Frequently Asked Questions about Pain
This is a common question, and the answer is no. Since I am not licensed to practice medicine, can not write prescriptions, and can not apply injectables, I do not have a working knowledge of anesthesia or the knowledge to use them safely. So, I don't.
Topical anesthetics are limited in their effectiveness, and there is little available for use that would be effective. In most cases, an injection anesthesia would need to be done several times and would be more painful than the piercing itself. Think about it, what is the point of feeling the discomfort of the needle and injection to mask the pain of the piercing? It's like getting pierced to get pierced, and is, for the most part, overmedicating.
Anesthesia introduces yet another chance for reactions, risks, and cross-contamination. The Caine family of medications is prone to reactions, and I'm not an anesthesia expert, nor do I have access to my clients' medical history. Since some of the reactions and side effects include everything from becoming mildly lightheaded to a fatal reaction, I would not suggest using them at all or having them used on you.
Another group of products on the market is freezing agents or sprays. Think about it, people, Freezing Is Not Good. Freezing Bad. It causes tissue damage and may hinder your body's ability to produce skin cells.
Lastly, the point of having a piercing performed on your body by a professional piercer is that they are skilled enough to make the piercing less painful, making the use of anesthesia pointless. In my experience, when they are used, it is often to conceal the fact that the piercer lacks knowledge of what they are doing. In most cases, if the piercing is extremely painful, either the piercer is under-skilled or the piercing shouldn't have been performed in the first place (some experimental piercings come to mind). Understand that pain is your body's warning sign. Listen to your body. If you can't handle the pain or the pain is too much, don't go back to that piercer for future piercings, tell everyone you know not to go to that piercer, and/or reconsider getting that piercing in the first place.
Usually not. Since the method of piercing the body is entirely different.
Piercing Guns use a spear-like or tapered point to drive through the tissue at a high rate of speed. The piercing is caused more by the speed and force of the spring action of the device, and tends to tear through instead of cutting. In some cases, the piercing stud doesn't enter the tissue fast enough, and the stud's back works like a punch.
A piercing needle is a lance point hypodermic needle with the hub removed. The medical industry uses the same style. It is surgical sharp, meaning it is very sharp, like a razor. It slices through the tissue very quickly with minor trauma. I think a good way to compare the two is that an ear piercing gun is called a gun, and the stud is like a bullet. A piercing needle is like a knife or a razor. Ask anyone which hurts more, to be shot or to be cut with a sharp knife. Think about it.
It is kind of like comparing Apples and Oranges. A piercing is a quick one-time pain, unlike a tattoo, where the tattoo needle is puncturing the skin over and over at a high rate of speed. The wound is entirely different, and so is the sensation. A word of advice would be that if you are trying to decide whether to get a piercing or get tattooed and trying to choose based on pain, maybe you should explore your motivation for the piercing or tattoo. Pain is a momentary experience, but piercings and even the scars that result from the jewelry's removal last forever. A piercing requires a significant commitment to heal. Tattoos are also long-term and can be expensive to remove. Think through your body art and get what you are driven to get.
In most cases, the piercing will hurt a great deal less than you think it will. A large part of the piercing experience is overcoming your anxiety, nervousness, and your fear of the unknown. If the piercer is well-experienced, the piercing should at worst be slightly painful.