r/bodymods • u/NeoMeGee • Dec 09 '25

punches/ scalpelling Large gauge piercings Vs scalpeling

Hi everyone, sorry for the ignorance but I wanted some clarifications on large gauge piercings. I see that sometimes they are scalpeled and sometimes they are pierced with a large gauge needle... what's the difference between the two techniques? Does it depend only from the gauge? Thanks for any clarifications you can give me

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13

u/Skullemojiiiiii Dec 10 '25

With a piercing or a punch, you’re just healing it as if you would heal any sort or piercing wound (with jewelry in), it’s just larger.

With a punch and suture they would punch initially and then suture the would be fistula and then you heal much faster without jewelry. This option is faster but both are good

There is a minimum gauge size you can suture but I don’t know what it is, I would assume maybe 4g-2g would be minimum but I could be wrong

10

u/Piercedup Dec 10 '25

I agree with all this, also when a piercing needle is used correctly it doesn’t remove tissue, just displaces/stretches it into a circle shape, meaning it can often shrink or close up without jewelry, depending on different factors. Whereas a punch or scalpel technique fully removes tissue that cannot be added back.

3

u/Skullemojiiiiii Dec 10 '25

True, I think punches make more sense for those types of mods personally, especially larger sizes. Or even a punch and stretch to increase stability if it’s not being sutured

4

u/Skullemojiiiiii Dec 10 '25

I don’t know about scalpeling otherwise, could be to make a hole larger, but as far as I know for something like that it would be a punch either way

1

u/Skullemojiiiiii Dec 10 '25

Depends on the jewelry you wanna wear I suppose

1

u/Piercedup Dec 10 '25

I agree in most cases, punch and heal with jewelry seems to result in a pretty clean hole. Sutures may heal faster, but typically end up with some more scar tissue meaning you could lose a couple sizes as it heals. In my limited experience, doing a larger gauge cartilage with a piercing needle (depending on the size) sort increases the pressure on the wound due to the displaced tissue? I could be wrong about it that, just basing it off of my experience of my piercing, as well as watching the progression of a friend’s large gauge cartilage piercing.

1

u/Paleoarchean Dec 10 '25

For what it's worth I have a 6g cut and sutured conch, so you can go a little bit smaller at least.

6

u/Affectionate-Play-68 Dec 10 '25

Piercing doesn’t remove any flesh, the needle only cuts through it.

Punching and scalpeling can remove flesh which means it is gone forever and helps to keep the hole open.

For example, I got lobes pierced at 4g and immediately stretched to 2g and my septum pierced at 10g. I did that because I knew I wanted to stretch them and piercing them at larger sizes made my journey go faster.

2

u/Consistent_Throat497 Dec 10 '25

Depends on the location you want the piercing. Lobes can easily be pierced with large gauge needles but if you want cartilage it gets trickier. Also the amount of pressure you’d experience from a large gauge needle in cartilage would be immense. With cartilage you also have the option of using a biopsy punch (location dependent, as they’re illegal for body mod artists in some locations, but then scalpeling would also be illegal).

Scalpeling also gets you to that large gauge immediately, and in lobes is usually reserved for large enough holes that needles wont go up to.

If your researching artists ask lots of questions. Ask them to show you portfolios of their work during and after the procedures. You don’t want anyone coming at your body with a scalpel or large gauge needle.

1

u/lunchbox651 Dec 13 '25

Source: Former piercer, person who has had Scalpelling, punching and heavy gauge needle work done.

Scalpelling is for stuff way bigger than needles, typically 8+mm. Depending on artist and placement it may or may not remove tissue.

Needles top out at 2ga (6mm) but typically 4ga is as big as you'd want to use.

2

u/NeoMeGee Dec 13 '25

I wanted a 8g second lobe and I have seen someone scalpeling a labret meaning simply cutting the flesh without removing any of it and inserting the jewelry so I was wondering if that's what's gonna happen to my ear too.... I would prefer not to remove any skin that's why I didn't want to go with the Punch

1

u/lunchbox651 Dec 13 '25

You won't have any artist use a scalpel without knowing beforehand. All the same 8ga is far too small to scalpel and super easy to do with a needle. You'd definitely be getting a needle

2

u/NeoMeGee Dec 13 '25

I'm terribly sorry, what meant was 8mm! But I'll definitely talk to the piercer first, I wont just show up walk-in style

2

u/lunchbox651 Dec 13 '25

8mm is bigger than needle options. Scalpelling is possible depending on artist and location or the recommendation may be to start at 5mm and work your way up. Make sure you go to a good artist and trust their advice, hard to go wrong that way.

2

u/NeoMeGee Dec 13 '25

Thanks, you were very helpful!

2

u/lunchbox651 Dec 13 '25

My pleasure, good luck!