The story starts by me getting hired as a third key holder at Claire's Accessories. which meant i had to be trained in Ear Piercing. which meant i had to pierce people with a piercing gun, that included outer cartilage. i was a "piercing expert" as our company proclaims for a couple months there. of course, it also resulted in my manager putting second holes into my ears before i put a hole in another employee's cartilage, somehow it was a reassuring part of the training... even though when i got up on that chair, i swear i was sweating bullets. yeah, you might think i'm a chicken cuz of it, and i am. my first ear piercing was done when i was ten, in poland, with un-sanitzed earrings we bought from a different store, it was done with a needle and then they fidgeted around trying to put the gold hoops into the new holes for about ten minutes while i sat there and squirmed. *phew* being pierced with the gun was such a relief... it was quick and relatively painless. of course, my ears were feeling hot and protesting over having metal inserted in them, but otherwise, it was great. that was with 14k gold, and i should've stuck to it. read on, and you'll understand why... but there are technical reasons... yes, piercing parlors use stainless steel... but it's certified surgical stainless steel... they know what they're doing better than a shitty little accessory store. when going for value-pierce, go for the gold, it's guaranteed pure gold. that means better healing time and pretty much no chance of reaction. never had i an allergy complaint to the 14k, but i can't say the same for the stainless steel we used.
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact skythe@hotmail.com Artist Jessica (my manager) Studio Claire's Accessories Location B.C., Canada now i know a lot of people have concerns about having their cartilage done with a piercing gun, yes, you can have your cartilage crack or shatter depending on the piercing system. we used a system called "inverness". an old system, "studex" was what caused the cartilage cracking due to the thickness of the studs (they're pretty huge... about twice as big as inverness studs), and the fact that they're comparatively dull. inverness studs are nice and sharp. i've re-pierced partially overgrown lobe-piercings on myself with old inverness piercing studs i have, and have had no problems with them.
another thing... my first lower outer cartilage piercings (i got two at a time, i was impatient) were done with stainless steel. they went purple, hurt like hell, and i took them out. i still have bumps on my ears from them... and that was... more than 4 months ago and the usual pierced healing time for cartilage is up to 3 months... and my stainless steel lobe piercings are still giving me trouble. since then, i've gathered the courage to try cartilage again, and this time i went for 14k gold. perfect. no problem. they're healing fine, it's been almost 3 months. so to anyone who's looking to get cartilage done, do NOT let anyone do an inner or the very top part of your outer cartilage with a gun.. no matter what system. the further up and in, the thicker your cartilage gets, so it's harder and more paintful. and i highly recommend 14k gold, because i don't trust the stainless steel for very good reason. i sincerely doubt it's surgical grade at any retail stores that also provide ear piercing. also, ask them what system they use. studex is more paintful even for lobe piercings, and don't get cartilage done with it. inverness is great for outer cartilage and lobe. it's very quick, and the piercing is as close to painless as you can get. but i warn you, your cartilage is heinously tender for the first bit.
so, coming from a total wus when it comes to pain and a former piercer (not a professional body piercer, but trained in ear piercing with the gun), that's my advice. hope it helps whoever is reading this, and whoever is concerned. and just for easy reference, here's a couple checkpoints for you if you're going by way of the gun:
1. outer cartilage and ear lobes only.
2. use only 14k gold (no, not gold plate, pure gold!!!)
3. ask what system they use (i recommend inverness).
4. do not get cartilage done with studex.
5. make sure they make you fill out a form, a release, and a copy of the care instructions.
6. follow the aftercare, no you don't know any better, they're there for a reason. (i've had personal experience with this and it wasn't good, so listen to the directions, k?)
7. be wary of hair salons, my friends have had BAD experiences with them.
8. don't EVER let anyone perform any kind of body piercing on you with a gun.
9. if you're nervous, it'll be worse. relax, it doesn't hurt.
10. cartilage can be a serious piercing. it will be tender, is more prone to infection, and you have to care for it longer. make your decision wise and well.
once again, hope it helps.
happy piercing :)