Pierced ear cartilage: advice and help needed

Hey 🙂
Just a heads up, I have a ton of questions about this, and please don't just drop links to old threads. I've already scrolled through all of them, and they’re super outdated. I figure a lot has changed with products and stuff over the last couple of years.

I've been thinking about getting my cartilage pierced for a while now. I was wondering if it's okay to just go to a jewelry store like Zales, and if using a piercing gun is gonna be an issue 🙂.
Also, is the pain actually as bad as people say, or is everyone just exaggerating?
And can you "clean" the wound with alcohol, or is that actually a bad idea?
Is there any way to prevent an infection? Like, is there some specific product that cleans everything out? (I feel kind of dumb asking this, I guess 😂)

Anyway, I'd love to hear about your experiences. Looking forward to your replies 🙄

Sorry for the double post, just wanted to get this out there. I'm heading out to drill the day after tomorrow, so I guess I want to wrap my head around all this nonsense first.

Someone please help 😁

Sam Hernandez18 said:Hey 🙂
Just a heads up right off the bat—I’ve got a ton of questions about this, and I’d really appreciate it if you guys didn't just dump links to old threads on me. I’ve already combed through them, and honestly, they're ancient. I'm pretty sure a lot has changed regarding products and everything else over the last couple of years.

I've been mulling over getting my ear cartilage pierced for quite a while now, and I was wondering if it's actually okay to get it done at a jewelry store, or if using a piercing gun is going to cause issues 🙂 .
Also, is the pain actually as bad as everyone makes it out to be, or is that just some urban legend?
And should I be "cleaning" the wound with alcohol, or is that actually the last thing I should be doing?
Is there any way to protect myself from an infection? Like, is there a specific product that would clean everything out properly (I feel so silly even asking this stuff 😂)

Anyway, I'm dying to hear about your experiences. Looking forward to your replies 🙄

Technical questions like these should really be directed toward the specific shop where you're planning to get the procedure done.

HealthHub is a space meant for well-intentioned, constructive discussions where we swap experiences and tips on how to stay healthy.

Deliberately breaking the skin and piercing your ear cartilage isn't exactly a move that promotes health in any capacity; in fact, it can pose significant risks to a person, both aesthetically and functionally

Getting straight to the point:
ADVICE: Leave your ears alone and keep them intact.
SUGGESTION: Find a more constructive way to express yourself (maybe through education, sports, music, or volunteering...).
HELP: Refer back to the ADVICE and SUGGESTION above.