I am getting the top of my ear pierced, like on the side in the cartilage. I was wondering how much it will hurt if it is being done with a needle (not a gun) and how high chance it is for infection. I know that it takes alot longer than a hole in your earlobe to heal, about a few months?

Lolitah_xx

i think it would hurt alot less if u got it pierced with a gun, seriously!! try going to walmart or claire's bcuz they'll pierce it with a gun... i dont think its easy to get infected bcuz mines never got infected and i didnt clean it as much as i was suppose to.. leave the earring they pierce it with in for 12 weeks.. good luck and if u can avoid getting it done with a needle than its better!!

Gia1630

I agree that it all depends on you pain tolerance and ear care.
My friend and I both got our cartilage pierced at the same time. I'm a boy and she's a girl. She went first and didn't even flinch. According to her, it didn't hurt at all.

When I went, I didn't feel any pain. I was actually surprised by how painless it was. I heard a tiny pop (hers didn't pop), and it was all through. We both got ours done with needles. From what I hear, that's definitely the best way.

One shouldn't go to the mall to get cartilage (or anywhere) pierced. The guns use force to drive a stud through. Plus, a gun cannot be cleaned well. The needles are clean and safe. They only use them once.

So far (two weeks in), the piercing is healing well. It doesn't hurt at all, and I can already sleep on it.

Just get it done with a needle, in a clean, professional environment, following the piercist's cleaning directions, and enjoy!

Hope I helped!

harmony8u

it really depends on the gauge...i have 13 piercings...8 ear,1 orbital,1 cartilage,lip,nose...and my orbital is a either 12 or 14 gauge i wouldint suggest getting an orbital but for a regular cartilage piercing a needle does hurt more then a gun...but is much more safe it will hurt longer then a gun too tho

Kitschxbang

I had mine done and honestly, its more of a fright than painful. It will ache a bit if you lay on it, and your hair will probably get caught in it, but all it will really be is a bit tender for a while, nothing really painful...
when I got mine done my mom knew it wouldn't hurt, but she sat there and said "oh, this is gonna be really painful..." being smart :P ...it hardly hurt at all - working yourself up is the worst thing about the whole piercing experience.
It shouldn't get infected if you clean it regularly while its healing, but if it does, it's best to use professional products, so get the solution while you're there and save yourself some time.
Hope this is helpful.

valentinobabe15

I just got mine done yestrday and im only in middle school and im the third girl to have it done it doesnt really hurt but i got mine done with a gun so i cant help if you r gettin it donewith a needle with a gun it is fast and painless it just is sore after for like an hour then it hurts to sleep on it thats about it just make sure you clean them and twist them 3 times daily!!!GOOD LUCK!!!

Tonyfmp

it really doesnt hurt. Its actually better to do it with jus a needle because doing it woth a gun will cause the cartilage to shatter. It all dpends on your pain tolerance level. I didnt even feel it, but a few days later it hurt.

carebearz015

I had mine done...im only 13 so i have it commin 2 wut pain feels like...
i had mine pierced 4 times and i actually didnt feel anything
it did hurt 2 sleep on but that is expected....:[
i am planning on piercing my ears tho by myself...i hope it doesnt hut...cuz im getting it done in the middle...even tho i have had it done 3 times in the lobe and 1 time up at the top

nauticalstar420

I know this thread is a tad old, but i'll contribute anyway. If you are going to get your cartilage pierced, it is best to get it done at a piercing/tattoo parlor rather than somewhere in the mall, or somewhere like it. In the mall they use piercing guns. These guns are not sterilized, which could lead to infection. Not only that, they sometimes have a tendency to get stuck on the earring causing your ear to tear. Ouch! If you go to a tattoo/piercing parlor they will use a hollow needle, a brand new one out of the package that has never been used by anyone else. This is much more sterile.

I have had it done both ways. The gun didnt really hurt, but like i said there is the sterility problem. When I had it done with the hollow needle, it was a bit of a shock, but I wouldnt really call it pain. You would have a lower risk of infection in the long run if you get it done with the needle.

not_done_baking

I know this is old but I just wanted to get your facts straight-

~ I've only gotten my ears pierced at Claire's... and I watched them throw the gun away when they were done.
~Using a needle, still uses force. They push the needle into your skin, the push is the force. It's basic physics.

nauticalstar420

They threw the whole gun away? Are you sure? Or did they throw the cartridge away? Even with a cartridge, it is still unsanitary to not clean the gun after each piercing.

And just so you have things straight, yes, a needle does need to be forced through your ear, but the hollow needle makes room for the earring, while the piercing gun does not. It forces an earring into a space where there is no room for it, which is highly irritating to the ear and almost always causes significant scarring.

The needle is the way to go.