As a woman who has numerous body modifications, and a big interest in the body modification industry I understand the importance of health & safety when performing these mods, but as a naiive and ignorant kid, I wasn't always aware of the dangers of piercing with a gun (I had both my nose and tragus done with a gun).

Firstly, there's the blunt force trauma caused by the gun, which is because a piercing gun works by forcing a blunt earring through the ear. This results in a poor quality piercing and can cause damage to the surrounding tissue, and possibly shatter cartilage if the nose, or any parts of the ear containing cartilage are pierced.

Secondly, piercing guns are extremely unhygienic. Yes, they can be wiped down and "disinfected" but they can never be truly sterile. To properly sterilise piercing equipment, it needs to be put in an autoclave which kills all bacteria. But piercing guns are plastic and would melt in an autoclave. Just think... Would you want you or your child to have a blood test with the needle used on the person who came in before you?? Piercing with a gun is essentially the same thing! You're risking the spread of infections like hepatitis and staphylococcus every time you get your ears pierced at the mall, a hairdressers, or your local Claire's Accessories.

That brings me to the next point. The staff at these places will have had about half a day's training on how to "pierce". Real piercers are constantly training and learning in both piercing techniques, health and safety, and blood bourne infections. A photo shared on social media recently by a piercer friend of mine shows a sign from Claire's advertising "shorter posts that are perfect for babies and toddlers little lobes". Just don't. Shorter posts can get embedded in a child's ear if the lobe swells, causing them even more unnecessary pain and more chance of possible infection. The type of jewellery used in these sorts of places is also unsuitable and can cause further complications. 

Lastly, there's the issue with consent. In the UK, to be able to get a piercing at a studio you need to be aged 16+. Younger than 16, you'll need a parent's consent. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a child having their ears pierced after asking of their own accord (as long as its done with a sterile needle at a reputable tattoo studio or piercing clinic), but babies and toddlers don't ask for piercings, they don't NEED piercings. They are done purely for aesthetic reasons, for the PARENT. They can't consent to it so why put them through it for your own selfish reasons?

So please do educate yourself, and go to a studio... That's where the real experts are! As parents we need to protect our kids, not cause them harm. Gun piercing is unnecessary, unhygienic and barbaric. It needs to stop.