A piercing needle is actually hollow and extremely sharp. It slices through the skin, safely pushing the tissue aside to make room for the jewelry to be inserted. That may not sound too appealing, but it's actually a very quick process and the method is virtually painless for most body parts.

Do needles hurt more than piercing guns?

Getting Pierced with a Needle

The process of using a needle to do a piercing in an area of the body other than the ear lobe is much safer, and our customers say, less painful than using a piercing gun. ... Yet when the two methods are directly compared, needles are far safer, and less painful for body piercings.

How bad do ear piercing needles hurt?

You may feel a pinch and some throbbing after, but it shouldn't last long. The pain from either piercing method is probably equivalent. The ear has nerves all through it. But the fatty tissue in the earlobe has less than other areas, so it may feel less painful.