Why?
We do not consider using a piercing gun a professional piercing service.
There are so many factors to consider for piercing, this will range from suitable jewellery, shape, position and anatomy. In no particular order we will list what is wrong with the gun method for piercing.
- Blunt force trauma. The shape of the jewellery the gun piercing is designed for isn't quite sharp enough to not cause trauma. In these days piercings are still performed to both lobe and cartilage are still using a gun. The ear lobe is made of soft tissue and the cartilage is more dense tissue. Being pierced with a gun can result in a shattered cartilage and causes more discomfort to all areas using this method resulting in more swelling and much longer healing times than when pierced using a needle. - The cartridge doesn't always align properly. This means that the jewellery doesn't always successfully pierce through the skin at that first try. The back of the earring and the pin of the earring are out of alignment leaving your ear painful, sore and not successfully pierced at that first go! - Piercing gun is used on multiple people. The piercing gun itself is what the cartridge of the jewellery sits in. This is used for each person while being pierced. As the gun is made of plastic, which means you aren't able to fully sterilise this between customers. - Plastic. The cartridge that holds the jewellery is plastic. Sterilising requires 134￮C for a minimum of 3.5 minutes which ... well, plastic could not handle.
- Jewellery used in a piercing gun is a "one size fits all" which really shouldn't be the case. We are all individual human beings that require individual treatment and consideration. One bar length will not be suitable for everyone.
- Butterfly back - How many times have you caught your hair in this and stabbed behind your ear trying to sleep? It is extremely uncomfortable.
- Indentations and markings - Look closely to the butterfly back, are there any letters or engravings stamped into the metal? For healing purposes this is a bacterial harvesting ground. All those little nooks and crannies are a perfect environment for bacteria and can be extra tricky to clean!
- Material used for piercing. 9kt gold may sound great for initial piercing. 9-carat gold contains 9 parts pure gold and 15 parts additional metals such as silver, tin, nickel, zinc, palladium, etc. This result is roughly 37.5% pure gold!
Minimum carat of gold that should be pierced with is 14kt. Gold is a very soft metal itself which is why it is an alloy and mixed with other metals. Adding other materials can cause irritation, sores and a constant itchy sensation. If you're sensitive to certain metals and materials, avoid the lower quality gold and even silver.
What we do. We use mirror polished titanium jewellery from trusted brands. Microscopically speaking, any little scratch is detrimental to healing of a piercing. The higher polished and shiny, the better! Titanium is hypoallergenic not containing any irritable materials such as nickel. Titanium is super strong, robust and they use it in hospitals for knee and hip replacement surgeries. We will opt for barbell or labret shape jewellery for any initial piercing. We find these the safest and most comfortable shape jewellery to start off with. There are so many shapes and styles to choose from for initial and healed piercings you'll be spoiled for choice! All information is available on our website. Alternatively you can always come to the store and have a chat with us about any concerns or worries regarding your piercings or jewellery. We're always happy to help. MPB x
18kt Unalome by Danila Tarcinale