Talk:Ear piercing instrument

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[edit] Sterilization

The article claims the primary problem with these instruments is that they can't be autoclaved and are perhaps impossible to sterilize. But this is speculative unless the article can cite some data of a disease outbreak. A great improvement to the article would be if someone can find any such data. Tempshill 21:39, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

This is not speculative. It is impossible to sterilise these instruments as they are currently designed. The materials they are made from would not survive repeated sterilisation procedures, be they chemically sterilised or autoclaved. Only the jewelry is sterilised, and even then it is only sterile so long as it is handled properly. That doesn't mean that such a device couldn't be manufactured, it just means that one has not been. IIt is not speculative to say that certain plastics or other materials cannot be subjected to a proper autoclaving, or to note that the "mall piercing booths" that employ these devices have no sterilsiation equipment on hands and that their employees have no medical training whatsoever. Glowimperial 01:21, 28 February 2006 (UTC)

The above is correct. Most states in the USA (I don't know about other countries) don't even require "mall piercers" to wear gloves, let alone receive bloodborne pathogens training or obtain a body art license -- provided they only pierce earlobes. Still, even if it is "just" an earlobe piercing, sterile materials and safety regarding cross-contamination is essential to the health of both the piercer and the customer. Evilfuzzymonster (talk) 05:56, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

The plastics used in these guns can not be autoclaved, that is a fact. There are techniques that can be used to sterilize non-autoclaveable material (Cold Sterilization, radiation, and Ethylene Oxide Sterilization (EtO)). Medisystem alone claims over 40,000,000 consumers in the US alone, and Studex claims to be bigger than Medisystem, if there was a serious risk to public health it would be undeniable by now.

The body piercing movement has a financial interest in overstating the shortcomings of a piercing system that is less expensive on the consumer level than what body piercing studios typically charge for an ear lobe piercing. The industry also has a history of trying to twist words around and put them into people's mouths that seems to have created a deep divide between the medical community and body piercers/cutters. I do not think the term "Bigotry" is too strong to use here, it's really that bad.

However, the "mall piercing movement" has a financial interest in understating the shortcomings of a piercing system that is unhygenic and painful that is greater than the body piercing industy's interest in overstating the dangers. The correction of badly placed, irritated, and infected piercings performed in mall shops by gun-wielding teenagers generates many customers and much revenue for traditional piercing shops. So really they are making money either way.

A disposable piercing gun costs, roughly, about the same as a needle, disposable clamp, a bit of antiseptic wash, and a surgical steel captive bead ring. The difference isn't just the trauma to the flesh (which directly affects healing time and risk of infection); when a licensed body piercer performs a piercing, they're generally using quality jewelry (again, surgical steel -- the idea that malleable metals like gold and silver won't irritate piercings is a myth), giving clear instructions, and have some degree of medical training. You get what you pay for. Evilfuzzymonster (talk) 05:56, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Ear Piercing Gun

Recently ear piercing guns have come under attack by piercers and have been called everything from “unsanitary” to “torture devices”. There are advantages to doing an ear piercing with forceps and piercing Needle, but there are also advantages to using a ear piercing gun.

Ear piercing guns are good because:

They have a long history of use with excellent results.

This statement requires citation more than any, in my opinion, in the original article. Evilfuzzymonster (talk) 05:56, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

There is no biohazard material to dispose of after the piercing is done.

There is no chance of accidentally using a Needle on two people.

It is faster and easier for some people to use.

The tip is not sharp enough to penetrate skin accidentally when it is not in the gun.

Starter jewelry can only be purchased pre-sterilized making it faster and safer to use.

Ear piercing guns are bad because:

The blunt tip of an ear piercing gun stud causes more trauma than a piercing Needle.

The guns that are available can’t be autoclaved.

They can cause ear cartilage to crack and should never be used to pierce any part of the ear except the lobe. Most manufacturers recommend that ear piercing guns be only used to pierce the ear lobe." -Reference source “The Body Piercing Encyclopedia Volume 1” Library of Congress Control Number: 2002106781 ISBN number 0-9720525-0-X

Body piercers also typically have no medical training, which puts them on a par with ear piercers who use piercing guns. Local health departments exist specifically to deal with such concerns on a local level and although those who earn their living by using piercing needles do sometimes oppose the use of piercing guns their concerns have not been reflected by the health community or the general public, and so I do not feel that Wikipedia is a proper forum for attacks on piercing guns. The jewelry used in piercing guns comes pre-sterilized so having "no sterilization equipment on hand" is irrelevant assuming that the pre sterilized studs packaging is not damaged, or expired and that the gun and jewelry is handled properly. Reference source “The Body Piercing Encyclopedia Volume 1” Library of Congress Control Number: 2002106781 ISBN number 0-9720525-0-X Rafti Institute 00:35, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

In order to become a licensed body artist, nearly all counties in the USA require, at the least, training in bloodborne pathogens from the Red Cross or similar, if not also basic First Aid and CPR certification. That doesn't even take into account the fact that most body piercers learn, as part of their apprenticeships, additional steps to prevent cross-contamination. For example, piercers generally clean all tools, bottles, and surfaces with Madacide (most commonly used hospital-grade surface sterilizer) before and after piercings; in my experience, most mall piercers don't even use Clorox wipes on the area between customers. Evilfuzzymonster (talk) 05:56, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Ear piercing guns were orginally designed only for ear lobe piercings, but were never-the-less used for ear cartilage (and other) piercings as well. More recenvtly, manufacturers have actively promoted their use for cartilage piercings. With regards to earlobe piercings, the incidence rate for problems directly attributale to the technique is obviously very small; probably not statistically different than the incidence rate attributable to body piercing techniques. However, for cartilage piercing, there have been quite a few notable instances of major problems relating to the use of ear piercing guns. IMHO, guns are just fine for ear lobes, but should be avoided for cartilage. Furthermore, they were never designed for non-ear piercings. Earpol 12:36, 22 March 2007 (UTC)