A medusa piercing is an upper lip piercing, very similar to a labret piercing; it is placed in 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...

, directly under the septum of the nose. It is typically pierced using a labret

Labret

A labret is one form of body piercing. Taken literally, it is any type of adornment that is attached to the facial lip . However, the term usually refers to a piercing that is below the bottom lip, above the chin...

 stud as jewellery, with the ball sitting outside of the mouth in the dip of the top lip.

A variation of the medusa piercing is a jestrum

Jestrum piercing

A jestrum piercing, also known as a vertical medusa, is an upper lip piercing that is very similar to a labret piercing, or more specifically a vertical labret piercing. It is placed in the philtrum of the upper lip, directly under the nasal septum...

, where the piercing is placed vertically through the lip using curved barbell so both beads are visible.

External links

• Encyclopedia entry on the medusa: Body Modification E-Zine