Lower Lip Piercing

For some people, body piercing is nothing more than a cultural practice. While for others, it is an ultimate way to show off personal style and look cool. Of the different types of body piercings, the most popular are those performed in the ear, nose and eyebrows, followed by lip piercing, navel piercing and others. Piercing of lips can be done either in the upper or lower lip, or both according to personal preferences. While speaking about lower lip piercing, it refers to penetrative piercing done directly in the lower lip, or portions adjacent to it.

Lower Lip Piercing: Information

Piercing of the lower lip involves injuring the tissues and creating a small hole for adorning varied designs of body jewelry. In short, one should not take lower lip piercing or any other body piercing lightly, as the procedure is associated with certain risk factors. To be on the safer side, gather information about the same before actually going for the procedure. Also, getting it done by a qualified piercer is a must to minimize dangers accompanying the procedure. Lower lip piercing types, jewelry, procedure, care and associated risks are discussed below.

Lower Lip Piercing Types
So, what is a lower lip piercing called? The name varies according to the actual location of the piercing. Say for example, a labret piercing is positioned at the base of the lower lip center. The history of labret piercing dates back to ancient Mayans and Astecs, and was opted by males to represent their higher class. Another piercing type of lower lip is the lowbret, in which piercing location is along the lower gum line.

Lower Lip Piercing Jewelry
Selecting jewelry is as important as contacting a expert piercer for piercing lower lip. The trick is to choose lip piercing jewelry made from inert and lightweight metal, like titanium, high quality stainless steel and gold. They are non allergenic, and contribute to fast healing of the piercing site. Immediately after piercing, an oversize captive bead ring or stud is worn, which can be replaced after complete healing of the wound.

Lower Lip Piercing Procedure
Before labret lip piercing, the area to be punctured is sterilized properly, followed by marking of the needle entry point (both outside and inside of lower lip). Based on the lip thickness, jewelry size is decided. A surgical clamp is then placed, and piercing is performed with a surgical needle at the marked point. Finally, the jewelry is inserted in the hole. As with any injury, lower lip piercing pain is expected to a certain degree.

Lower Lip Piercing Care
The pain intensity of lower lip piercing may be higher than any other piercing, as injury is concentrated in the soft lip tissues. A basic lip piercing care is to soak the wound in dilute saline solution for 5 minutes, at least 2-3 times daily. This loosens any unwanted discharge that adheres to the jewelry. Gently remove crust or deposits by using a Q-tip. During the lip piercing healing period, rotate jewelry and wash with saline solution.

Lower Lip Piercing Infection
Avoid touching the wound with unwashed hands. Any negligence in the aftercare tips increases the risk for lip piercing infection. Notable infection symptoms include redness, abnormal swelling, smelly discharge and severe pain for more than 2 days. In case of any suspected signs for infection, do not delay in taking medical attention. When proper care is followed, the healing period for lower lip piercing usually lasts from 4-6 weeks.

Lower Lip Piercing Cost
Coming to lip piercing cost, a professional piercer from a reputed salon charges higher than novice piercers. On an average, the cost for lower and upper lip piercing is approximately USD 20-80. Also, the total cost depends on the type of jewelry selected. If you are going for gold or diamond lip jewelry, the cost will be higher. For info on piercing of upper lip, you can refer to upper lip piercing.

This was a brief overview about lower lip piercing. In order to ensure quick healing of the wound, you should strictly follow the lower lip piercing aftercare tips, as suggested by the professional piercer. If you really want to wear lip jewelry, but do not want to undergo that painful procedure, then go for fake lip piercings. Indeed, you can flaunt them like real piercings without requiring you to go through needle penetration. As you remove them afterward, there will be no lip piercing scar, which is a normal outcome for the real piercing procedure.