Please tell me about ear piercing

[Pinkyxx]

Wanting to get another hole done but I'm confused as to what is the best method needle or gun?

I had a consult at a local tattoo place who told me the the needle is less painful but they use these weird thread-less earrings. There's a bar that goes through the lobe which the earring locks into. Fine, but the bar looks really chunky, I mean MUCH fatter than the posts on my first hole earrings. Wondering if I will end up with a gaping hole!

I had my first ones done decades ago with a gun, didn't have any issues but the lady at the tattoo place said it was really bad to use a gun. I've been reading online since and there's a lot of differing views. I'm totally lost.

Can anyone clear this up for me?

A needle is better I believe. I had my 2nd holes done at a tattoo place and the earring was a little bit thicker than a usual one,but it had a ball end.

I don’t think you’d end up with massive holes even if it was quite thick?

Never, ever have a piercing done with a gun. They can’t be fully sterilised and they just force the earring through soft tissue.

Don’t worry about the thicker gauge jewellery. From the age of 16 to 25 I had 12mm plugs in my ear lobes, I’m now 30 and they have shrunk so much the holes aren’t much bigger than a standard piercing.

I had my ears stretched to about 20mm when I was a teen, you can’t tell at all now so I wouldn’t worry about the thicker gauge. Always go with a needle.

The bar with a needle is about 0.9mm I think, it won't leave a gaping hole. That only happens if you deliberately stretch your piercings and even then up to a certain point they can close back down (I used to have 8mm,now have 6mm stretches.

Needles are single use, hollow, and everything else used with them is sterilised. Guns are plastic, multi-use, and wiped clean. They cannot be sterilised (which kills blood borne pathogens) as they would melt. So microscopic little droplets of everyone elses blood essentially just sits on that gun.

Guns also jam easily, cause tissue trauma (blunt instrument forced through the skin rather than hollow needle creating hole for piercing) which can mean increased risk of infection and not healing properly.

I have been pierced with a gun. I had to let them close up cos they were wonky and got them redone with a needle.

I had mine pierced (2nd lobe piercing) in August with a gun as I ignored all the advice to go somewhere with a needle because I'm a fool.
Still hasn't healed.

Thanks all that really helps clearly needle wins ! I’ve got tiny ears & it just all felt really disproportionate. The bars just looked so thick & long as well - at least 15mm long whereas my ear is barely 5mm thick lol ! Maybe I’m just fixated on my usual butterfly backed posts..

You can absolutely wear the butterfly backed earrings once it heals up. The bars or rings that are put in allow for the piercing to swell and heal more easily. Butterfly backs very often get stuck in piercings as they heal because the skin grows around them.

Had second holes put in last summer with a gun, pretty painless and I was pleased with the result. BUT, having to wear a mask all day at work caused havoc with healing, I was forever catching them with the ear loops, went thru 3 bottles of studex and they took the best part of 4 months to heal properly.

No regrets though and planning third holes when masks finally go!

What is the current price for both ears to be pierced half way up the ear?

@bluedaystillchristmas There's not a universal price list. Ask your local studios/check their fb/IG.

@Starlitexpress

Had second holes put in last summer with a gun, pretty painless and I was pleased with the result. BUT, having to wear a mask all day at work caused havoc with healing, I was forever catching them with the ear loops, went thru 3 bottles of studex and they took the best part of 4 months to heal properly.

No regrets though and planning third holes when masks finally go!

Was going to say just that. Masks catch on the backs of my earrings all the time!

Great advice on this post though! And also never knew that's why they don't use butterfly backs with the initial piercings. I had my first lot done with a gun and they were so wonky. As another posted said, I had to let them heal up and get them redone. Plus the guns are gross when you think about it!

Would highly recommend ba piercing via a needle. It might be big, but you'll be able to change it once it's healed to something prettier. It's a lot better for your ear due to no blunt force trauma, and it's sterile!

I have quite a few piercings, only the first ear lobe piercings were done with a gun when I was about 12.
Needles are much less painful and they’re sterile. Lots of my piercings healed with practically no interference, just being left alone and kept clean. My first piercings done with a gun took an age to get right, and they’re wonky!!! The bar will be a little longer to allow for any swelling so that the healing process is comfortable.

Thanks everyone - I'm going with the needle!

Threadless is best to get started- usually a good piercer will out a slightly too long bar in to account for swelling - you revisit a month or 6 weeks later to get it downsized. I get my threadless for a year and then switched to my chosen earrings which are hoops

Needles and with a professional piercer.
I've just had my daith done. It wasn't easy and I was extremely relieved I was being pierced by someone who knew what they were doing.