Understanding the Risks: Why do piercers not use guns?

September 22, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Association of Professional Piercers (APP), reusable piercing guns cannot be properly sterilized and carry significant public health risks. This critical fact is the primary reason why do piercers not use guns and instead rely on professional-grade techniques.

Quick Summary

Professional piercers use single-use, sterile needles because piercing guns cause severe tissue trauma, cannot be fully sterilized, increase infection risk, and damage cartilage. The controlled, precise action of a needle promotes safer healing with less pain and complications.

Key Points

Sterility is impossible: Piercing guns cannot be properly sterilized in an autoclave, posing a high risk of cross-contamination and bloodborne diseases due to trapped bodily fluids.
Tissue trauma is severe: Unlike a needle's clean cut, a gun forces a blunt stud through the tissue, causing a crush injury that results in more pain, swelling, and scarring.
Cartilage is especially vulnerable: Using a gun on cartilage can cause it to shatter, leading to severe pain, disfigurement, and dangerous infections like auricular chondritis.
Jewelry is low quality: Gun studs are often made of non-biocompatible materials and are poorly sized, which can cause allergic reactions and restrict healing, leading to complications.
Lack of training is common: The individuals operating piercing guns in retail environments often have minimal training, unlike professional piercers who are highly trained in safe, sterile techniques.
Placement is inaccurate: The mechanics of a piercing gun make precise placement difficult, leading to uneven or poorly angled piercings.
Healing time is prolonged: Due to the blunt force trauma and unsuitable jewelry, gun piercings take longer to heal and have a higher risk of complications.

The Fundamental Flaw: Sterilization Issues

One of the most critical and alarming reasons professional piercers avoid piercing guns is the inability to sterilize them properly. Unlike professional metal tools that can withstand high-temperature sterilization in an autoclave, piercing guns are often made of plastic and would melt in the process. Merely wiping a gun down with an alcohol swab between uses is completely ineffective against viruses and bloodborne pathogens like hepatitis and staph infections.

The Risk of Cross-Contamination

When a gun is used, microscopic particles of blood and tissue can become airborne and enter the gun's inner mechanisms, where they are impossible to clean. This means that every subsequent client is at risk of exposure to the previous client's bodily fluids. Professional piercers, by contrast, use single-use needles that come in sterile, sealed packages and are disposed of immediately after the procedure, eliminating the risk of cross-contamination.

Understanding Blunt Force Trauma

Another major issue with piercing guns is the physical trauma they inflict on the tissue. A piercing gun doesn't create a clean hole; it uses a spring-loaded mechanism to force a blunt-ended stud through the skin. This causes what is known medically as blunt force trauma, essentially a crush injury, which can lead to:

Significant swelling and bruising
Pain that can last longer than a needle piercing
Increased scarring and the potential for keloids
Torn or jagged piercing channels that heal less efficiently

A hollow piercing needle, on the other hand, is a razor-sharp, sterile instrument designed to remove a small, clean piece of tissue. This creates a smooth channel for the jewelry to follow, which is less painful and promotes a faster, healthier healing process.

The Special Dangers of Cartilage Piercings

The risks associated with piercing guns are compounded when used on cartilage, a rigid and delicate tissue that has less blood flow than the soft earlobe. Forcing a blunt stud through cartilage can cause it to shatter, leading to:

Severe pain and permanent disfigurement
Auricular chondritis, a serious and painful cartilage infection
Excessive scar tissue and the development of lumps

Professional piercers use a specialized technique with a sharp, hollow needle that glides through cartilage, minimizing trauma and significantly reducing the risk of these devastating complications. It is for this reason that many states have begun to outlaw the use of guns on cartilage.

The Problem with Gun-Specific Jewelry

The jewelry used in piercing guns is often ill-suited for healing piercings, which can lead to further complications.

