I first saw a vertical labret on this site and I've wanted one for so long now. I love how labrets look but I didn't want to damage my teeth for one, so a vertical labret seemed perfect. The downside was I didn't expect many piercers to know what it was (or be able to do it) since I'd never seen one until a few months ago, so I was ready to be disappointed when I walked into the piercing shop. However, since I'm writing this now I obviously have the piercing and I am very pleased with it, so here's my experience...
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Sara Studio Blue Banana Location UK I went into town with a friend (who was also with me when I got my eyebrow pierced) and we happened to go into the piercing shop earlier in the day to get my friend some hair dye (this shops sells tons of other non body mod related stuff too) and I noticed that the price of all piercings were reduced. I was absolutely sure I wanted to at least ask about getting a vertical labret, but my friend suggested we came back later and if I still wanted it I should get it done. She's a bit squeamish about piercings, but it's still good advice to make sure you *really* want a body mod.
So we returned to the shop later (and yes, I still wanted it!) and I asked about getting my lip pierced. The piercer had never done a vertical labret before but she said she'd try it, or I could have an standard labret instead. It's probably not the best idea being the 'guinea pig' for a more unusual piercing, but I really wanted a vertical labret or nothing, so I agreed and my friend and I sat down and waited for 10 minutes while the equipment was being sterilized.
When my turn came, I went in and sat down on a bed in at the back of the room. Yeah, I'd wondered why they needed a bed until I figured that you need to be lying down for genital piercings; the man before me had just had a prince albert, and he came out walking a bit bandy legged. Not great for my confidence! But by now I'd psyched myself up so I watched the piercer wipe down all the surfaces and get the tools ready. The smell of disinfectant is one of the best smells by the way, and strangely enough it helps me to relax.
The piercer was reassuring and she talked to me while she was marking my lip (it was a bit of a one-sided conversation since I was trying to keep my mouth still while she marked up!) Then she clamped my lip and told me to close my eyes. When I did though, I had the weirdest feeling that I was sitting inside my own mouth and I swear I 'watched' the needle go through my lip like a light sabre. It did hurt quite a bit and I could hear it come through the skin on top of my lip. I must have sensitive lips though, because I'd pinched my lip before and it stung. This one hurt a lot more than the eyebrow, but it was over pretty soon anyway. The good thing was I didn't feel her put the jewellery in because my lip was numb by that time.
When I looked in the mirror, it was perfect and I left the shop with a big smile on my face. Well, the biggest smile I could manage considering my lip felt so heavy. It was really hard to talk for a few hours because I was worried about the top ball bumping against my top lip. At first it felt very strange having a ball resting on my lower lip, but after a day or two I got used to it. Drinking is difficult unless I use a bottle, (I recommend this if you want to avoid spilling it!) I expected some bruising considering that my eyebrow had a spectacular bruise for weeks afterwards, but it didn't bruise or even swell much. I have been soaking it in salt water twice a day and brushing my teeth after eating; as well as that, it's a good idea to use cotton buds to clean right under the top ball. Also, like a lot of other people, I got a really dry bottom lip and I wondered if it was okay to put Vaseline on it. In the end I did because dry lips drive me insane, and after a day or so my lip was back to normal and the piercing is still fine. Tea tree oil is really helpful if you can get hold of it because it's a natural antiseptic, but I only put it on the bottom ball because you probably shouldn't get it in your mouth.
If you're considering getting a vertical labret, I'd say it's preferable to an ordinary labret because it won't erode your gums and it's unlikely that you'll bite on it when you're eating. I love mine because it exaggerates the way my lip sticks out and I think that's quite individual. Congratulations to my piercer for doing such a good job first time!
By the way: it is legal to get pierced under 18 here, it depends on the piercing but the minimum age for most is 16.