What is a Labret Piercing?


Location: Lip
Jewellery: Labret Stud
Healing: 6 to 8 weeks or longer

A labret piercing lies below the lip and above the chin. The facial piercing goes through the facial lip and requires labret body jewellery. The flat back of this form of body jewellery ensures that your gums won’t be damaged, though some do find that the jewellery can run against runs and cause them to recede. If you feel that this is happening then you must see your piercer immediately in case you need to remove the tongue pillar.
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Labret Piercing Placement
This is a piercing of the lip, however the term labret can be used for any piercing in the mouth area.
Labret Piercing Jewellery
Labret studs and rings are the most common types of jewellery as they are the most comfortable.
Labret Piercing Process
Piercers use a forcep and pierce from the inside or outside. A successful piercing can be done from either side.
Labret Piercing Aftercare
Healing time is 6 to 8 weeks, often longer. The same level of care should be taken with a labret as with any other piercing.

More About Labret Piercings

The popularity of labret piercings is easy to see and their subtle appearance has already made them a great choice for men and women alike. Also referred to as a tongue pillar, a labret piercing should be pronounced "lay-bret” though many now pronounce the "t” as silent, though the word is no French.  Many assume that a labret piercing must be central but many get labret piercings towards one side of the face, creating an entirely difference effect with their facial piercing. Snakebites are where two labret piercings are placed on either side of the mouth, three are known as spiderbites.  A low bite is a labret piercing that is placed as low as possible and you can also get a vertical labret piercing, which uses a curved barbell rather than a labret and goes through the top lip rather than the tissue behind the facial lip. With a huge variety of styles and variations, this is a popular piercing that can result in many different looks. 

Labret piercings can be stretched but sizes above 12g (2mm) are likely to require custom jewellery. As with all stretch piercings, you should never rush your body and this is all the more important with a labret piercing because if your lip can’t return to normal, you’ll have an uneven hole in your face. An attractive facial piercing that is particularly popular with women, the range of body jewellery extends to subtle retainers right through to bold spike designs.  

Advice for Labret Piercings:
  • Labret piercings take approximately two to three months to heal and must be cleaned at least twice a day with a saline solution. Clean the external part of the tongue pillar with a cotton swab or cotton balls, taking care not to rotate the bar.
  • Rinse your mouth with a saline solution in a cup of water after each meal for the first four to six weeks.
  • Do NOT move the piercing back and forth, this might cause damage and will delay the healing process. 
  • Ensure that you have a long enough bar when getting this piercing. The lip can swell up a considerable amount and if the bar isn’t long enough then you may develop complications. If you feel that the head is sinking into your lip because the area has swollen so much then return to your piercer immediately as it may need to be removed. When the swelling goes down, you should change the body jewellery to avoid irritating your gums, your piercer should be able to do this for you.
  • Strictly NO kissing during the healing process.  Also think about what you’re eating as hot drink/ spicy foods may well irritate the labret piercing.

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