Types of Lip Piercings: Popular Styles to Consider

According to Worldmetrics.org, 49%, or nearly one in two Americans, have at least one piercing. Earlobes are still the most common site, but lip piercings, the most popular type of oral piercings, are also gaining traction.

Interestingly, there are over a dozen types of lip piercings you can choose from. So, if you've always wanted to express yourself in this form of body art, getting your labrum (lip) pierced may be an excellent way to go.

To that end, our team at Body Pierce Jewelry put together this guide on different lip piercings. Read on to discover what they are, their lip jewelry options, and bonus tips for keeping your piercings safe.

Types of Lip Piercings: On-Lip and Outside the Lip

When you hear "lip piercings," do you immediately think of studs or circular rings penetrating the lips? If so, you're not exactly wrong, but you're not 100% right, either. While some lip piercings puncture the labrum, most don't; they're above, below, or to the side of the lips.

Ashley Piercings

The Ashley piercing is one of the few piercings on the lip, making it among the most unique piercings you can get. It consists of a single puncture in the middle of the lower lip, with the exit wound inside the mouth. Because of its placement, it's a highly visible, attention-grabbing piercing perfect for those with gorgeous, Angelina Jolie-like lips.

Standard Labret Piercings

Like the Ashley piercing, the standard labret piercing involves a single puncture exiting into the mouth. However, the piercing isn't on the lip; it's usually in the groove right below the middle portion of the lower lip. In some people, the piercing location is a little more to the side of the groove.

Vertical Labret Piercings

Vertical labret piercings are like a combination of the Ashley and the standard labret piercings. They're still a single piercing, usually starting with a puncture in the lower lip's center part (like the Ashley piercing). However, instead of exiting into the mouth, the exit puncture is in the groove right below the lower lip's middle area, or where the standard labret piercing is.

Vertical labret piercings are surface piercings because their jewelry never touches the inside of the mouth.

Horizontal Labret Piercings

Like the vertical labret, the horizontal labret piercing is a type of surface puncture. The primary difference is that both ends of a single piece of body jewelry, usually a curved barbell, appear on the lower lip. It involves inserting one end of the jewelry into the area next to the middle section of the lower lip and then making it exit on the other side.

The piercing is still in the central area of the lower lip, although the middle bit is empty and remains untouched.

Medusa Piercings

Also called the philtrum piercing, the Medusa piercing involves a single puncture in the groove above the upper lip. It then exits into the inside of the mouth.

Jestrum Piercings

Also called the vertical Medusa piercing, the jestrum piercing is a single piercing that gives off a double-pierced look. It begins with a Medusa piercing, but rather than the jewelry exiting into the mouth, it curves downward into and then out of the upper lip. So, one end of the body jewelry, usually a curved barbell, sits on the area where a Medusa piercing usually is, while the other peeks out of the middle of the upper lip.

Oral Frenum or Frenulum Piercings

According to Cleveland Clinic, the lingual (tongue) and the labial (lip) frenulums are the two types of oral frenulums or frenums. Frenums are thin pieces of tissue connecting one body part to another. So, in the case of the tongue frenulum, it connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth, while lip frenulums connect the lips to the gums.

The labial frenulums have also become locations for easy-to-hide piercings, including horizontal smiley and frowny piercings.

Horizontal Smiley Piercings

Behind and under the center-most section of the upper lip is a frenum connecting it to the gums of your upper arch. You can get this pierced with a horizontal smiley piercing, in which a piercing expert passes a curved barbell from one side and out the other. It derives its name from the fact that both ends of the barbell remain hidden unless you smile.

Frowny Piercings

Frowny piercings penetrate the frenum that connects the lower lip to the gums of the lower arch. They're less common than horizontal smiley piercings because the lower lip frenum tends to be smaller than the upper one. So, only people with enough tissue to accommodate the width and weight of curved barbells are good candidates for this type of lip piercing.

Canine Bite Piercings

Canine bite piercings, sometimes called "K9 Bite piercings," consist of four separate punctures. The style got its name from the location of the piercings, where each canine tooth (the slightly pointed teeth that sit at each side of the four front teeth) is. It combines two other lip piercing types, the angel bite and the spider bite piercings, which we'll also discuss later.

Cyber Bite Piercings

Cyber bite piercings involve two separate piercings, combining the standard labret style and Medusa lip piercing. One piercing goes into the groove above the middle of the upper lip, while the other requires a puncture directly beneath the center of the lower lip.

Cyber bite piercings are among the most popular lip piercings for those who wish to have a bolder look than a single lip piercing but don't want something as loud as a quadruple type (e.g., the canine bite piercing).

Angel Bite Piercing

Angel bite piercings are dual, symmetrical piercings above the upper lip. Their location is right by where the upper canine teeth are. Some call them "anti-bite piercings" or "Madonna-Monroe piercings."

