We’ve all felt it — the pinch, the pressure, the strange mall-kiosk panic of a piercing gun. For a lot of people, that moment became a rite of passage, complete with a dreaded Claire’s story that gets retold for years. And unfortunately, a rough first experience can lead to real hesitation and anxiety down the line.

I know the word “needle” can bring up its own nerves. People assume it’s too thick, impossibly long, and that blood is going to spray everywhere. None of that is true. So let me calm those nerves and walk you through why I pierce with needles — never a gun — and why it makes a real difference for your comfort, your healing, and your final result.

Licensing: not all piercers are trained the same

It’s worth understanding what actually sits behind the person holding the tool. In Oregon, there are multiple types of piercing licenses, including an earlobe-only license and a standard body piercing license — and they are not the same thing.

To obtain an earlobe-only license, Oregon requires the applicant to be 18 or older, submit an application and two forms of identification, hold a bloodborne pathogens certificate, and complete a CPR/First Aid course. But here’s the key part: these piercers are strictly limited to a gun, cannot pierce cartilage, and cannot use a piercing needle at all. That severely limits both placement possibilities and real jewelry customization.

Why experience matters

I’ve been piercing on and off since 2011, and I’ve watched this industry grow into what it is today. Getting licensed in Oregon was not easy — which, honestly, is how you know I genuinely care about doing this well.

I was fortunate enough to transfer my license into Oregon, but that came with its own proof of work: I had to demonstrate years of experience piercing in another state. A standard body piercing license in Oregon requires the applicant to be 18 or older, submit an application and two forms of ID, hold a bloodborne pathogens certificate, and complete CPR/First Aid — all on top of an apprenticeship program totaling 750 hours of theory and hands-on practice.

All of that to say: I’ve done this a lot. I’ve easily performed over 25,000 piercings — the most in a single day being 106.

Needles are single-use. Guns aren’t.

Now for the specifics. The first and biggest reason I use needles is simple: they’re a single-use tool. Every piercing gets a brand-new needle, and it’s discarded immediately after. No reuse, ever.

A piercing gun is not single-use — it’s used repeatedly across multiple clients. And even when a gun is only used once, proper sterilization is nearly impossible, because the plastic device would melt at the temperatures required for thorough decontamination. Every needle I use is individually packaged and autoclaved, which removes the microorganisms and pathogens that could otherwise transfer to you.

A needle gives me control. A gun doesn’t.

Using a needle gives me precise control over placement, depth, and angle — the details that determine how a piercing looks and heals. A gun offers none of that, which is why gun piercings so often end up crooked or off-center.

People ask me all the time whether my needles are sharp. My answer is always, “Very.” Not to scare you — to reassure you. A sharp needle takes far less pressure and force to pass cleanly through the tissue. That means a more accurate piercing for me and a far less traumatic experience for you.

A piercing gun works more like blunt force. The pressure it takes to push a piece of jewelry through your tissue causes more tearing, more swelling, and more trauma than a clean needle ever would.

Needle vs. gun, side by side

Single-use needle	Piercing gun
New, sterile needle for every piercing	Reused across multiple clients
Individually packaged and autoclaved	Plastic can’t be fully sterilized
Precise control of placement, depth, and angle	Little control — often crooked or off-center
Sharp; passes cleanly with less force	Blunt force pushes jewelry through tissue
Multiple post lengths for your tissue	One-size-fits-all pre-loaded jewelry
Titanium flat back labret posts	Butterfly-back studs that snag and press

Designed around you — not one-size-fits-all

At Stacked, I focus on the individual. Using a needle lets me evaluate your anatomy, placement possibilities, and tissue — and factor in your personality and style when it comes to jewelry.

Because I’m piercing with a needle, I have multiple post-length options depending on how thick or thin your tissue is. A gun comes pre-loaded, which means one-size-fits-all jewelry and far more limited options. I use titanium flat back labret posts for a more comfortable healing experience, where gun jewelry relies on butterfly-style backings that make sleeping harder and more painful.

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The bottom line: piercing with a needle gives you something that heals more efficiently, sits where it’s meant to, and actually showcases your personal style. Piercing is my passion, and I wouldn’t reach for a needle every single time if I didn’t fully believe it was better for you in the long run.

If you’ve been holding onto an old piercing-gun story, this is your sign to try it done properly. Book with us and let’s design something around your anatomy — carefully, and with the right tools.