Lip piercing
Encyclopedia
A lip piercing is a type of body piercing
that penetrates the lip
s or the area surrounding the lips, which can be pierced in a variety of ways.
Approximate healing times for most lip piercings are between 1 to 2 months, however there is a possibility of serious infections developing if the piercing is not taken care of. After healing is complete, other jewelry may be used. After this time, some scar tissue
may be present, but the fistula
is normally fully developed and mostly healed. Aftercare consists of saline soaks two to three times daily. Soaking the wound for three to five minutes with a weak saline solution softens any blood and lymph
discharge attached to the jewelry. Using a q-tip removes excess matter from the site. Afterward, one should slowly turn the jewellery through the piercing, rinse with saline solution to flush the inside of the wound and remove any matter remaining in and around the piercing. Diluted mouthwash can also be used after meals to help remove debris and flush the piercing and is recommended by some practitioners.
Initial jewelry is usually a labret stud or a captive bead ring, manufactured from high-grade surgical stainless steel
, implant-grade titanium
, or similar lightweight and inert metal. No matter which type of jewelry is used, the jewelry's diameter and length will be intentionally over sized to allow room for initial swelling
. After healing, the jewelry can be replaced with a closer-fitting piece.
A home-made saline solution made from one-fourth teaspoon of all natural pink or gray non-iodized sea salt and one cup of hot distilled or filtered water is a common way to heal a lip piercing and avoid infection. This solution can be used to rinse out the mouth after eating (or the mouth can be rinsed with non-alcoholic, non-antimicrobial mouth wash) and to soak the outside of the piercing. Anything with alcohol, peroxide, iodine, or any strong soaps should be avoided because they may irritate the fresh piercing, and cause additional swelling and trauma during the healing process. Also using things like peroxide, iodine, teatree oil, conventional antibacterial soap, or dish soap can damage or kill the skin in and around the piercing, extending the healing process. The ornament should be periodically cleansed to prevent bacterial plaque accumulation.
s, for example, are labret studs worn on the upper lip where Marilyn Monroe
had her famous mole. Medusa piercing
s go through the center of the upper lip (the philtrum
), perpendicular to the tissue. Labret piercings are pierced with a labret stud and can pierced in the center or off-center. A variation of this is the lowbret, a lower labret. Vertical labret piercings go through the center of the bottom lip, parallel to the tissue. The variation is called the vertical lowbret, which starts inside the mouth between the lower lip and the teeth and travels straight down, exiting on the lower edge of the jawline. Horizontal lip piercings are very rare, and include a horizontal bar on the lower lip that goes through the lip surface. There is also the dahlia piercing, which are by the creases of the mouth.
historically used lip piercing called Tembetá
. Lip piercing continues to be practiced by many people, the most well-known of which are certain African tribes, who wear large decorative lip plate
s or discs, usually in the lower lip.
In contemporary society, lip piercings are relatively uncommon. In a study among Israel
i young-adults, 4.3% had present or past body piercing (not included earlobe, lip or intra-oral piercing), and 5.7%, 6.2% and 15.7% had present or past lip piercing, body tattooing and intra-oral piercing, respectively.
l
Body piercing
Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice...
that penetrates the lip
Lip
Lips are a visible body part at the mouth of humans and many animals. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech...
s or the area surrounding the lips, which can be pierced in a variety of ways.
Approximate healing times for most lip piercings are between 1 to 2 months, however there is a possibility of serious infections developing if the piercing is not taken care of. After healing is complete, other jewelry may be used. After this time, some scar tissue
Scar tissue
Scar tissue can refer to:*Granulation tissue, a product of healing in major wounds*The tissue of a scar*"Scar Tissue", a Red Hot Chili Peppers song*Scar Tissue , the autobiography of Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers...
may be present, but the fistula
Fistula
In medicine, a fistula is an abnormal connection or passageway between two epithelium-lined organs or vessels that normally do not connect. It is generally a disease condition, but a fistula may be surgically created for therapeutic reasons.-Locations:Fistulas can develop in various parts of the...
is normally fully developed and mostly healed. Aftercare consists of saline soaks two to three times daily. Soaking the wound for three to five minutes with a weak saline solution softens any blood and lymph
Lymph
Lymph is considered a part of the interstitial fluid, the fluid which lies in the interstices of all body tissues. Interstitial fluid becomes lymph when it enters a lymph capillary...
discharge attached to the jewelry. Using a q-tip removes excess matter from the site. Afterward, one should slowly turn the jewellery through the piercing, rinse with saline solution to flush the inside of the wound and remove any matter remaining in and around the piercing. Diluted mouthwash can also be used after meals to help remove debris and flush the piercing and is recommended by some practitioners.
Initial jewelry is usually a labret stud or a captive bead ring, manufactured from high-grade surgical stainless steel
Surgical stainless steel
Surgical stainless steel is a specific type of stainless steel, used in medical applications, made out of several components: chromium, nickel and molybdenum....
