Lip Piercing
A lip piercing is a blanket term for any piercing that goes through the area surrounding the lips. This includes labret piercings, which are commonly centred under the bottom lip; side labret piercings, which are done on either side of the bottom lip; paired lower lip piercings ("snakebites"), side upper lip piercings "Monroe", and so on.
Vertical labrets are also lip piercings, however; they have a different healing period and standard jewelry, so they are listed separately. Click here to view the information for vertical labrets.
Philtrum piercings are also lip piercings, but also have different healing times. Click here to view the information on philtrum piercings.
A vertical philtrum (jestrum) is very similar to a vertical labret, although it takes longer to heal as it goes through more tissue. Click here to view the information for vertical philtrums.
Lip piercings tend to swell quite a lot, and then go down very quickly, so it is extremely important to downsize your lip piercing on time. The recommended downsize time for a lip piercing is 2-3 weeks after you get your piercing.
Once the piercing is comfortably downsized, the piercing will start to nest. This means the backing will sit comfortably against your lip and start to create a little pocket to sit in. This is not the same as embedding, which is when the jewelry is stuck and the skin is healing around it.
Important Information
Healing Time (approximate): 3-5 months
Downsize: 2-3 weeks
Standard Jewelry Size: 16g
Standard Jewelry Style: Stud, flatback labret-style post
Minimum Age: 14, with parental consent. Click here for more information on our Age Policy.
Although healing times vary for all individuals, these are average time frames that most clients fall into. If you are still noticing swelling around your piercing after 3 weeks, we recommend coming in for a piercing consultation so our piercer can take a look at the piercing and assess the situation.
Some piercings require multiple downsizes in order to heal correctly and fit comfortably.
If you prefer the look of a thicker piercing, or have had trouble healing piercings in the past and want a more stable piercing, our piercers may be able to pierce you with a larger gauge than listed above, however; for safety and healing we will not pierce with anything smaller.