November 29, 2021
Other than belly piercings and septum piercings, lip piercing ideas have been growing in popularity and are not necessarily just a phase for teens. When you first imagine a lip piercing, you might think about a ring placed on the right or left of the lower lip as a hoop. Though that is common, they can also be placed in areas other than that. For such a small canvas to work on, lips have a variety of different piercing stylization options to choose from. This post explores how lips are safely pierced, body jewelry that coordinates well with lip piercings, and the variety of lip piercing styles available.
A lip piercing is a piercing that is located on your upper or lower lip. Lip piercings are incredibly popular because of the sheer amount of options and style for jewelry available, with endless customization. There isn’t a placement that is considered the best over the others, but there are some that might suit your personal style better.
Lip piercings have many different popular placements. Here are a few different examples to give you some ideas:
Labret piercings are the most well-known type of lip piercing. So much so that lip studs are commonly referred to as labret studs. Labret piercings are located under the bottom lip, either on the right or left side. They are a single puncture that is done with a needle.
There are many different jewelry styles you can use with a labret piercing, from a stud to a hoop, or a curved barbell. This versatility has led to its popularity. In many cases, people will pair their labret piercing with other types of lip piercings. You can create new piercing styles by combining different lip piercings such as the dolphin bite or snake bites.
A Monroe piercing is another single stud piercing, but it is located above the upper lip on the left side of the mouth. It is named after Marilyn Monroe, since it is located in the same spot as her iconic mole.
A medusa piercing will sit in the philtrum, which is also known as the Cupid’s bow, or the divot above the middle of your lip. This is not to be confused with a lip ring.
Snake bites are made up of two lower lip piercings, usually placed on the outer edge of the lip on the right and left sides. There are two styles of snake bite piercings: ring piercings and labret studs.
Vertical labret piercings are different from standard labret piercings since they consist of two puncture holes instead of one. A hole will go through the bottom lip like a standard labret piercing, and another hole will go through the top of the bottom lip. The jewelry used for this type of piercing is typically a curved barbell that is able to connect both piercing sites. The jewelry does not touch the inside of the mouth like other types of lip piercings do.
A lip piercing will hurt, like other types of piercings, but it is quite tolerable. Like other piercings, the process is quick and your biggest concern will be taking care of the piercing. Just like other piercings, you will need to be careful not to get your jewelry caught on anything or accidentally bump or move your new piercing. This type of movement and friction will prolong the healing process and might cause you unnecessary discomfort. Other body piercings are typically not as sensitive because they’re not as involved with the process of eating and drinking fluids.
The healing time for a lip piercing can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months, depending on your body and how it heals. You use your mouth to eat, talk and drink all the time, so this is what can push the healing process back a bit.
Just like any other type of piercing, there are important steps that your piercer will give you to keep the area clean and prevent any infections. You can use an alcohol-free mouthwash in order to flush out any bacteria inside the mouth and the inside of the piercing. These should be done anytime you eat or drink anything.
As for the outside of the piercing, you can use a sterile saline wash or sea salt solution twice daily in order to irrigate the area, followed by letting it air dry.
Lip piercings will have as common side effects as any other piercing. You will be at risk of getting an infection since your mouth can contain a lot of different bacteria. Since lip piercings are on the inside and outside of your mouth, you will need to make sure both sides are clean. You should brush your teeth after each meal and use alcohol-free mouthwash.
You will also experience swelling and inflammation, but proper aftercare should keep things manageable and help your piercing heal. If you smoke cigarettes, you should try and stop during the healing process, as this can prolong it.
There are a few different jewelry options that you can go with for your lip piercing, depending on the placement and your personal style. Your piercer will typically recommend going with a 16 or 18 gauge with a titanium or gold metal.
Studs are a common type of jewelry used for lip piercings since they can be used on the bottom and top lips comfortably. Other options can include curved barbells (especially for the vertical labret piercing). Hoops and rings are also very common, but these are typically recommended when your piercing has already healed since they can restrict the movement of the flesh as it heals and can cause discomfort.
Start by standing in front of a mirror that is well-lit, so you can clearly see the piercing and what you are doing. The hole is usually pretty small when you remove your initial stud out, so you will need to have some bright lights to see it.
Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before you touch your piercing in order to prevent bacteria from getting into the piercing wound. Have some sterile solution ready on a cotton swab, then pull the lip stud away from your lip carefully with one hand while rubbing the cotton swab around the stem of the jewelry a few times to remove any crust that might have built up, and to loosen the surrounding skin from the jewelry.
Then reach into your mouth to grab ahold of the back part of the stud with your fingers. If this is difficult then you can purchase some forceps that are designed to hold the back of the piercing. While holding the back of the piercing, unscrew the front of the piercing from the stud until it comes off the stud. Then pull the stem out of your mouth.
Apply a saline solution to a new cotton swab and clean the outside of the piercing hole to remove any remaining debris. Then insert the new jewelry from the inside of your mouth.
Visit Sage Tattoo and Art Gallery in Ottawa where we have some of the best tattoo artists and professional piercers in the city who can work with you to figure out the best piercings for you. If you’ve got any questions about finding the right tattoo artist or tattoo shop, don’t wait to contact us. We would be happy to answer any of your inquiries.