In the world of piercings, there's a lot to pick from. There's simple ear piercings to more complex options like the nipple piercing or even dermal piercings. But if you've got your sights set on a lip piercing there's no doubt it's a great accessory if uber-edgy is your style of choice. But do you know how many piercing placements there are for the lip area? In short, plenty. There's the Marilyn, the Medusa and then there's the labret piercing. The latter of the list is a popular choice and it may have something to do with its versatility. Curious? We've got the run down of everything you need to know below.
What Is A Labret Piercings?
A labret piercing is located under the lower lip, right in the centre. But there are variations. As well as the regular labret, there's the vertical labret piercing (which features two ends and is pierced through the bottom lip to the opening of the lower lip). There's also the side labret, which is located at the right or left corner of the bottom lip.
What Happens In A Labret Piercing Appointment?
For a regular labret piercing, a professional will mark up the area with a skin-safe pen and then use a surgical clamp and hollow needle to create a swift single puncture under the lower lip, right in the centre. The piercing enters from outside the mouth area towards the inside of the mouth. The stud is added by passing it through the hollow needle and once in place the loose end is fitted with a flat back to prevent the piercing from scratching the insides of the mouth.
With a vertical labret, the piercing sits completely outside of the mouth so that both ends of the jewellery can be seen. Unlike its simpler sister, it is made of two punctures that go through the centre of the bottom lip itself and exit below the lower lip where a regular labret piercing would be. Unlike the usual labret, the vertical never touches the inside of the mouth.
Pain, Healing And Aftercare
It's worth noting that not everyone is built for this style of piercing and a professional will be able to advise best based on your anatomy and whether it can support such a piercing. As for pain, this is dependent on your own threshold, some may find it bearable, others not so much. You can expect a sharp pinch and feeling of pressure which should pass quickly. Thanks to it being pierced through soft tissue, it will generally hurts less than cartilage piercings.
Some say the piercing fully heals around 6-8 weeks, while others say it takes 2-3 months but the exact healing time varies from person to person and will need efficient aftercare to ensure speedy and thorough healing.
As for aftercare, you should approach this in two folds depending on which labret piercing you have. For a vertical labret the aftercare is pretty typical: clean the area with a sterile saline solution at least twice a day. For a single labret (here's the two folds i mentioned), you'll need to clean the inside of your piercing and outside. For inside, swill a saltwater solution around your mouth twice a day and be mindful of any food stuck around your piercing. For the outside of the piercing, use a saltwater or saline solution, or a tea tree oil to gently bathe the piercing twice a day.
Generally speaking it is important to keep up the hygiene of the area overall, this means avoid spicy and sticky foods, chewing gum, smoking, alcohol and even kissing, as to not irritate the area.
How Much Does it Cost?
The average cost of a labret piercing ranges from £30-£35, but the figure will be dependent on which area of the UK you are in.