Cartilage Piercing - 'Piercer' or 'Mall'??

Question

I am hoping to have my ears pierced for the 4th holes. I was wondering if it is still OK to go to the places in the mall or if I should go to a tattoo/piercing shop this time 'round.
If I were going to pierce higher up on my ear I wouldn't think twice - I'd be at a tattoo/piercing place NOT the mall.
I guess my question is: at what point do I want the 'pros' to do my ear piercings???

Answer 1

That is an excellent question, and one many people SHOULD be asking before undergoing any type of bodily piercing.

If you seek a piercing anywhere other than your ear lobes, you should most certainly consult a professional piercing parlor instead of the mall. More often than not, the stores in the mall offering free piercings do not have the tools necessary to effectively pierce cartilage and the typical "gun" used by mall jewelers renders it relatively impossible to wear anything other than a stud if piercing cartilage.

Once you have made the decision to venture out to a tattoo/piercing parlor, be sure to fully evaluate the establishment on the basis of professionalism, cleanliness and hygiene. Your health is most important, so select a parlor with healthful standards.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

You should never, ever use a gun for any piercing. I'm not even a fan of them for your lobes. You really cannot sanitize the guns so you just have nasty things in there that at minimum can give you an infection, or worse, give you hepatitis or HIV. You just don't want to take a risk on that.

Since you're planning to get a cartilidge piercing, this goes double for going to a professional with a hollow needle. Guns give out such high impact that it can shatter your cartilidge, causing immense pain for the rest of your life. With a hollow needle, the impact is much less and obviously more sanitary.

The average cost for a single cartilidge piercing should be anywhere from $30-50. It may seem like a lot, but just think about how much hospital bills will cost when your gun piercing gets infected.

Answer 3

the professional piercer is your best bet. i learned from all my friends to get it done by a professional(their mistakes that it) they all got their cartilage pierced witha gun at the mall.. they all ended up takign them out cause it was becoming so painful and a few of them develop keloids (over growth of scar tissue that may need to be surgically removed) EW! they are very inattractive looking.. yes my ears are still sore. i got 2 cartilage piercings on each side of my ear ont he middle of my lobe. so i roll around all night on them so thet are still sore after 3 months. btu i have not have had any problmes wiht that whats so ever. same wihtmy first one i got 3 years ago! i got all of these done with the needle adn have had no problmes. as long as you clean then (do the aftercare they give you) you shoudl be well off. piercing guns can shatter the cartilage causign cartilage collapse, piercing guns force a blunt object through the ear. and a needle makes a clean cut through. also piercign guns cause a longer haeling duration.. the healing duration ofr a cartlage piercign is already almost up to a full year/? a longer healing duration than that !no thank you! go get them done by the professional. they are always very clean and steril compared to a place at the mall where some one can walk buy and sneeze on the gun or somethign thats just laying out..

Answer 4

If there is a tattoo/piercing shop that you know of that is clean and if you have heard good news about them then I suggest you should go there because if you go over to a place in the mall then probably some stupid girl who has no idea what she is doing might screw up your ears. Its better going to some place that has some one who has enough experience on piercings.

Answer 5

GO SEE A PROFESSIONAL PIERCER who works in a certified, clean and safe tattoo/piercing parlor.

Pretty much for anything that isn't the piercing your mom let you get in your lobes at age 4, you should see a pro. Now a days, the ear piercing guns are not suitable for ANY piercing on ANY part of the body and no true professional would ever dare use that crap tool.

The reasons are limitless and though costing more, you will definitely get what you pay for and have a nice, problem free piercing.

http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Piercing_gun
http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Ear_Piercing_Stud

Answer 6

always go to a piercer since the gun piercing is very unsanitary. where do you think the skin that is punctured goes? it gets stuck in the butterfly and no amount of cleaning will get it out as it is clogged and stuck. going to a piercer greatly reduces your chance of infection and the earring is made of surgical steel and the style of earring makes it easier to clean. never go to a mall piercer.

Answer 7

Around here it isn't even legal to do it in the mall once you go that high. The piercing shops aren't that much mre expensive, so why not be safe?

Answer 8

Be safe. If something goes wrong, like an infection happens, for a cartilage piercing the results can be devastating. I recommend going to a plastic surgeon's office. I heard those places are the best because it's a medical professional doing it and the place has limited bacteria and disease.

Answer 9

I got my 4th holes and the b1thc messed it up.. Go to a pro. Forget the mall. Forget WalMart too.. the also messed me up.

Answer 10

never get pierced at the mall, always go to a piercer, even if it is the first hole