Labret Piercing ULTIMATE Guide: Everything That is Included in the Process

By Tephanie Stephenson / July 26, 2018
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One of the sexiest piercings to ever exist is the labret piercing. It has been super popular with both men and women for years now, as you can see lots of people sporting this type of piercing.

Today, we are going to discuss everything you need to know about it if you are planning on getting one soon.

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The Definition of a Labret Piercing

The labret piercing is usually done on the lower lip. It is located exactly at the center of the lower lip, which classifies it as a facial piercing and not an oral piercing, unlike this one.

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The labret stud is what is usually used as a jewelry for the labret piercing. It has three parts: the disk, the bead, and the barbell.

The Disk

The disk is the flat section that is placed at the back of the piercing. It is responsible for securing the jewelry and to prevent it from slipping from the lip.

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The Bead

The bead is what you see from the outside. It is that small bead that comes out of the piercing itself, and it can come in different shapes, colors, and sizes.

The Barbell

The barbell is what connects the disk with the bead. It’s this rod-shaped thing that extends from the inside of the piercing to the outside.

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The Different Types of Labret Piercing

The most well-known labret piercing is the one that is done in the center of the lower lip. However, there are still different variations to the labret piercing, which we will be talking about below.

The Vertical Labret

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This piercing goes through the actual lip, which is what makes it different from the other labret piercings. The curved barbell is usually the jewelry that’s used for this piercing and both the beads will be visible. One bead can be seen on the actual lower lip, while the other bead can be seen below the lower lip.

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The Horizontal Labret

horizontal labret piercing

The horizontal labret is similar to the vertical one, but this one is literally done horizontally on the lips itself. The curved barbell will go through the lower lip, making both of the holes appear on the actual lip. Both the beads can be seen on the lower lip.

The Side Labret

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This piercing is literally done on the side of the bottom of the lower lip. It is similar to the usual labret piercing, except it is done on either the right side or the left side of the bottom of the lower lip.

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The Double Labret

The double labret uses two pieces of jewelry. It is exactly done on the bottom of the lower lip, except it actually has two piercings and holes. This piercing is also done on the center part of the bottom of the lower lip.

The Snake Bites

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This one uses four beads or four pieces of jewelry: two barbells on the left and two barbells on the right. A pair of labret piercings will be done on the left and another pair will be done on the right.

The Viper Bites

This is similar to the snake bites piercing, except that it only has a pair of piercings on one side. Only two beads or rings are used for this, as you can only choose either the left or right side for the pair of piercing.

What to Expect When Getting a Labret Piercing

The first thing that your piercer will do is disinfect and clean your lower lip rea, which will be pierced for the labret piercing. They will also give you an antibacterial mouthwash to help get rid of the bacteria present in your mouth. You should also brush your teeth before heading to the piercer’s shop to make sure you have perfect hygiene before having your lip pierced.

Next, your piercer will mark both the entry and exit points on your lip. This is where the needle will go for your labret piercing.

The piercer will most likely use a clamp to keep your lip steady and avoid it from slipping off while they are doing the piercing. They will then insert the hollow needle in the entry point and then have it exit right after. The jewelry comes next, which will then be fastened and placed properly by screwing on the bead.

After this, they will tell you how to take good care of your piercing, so make sure to listen carefully. You’d need to follow these instructions to a T to make sure that your labret piercing will heal properly.

How Bad the Labret Piercing Will Hurt

There are two types of pain when it comes to the labret piercing: the initial or piercing pain and the pain that you will experience after the piercing.

The Piercing Pain

Well, if you are curious if the labret piercing will hurt, the answer is it definitely will. Every type of piercing will hurt, besides, a needle is going to be pushed through your face or body.

The good news though, is that the initial pain would only last for a couple of seconds. Also, according to piercers and piercing enthusiasts, labret piercings do not hurt that bad, especially when compared to other oral piercings.

For horizontal and vertical labrets though, the pain would be a little bit more intense, as the piercer would be piercing through the lips itself. The lips are filled with lots of sensitive tissue, which can mean that it will hurt a little more for these types of labret piercings.

The Pain After the Piercing

You will most likely experience pain for a few days after getting your labret piercing done. There will be some type of discomfort such as throbbing and tenderness in the area, which can last for a couple of days to a week.

If the pain lasts for more than a week though, then check with your piercer and doctor, as this might mean that you have an infection present due to your new piercing.

