Like all other forms of body art, be it piercings, or tattoos, the easy part is enduring it, the hard part is taking care of it until it heals completely. I know what it's like to take care of something so susceptible to an infection, that it requires days or even weeks of constant care and attention. For those who haven't had the experience of going under the needle, so to speak, in getting a tattoo done, or haven't been through a pin-shot wound by a piercing gun, are in for some news.
First off, to be able to withstand pain brought on by a piercing/tattoo artist, deserves nothing less than grand kudos. Now your job is to make sure you care enough to have it all taken care of and in shape, during the healing time.
Types of Lip Piercings
Cultures that fell under the pre-Columbian bracket of South America, wore lip piercings called tembeta, and is also a well-known tradition among the African tribes, who have more decorative and intriguing looking jewelry covering their lips / faces. Not all piercings have to be adorned on the lip portion of one's mouth, and can be anywhere around the oral region, close enough to the mouth.
Medusa Piercing
This form of upper lip piercing, falls in the space between your nostrils, and your upper lip, where the philtrum dent is.
Snakebite Piercing
This kind of piercing is done on either side of one's lower lip, at each corner, to look like bites done by a snake..
Vertical Labret Piercing
This piercing enters the middle of the lower lip, exits the mouth from within, re-piercing the skin from the inside, and exiting from the inside out of the mouth, on the lower part of the lip line.
Horizontal Labret Piercing
This labret piercing, lies in a straight line across one's lip, entering one part of the lip, and exiting from the other, at the center. This is also done on the chin, in the same manner, much like that of a 'venom bite' piercing.
Madonna/Monroe Piercing
A Madonna piercing is another name for the Monroe piercing, since both women have beauty spots nestled into one side of the upper lip. A piercing done on either side of the lip on the upper corners, resembles a beauty spot much like that of Madonna and Marilyn.
Spider Bites Piercing
This piercing is like the snakebite and labret combined, where the piercings are placed on either corners of the lower lip line, and one in the center. Sometimes this is done using only two piercings, or lip rings side by side, entering and exiting the lower lip. This can also be done on the tongue for that matter.
Dahlia Piercing
The dahlia piercing is done where the mouth lifts, in a say a smile, where these two points have a piercing each, usually in studs.
Lip Piercing Care Tips
Caring for a lip piercing is not easy, and you need to be extremely careful when handling the healing of your wound around the piercing punctures. It takes a period of about 6 - 10 weeks for it to heal, and if taken care of in the right way, can help steer you away from a lip piercing infection. Experiencing things like bleeding, pain, redness, peeling and so on, is natural during the healing process. Here's how you can use the following piercing care, to have yourself showing off that fancy body art - scar and infection free.
- Use a saline solution, to gently soak your mouth into twice a day.
- Avoid smoking or drinking / eating at least three hours from when the piercing was inserted.
- Make sure your mouth is clean after you eat / drink or do something to invite bacteria.
- Brush teeth regularly.
- It is advisable to stay away from alcohol or cigarettes, until the wound has healed.
- Try eating cold foods often, and avoid anything hot / pungent. It will help to reduce the pain and swelling, and quicken healing time.
- Keep chemicals away from the piercing wound.
- Make sure your hands are clean before touching the piercing area.
- Do not attempt to remove the piercing ring / stud, since wounds can close fast. Putting them back on will just worsen the wound.
- My piercing artist tells me to always turn piercing rings around, or in and out if using a labret sort of piercing, to let it move more freely.
- Suck on anti-inflammatory lozenges, to lessen the chances of an infection, or swelling.
- If you experience any extreme signs of pain or swelling that doesn't pass for days, then you need to go back to your piercing artist and get it checked out.
- Avoid wiping your face swiftly with a towel or cloth, since this can snag your piercing.
- Use anti bacterial cream or soap, and gently dab it around the wound twice a day, to remove any foreign elements stuck around it (do not use anything alcohol based).
