · 07/02/2020 22:17

I have wonky ears from needle piercing and straight ears (& nose) from guns. Guns better ime.

SquishyLint · 07/02/2020 22:20

I have 7 lower lobe piercings done with a gun. First one at 9 years old. Healed Perfectly fine. No pain, no infection. Anything on cartilage has been done with a needle.

dumbledoresAhhhmy · 07/02/2020 22:24

I worked in Claire's when I was doing my A Levels. I had half an hour training and then pierced my managers lobes as my practise.

We used to wipe the gun down with teenie tiny antibac wipes. The earrings all came in sealed packages that you just opened to load the gun. Occasionally they would bend or go in wonky, or the backs wouldn't click on.

Used to really really hate doing it and I wouldn't take my own daughter there to get hers done

Foofedifiknow · 07/02/2020 23:03

Wasn’t there a campaign by the British medical association or similar to ban piercing in under 18 - they said its abuse “non accidental injury” to a child. Kids are too young to really know how to understand the risks and consent to it & the exposure to potentially deadly hepatitis virus and nickel in the earrings potentially triggering severe eczema/ dermatitis and maybe even linked to asthma.

MountainPeakGeek · 07/02/2020 23:07

My 14 year old son wanted his ear pierced. Having had a nightmare time with infection after my own (gun) piercings, I insisted that he had to have it done at a proper piercing and tattoo place or not at all. He had to wait quite a while until we were next in the city where a particularly highly regarded piercer worked (~8hrs' drive!)

It was painless and healed perfectly so I felt vindicated about being so overprotective and fussy.

Then 4 years later the stupid bugger decided to let a friend pierce his other earlobe when he was drunk. They used a frozen shepherd's pie to numb his ear. No needles involved - just took the normal (blunt!) stud type of earing from his other ear. His friend managed to snap the post off his earing as she was forcing it through. And then, instead of stopping at that point and leaving his half pierced ear to heal, he went and grabbed another one of his earings and finished the job. Oddly enough it healed perfectly Grin

Deadringer · 07/02/2020 23:17

I got my nose pierced with a gun many moons ago. I was in Greece on holidays and decided I wanted my nose pierced, went to a couple of jewellers but none of them did that. Eventually one agreed to give it a go even though they had never pierced a nose before. Amazingly I never had any problems with it.

RandomUsernameHere · 07/02/2020 23:24

I've had 5 ear piercings with a gun, all healed perfectly. The one I had with a needle never healed and has left a scar. Obviously this doesn't prove anything as it's only my experience, but just saying that piercing with a needle doesn't necessarily work out better for everyone.

Veterinari · 07/02/2020 23:30

@EerieSilence

The science actually shows that nerves are more sensitive in the perinatal period and that trauma at this age has more significant effects on behaviour and development. Though those studies are done in non-human animals because (as I'm sure you're aware), it would be unethical to perform such research on human babies.

Though as you sen SO confident in your assertions I'm sure you'll be able to provide references to back your opinions up?

TooMinty · 07/02/2020 23:30

YANBU

I have 5 lobe piercings and 2 Helix. The lobe ones were all done with a gun. No problems with any of them. 2 helix and navel done with needles. Navel ok but helix take ages to heal. I don't think gun is a problem if who somewhere clean. If you go to Claire's or similar, make them mark site first with a pen and correct if it's not right.

StinkyWizleteets · 07/02/2020 23:32

I had my ears and nose done by a gun as specialist piercers weren't really a thing back when I was a kid. They did ok but by god they hurt and took ages to heal and for the swelling to go down. I had other parts of my face and body pierced properly by needle when I was a bit older and it was a totally different experience, quick, relatively painless and clean. They didn’t swell half as bad and I didn’t end up with keloid scarring either, which I have in both ears.

Alsohuman · 07/02/2020 23:44

Mine were first pierced with a gun in 1967, they’ve never given me any problems. I had a second set done in 1983, again completely fine. Just about all women my age have gun piercings, needles weren’t a thing back then.

Disneymum1993 · 07/02/2020 23:51

My daughter got hers done at claires when she was 4 and within a month thry had to come out. Got them done again at a tattoo shop with a needle months ago and they healed perfect,cost half the price of claires and werent too tight etc... everyone i know who went to claires had the same issues. Ears went all nasty,earings too tight and after paying £90 i was gutted.

sashh · 08/02/2020 08:31

Also, an antibacterial wipe if you’re lucky is all they will use to clean the gun, as the parts are fixed and are unable to be sterilized.

