I fell in love with the vertical labret piercing close to 6 months ago. Back in September of this year, I decided it was time for it to be added to my collection of various other piercings. This was to be my first facial piercing. I was ecstatic. Overall the procedure went really well, and Aimee did a great job like usual. The one problem I had though, was that I hadn't warned my mum that I was having a piece of metal inserted into my lip. As you would've probably guessed, two days after the initial piercing, she made me go back and have it taken out. Her main reason being my strict Catholic school's uniform rules.
At A Glance Author Lyndalite Contact miss_lyndalite@hotmail.com When A week ago Artist Aimee Studio Punktured @ Off Ya Tree Location Adelaide, Australia This now brings us to the present time. For three whole months I waited to have my lip repierced. I had cut a deal with my mum, being that when school had finished for the year I could do whatever I wanted. So after exams I had my septum pierced. She didn't react too badly to that so on the 12th of December, 2002, I thought it was time for my vertical labret piercing to make a reappearance.
I caught the train into the city and was nervous, but oh so excited. I walked straight upto Off Ya Tree and was greeted by Aimee's usual smiling face. I proceeded to ask her if she felt like piercing my lip again and she was more than happy to. She had me fill out the usual form, which is almost like second nature to me now, and then I followed her up into the medium size, well lit piercing studio. We chatted while she set everything up and then had me rinse my mouth out with some blue Listerine. Aimee prepped my lip, and then it was time to start marking the entry and exit holes. I'm naturally a very fussy kind of person. You might even call me a perfectionist. On the fourth attempt we were both happy with the position of the dots. It was time.
Aimee changed her gloves and then took out the clamps, this part I always dread, and unwrapped the needle and sat it in some lube. She lined the clamps up with the dots (which I think was the most painful part of the procedure) and asked me if I was ready to go. I replied with a very excited "most definitely" and then before I knew it the needle had been in and out again, all I could see was the cannula sitting in my lip. She let me have a quick peek in the mirror behind me (I wished I'd brought my camera) and then with ease, threaded the 14ga 10mm curved barbell into the cannula and slid it into my freshly pierced vertical labret. Aimee screwed the bottom ball on, cleaned up my bloody lip and we chatted abit more while she cleaned up the studio. I sat there for close to 5 minutes admiring my beautiful, but slightly swollen lip.
We went back down to the front counter and she took a couple of photos of my wonderful new addition. She told me to come back in a few days just to see how it's doing and then after about two weeks, she thought I would be ready to have a shorter barbell put in. I paid Aimee and then left with a huge grin on my face.
So far I haven't had any real problems with the piercing. I have been rinsing my mouth out with Cepacaine mouthwash every time after I eat or drink, and trying to resist the urge to put lip balm on my chapped lips. For the first week or so, after I'd had my morning shower, I was putting ice on my lip to relieve the throbbing and help with the swelling. I did notice that for the first 2 or 3 days I was finding it slightly difficult to talk properly. It wasn't like my words were inaudible or anything, just if I tried to talk too fast, it wouldn't come out right. Eating has been a lot easier this time, I think possibly because we positioned the top dot abit further forward. I have had to use straws for drinking, but on day 8 I was able to drink from a glass again without too much trouble. The only other problem I've found is now that the swelling has gone down (not that there was much anyway) I'm left with a mm or two of the barbell exposed, which has been getting caught on a v ariety of different things. I talked to Aimee about this the other day when I went in to get my ears stretched and she said sometime between Christmas and New Years I should come in and have it shortened, which should eliminate the problem.
It's now been 12 days since I had my vertical labret pierced and all is still going well. The swelling is very much gone and I'm not feeling any pain, unless I accidentally knock the end of the barbell or snag it on something. It's a beautiful piercing and I have received many comments on it's "unusual-ness." Even my mum seems to not mind it all that much. Most people will just stare and ask if that really goes all the way through my lip, and I get the usual "ouch, didn't that hurt?" It did take me awhile to get used to it, and at first I wasn't very sure if it was really very me. But now I am certain that I will keep it for as long as humanly possible.
If anyone has any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me. I really want to thank Aimee for, once again, a terrific job. This is the 8th piercing she has performed on me and I know it will most definitely not be the last. She is a fantastic piercer and Punktured is a lovely studio with very friendly and helpful staff. Happy modding everyone.