Piercing Ears

The topic of piercing ears is a controversial one right now.  The debate is over the process.  Is the gun a safe way to pierce ears?

The answer is no.  The gun presents a lot of problems with the safety of piercing ears.  The first problem is that many of the piercing guns are made of plastic.  Plastic can never be completely sterilized because of its melting point.  If placed into an autoclave machine, which is the type of machine that piercers use to sterilize jewelry and piercing accessories, the gun would melt.  Simply wiping down the gun is not a safe way to sterilize it, as infection can still be spread. 

Another problem that the gun brings to the table has to do with the operation.  Piercing guns are typically used in mall stores and jewelry shops as a quick and easy way to pierce ears on the spot.  However, those that are doing the piercing in these shops do not have extensive training on the piercing process.  There is really no regulation for those who pierce ears.  Most piercers who use the gun will go through a two week training program, and in this time they cannot possibly be given the necessary knowledge they need regarding piercings and safety procedures.  Professional piercers, who use the needle-piercing method, typically go through years of extensive training, so they are fully aware of all piercing procedures and necessary safety measurements before they receive their certification. 

The final problem with the piercing gun is that it pierces the surface with the stud, which is dull in comparison to the needle.  This causes the stud to tear through the surface when piercing ears, instead of making a clean hole with a sharp needle.  The stud is also more likely to cause infection because of things getting caught in the butterfly backing and not being able to completely rotate it or clean it, as you can with a ring.  When the needle pierces the ear, a ring is then inserted into the piercing.  Rings are much easier to clean and care for following a piercing and those who get them are much less likely to get their new ear piercing infected.