Here is all the information you need to know about labret piercings before getting them: How is the piercing done, what risks are there and what do you need to consider when caring for it?
Table of contents
- Labret piercing: How to get a lip piercing
- Labret piercing: How painful is the piercing?
- Getting a labret piercing: These are the risks
- Costs: How much does a lip piercing cost
- Labret Piercing: Everything about Healing and Proper Care
- Labret: This piercing jewelry is suitable
A labret piercing is a piercing on the lip. To be more precise, the piercing is pierced below the lower lip. Whether the piercing should be in the middle or to the side is entirely up to your taste. If the piercing is particularly deep near the root of the tooth, it is called a lowbred.
Here is all the important information you should know about labret piercings - from the risks and pain to proper care and costs.
By the way: The term "labret piercing" sometimes confuses. Not only the piercing on the lower lip but all piercings in the lip area are often referred to as labrets. This includes, for example, the Madonna piercing, which is pierced to the side above the upper lip, and the Medusa piercing, which is located in the small groove between the upper lip and nose. The term is also used for the cone-shaped piercing bar that is flattened at the back and can be used on many parts of the body.
Important: No matter what kind of lip piercing or piercing in general it is, it should always be done by a professional and experienced piercer. If the lip piercing is not done properly, it can cause serious infections.
Labret piercing: How to get a lip piercing
Before the actual piercing, the puncture site and the surrounding skin are first thoroughly disinfected and then the desired piercing site is marked with a pen. The lip is then fixed with a clamp, slightly lifted, and pierced with a special needle.
The lower lip often swells slightly immediately after piercing, throbs, or feels hot. In some cases, the lip or gums may even turn blue in the first few days. However, all of these symptoms should disappear after a few days at the latest.
Labret piercing: How painful is the piercing?
How painful the lower lip piercing is depends on your pain sensitivity. In general, however, it can be said that the labret is one of the less painful piercings, as it is only pierced through the skin and not through cartilage tissue like many ear piercings (such as the tragus or conch ).
Getting a labret piercing: These are the risks
Basically, all piercings, whether belly button, ear, or lip piercings, carry some risks. After all, tissue is being pierced and a foreign body is being inserted.
The most common risk is that the labret piercing becomes infected - for example, if it is not cared for properly and regularly or if the piercing constantly gets caught on clothing etc. Wearing braces can also have a negative effect, as the braces can get caught on the jewelry and the piercing hole is exposed to constant friction. You can find out what to do if your piercing becomes infected here: Piercing infected: What you can do and when you should see a doctor.
But inflammation is not the only thing that can occur with this lower lip piercing. The piercing jewelry can, for example, grow into the oral mucosa. However, this usually only happens with newly pierced piercings with studs that are too short.
In general, the correct length of the labret lip piercing is very important. A stud that is too short can damage the teeth and tooth enamel. In general, the initial jewelry is longer than the permanent jewelry that is used after the piercing has completely healed.
And the right material is also crucial. Studs made of titanium or surgical steel can damage the gums and tooth enamel. Therefore, only piercings made of soft polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) should be used.
Costs: How much does a lip piercing cost
There is no general statement as to how much a labret piercing will cost. Prices vary depending on which studio you get pierced in. And there are also price fluctuations from region to region.
A lip piercing usually costs around 40 to 70 euros. The price usually includes not only the piercing but also the initial jewelry and piercing care.
Labret Piercing: Everything about Healing and Proper Care
The healing of the labret takes about four to eight weeks. To ensure that the piercing heals without problems and no inflammation occurs, proper care is essential after piercing.
Since the labret piercing is partly an external and partly an oral piercing, it must be cared for both externally and internally.
Here are the most important tips:
- During the first few weeks, clean the piercing site two to three times a day with disinfectant mouth spray
- Also, rinse your mouth after meals with a mouthwash (without alcohol) or with chamomile tea.
- During the first few days, avoid smoking, alcohol, and blood-thinning medication such as aspirin, and protect the piercing from soap and cosmetics or use pH-neutral products.
- In the first two weeks, you should not eat any foods that contain milk or fruit acids. In general, you should be very careful when biting and chewing food.
- Avoid ball sports for a few days (risk of injury). Sunbathing/tanning beds and saunas are also taboo while the wound is healing.
- Move the labret gently from time to time with disinfected hands to prevent it from growing into the inner mucous membrane of the mouth. But do not remove the piercing under any circumstances.
- Any crusts that may form can be carefully removed with warm chamomile water.
Labret: This piercing jewelry is suitable
Once the piercing on the lower lip has completely healed, the original jewelry can be replaced with other jewelry from the piercer.
A labret bar is usually used for the piercing, also called a labret stud or labret pin. Such a bar has a small plate at one end and a thread at the other end onto which a small ball can be screwed. The bar thickness is usually 1.2 mm or 1.6 mm and is between 8 and 14 mm long. A labret bar made of Bioflex (PTFE) is also recommended. The material is more skin-friendly than nickel or surgical stainless steel, which often causes allergies or inflammation and can damage teeth.
In addition to labret studs, ball closure rings or horseshoes are also popular.
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