Beauty
How much do you really know about lip piercings?
A lip piercing is, well, a piercing on your upper or lower lip. Worldwide, a lip piercing has symbolic, cultural, and religious significance. In Western cultures, many people pierce their lips for aesthetic reasons. Lip piercings are popular for both men and women nowadays, and another of the reasons the lip piercings is always such a popular choice is thanks to the sheer amount of style options available and ways to customize them. No placement is better than the other, but there might be one that better suits your personal style.
According to our guide, there are several popular placements: First, the labret, which is typically underneath the bottom lip in the center, but can also exit out the middle of the bottom lip (a vertical labret). Next, you have the Medusa, which is in the center of the indentation underneath your nostrils. You also have side-lip piercings, and when those are on the upper lip, they’re often referred to as Monroe or Madonna, depending on the side of the face.
Here is our guide to the ultimate lip piercings trends.
Labret
The Labret piercing has become one of the most popular lip piercings over the years among both men and women alike due to its versatility and stylish look. It can be paired with other lip piercings to create an entirely new style such as the snake bites or the dolphin bites piercings and is a great way to add some sparkle to your smile as it highlights the beauty of the lower lip.
Medusa
A Medusa piercing is placed on top of your upper lip at your cupid’s bow and exits inside your mouth. Look for a tiny refined Labret stud with a stone for an elegant look. Those looking for something different should look for playful studs in fun shapes or boho patterns.
Monroe
A Monroe piercing is positioned above the upper lip on the left to mimic Marilyn’s beauty mark. Simple stone stud styles will give you a demure look, but if you want to add some personality, you can choose from various creative labret stud designs to fit your style.
Madonna
The inverse of the Monroe, the Madonna piercing includes a single stud placed directly above the right side of the upper lip. The Madonna piercing is placed above the right side of the upper lip to mimic the famous beauty mark of the one and only Material Girl.
The Angel bites
This double piercing combines the Madonna and Monroe lip piercings styles. The angel bite piercing features symmetrical piercings above the upper lip closer to the sides of the mouth. Depending on your personal preference, you can choose to have the lip piercings done closer together or farther apart.
Most commonly, each piercing is placed about halfway between the edge and the center of the lip. The angel bite piercing almost always features two flat disc labret studs. You can go for the classic ball end look, or have fun with gemstones and charms.
The Canine bites
The canine bite piercing features four piercings in one. A combination of the angel bite and snake bite styles, the canine bite piercing consists of two piercings placed symmetrically above the upper lip and two piercings placed symmetrically below the lower lip. The piercings are placed roughly where your canine teeth are located, hence the name.
With four different lip piercings to play with, you can have a lot of fun with the jewelry in the canine bite piercing. Flat disc labret studs and seamless hoops or captive bead rings are the most common jewelry types for this piercing. Either decorate all four piercings with labret studs, or offer some variety by choosing hoops for the lower piercings and studs for the upper piercings.
Cyber bites
A combination of the labret and Medusa piercings, the cyber bites lip piercing showcases one piercing centrally located above the upper lip and one piercing centrally located below the lower lip. You’ll likely see flat disc back labret studs as the most common jewelry for the cyber bites piercing. Some choose to go for a labret stud in the top piercing with a seamless hoop or captive bead ring in the bottom piercing. For a similar aesthetic as a captive bead ring, you can also choose circular barbells, which are shaped like horseshoes with small beads at each end.
The Dahlia
Inspired by macabre roots, the Dahlia piercing is named after the infamous Black Dahlia, an actress who was found with a smile carved into her face. It’s characterized by two piercing placed at the edges of your mouth. The Dahlia piercing looks best with flat disc labret studs. Most choose small beads or gemstones as their decoration.
Regardless of the style and placement of the piercing you like, it’s essential to visit a professional lip piercing studio when you want to get this procedure done. With an expert, you’re less likely to experience infection, complications, or tissue damage.
