At A Glance
Author	Maexxna
Contact	Maexxna@bme.anon
When	Two years ago
Studio	Evolution
Location	Tenerife, Spain

It's now two years since I got my labret pierced. At the time I was fifteen years of age, in love with the idea of body modification (and I still am).

I always used to browse piercing sites, and especially BME, but I never thought about really getting a piercing done. It all started when one of my best friends got a lip ring. I thought it was awesome, and I felt strange (naked?) without anything but several standard earlobe piercings.

So ahead I go... asking my friend about it, browsing the net and always glancing into the piercing studio when I was close. On BME I finally found what piercing I really wanted – a vertical labret. With that in mind, I went to the studio and asked about it. To my greatest disappointment they said they never saw this kind of piercing before and are unsure about its location and possible adverse effects, "I should just go for a normal labret" was their advice to me. Saddened I went home and returned to browsing the net. After checking through BME's galleries several times, I did finally settle for a normal labret.

I worked up the courage and went ahead to ask my parents if I could get pierced. As expected, they said No. No, no, and no. Not wanting to give up now, I bugged my mother for longer, and showed her pictures and experiences; told her I knew how to care for a piercing and I read up all on it I could find; that I know how to treat & heal it... and so forth. After a week or two I finally convinced my mum. She talked to my dad about it and he finally said it's ok, I can get it. Yay!

A couple of days later we head to the studio. I tell the guy behind the counter what I'd like to have done, and he gives us a form to fill out. After my mum filled out the form, he takes me into the back room and tells me to sit on the bed thing. He closes the door and starts getting ready, telling me what he's doing, showing me the packages the needles are in and how they're new and sterile. He asks me where exactly I wanted it, and then marks me. He lets me take a look in the mirror after correcting the position once, and asks me if I liked it. I told him the position was good. In total he must have changed gloves at least thrice by the time he comes up to me with the needle. He asks me if I'm ok and ready. "Ready!" He clamps my lip (and it did not hurt), and tells me to breathe in and out for 3 seconds. He starts counting and on each number I breathe out, and with a little hardly noticeable prick the needles exits the freshly pierced hole. The piercer suddenly turns his back to me, leaving me with a huge needle sticking out my lip! Cross-eyed I looked down on it while he gets the jewellery – a 14g silver labret stud – and turns back to me, sliding it in with no problem, and no pain. A painless experience! Happy and adoring my new piercing in the mirror on the opposite wall, the piercer throws the needle away and asks me if I'm happy with it. Of course, it was perfect! Out I go and pay him on the counter, and he hands me the aftercare leaflet. Forgettable and excited as I am, I asked him if he could write the names of the cleaning stuff I was to use down on the back side of the leaflet.

As I leave the studio I constantly asked my mum if I had blood trickling down my chin since it felt like I was bleeding, but there was no blood at all. My piercing did not bleed once during the entire time I had it. I met a friend on the way through the mall and I had to directly show him the piercing. He was quite amazed and asked if it hurt, and with a wide grin I told him that it did not. We then proceeded to buy the antiseptic cleaning soap and some mouthwash.

At this point I have to say that I have a tendency to develop hypertrophic scarring (those little bumps next to the piercing exit/entry holes) and due to that I had to abandon a helix piercing, although that was badly done too. So back on-topic with my cleaning procedures. I cleaned the piercing morning, midday and night with the soap outside, carefully removing any crusties or whatever formed around the piercing hole outside. On the inside, oral side, I used mouthwash three times a day. Toothbrushing was a bit hard since I kept knocking the piercing, but overall no problem. Eating was more annoying since the bar was long and I kept accidentally biting down on it. It did not damage the piercing yet it felt unpleasant.
After one or two weeks I went back to the studio and bought a smaller bar, with a cute little spike, and changed it myself. It now felt much better and I hardly ever bite down on it anymore. The plate on the back rubs a bit on my gums but they're not receding or anything.

After two weeks I started to develop a little bump to my greatest horror, but it quickly went away treating it with tea tree oil and aloe vera gels.
It fully healed after that.

I still have it and enjoying it very much. I got a tattoo since and I am thinking of 4 more serious piercings!

Happy piercing to you all.

xxx