10A.2 Labret Piercing
Description
This article is from the Piercing FAQ, by Anne Greenblatt with numerous contributions by others.
10A.2 Labret Piercing
by Anne Greenblatt <ardvark@best.com>
http://www.best.com/~ardvark January 1994
My first try at a lip piercing was towards the corner of my mouth,
just below the edge of my lower lip. We used a 19ga needle for the
piering, installing a 20ga 3/8" diameter surgical steel bead ring. The
thin gauge of the ring proved to be a mistake - the second day I
noticed the inside of my lip had started to tear upwards. A nasty
infection settled in that evening. I drained the piercing as much as
I could with hot compresses and removed the ring. The infection
cleared with the help of antibiotics. All that's left is a tiny scar
just below the edge of my lip.
My second and existing lip piercing was done with a 14ga needle,
installing a 16ga Labret stud in the center of my lower lip, about
1/2" below the edge of my lip. The labret stud is similar to a
barbell. Instead of a ball on the inside of my lip, the stud is backed
by a disc about 3/16" in diameter. A ball screws onto the front of
the stud. Since the jewelry is inserted from the back, an insertion
taper was used in the piercing process. The needle was inserted
through the front, then the 16ga insertion taper was inserted into the
needle, the taper threaded through the piercing, and the jewelry
pushed through, pushing out the taper.
Before piercing, the outside of my lip was disinfected with betadine
and the inside was disinfected with listerine for 5 minutes and numbed
with benzocaine (found in Oragel). The entire process was very quick
and a lot less painful than many of my other piercings, including
nostril and tragus.
Aftercare of the labret piercing included cleaning the outside hole
with ear care gel containing benzalkonium chloride and applying
vitamin E gel. The inside of the piercing was cleaned with Gly-Oxide,
and I rinsed my mouth with diluted (50%) Listerine after eating and
brushing teeth. The piercing healed in about 6 weeks.
There are several designs of Labret studs available. The most common
is the disc-backed stud. A possible problem with this design is that
the disc may, over time and wear, become unsoldered from the
post. Another problem some people have experienced with the disc is
gum erosion, and erosion or "nesting" of the inside of the lip beneath
the disc. A full year later, neither the slight gum erosion or niche
the disc has formed in the inside of my lip has caused me anyproblems
or has appeared to worsen.
The other design is the Fishtail Labret. The stud is attached to a
"tail" approximately an inch long, bent at a right angle, and slightly
curved to follow the shape of the gumline. The ball may or may not be
fixed, depending on the gauge, metal and manufacture.
Update, November 1995
I have since switched my old externally-threaded Labret stud for a
14ga stud, internally-threaded at both ends. I also added a second
14ga piercing above the first, angled so that the inside entrance is
above my teeth. This second piercing swelled considerably more than
the first.
Since the new piercing has healed I have worn various jewelry
combinations. At one time I traded the inside disc of the top
piercing for a 5/32" barbell ball, but switched back after I bit down
on it a few too many times. Now I wear a stud with a 1/8" ball in the
top piercing and a stud with a 5mm cabochon stone (Opal or Star of
India) set in white gold. My next purchase will be a thin, short
spike to wear in the top piercing.
Update, October 1996
In July I abandoned the second piercing because it was slowly pushing
one of my front teeth (lower) inwards. I also found myself playing
with and biting on the jewelry out of habit far too much.
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