Lip Piercing Jewelry

This section covers the choice of jewelry that is best for Lip Piercings. Lip piercings that are done more outside the mouth at a vertical angle are best pierced with a curved barbell. Wtih piercings that are done directly into the mouth, labret studs are the best option.

Jewelry Style:

When it comes to Lip piercings, it's essential to consider that the jewelry and piercing will be in contact with clothing and bedding during and after the healing process. Therefore, the jewelry needs to be simple, without sharp points or edges that could get caught on things, yet still allow room for swelling, discharge, and cleaning. Since the jewelry can tend to hang, it's essential, especially during the healing process, that there's no additional weight that might add stress to the piercing during this time. 

Due to the angle at which the piercing is made, it is best done with a Labret Stud or Curved Barbell. 

• Labret Studs:
  • The Advantages:
  1. Creates a short and straight piercing, which means faster healing with fewer issues.
  2. Lower profile, so there's less risk of the jewelry coming into contact and snagging.
  3. Less movement than you would have with circular jewelry.
  4. Jewelry can be easily removed
  • The Disadvantages:
  1. The jewelry used for piercing will need to be longer than required and downsized during the healing process.
  2. With threaded jewelry, you will need to check the end regularly to ensure it remains secure.
  3. Since the length has to be longer to allow for swelling during healing, there is an increased risk of damage to teeth, gums, and the bones in your mouth.
• Curved Barbells:
  • ​​The Advantages:
  1. Lower profile may reduce abuse from contact with clothing, bedding and etc.. and less noticeable.
  2. It has the advantage of less contact with teeth, Gums, and bones in your mouth after healing, when a shorter piece can be put in.
  3. Since the jewelry is threaded, it can be easily removed if needed.
  4. If the jewelry is too tight, there is no extra room at all, and it can cause the jewelry to become impacted.
  • The Disadvantages:
  1. ​​Jewelry should be longer than necessary to accommodate swelling, and will need to be downsized during the healing.
  2. Since the length has to be longer to allow for swelling during healing, there is an increased risk of damage to teeth, gums, and the bones in your mouth.
  3. If the jewelry is too tight, there is no extra room at all, and it can cause the jewelry to become impacted.
  4. With threaded jewelry, you will need to check the end regularly to ensure it remains secure.
• Jewelry that should be avoided during Healing:
  • Rings and  Circular style jewelry such as Captive Bead or Beaded Rings and Circular Barbells:
    • The Advantages:
    • There are no sharp edges or points that may get caught on clothing, bedding, etc.
    • Especially with Captive Bead and Beaded Rings, the jewelry is designed for long-term wear, eliminating the worry about ends coming unscrewed and losing the O-rings. So it reduces the maintenance and gives the piercee one less thing to deal during the healing.
    • Much easier to move for cleaning.
    • Usually lighter in weight than threaded jewelry.
    • Allows extra room for the swelling that oral piercings are prone to.
    • The Disadvantages:
    • The profile of the rings may cause additional contact, abuse, and stress on the piercing.
    • The larger profile of the jewelry increases contact with teeth, increasing the risk of erosion.
    • Especially with Captive Bead and Beaded Rings, they can be difficult to remove or replace. In some cases, it requires special tools to remove the jewelry.
    • Ear Piercing Studs and other traditional jewelry:
      • ​​The jewelry is often too short to allow for the thickness of the piercing area. This doesn't allow for swelling and can cause the jewelry to become impacted in the piercing. Additionally, if the jewelry is too tight, it can block both the discharge and the flow of oxygen, potentially increasing healing time and/or the risk of infection or other complications.
      • The backs or locks are loose and can be tightened with normal wear.
      • Often, the jewelry material is not body-friendly. Even those marketed to individuals with metal sensitivity are only plated.
      • In most cases can not be sterilized correctly.

​Size of the Jewelry and Weight:

• ​Gauge:​

As a refresher, gauge refers to the thickness of the wire used to make the jewelry. Body piercing jewelry typically ranges from 18-gauge to 0000-gauge. The smaller the number, the thicker the jewelry will be. As I'm sure you know, the thicker the jewelry is, the more weight it carries and thus the more stress it puts on the piercing during the healing period. Additionally, the thicker the jewelry, the more tissue that needs to be produced, resulting in a more extended healing period. Although in most cases, an 18-gauge piercing will heal in about the same time as a 12-gauge piercing.

When choosing the gauge of the jewelry, the jewelry needs to be thick enough to reduce rejection or migration and have resistance to tearing, but light enough that it will not cause added stress during healing. Due to the location of the conch piercing, there are minimal chances of rejection or migration. With a Lip, the concerns are more focused on rejection and migration.  For this reason, larger gauge jewelry is usually the better choice. Not only for healing, but after healing, thicker jewelry is not only going to feel better when pressure is applied, but is also a great deal less likely to tear. In my experience, 16g or larger feels much more comfortable than 18g or thinner jewelry in the long run.

Due to the softness of the tissue, jewelry thinner than 16 gauge has a high risk of migration, rejection, and tearing. Since weight can also cause these problems, I generally suggest piercing with either 16g or 14g jewelry. 

• Width:

​The jewelry needs to be large enough to allow extra room for swelling, discharge, and cleaning. If the piercing is done with a barbell, this usually means that the jewelry must be done with a much longer piece than is needed, thus adding additional weight and risks. With a ring, the jewelry should be at least 1/8 of an inch wider than the distance between the two piercing holes. The piercing should not be wider than a 1/4 turn of the ring. 

Even in a healed piercing, you should not put jewelry in that has a tighter circle than the original jewelry used for the piercing. In other words, if it were pierced with a 3/8-inch-wide ring, you would not want to put a 1/4-inch ring in because it would create a tighter circle. The reason for this is that it can cause migration, scarring, and tearing of the piercings. If you want something with a lower profile, a curved barbell would be a better choice because they are usually a mild 1/4 turn. Even with a curved barbell, you want it to be slightly longer than the piercing. The jewelry should never be so tight that it changes the shape of the piercing or piercing area. 

Since oral piercings are prone to swelling, the jewelry is typically oversized to accommodate for it. It will need to be downsized, usually within 4 to 6 weeks after the piercing is done.

In conclusion, nothing replaces the first-hand knowledge of a professional piercer when it comes to choosing the correct jewelry. There are vast differences in shape and size, and often, what works for 99.99% of the public is not the best choice for you. The goal of this is to provide you with a working understanding of jewelry selection, so that you can have an informed discussion with your piercer about what will work best. Every piercer understands that one of the motivations for getting a piercing is fashion, but when it comes to jewelry, the best outcome should always consider fashion lastly. Think of the jewelry used for the piercing as temporary jewelry that will be replaced with your preferred choice once the piercing is healed.