Piercings have been around for millennia, representing one of the earliest forms of body beautification and human artistic expression. In the past piercings were used as a status symbol, for religious purposes and even for healing. In today’s modern society piercings have become a uniformly accepted way to both beautify and clearly communicate personal style and artistic expression for both men and women alike. Yet despite their overwhelming popularity, there is still a lot of confusion surrounding the use of piercing guns vs needle piercing and which is the better, safer and more effective alternative. At Chronic Ink Tattoo, we feel that needle piercing is highly superior to gun piercing in a number of ways. This guide will help you better understand the difference between each method, and why needle piercing is almost always the better option.

Why is Needle Piercing Better than Gun Piercing?

While piercing guns offer a convenient (and sometimes ultra-cheap) way to get your new piercing, they are not necessarily safe, as effective or accurate. Read on to learn more about why having a professional using a needle piercing technique is the only option you should consider. And if you have any questions along the way, don’t’ hesitate to reach out to the friendly team at Chronic Ink Tattoo we would love to help in any way we can.

SANITIZATION

Since piercing guns are made out of plastic, it is virtually impossible for them to be properly sanitized. Plastics can be porous and are generally harder to “disinfect” with traditional sanitation methods. While it may be true that the piercing gun never touches the person’s skin, it is also true that the piercer’s hands do which makes it easy for cross-contamination to occur. Piercing needles, on the other hand, are metal. Unlike plastic, metal can be professionally sterilized before use to prevent bacteria and cross contamination which is the mere cause of infected piercings. Furthermore, piercing needles are disposed of after every single use, therefore guaranteeing that the customer will remain infection free and clean.

PROFESSIONALS VS MACHINE

Employees who use piercing guns are only trained for a maximum of two weeks before they are eligible to use the gun. In other words, you are basically trusting a teenager who works part-time at the mall to shoot a hole into your ear and expecting that that piercing will be clean and even. You can be sure that any professional who uses a piercing needle is, in fact, a professional. They are trained for years as body piercing is not just an art, but also a science. Needle training includes how to avoid hitting nerves and proper placement of each piercing. When it comes to piercing guns, especially with ear piercings, they are known to shatter your cartilage and rip your skin as opposed to needles, which simply pushes the tissues aside to make room for the piercing.

HEALING TIME

Another issue with piercing guns is that there is no guaranteed healing time. As stated before, guns cause you to feel more pain as they shatter and rip your skin, but they also generally squeeze the jewelry so tight that your piercing never properly heals. It could be years before you are able to sleep on your ear piercing, for example, without experiencing extreme pain. Aside from healing properly, another issue with piercings are too tight and close to your skin is that it makes it more difficult to spin and clean your piercing as directed, therefore allowing bacteria to grow within your skin. Not only are piercing needles quick and painless, but they leave room for your wound to properly heal. You will never have an issue with twisting and cleaning your skin and jewelry to prevent bacteria and infection.

PIERCING NEEDLES ARE SAFE

In the end, if you want to be confident that your body piercing will heal properly and remain free from infection and bacteria growth, then piercing needles done by highly trained professionals is the only safe way to choose.

Closing Thoughts

Getting your first, or 10th piercing is always an exciting endeavor. But making sure you have it done right, using the safest, most effective and best equipment for the job is just as important as the selection of jewelry or site of the piercing itself. And when it comes to methods, you can’t get better than professional needle piercings.