Modern guns are single use.

Hospital equipment is often 'cleaned' with an alcohol wipe.

The issue is how the hole is made. The earrings used in guns are not sharp enough to make as clean a wound as a specifically designed and much finer needle.

Add in velocity. Bullets are not sharp, they certainly make a hole though.

I don't think there are 'specifically designed' needles, they tend to be cannulas or other medical needles.

So just about every thing you have said is the opposite of reality.

Sterile, single use gun, designed for ear lobe piercing with a sterile stud, again designed for piercing vs medical needle held in a non sterile hand and often jewelry that isn't sterile.

stopshoutingd · 08/02/2020 09:04

medical needle held in a non sterile hand and often jewelry that isn't sterile.

All my needle piercings have been done by people wearing gloves with BVLA jewellery or similar that is sterilised.

Whatsbrownandsticky · 08/02/2020 09:18

I had my first lot done at 12, in 2000 at Claire's. I jumped a mile and on the second lobe I could feel the shopgirl's hand trembling against my cheek. I hope I didn't scar her for life! Grin

JacquesHammer · 08/02/2020 09:27

Add in velocity. Bullets are not sharp, they certainly make a hole though

Indeed, great analogy. Something that causes untold damage to skin.

I don't think there are 'specifically designed' needles, they tend to be cannulas or other medical needles

A quick google would have helped you out. I have a friend who is a very well known piercer. His “specially designed needles” are some of the most popular on the market.

So just about every thing you have said is the opposite of reality

Not so.

JacquesHammer · 08/02/2020 09:28

Sterile, single use gun, designed for ear lobe piercing with a sterile stud, again designed for piercing vs medical needle held in a non sterile hand and often jewelry that isn't sterile

Unless I’ve mis-read and you were meaning this is the opposite of reality, in which case you’re absolutely correct.

HoHoHolly · 08/02/2020 09:35

Yes I suspect the worry's overhyped. One of those things where the internet received wisdom has got out of proportion. All this blunt force trauma thing.

However DD's were done with a needle (it was half the price of Claire's, for a start) and I have to say I was really impressed with it. Plus the piercer gave up to date advice on aftercare that matched what the NHS advice - salt water and avoid twisting them. You'd hope they would all do this but Claire's gave out of date, debunked advice to twist them regularly.

RedSheep73 · 08/02/2020 09:39

DD had hers done at Claire's (shock horror!) It was perfectly fine. As long as they do it properly and you look after it properly I don't see the problem.

TwistinMyMelon · 08/02/2020 09:58

I had my daughters done at h samuels with a gun. They were great, no tears, healed fine, good after care advice, no infections.

Don't see the issue tbh. Much more pleasant environment than a dingy tattoo studio and none of them round here do piercing on kids anywhere.

Choice for us was h samuels or Claire's. Apparently Claire's is a no go for some reason so we went for h Samuel.

I personally wasn't keen on her getting them done but she really wanted it so I gave in as a birthday treat. She's 9.

Igavebirthtoabanana · 08/02/2020 10:01

I had my ears re-pierced recently (as in about 5 months ago) as I haven't worn earrings for well over a decade. Based on reading here about the piercing guns, I went on to find a reputable piercing studio and requested a piercing with a needle.

The owner of the studio, a long standing piercing professional, covered in piercings and other body art, still recommended a gun and said anything else on ear lobes is an overkill. She could have easily made more money by using the needle but she didn't. So I had my ears re-pierced with a gun and they healed quickly and well. I was also given a little bag of rock salt and instructions of how to clean the ears with salt water. And also not to turn the earrings.

I wouldn't go to Claire's either though!

smashstore · 08/02/2020 10:03

Sterile, single use gun, designed for ear lobe piercing with a sterile stud, again designed for piercing vs medical needle held in a non sterile hand and often jewelry that isn't sterile.

Erm, the piercer doesn't just whip a random multi use needle out the drawer and give it a wipe Confused

smashstore · 08/02/2020 10:07

Much more pleasant environment than a dingy tattoo studio

They are not 'dingy' though, are they? You just chose that descriptive because it suits your argument for using a gun.

Some places may be a bit drab, but the majority of tattoo studios are quite the opposite.