Why I personally DO NOT use a Piercing Gun.

Education is key. I just wanted to take a second to address why I personally do NOT use or recommend any brand of piercing gun.

I receive a lot of messages asking if I pierce with piercing guns and the short is answer is No. No reputable piercer I know would ever offer ear, nose, helix or ANY kind of piercing performed with a 'gun'.

Piercing Guns/Piercing Instruments use inferior technology when it comes to safely and precisely piercing and inserting jewellery. Even if these brands have now steered away from calling their product a 'gun' and now use the words Piercing Instrument instead - it does not change what it is.

In short - piercing guns use spring loaded pressure and unnecessary force to push blunt pieces of jewellery through the tissue. "But the jewellery is pointy" you might say, yes these pieces of jewellery may look sharp. But when we compare them to a surgically sterile, sharpened/beveled piercing needle you can see how blunt these pieces of jewellery actually are in comparison.

These piercing guns can create Blunt Force Trauma, which opens the client up to a massive chance of complications arising. From Hypertrophic Scarring, Infection and Dense Scar Tissue Formation just to name a few. Not to mention that this also creates more (un-necessary) swollen tissue surrounding the piercing itself, this is from the piercing wound being "Torn" instead of "Precisely Cut". Usually the initial jewellery in these 'piercing instruments' are too short to cope with the swelling of the initial piercing, this is why you can often hear of the jewellery being swallowed by the surrounding tissue or people being extremely uncomfortable during the healing process. This can lead to pain, infection and a really bad time trying to safely remove them.

Plastic Piercing guns also cannot be cleaned properly or sterilised through an autoclave, as the plastic melts. They are a haven for bacteria that can be passed from client to client. Commonly, They are usually wiped down with alcohol or a disinfectant in between each client and set aside in an airtight container. This creates the opportunity for any left over or missed bacteria to cultivate on the instrument. Some shops who offer this particular service may have higher levels of cleanliness than others, but this still does not mean the piercing gun is 100% sterile.

Some companies that create these items have now released disposable *piercing instruments* that can be thrown out after each client... they are made of cheap and sometimes brittle plastic and still offer the same chance of complications during the healing process as the reusable guns. Don't be fooled by them using the words Safe and Gentle, do your research in to the pro's and con's so you are fully informed about all the risks involved before being pierced with a gun.

I have a duty of care to each person that walks through the door and I personally do not offer this service knowing the risks behind it.

The Body Piercing industry has come a very long way is such a short time, we are learning new things every day and becoming more and more educated about best practices and safe techniques. Please listen to your informed/experienced piercer when they explain the risks when it comes to procedures done with a piercing 'Gun'. We are only trying to look out for you and ensure that we offer you the best possible service we can in the safest manner.

Your health and safety are our number 1 priority.

(Pictured : Common Piercing Gun/Instrument after 1 single cycle through a professional autoclave. The plastic has melted, rendering it useless.)