Piercing guns pose a number of serious risks.
- They are not sterilized in between clients. Alcohol wipes are do not sterilize!
- The jewelry is forced through the skin, thus ‘piercing’ it. This is traumatic for the tissue and can lead to increased healing time and scarring.
- The jewelry used is always sub-standard. It is poorly manufactured with inferior metals. Many people have metal allergies. “Even when coated in non-toxic gold plating, materials from underlying alloys can cause cytotoxicity and allergic reaction by leaching into human tissue through corrosion,
scratches, and surface defects.” *
- The jewelry size is not appropriately selected based on a clients individual anatomy. Piercing jewelry is not ‘one size fits all’!
- Piercing guns should never be used for any piercing other than an ear lobe (and even for this task they are very ill suited). Because it is inappropriate for the task (like using a child’s toy screwdriver as a hammer) jewelry from a piercing gun can become embedded in the skin requiring surgical removal.
- They are not sterilized in between clients. Alcohol wipes are do not sterilize!
- The jewelry is forced through the skin, thus ‘piercing’ it. This is traumatic for the tissue and can lead to increased healing time and scarring.
- The jewelry used is always sub-standard. It is poorly manufactured with inferior metals. Many people have metal allergies. “Even when coated in non-toxic gold plating, materials from underlying alloys can cause cytotoxicity and allergic reaction by leaching into human tissue through corrosion,
scratches, and surface defects.” *
- The jewelry size is not appropriately selected based on a clients individual anatomy. Piercing jewelry is not ‘one size fits all’!
- Piercing guns should never be used for any piercing other than an ear lobe (and even for this task they are very ill suited). Because it is inappropriate for the task (like using a child’s toy screwdriver as a hammer) jewelry from a piercing gun can become embedded in the skin requiring surgical removal.
* Kapferer, Ines, Ulrike S. Beier, and Rutger G. Persson. “Tongue piercing: the effect
of material on microbiological findings.” Journal of Adolescent Health 49.1 (2011):
76-83.