How Much a Labret Piercing Would Cost you

Of course, the exact cost of the labret piercing will depend per shop and per piercer. There are lots of things that can affect the cost such as the piercer’s experience, their reputation, the shop’s location, and the jewelry that you will choose for the piercing.

simple labret piercing

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The average price for the labret piercing is usually at $40 – $65, so you should be ready with this amount if you are planning on getting one.

How to Prepare for your Labret Piercing

There are things that you can do to make your labret piercing experience a more comfortable and pleasurable one.

Brush your Teeth

Just like what we have mentioned earlier, you should brush your teeth before leaving your house to make sure that your lips and mouth are completely clean before getting the piercing. This will prevent you from contracting an infection, plus, this is like a way to show some respect for your piercer as well.

Floss in Between your Teeth

You should also floss your teeth to get rid of those extra bits of food that is left in between your teeth. This is to make sure that nothing will block the needle or the jewelry once the piercing is being done.

Get Some Rest

You do not want to feel lethargic or sick during your piercing, which is why it is important for you to get lots of rest before getting the piercing done. Also, the more tired you are, the higher your chances are of experiencing more pain during the piercing.

Get at least 8 hours of sleep one day prior to your piercing appointment to make sure you will be comfortable during the piercing.

Avoid Drugs and Alcohol

You might want to avoid drugs and alcohol for a few days before getting your piercing. Alcohol is a blood thinner, which means that if you drink some before your piercing, there is a high chance of you bleeding out, as your blood is way thinner than what it should really be.

Drugs can make you feel sick and out of your wits, and you definitely want to be completely sober when taking care of your piercing.

Buy your Aftercare Needs

You would most likely need some sea salt, cotton pads, and cotton rounds for cleaning your piercing. Make sure to pick these up before having the piercing to avoid forgetting it once the piercing is done.

Also, you would most likely want to go home and rest after having the piercing done, which is why it would be best to pick these up before going to your piercer’s shop.

Aftercare Guide

Your piercer should give you aftercare instructions after giving you the piercing. We’ll also be giving you some tips to make sure your piercing will heal properly.

medusa and labret piercings

Avoid Touching the Piercing

Most people do not realize that touching their new piercing can actually hurt their chances of being infection-free. Refrain from touching your piercing, especially if it is just a few days old. If you ever have to touch it, make sure to wash your hands before doing so, or at least put a pair of gloves to avoid transferring the bacteria to your piercing.

You should also avoid playing with it with your tongue or hands, as this can irritate the piercing.

Clean it Twice to Thrice a Day

Don’t clean it too much but also, don’t slack off on cleaning it. Cleaning it with a saline solution twice to thrice a day is sufficient.

To make the solution, grab one tablespoon of sea salt and one cup of warm water. Dissolve the sea salt in the water and mix until the sea salt is completely dissolved. You can then take a q-tip, dip it in the solution, and place it on your piercing. You can also take a cotton round or ball, dip it in the solution, and press it gently on your new labret piercing.

Leave it to dry afterward or gently pat with a piece of clean tissue.

Practice Good Hygiene

You should also not slack off on brushing your teeth twice to thrice a day to keep the bacteria at bay. Avoid brushing the piercing though, as this can irritate it. Gently brush your lower front teeth and if you need to, grab your lower lip to make sure you won’t bump on the piercing.

You can also floss your teeth and use an antibacterial mouthwash twice a day to make sure that the extra bits of food won’t get into your piercing.

Don’t Replace the Jewelry Right Away

Do not replace the jewelry right away after getting the piercing. Doing so will only irritate your piercing and may even cause an infection or even bumps and scars. You would have to wait until your piercing is fully healed before you can even replace it with a new jewelry.

Avoid Smoking, Spicy Food, and Alcohol

We all know how smoking can leave traces of nicotine and other chemicals inside the mouth. These chemicals can irritate your piercing and can even leave you with a nasty infection. You can instead try chewing a sugarfree gum if you ever feel the need to smoke for the meantime.

Spicy and super sour food can burn your new piercing if it ever comes to contact with it. Because of this, you might want to avoid it for the time being.

Alcohol is a no-no too, as this can extremely dry your piercing up. Similar to spicy food, it can also sting when it comes to contact with the piercing as it literally contains some percentage of alcohol in it.