, implant-grade titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
, or similar lightweight and inert metal. No matter which type of jewelry is used, the jewelry's diameter and length will be intentionally over sized to allow room for initial swelling
Swelling (medical)
In medical parlance, swelling is the transient enlargement or protuberance in the body and may include tumors. According to cause, it may be congenital, traumatic, inflammatory, neoplastic or miscellaneous....
. After healing, the jewelry can be replaced with a closer-fitting piece.
A home-made saline solution made from one-fourth teaspoon of all natural pink or gray non-iodized sea salt and one cup of hot distilled or filtered water is a common way to heal a lip piercing and avoid infection. This solution can be used to rinse out the mouth after eating (or the mouth can be rinsed with non-alcoholic, non-antimicrobial mouth wash) and to soak the outside of the piercing. Anything with alcohol, peroxide, iodine, or any strong soaps should be avoided because they may irritate the fresh piercing, and cause additional swelling and trauma during the healing process. Also using things like peroxide, iodine, teatree oil, conventional antibacterial soap, or dish soap can damage or kill the skin in and around the piercing, extending the healing process. The ornament should be periodically cleansed to prevent bacterial plaque accumulation.
Types
Lip piercings can be placed anywhere around the mouth, but the surface of the lip is not typically pierced itself, except for horizontal lip piercings and canine bites. Piercings in specific positions have certain names. Monroe piercingMonroe piercing
A Monroe piercing is a lip piercing placed off-center, above the upper lip on the left hand side and is meant to resemble Marilyn Monroe's beauty spot...
s, for example, are labret studs worn on the upper lip where Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
had her famous mole. Medusa piercing
Medusa piercing
A medusa piercing is an upper lip piercing, very similar to a labret piercing; it is placed in the philtrum, directly under the septum of the nose...
s go through the center of the upper lip (the philtrum
Philtrum
The philtrum , is a medial cleft common to many mammals, extending from the nose to the upper lip, and, together with a glandular rhinarium and slit-like nostrils, is believed to constitute the primitive condition for mammals in general...
), perpendicular to the tissue. Labret piercings are pierced with a labret stud and can pierced in the center or off-center. A variation of this is the lowbret, a lower labret. Vertical labret piercings go through the center of the bottom lip, parallel to the tissue. The variation is called the vertical lowbret, which starts inside the mouth between the lower lip and the teeth and travels straight down, exiting on the lower edge of the jawline. Horizontal lip piercings are very rare, and include a horizontal bar on the lower lip that goes through the lip surface. There is also the dahlia piercing, which are by the creases of the mouth.
History and culture
Precolumbian cultures of South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
historically used lip piercing called Tembetá
Tembetá
A tembetá or Barbote is a metal or stone rod, placed in lower lip piercings by the members of some American Indian tribes in South America...
. Lip piercing continues to be practiced by many people, the most well-known of which are certain African tribes, who wear large decorative lip plate
Lip plate
A lip plate, also known as a lip plug or lip disc, is a form of body modification. Increasingly larger discs are inserted into a pierced hole in either the upper or lower lip, or both, thereby stretching it...
s or discs, usually in the lower lip.
In contemporary society, lip piercings are relatively uncommon. In a study among Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i young-adults, 4.3% had present or past body piercing (not included earlobe, lip or intra-oral piercing), and 5.7%, 6.2% and 15.7% had present or past lip piercing, body tattooing and intra-oral piercing, respectively.
See also
- Body piercingBody piercingBody piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice...
- Body piercing jewelryBody piercing jewelryBody piercing jewelery is jewelery manufactured specifically for use in body piercing.Originally, hardly any other jewellery than circular earrings were used in modern Western body piercing. As the body piercing became more of a fashion, a vast amount of specially crafted jewellery became available...
- Tongue frenulum piercingTongue frenulum piercingA tongue frenulum piercing or the tongue web piercing is a body piercing through the frenulum underneath the tongue . These piercings are relatively simple piercings, and heal quickly, although they do have a tendency to reject over time. Depending on the anatomy of the individual, this piercing...
, another oral piercing - Tongue piercingTongue piercingA tongue piercing is a body piercing usually done directly through the center of the tongue, and is the most popular piercing site in the western world after the ear and nostril.-History and culture:...
, another oral piercing - Monroe piercingMonroe piercingA Monroe piercing is a lip piercing placed off-center, above the upper lip on the left hand side and is meant to resemble Marilyn Monroe's beauty spot...
, a type of lip piercing - Medusa piercingMedusa piercingA medusa piercing is an upper lip piercing, very similar to a labret piercing; it is placed in the philtrum, directly under the septum of the nose...
, a type of lip piercing - Labret piercing, a type of lip piercing
- Lip plateLip plateA lip plate, also known as a lip plug or lip disc, is a form of body modification. Increasingly larger discs are inserted into a pierced hole in either the upper or lower lip, or both, thereby stretching it...
, a type of lip piercing
External links
l