I've wanted a lip piercing for quite some time but due to jobs and braces, I wasn't able to get one. After finding out the dental horrors a lip piercing caused, I was even further discouraged. One day, I was spending time taking those horrible quizzes you find everywhere online, and found the picture of a lip piercing I was not familiar with. I researched it and it turned out to be a vertical labret, a piercing that would not touch my teeth or gums in any way. It was perfect!
At A Glance Author Pika Contact ash-o-lee001@hotmail.com When It just happened Artist A Jerk Studio The Asylum Location Ames, Iowa I got my braces off, moved away to college, and finally had a job that allowed facial piercings. I thought about the piercing for months but somehow could never find the time or money.
At the start of second semester, before classes, I had the money and the time, so I called a friend and told them to come over immediately because I was getting a new piercing right now.
I had heard a lot of good things about The Asylum, and most people feel it is the best in town. I had been in there a few times and liked the place and found it comfortable. Unfortunately, my piercing experience did not go over so well.
My friend and I waited for around twenty minutes, watching South Park in the lobby, while a tattoo was being finished. After the tattoo was finished and the girls left, we continued to wait because the tattooer was busy talking to someone. When he finally came out, and asked if we needed help, he was still continuing his side conversation. I filled out the paper work, and was never asked to show my I.D. (odd since I don't look a day over 15), and then shown to the back room.
The friend I had brought with me is afraid of needles, and by this time was completely pale and sweating profusely. I actually felt pretty bad for him and told him he could wait outside, but he was a trooper and stayed with me so I wouldn't be alone.
The tattooer (who never introduced himself) was still talking to some random person as he set up the area and marked my lip. From all the stories I've read, most people describe a vertical labret piercing as a 'pinch'. Well, I found this to be a rather painful pinch as the needle went through. The second the jewelry was in, the pain subsided, and it was immediately apparent that it was pierced at a slant. As you can guess, the guy was still holding his conversation WHILE piercing me.
I was given a container of sea salt and to soak once or twice a day. And that was it. When I had researched this piercing, I had found a lot more instructions and restrictions, ones that I will probably follow because I do not think this has guy has an ounce of sense.
Afterwards, my friend and I headed to Target and Wal-Mart for junk food, and I couldn't stop myself from looking in every mirror we seen, to assure myself that yes, I had just gotten this done. It pretty much went like this: Mirror: 'Oh, I love it!', another mirror: 'Gah, it's crooked!', another mirror: 'But I love it so much!'. Needless to say, my friend was making fun of me the whole time and pulling me away from the mirrors.
The only time it was painful was when the needle was halfway through my lip. It was swollen immediately and is still swollen a day later. I haven't experienced any other pain or soreness. I'm able to laugh, talk, eat, and drink with absolutely no trouble, and everyone thinks I've had this piercing for years when in fact I've had it for less than 24 hours.
So far, cleaning with sea salt has been an interesting experience. I had read somewhere that you should never use cotton swaps or cotton balls to put a cleaning solution on a piercing because you risk pulling off bits of the cotton, so I had to find another way to get my sea salt solution on my lip. The end result was me holding a cup up to my lip and putting my face into for about five minutes. My roommates find this fairly amusing, but it seems to do the trick.
Over all, this piercing is by far my absolute favorite, even if it is a little crooked. I'm hoping it won't be as noticeable when the swelling goes down, and I can move around the barbell. My mother will probably disown me the next time I come home for break, but it's a chance I'm willing to take. I recommend a vertical labret for anyone interested, just find somewhere else to have it done.