To get a vertical lip piercing, the piercer will insert the jewelry through the middle of your lower lip. It is widely popular these days, but it has some unpleasant side effects.
So, before you walk down the road to your local piercer, ask yourself, do you want this? Because a lip piercing hurts more since the tissue around the mouth is quite sensitive and is dense with the nerve endings. This is why getting a lip piercing from a professional is very important. If you take proper care of it, the wound will heal quickly, if not, the opposite.
Getting a Vertical Lip Piercing
You might have heard of the vertical lip piercing- it comprises of two puncture points through your lower lip. The piercing needle is then inserted vertically through the bottom lip and exits through the skin at the lower lip. Vertical lip piercing is very painful when compared to other types of body piercing. However, the level of pain depends on the tolerance level of the individual.
The piercing is made through the outer edge of the skin of the mouth, as in through the bottom lip. Thus, it is more visible when compared to other mouth piercings. Make sure you ask your piercer whether they are following the hygiene practices or not. You don’t want to end up with a swollen lip infection!
The inserted jewelry should be made of surgical stainless steel, gold, titanium, or acrylic. Regardless of the chosen type, you need to be able to take it out sometimes to clean it.
Does Vertical Lip Piercing Effect Your Health?
At times your body will simply reject the piercing even when you get the piercing done by a professional, who knows how to position the jewelry correctly and practices all the hygiene precautions. This happens for several reasons
- Your body refuses to identify the foreign object and tries to push it away, breaking your skin in the process of doing so. When this happens, the area of the vertical lip piercing becomes vulnerable to infections, and for more severe cases, will leave a scar behind. Almost all types of lip piercing will make your skin more prone to infections as the bacteria from your mouth while eating and drinking can stick at the site of the piercing
- Scarring tissue builds up when the piercing site rejects the jewelry, or when the infection that occurs initially is not treated on time.
- Swelling and pain during the first few days of getting vertical lip piercing are normal. However, if the pain and swelling do not go away on their own after 4 weeks, it’s time to visit a doctor. Prolonged untreated infections may lead to health complications
- Did you know that facial piercing, especially vertical lip piercing disrupts the nerve on the face? When not taken care of, it can lead to back pain and misaligns the eyes too.
- Allergic reactions like dermatitis are common when the jewelry piece contains chromium or nickel.
- In the long run, the scars left behind will directly impact the confidence level of the individual. We cannot emphasize the importance of getting the piercing down by a professional
Signs of Vertical Lip Piercing Infection
- Burning
- Swelling
- Discharge
- Redness
- Tenderness
- Itching
- And intense pain
How to Avoid and treat a vertical lip piercing infection?
The infection can cause serious health complications when and if not treated on time. The vertical lip piercing infection or any lip piercing infection usually starts with itchy and tender skin for the first few days. Next, the surrounding areas will become red, or out of color. In some cases, pale fluid is produced that forms a crust. If you feel you are going through the same, and see any signs of an infection forming, do not remove the jewelry. Visit your doctor as they might prescribe some antibiotics.
Some helpful tips to prevent infections
- Visit only a qualified and licensed piercer
- Never pierce yourself at times
- Do not twist the piece of jewelry when the piercing is still dry
- Keep your mouth clean
- Clean the lip area twice a day
- Gargle with salt water for the first few days
Vertical lip piercing is cool and trendy. Everyone should follow the fashion, but only if you can take care of the piercing area. You can’t just get a piercing and forget about it. Proper care, cleaning of the jewelry is very important. You don’t want to end up with a prolonged infection that will possibly leave behind a scar, or do you? To end, always visit a certified piercer in your area.