Pierce Your Ear Without a Gun
Following the steps below if you plan to pierce your ears but don't have an ear piercing gun.
Contents
Steps
- Gather your items: a box of clean single-use gloves. a sanitary environment for your set up, a single use dental bib, a single use triple bevelled hypodermic needle, antimicrobial soap, water, a piece of quality jewelry made of surgical stainless or titanium, a neoprene cork, a receiving tube, and a brand-new single use non-acidic marker.
- Take the needle, cork and jewellery somewhere with an autoclave and have it processed in a single-use sterile pouch. DO NOT TOUCH THE NEEDLE IF YOU ARE NOT WEARING DISPOSABLE GLOVES. Cross-contamination is the easiest way to get an infection, followed closely by playing with the piercing with dirty hands while it's healing.
- Wash your hands and the piercing location with anti-microbial soap and wipe off the residue.
- Put on gloves.
- Take the marker and make one mark where you'd like the jewelry. If you eventually wish to stretch your lobes further, mark them a little higher than center, and a bit closer to the face than the outside of your ear. If you want to wear a stud-type piece of jewelry (rarely crafted of decent materials and not suitable for initial piercings) mark it more centered on the lobe. Repeat this process with the other side if desired.
- Open the needle and jewelry package.
- Then place the needle on the marked spot. Make sure you will pierce straight through and into the receiving tube. Having a several fixed mirrors to view alternate angles of your head may help.
- Press inward. Do this at a medium pace and be firm. do not jab.
- Push the needle halfway into the receiving tube and carefully place the cork on the end.
- Let your ear relax for a short while, holding the cork to relieve pressure from its weight.
- Slowly butt the jewelry against the needle and push through in one continuous motion.
- And that should give you your very own ear piercing!
- If you'd like to stretch your piercing, wait until it is FULLY healed (AT LEAST 4 months). Do not go straight from an 18 or 20 to a 14. This can damage tissue and lead to blowouts and massive irritation as well as swelling and possibly migration. Do not stretch more than one size every 3 months or so.
Tips
- See a professional whenever possible. Although it's not free, it's always safer.
- This can be very dangerous, so do this at your own risk!
Warnings
- Do not touch your piercing with dirty hands. Always wash them before adjusting your jewelry.
- Always use clean equipment and never re-use needles or other tools that can't go into the autoclave. An oven, pressure cooker, pot of boiling water, bowl of bleach, or even rubbing alcohol and a lighter are all great ways to sterilize.
- Anticipate a little blood. Sometimes when you make holes in your body it bleeds. Keep sanitary absorbent towels nearby and apply light pressure until the bleeding stops if necessary.
- Change gloves often. If you touch something dirty, change them again.
- Even though freezing your ear to lessen pain may seem like a good idea, never freeze your ear before piercing or stretching as it will cause the tissue to stiffen, therefore causing it to crack and tear.
