Piercing guns
Piercing guns are commonly used in retail settings to perform ear piercings. These gun-shaped devices are designed for piercing the earlobe only; they are not marketed or designed for use on any part of the body other than the earlobe. Piercing the upper ear (through cartilage) with a piercing gun often results in longer healing times, cartilage bumps (hypertrophic scarring) and probable increased discomfort. In many states it is against the law to pierce the cartilige with the piercing gun because of the damage to the tissue. The piercing gun was designed for ear lobes only.

Many professional body piercers discourage the use of these instruments. A major complaint is that ear-piercing instruments perform the piercing by using a great deal of force with a relatively blunt stud earring. The autoclaving of piercing guns is usually impossible, because certain materials used in their construction would be destroyed if autoclaved. Even though they are occasionally used for other purposes, ear piercing instruments are designed and advertised for earlobe piercing only.