Real Piercers Don't Use Guns

Play it safe. Do your research.

At Cherrycore, we don't believe in fear-based marketing. We believe in informed decisions.

If you're considering an ear piercing for yourself or your child, take a few minutes to understand the difference between a professional piercing and a gun or press-system piercing. It could save you unnecessary pain, complications and permanent tissue damage.

The Facts

Implant-grade jewellery matters.

The jewellery used in the vast majority of piercing guns and press systems does not meet recognised implant-grade standards used by professional body piercers. Personally I’m yet to see implant grade jewellery used in guns.

Professional piercers choose implant-grade materials because they have been specifically manufactured for long-term contact with the human body—not simply because they are labelled "surgical" or "hypoallergenic."

Reputable professional piercers don't use piercing guns.

Professional body piercing is performed using sterile, single-use needles and high-quality implant-grade jewellery.

A piercing gun works by forcing blunt jewellery through the tissue using pressure. Rather than creating a clean channel, it tears through the skin, creating unnecessary trauma.

Most hand-held piercing guns cannot be sterilised.

If a device cannot be fully sterilised between clients, it should never be used for procedures involving skin penetration.

Even when disposable cartridges are used, the device itself may still come into close proximity with the piercing site.

Butterfly backs trap bacteria.

Traditional butterfly backs leave very little room for swelling and easily collect hair, dead skin and other debris.

Professional piercing jewellery is specifically designed to allow for swelling, easier cleaning and a healthier healing environment.

Not all metal is the same.

Saying "metal is metal" is a little like saying "cake is cake."

You can have chocolate cake, vanilla cake or caramel cake—but each recipe is completely different.

Metal works the same way.

Titanium, steel, gold,  and plated jewellery are all different materials with different compositions and different levels of biocompatibility.

Simply stamping a piece of jewellery with a code or calling it "surgical steel" doesn't automatically make it implant grade. Just the same with titanium, being titanium doesn’t make it safe. A lot of companies label plated titanium as titanium.

Quality, manufacturing standards and material certification all matter.

In our age of piercing now its a little wild. Everyone grew to new gold plated steel created issues but now there is gold plated titanium in a shiny bow taking its place and while it may not react as severely its not implant grade. Coatings wear off, and you would be normal to assume 14k plated titanium would be safe because its pitched that way but do you know the process its made and the alloys in the 14k gold that could still create issues for you? In well established piercing experimenting is safer but not new piercings. Heavy metals are a risk.

"Dumber things have healed..."

There's an old sarcastic saying within the professional piercing industry:

"Dumber things have healed."

It's true.

People have healed piercings done with guns.

People have healed poor-quality jewellery.

People have healed after terrible aftercare.

But healing despite something doesn't make it good practice.

In Australia we say “she’ll be right” to most things in life but getting lucky and hoping for the best when better and safer is available is dancing with the devil.

The goal should be giving your body the best possible chance to heal safely the first time and not risking short term issues while forgetting long term issues are generally more often the problem. We are trying to avoid. You may heal and thats great but after years of exposure you like many others may find yourself in a situation where your piercings just never feel right and they always flair up when you wear them. 

Why we care

Every Christmas, every school holiday and every sale period, we see the same thing.

Children in pain.

Parents who were simply trying to do something nice.

Embedded jewellery.

Swollen ears.

Infections.

Jewellery that needs to be surgically removed.

After more than 23+ years in this industry, it still breaks my heart.

Most of these situations could have been prevented with the right information.

If writing this helps even one family avoid that experience, it's worth it.

Before you book, ask these questions.

✔️ Is the person performing the procedure actually a professional body piercer?

✔️ Do they have a dedicated clinical workspace?

✔️ Can they wash their hands with soap and water immediately before your piercing?

✔️ Are appropriate hand hygiene practices followed throughout the procedure?

✔️ Will your piercing be performed with a sterile, single-use needle?

✔️ Is the jewellery certified implant-grade titanium (ASTM F-136) or another recognised implant-grade material?

✔️ Is the jewellery polished to a mirror finish, or does it appear dull and rough?

✔️ Is the jewellery designed specifically for healing, rather than using butterfly backs?

Choosing where to be pierced matters.

Skin penetration is a clinical procedure.

It deserves an environment designed for exactly that.

Dedicated professional piercing studios are built around infection control, aseptic technique and safe piercing practices.

High-traffic retail environments, where people may be shopping while unwell, aren't designed specifically for carrying out clinical skin penetration procedures.

To speak frankly

No ones ever died from not having a piercing done.

You will not be worse off for taking some time and doing your research, planning this special moment is worth an extra thought instead of impulsive action.

Yes, most people are fine with poor quality jewellery, that doesn’t make it safe or right and it doesn’t mean you won’t be the one that has the bad outcome now or in 10yrs.

Seeing a child with a painful rash over their face and down their neck, with embedded earring isn’t a situation I want any one to experience, I find it traumatising so I can only imagine the feels a parent feels and id be lying if I said I can recall the amount of times I've seen this, its simply been too many. 

I strongly believe if piercings can't be performed safely, with appropriate equipment, sterile technique and quality jewellery, they're are not worth getting.