UK Piercers Urge Ban on £1.50 Home Kits as Expert Warns of Shattered Ears

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 16

Lucy Quinn, a professional piercer in south Wales, said injuries from at-home kits and online-bought piercing guns have become increasingly common, ranging from scarring and infections to ears left "completely shattered" and permanently deformed.
£1.50 kits can be bought online with no UK age-verification rules, and 17-year-old Maddie said she purchased one at 14 after seeing TikTok videos, later developing infected piercings that healed badly.
Wound-care specialist Kirsten Mahoney said complications include embedded jewellery, granulomas and infections, with some people ending up in A&E for removal and many other cases likely going unreported.
The UK Association of Professional Piercers wants at-home kits and guns banned, arguing blunt jewellery causes tissue trauma and unsterile use raises cross-contamination risks; Quinn said age restrictions would be a first step.
Amazon and eBay said the products are legal to sell in the UK, while the Welsh government advised people to avoid DIY kits and use licensed professional piercers instead.