Ear piercing before "the Gun" was invented

[Louise P]

Thanks Louise for all the information. If you were to have it done tomorrow what size studs would you use.Large or small.I am going to follow you on this.Thanks.

If it was me would go for the larger diameter stems. Yesterday I asked a colleague of mine at work who has had her ears pierced using both systems and she said the larger diameter stems healed much faster. She did say however that there was a bit more discomfort as the stud went through and the ears ached a little more for a couple of hours after the piercing.
My advice go with the thicker stems and do it sooner rather than later, you won't regret it.

[Piercer]

Piercings should be carried out using fully sterile one-use needles.

PIERCING GUNS SHOULD NOT BE USED.

To quote the Association of Professional Piercers:

"It is the position of the Association of Professional Piercers that only sterile disposable equipment is suitable for body piercing, and that only materials which are certified as safe for internal implant should be placed in inside a fresh or unhealed piercing. Reusable ear piercing guns can put clients in direct contact with the blood and body fluids of previous clients."


A piercing gun often has plastic parts and so it cannot be cleaned in an autoclave sterilising system. When the studs are pierced into the ears they simply push through and move the skin to one side...being pierced by a needle removes the piece of skin where the hole is being formed.

Guns are unsafe, and unhygienic. No professional body piercing studio would use guns. Maybe a hairdressers etc. would...but they aren't body piercers are they?

i would strongly recommend that people avoid piercing guns and find a reputable professional body piercing studio using sterilised equipment and needles.

For information about Guns and Needles please see these links:


http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=422&sectionId=25727

http://www.safepiercing.org/FAQ.html

[Two]

In my opinion the gun piercing process isn't especially a problem. Virtually everyone that has it done has it done that way and if it was a problem they would be banned long ago. The body is tough and something as simple as punching a small hole through the ear isn't dangerous.

That said I do believe going to a professional piercer who does it with a needle is the best way. They are fully apprenticed, all equipment and facilities are set up for just this one purpose and are as hygienic as possible.

The thing that is risky with most gun piercings are that the studs are hard to keep clean and using strong disinfectants affects the healing tissue. Professionals use titanium bars and rings which have no nooks or crannies for germs and dirt to hide in.

When I had mine done I happily paid a little more for a professional.

[peter_piper]

i luv earrings

[alex170170]

i luv earrings

yes i do as well, the more the merrier.

but two in each ear should be a minimum standard.

[Pierced & over 50]

It would be great to hear from older women on their ear piercing experiences before the "gun" and on attitudes to single and double ear piercing in days past

Ciao, Cynthia

[Scott L. Martinez]

i luv earrings

yes i do as well, the more the merrier.

but two in each ear should be a minimum standard.

[alex170170]

i luv earrings

yes i do as well, the more the merrier.

but two in each ear should be a minimum standard.

yeah, look at the date!!
will e-mail you one day and you can argue!!

[Scott L. Martinez]

I don't have a clue what you are talking about...as normal.

[Guest_med]

It's an 'urban myth' that piercing guns are a health problem for piercing ears. Over the past few years (all I checked) at out local practice we have had NO women (or men) coming to us with anything other than what are probably post-operative infections (i.e. caused by dirty fingers) of a trivial nature. No major infections at all. None. The majority of women in this area (S. England) have multiple ear piercings, almost all done with guns. 'Piercer' (perhaps someone who has a body piercing business?) may have an axe to grind. 'Two' is right, Claire's is safe, but ideally go to someone (wherever) who you trust to place the piercing nicely. But I wouldn't recommend guns for cartilage piercings.

[dermatologist1]

I can't believe that "Piercer" can be a professional, or she/he would know that a hollow piercing needle simply makes a crescent-shaped cut, and certainly does not "remove a piece of skin". Or does it just prove that ANY ignorant person can set up a piercing studio? That's scary.

[Paul M]

JUst done an other check on e-bay and found this vintage Coren piercer. the code is 270143274268. It looks just like the item on my desk for punching holes in paper but with a bit added. It looks freaky.

[Old Timer]

JUst done an other check on e-bay and found this vintage Coren piercer. the code is 270143274268. It looks just like the item on my desk for punching holes in paper but with a bit added. It looks freaky.

That particular Coren piercer sold on e-bay for US$9.99. There was only one bid.

I can remember when those piercers were the latest invention. They were very crude by today's standards, but they were a big improvement over the needle and potato, cork or ice cube behind the ear that they replaced. The discount department stores, forerunners of today's "big box" stores, would hold a percing clinic every so often. The person, usually a nurse, doing the piercing would set up a small folding in the aisle near the earring display. The piercing studs would be sitting one dish of alcohol and the backs in another. There would often be a waiting line of customers. The customer would be seated on a folding chair set in the aisle where everyone could watch her being pierced. The woman doing the piercing would mark the customer's ears, much like they do today. Then she would use tweezers to pick up a piercing stud and load in one side of the piercer and then the back in the other side. Finally she would put it up to the customer's ear and squeeze the handles together until the stud went through the ear and into the back. Then the piercer would be removed, wiped with a tissue moistened with alcohol, and the process repeated on the other ear. After both of the customer's ears were pierced, the piercer would be again wiped with a tissue moisted with alcohol so it was "sterilized" for the next customer.

[Old Timer]

JUst done an other check on e-bay and found this vintage Coren piercer. the code is 270143274268. It looks just like the item on my desk for punching holes in paper but with a bit added. It looks freaky.

Sorry, I left a word out my pervious post. I meant to say the woman doing the piercing would set up a small folding TABLE in the aisle near the earring display.

[jenna3]

My mother pierced my ears at age three (1973) herself at home just as her mother had done for her at the same age. While I don't remember much other than really wanting earrings, I know she cleaned my ears with alcohol, then pushed a large sterilized sewing needle through each ear into a piece of cork and then placed studs in my newly formed holes.
This process was repeated when I reached age ten for my second set of holes.
I did the same for my own daughter at age three and again for her second set at age five. About two years ago we gave each other our third set at home using the same technique.
I would NEVER consider being pierced with a gun nor would I suggest it to anyone considering having their ears pierced.