Summary — What You’ll Learn
Who this is for: Anyone trying to decide where to get pierced and wondering if the method actually makes a difference.
Key takeaways: Hollow needles remove tissue cleanly. Piercing guns force through tissue, causing more trauma. Needles can be fully sterilized. Most piercing guns cannot. The healing difference is real.
How a Piercing Gun Actually Works
A piercing gun works by using spring-loaded force to push a blunt-tipped stud through your ear. There’s no cutting happening — the jewelry is essentially hammered through the tissue.
This causes significantly more trauma to the surrounding tissue than a hollow needle. The blunt force tears rather than removes, which leads to more swelling, more healing time, and a higher chance of irritation bumps or prolonged tenderness.
There’s also the sterilization issue. Plastic-bodied piercing guns — the kind used at most retail chains — can’t be autoclaved. Autoclaving (high-pressure steam sterilization) is the gold standard for body piercing tools. Guns that can’t be autoclaved can only be wiped down between uses, which doesn’t eliminate all pathogens.
How a Hollow Needle Works
A hollow needle is exactly what it sounds like — a very sharp, hollow-tipped needle that removes a tiny, clean core of tissue as it passes through. The result is a smooth-edged hole that the body can heal around more easily.
Every needle used at a professional piercing studio is single-use and comes in sterile packaging. It’s autoclaved before packaging and disposed of immediately after use. There is no cross-contamination risk.
The actual piercing also takes a fraction of a second — comparable to the gun in speed, but dramatically different in outcome.
Does the Difference Show Up in Healing?
Yes. Not in every single case — plenty of people get gun piercings that heal without problems. But the rates of irritation, delayed healing, and infection are higher with gun piercings, particularly in cartilage.
Cartilage has very limited blood supply compared to lobes, which already makes it slow to heal. Piercing cartilage with a gun — something most reputable piercers won’t do — compounds that by adding blunt-force trauma on top of already-limited healing capacity. The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) explicitly recommends against using piercing guns on cartilage for this reason.
What Aurilus Uses
Aurilus uses hollow needles exclusively — for every piercing, every time. Book your appointment here and come in knowing your piercing is being done the right way.
Questions about what to expect? Check the Know Before You Go page or reach out directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a needle piercing more painful than a gun?
Most people report the opposite — needle piercings tend to feel like a quick, clean pinch, while gun piercings can feel more like a sharp thud. Pain is subjective, but trauma to surrounding tissue absolutely affects how it feels.
Can I get a cartilage piercing with a gun?
Technically yes, but it’s strongly discouraged by professional piercers and the APP. Cartilage doesn’t compress the way lobe tissue does, which means gun piercings in cartilage have a significantly higher risk of complications.
Where can I get a hollow needle piercing in Utah County?
Aurilus in American Fork uses hollow needles for all piercings. Book an appointment online.