Be Careful when Eating

You do not want any food getting caught up in your piercing, which is why you have to be careful when eating with a new piercing on. Also, some types of food can get entangled with the disk or the barbell, causing the skin on your lip to tear. Just be mindful when eating to prevent things like these from happening.

Avoid Using too Many Products

If you can, avoid using things such as makeup, tanning lotion, toners, moisturizers, and perfume on or near the labret piercing. A new labret piercing is very sensitive and these things can only irritate it.

If you really need to apply some of these on your skin, make sure to avoid the labret piercing and just go around it.

Healing Period for the Labret Piercing

The pre-healing period will take about six to ten weeks. Within this time period, you would have to be completely careful especially when brushing your teeth, eating, and cleaning your piercing.

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However, for the complete healing of your labret piercing, you would have to wait for about 9 months for it to happen. The tissue around your piercing needs to toughen up and regenerate, so give it time before you decide to remove your jewelry and replace it with a new one.

Labret Piercing Infections, Risks, and Symptoms

The labret piercing is prone to infections, just like any other piercing is. Make sure to read everything below to be aware of the risks, symptoms, and infections associated with the labret piercing.

Risks

Listed below are some risks associated with the labret piercing.

Getting a Disease

It’s fairly easy to contract a disease through unsanitized and even used needles. Always check and see if your piercer is using a brand new needle for your tongue piercing. If not, then ask them to.

Your Teeth can Eventually Wear Out

Since the disk is inside your mouth, it is inevitable for it to rub on your lower front teeth. This can cause your teeth to eventually thin out and get worn out after a while.

Your teeth enamel can chip away and can even cause erosion within your teeth, which can then lead to tooth decay.

Always check with your dentist about this matter to make sure you avoid decaying and destroyed teeth.

Receding Gums

Since the disk is also rubbing on your gums every so often, the labret piercing can cause your gums to recede. This can cause the teeth above it to become loose, which can lead to tooth decay or even tooth loss.

You may also feel some type of sensitivity if this happens for a long time, so make sure to check on your teeth and gums always.

An Infection

There is always a risk of infection for labret or any type of piercing. Always follow your aftercare instructions, brush, and rinse your mouth properly to avoid contracting an infection.

Embedding

This literally means that your labret piercing jewelry can get embedded in your lip itself. This may happen if the jewelry hasn’t been touched for a long time or has been there for a couple of years.

To avoid this, take your jewelry out every once in a while and let your lip rest for a few minutes or hours. Do not remove your jewelry until it is fully healed and avoid leaving your piercing without any jewelry for days to avoid the hole from closing up.

Symptoms

Watch out for these symptoms and visit the doctor right away if you notice it on your labret piercing.

Pus, Blood, and Discharge

White discharge and a little bit of bleeding are normal after getting your labret piercing. If it lasts for a couple of days and the discharge becomes yellow or green, then that’s something that you should be worried about.

Visit the hospital right away if you notice yellow or green discharge as well as excessive bleeding in your labret piercing.

Tenderness and Redness

These are quite normal after getting your labret piercing. However, if the piercing is still red, throbbing, and tender even after a few days or even one week after getting the labret piercing, then it might be time to visit the hospital.

This might mean that you have an infection, most especially if it is accompanied with high-grade fever.

Swelling

Your lower lip will definitely be a bit swollen right after getting the labret piercing. However, if your lip swells up and you cannot eat properly, then visit the emergency room ASAP.

Pictures

Get some inspiration from these awesome pictures that we have compiled of the labret piercing!

A very pretty jewelry used for the vertical labret piercing

A beautiful flower jewelry for the vertical labret piercing

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A heart-shaped jewelry for the labret piercing

heart jewelry for labret piercing

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A vertical labret piercing plus a medusa piercing

A vertical labret piercing with a ring as the jewelry

vertical labret with a ring

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A vertical labret piercing

a vertical labret piercing

A side labret piercing with a stud

A beautiful side labret piercing

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A simple labret piercing done on a woman


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About the author

Tephanie Stephenson

Tephanie has extensive knowledge when it comes to body and facial piercings. She has seen it all – from nostril piercings all the way to nipple piercings. She has over 10 piercings including a nostril, medusa, eyebrow, tragus, earlobe, and industrial. She is an expert when it comes to cleaning piercings and keeping it infection-free. If you have got any questions for Tephanie about any type of piercing, comment it down below and she will get back to you in a jiffy!


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