by Carlee Tibbs

Created on: October 11, 2010   Last Updated: January 02, 2011

A lip piercing is one of the most popular facial piercings and there are many variations of the lip piercing. As with any piercings, a lot of care and consideration should be taken before having the piercing done and you should definitely do your research beforehand. You may have heard horror stories about lip piercings ruining people's teeth and people developing infections and having to have a part of their lip removed, etc. Provided you've researched piercing studios in your area and have found the most reputable one, you look after your lip piercing properly and wear the right type and size of jewellery, you will have no such problems.

First, there are many places on your lip that you can have pierced and you should choose one you like. Your starter jewellery will be too long (or big, in the case of a BCR (Ball Closure Ring) or CBR (Captive Bead Ring)) and this can be changed to a better fit after about 2 weeks. Females are usually pierced at 16 gauge (1.2mm) and males at 14 gauge (1.6mm). This is because females typically have a smaller face and the smaller gauge is considered to be more "feminine". 

TYPES OF LIP PIERCINGS:
LABRET:
This is a piercing done on the lower lip, usually in the centre but it can also be placed on the side of the lower lip. If your starter jewellery is a labret stud, the piercing would be done from front to back and in a straight horizontal line through the lip but placed slightly higher than your gum line; this is to try and prevent the back of the stud from rubbing the gum area and causing them to recess, which - although not painful - is unsightly and can lead to long-term problems with your teeth. If your starter jewellery is a ring, the piercing will be done at a slight angle. Again, this is to try and prevent the jewellery from rubbing against your gums.

VERTICAL LABRET:
This is a piercing that goes through the bottom lip, from the dip under the lip to the top of the lip (i.e. - at a vertical angle). This piercing is always done in the centre of the lip. You won't get any teeth or gum problems as a result of this piercing but you might find it difficult initially to create a proper "seal" when drinking from glasses or bottles.

MONROE OR MADONNA:
This piercing is placed on one side of the top lip. The only jewellery that should be worn in this piercing is a labret stud (no rings). A piercing with this placement might cause some minor scratches on your canine teeth.

MEDUSA:
This piercing is placed in the

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