Inadequate Sizing: The studs are one-size-fits-all and often too short to accommodate the natural swelling of a fresh piercing. This pressure can cut off blood circulation, leading to impaction where the jewelry becomes embedded in the skin.
Poor Materials: The jewelry is frequently made from low-grade metals that can cause allergic reactions or infections as the coating wears off. Professional studios use implant-grade materials like titanium, which are hypoallergenic and biocompatible.
Unsafe Backing: The butterfly-style backing used with piercing gun studs is a perfect trap for bacteria and debris, making proper cleaning nearly impossible and increasing the risk of infection. Professional piercing jewelry uses backings that allow for better airflow and easier cleaning.

Lack of Training and Regulation

In many retail establishments where piercing guns are used, the staff receive minimal training, sometimes just a short video or practice on a foam pad. This is a stark contrast to the extensive training and apprenticeships required of professional piercers, who are educated in anatomy, bloodborne pathogens, aseptic techniques, and emergency procedures. The lack of standardized training contributes to:

Improper piercing angle and placement, resulting in crooked or uneven piercings.
Poor aftercare instruction, leaving clients uninformed about how to care for their healing piercing.
Inability to handle complications or medical emergencies, such as a malfunction or embedded jewelry.

Comparing Piercing Guns vs. Needles


Feature	Piercing Gun	Piercing Needle
Sterilization	Cannot be fully sterilized; high cross-contamination risk.	Single-use and pre-sterilized for each client.
Tissue Impact	Causes blunt force trauma and crushing of tissue.	Creates a clean, smooth incision with minimal trauma.
Pain Level	A sudden, jarring pop that causes significant pain.	A quick, sharp pinch that is often less painful overall.
Healing Time	Longer healing process due to increased tissue damage.	Generally faster and smoother healing.
Cartilage Safety	Extremely dangerous; risk of shattering and severe infection.	Safe when performed by a professional piercer.
Jewelry Quality	Limited to low-grade, poorly designed, one-size-fits-all studs.	Allows for implant-grade, custom-fit jewelry.
Placement	Poor accuracy; angles are difficult to control.	High precision for accurate, anatomically correct placement.

Conclusion: The Professional Choice is Clear

Forgoing a piercing gun in favor of a needle is not a matter of preference for professional piercers—it's a commitment to safety and quality. The risks of infection, blunt force trauma, cartilage damage, and improper healing associated with piercing guns are well-documented and widely recognized within the professional community. Choosing a trained professional who uses sterile, single-use needles and high-quality, implant-grade jewelry is the best way to ensure a safe, clean, and successful piercing experience. When seeking a piercing, always prioritize the health and expertise of a professional. For more information on safe piercing practices, consult the official website of the Association of Professional Piercers.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main risk is infection and potential transmission of bloodborne pathogens because piercing guns cannot be properly sterilized. They are made of plastic components that melt in an autoclave, leaving behind bacteria and blood from previous clients.

Piercers do not use guns for cartilage because the blunt force can cause the cartilage to shatter, leading to severe pain, disfigurement, and a higher risk of serious infections. A hollow needle provides a much safer, cleaner puncture.

Many people find a needle piercing less painful than a gun piercing. The needle creates a clean, precise hole with minimal trauma, while a gun causes a crush injury, which often results in more jarring pain and prolonged soreness.

Piercing guns use low-grade, one-size-fits-all studs with a butterfly backing that can trap bacteria and cut off circulation. Professional piercers use high-quality, implant-grade jewelry that is custom-fit for proper healing.

Training for piercing gun operators in retail settings is often minimal and non-standardized. This contrasts sharply with the extensive training in anatomy, sterilization, and safe techniques that professional piercers undergo.

Yes, piercing guns can malfunction, which can cause the jewelry to become lodged in the client's ear. This requires manual intervention and can cause additional trauma and bleeding, increasing health risks.

Needle piercings generally heal faster and with fewer complications because they cause less tissue trauma. Gun piercings, due to the crush injury and unsuitable jewelry, often take longer to heal and have a higher risk of issues like keloids.