Lip Piercing Healing

People think that getting your lips pierced is the difficult part. Nope. Getting into something unknown is what scares you the most. So you've made sure you know exactly what lip piercing entails. You know the degree of pain you'll feel and what you'll go through during it. But you still have no idea about the healing process and what you'll have to go through after the piercing is done. And according to your policy, (even otherwise, actually) it is always better to know what the healing entails so that you can get a lip piercing done without any tension.

The Stages

Stage One

The healing time of a lip piercing, on an average, is about 4-6 weeks (although for some it might be more or even less) making it one of the fastest healing piercings. This is because the mouth generates saliva, which in itself has bacteria fighting properties. The most important factor to remember is that a lip piercing is like a wound in your body and therefore allowing it time for healing is necessary.

What to Expect in This Stage:

• There will be redness, tenderness and swelling of the skin surrounding the lip piercing.
• There might be bleeding as well.
• There will be itching and bruising around the area.
• There might be a lymph discharge (yellowish - whitish fluid) around the piercing hole.
• After about 10 days, a scar will start to form around the piercing.

Stage Two

The entire healing process will take about 4-10 weeks. The 2nd stage of the healing process can begin any time from the 3rd week or the 4th week. In this stage, you will find a more noticeable change in the healing process. This is because, the initial stage will give way to a more concrete sort of healing.

What to Expect in This Stage:

• The symptoms of the first stage of healing will diminish. The redness, swelling, itching and all other symptoms that are present when the piercing is first done will diminish.
• The major change in this stage will be the formation of a scab on the wound.
• So also, several layers of tissue will be added by the body to make the piercing hole permanent.
• For the piercing to become permanent, (so that the hole does not close once the jewelry is removed), it can take up to 3 years. Therefore removing the piercing for prolonged periods can lead to the closing of the hole and should therefore be avoided.

General Care Guidelines

Even though the lip piercing healing process is one of the fastest when compared to the healing processes of other body piercings, there are certain precautions that need to be taken so that there is no onset of infections, and proper care can be taken.

• Immediately after the piercing and for three hours after, do not eat, consume alcohol or smoke.
• Also, avoid alcohol, substance abuse and smoking before the piercing is done.
• Do not touch the piercing without washing your hands with an anti-bacterial hand wash. This will lessen the chances of getting an infection.
• Make sure that you keep your mouth clean by maintaining high levels of hygiene. Brush twice a day with a soft bristled toothbrush.
• Try and suck on antibacterial or anti-inflammatory lozenges to avoid an infection.
• Doing salt rinses is really helpful in reducing swelling and keeping the piercing infection free.
• Drink iced water and suck on crushed ice for relief.
• Do not share plates, cups or other utensils with others.
• Introducing an intake of Vitamin B and Zinc tablets helps in quick healing.
• Do not introduce any foreign object into your mouth as this can lead to an infection.
• Avoid swimming for a couple of weeks while the wound is raw.
• Practice safe oral sex. Not doing so can lead to catching STDs, since it is an open wound.
• Make sure to dry the area around the piercing with paper towels rather than cloth ones. Cloth towels can up the chances of catching an infection.
• Do not remove the piercing before consulting the piercer, because removing the piercing before it has completely healed can lead to the hole closing.
• Taking plenty of rest and having a well-balanced meal will also greatly help in the healing process.

Lip piercing healing will not be a daunting task if one takes precautions and proper care of the piercing. Do that, and before you know it, your lip piercing will be all better. Then flaunt it around like it was meant to be done!