If you're getting your ears pierced for the first time, you may be feeling nervous about the pain. Most people find that because a piercing is over very quickly, the anticipation of the pain was worse than the pain itself. There is no reason to be afraid of having your ears pierced as long as a trained professional does the work.
Gun Piercing
An ear piercing gun is made from plastic and has a metal handle. Guns hold a piercing stud in one end of the barrel and a locking butterfly clasp in the other. The earlobe is positioned between the two pieces, and when the trigger is pulled the stud itself pierces the hole. The resultant blunt force trauma causes the lobe to burn and swell. While a gun may seem less frightening than a needle, particularly to a small child, professionals cannot autoclave sterilize piercing guns. An autoclave is a machine that sterilizes instruments through the use of high-pressure steam, killing all viable microorganisms that could transmit disease from one client to the next.
Needle Piercing
Professional body piercers use hollow autoclaved needles to make a clean cut through tissue. These needles are single-use, to keep from transmitting pathogens from one client to the next. Needle piercing results in significantly less tissue trauma than gun piercing, often yielding faster healing times. Professional piercers use rings rather than studs. They hook the rings into the open ends of the needles, and as the needle comes out, the jewelry goes in. Most clients do not even feel the insertion of the jewelry.
Proper Jewelry
It is better to use rings rather than studs for initial ear piercings. The back of a piercing stud can collect blood, plasma and shampoo or styling products, putting them in contact with the healing piercing. A hoop moves freely through the ear to allow for easier cleaning. People often find that it is more comfortable to sleep on a small 18-gauge hoop than a piercing stud, which can poke the side of the head.
Ear Piercing Aftercare
The Association of Professional Piercers recommends that you soak new piercings daily in a warm saline solution made of 1/4 tsp. non-iodized sea salt and 1 cup of warm bottled water. You can hold the solution up to your lobes in disposable paper or plastic cups. After a 10-minute soak, wash your lobes with an antimicrobial soap such as Technicare, Satin or Provon. Rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide are too harsh for healing piercings, and antibiotic ointments can trap bacteria in the piercing. Earlobes generally take about three months to heal.
Cartilage Piercing
Ear piercing studs are inappropriate for cartilage piercing because of the excessive tissue damage they cause. Also, blood and tissue left over on piercing guns can transmit staph infections such as MRSA, which spread virulently in cartilage. Cartilage piercings take significantly longer to heal than lobe piercings, so you should receive all piercings from a professional trained in proper technique and jewelry placement. Done correctly, they are only mildly uncomfortable and completed very quickly.
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