Dolphin Bite Piercings

Dolphin bite piercings are also trending lip piercings involving two separate punctures. Each piercing sits right next to the side of the groove below the center of the lower lip. They're very close to each other, emulating the look of a dolphin's narrow mouth and how one may imagine a dolphin bite would look like, hence the name.

Shark Bite Piercings

Like canine bite piercings, shark bite piercings are quadruple lip piercings with four individual punctures. All four sit below the lower lip, with a pair sitting close to each other on one side of the lower lip and the other pair on the other end. Their design emulates the layered appearance of a shark's teeth or bite.

The location of one of the piercings of each pair is by the area where a canine tooth is. The other of each pair is closer to one of the corners of the mouth but not right below it.

Snake Bite Piercings

Snake bite piercings are symmetrical dual lip piercings located by the area where each lower front canine tooth is. They're the "bite" to the angel bite piercings' other term, "anti-bite piercings." So, if you get both snake and angel bite piercings, your final piercings will become canine bite lip piercings.

Spider Bite Piercings

Spider bite piercings consist of two individual piercings that sit right next to each other on one end of the lower lip, near the mouth's corners. The punctures' closeness or proximity to each other makes them look like a spider bite, hence the name.

Spider bite piercings are like half of shark bite piercings. So, if you get spider bite piercings on each side of your lower lip, you'll technically have shark bite piercings.

Dahlia Piercings

Dahlia piercings have quite the macabre roots, as their name originates from the Black Dahlia.

The Black Dahlia was the name given to Elizabeth Short, who, in the words of the FBI, was 22-year-old Hollywood hopeful murdered in 1947. The word "black" was apparently due to her penchant for wearing black clothes, according to the press at that time, while "Dahlia" came from a movie titled "Blue Dahlia" that was showing then. The killer carved a chilling smile into her face.

Dahlia piercings emulate a smile, hence their name. They consist of two separate punctures, each sitting right at the corners of the mouth.

The piercings' placement makes the pierced person look as if they were smiling. For this reason, some also refer to these lip piercings as the "Joker" piercings.

Monroe Piercings

Monroe piercings take their name from Marilyn Monroe, one of the top pop culture icons and the sixth greatest female screen legend from the Golden Age of Hollywood, according to Google Arts & Culture. One of Monroe's most well-known physical characteristics was her facial beauty mark on the left side of her upper lip. If you get a Monroe piercing, this is where your body jewelry will be.

Madonna Piercings

The Madonna piercing is a single piercing located just to the right of the center of the upper lip. As you might have guessed, its name comes from the award-winning singer, songwriter, and actress Madonna. It emulates the beauty spot that she's also so famous for.

Lip Piercing Jewelry: Your Top Options

You can adorn lip piercings with many of the same types of jewelry you can use for other kinds of body piercings (e.g., ear, nose, and belly button piercings). Some examples are:

• Hoop rings, like seamless hoops, clickers, and captive bead rings
• Circular or curved barbells
• Flat-back studs

Note, however, that with some lip piercings, you can only use a specific type of ring. For instance, the Dahlia, Medusa, Monroe, and Madonna piercings can only accommodate flat-back studs. If you're unsure which one to use for your labrum piercing, your professional piercer should be able to help you, or you can drop us a line here at Body Pierce Jewelry.

Staying Safe and Healthy After a Lip Piercing

All types of piercings, whether on the ears, brows, nose, belly button, or lips, are at risk of infections without proper care. However, lip piercings that penetrate the inside of the mouth can be at a higher risk. After all, according to the experts at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, the oral cavity is home to at least 700 species of bacteria.

Therefore, you must pay careful attention to your lip piercings to prevent them from becoming infected. Below are some tips to help you stay on the safe side.

Keep Piercings Clean

Clean your piercings using a sterile saline solution. Saline solutions may only be a mix of salt and water, but salt is a great sanitizer and may help minimize the risk of infections.

A saline spray works on the external side of your lip piercing, and a saline rinse can help keep the side of the piercing inside your mouth sanitary. You should rinse both internal and external sides at least three to six times daily, especially after every meal.

Practice Good Oral Hygiene

Floss at least once and brush your teeth twice daily for at least two minutes. Following these optimal oral hygiene habits can minimize the risk of "bad" bacteria multiplying in your mouth and infecting your piercings.

Be careful when brushing near your lip piercings. You don't want to accidentally bump the fresh piercing, which can irritate the wound and extend your recovery.

Pay Attention to Signs of Rejection

Even with proper post-piercing care, the body may still reject the piercing. Common signs of rejection include worsening pain or swelling and increased discharge.

If those symptoms persist for a few days, the piercing has likely become infected. Visit your doctor as soon as possible, as they may prescribe antibiotics.

Consider These Different Lip Piercings for a Bold Look

There are over a dozen types of lip piercings, from Ashley piercings to Medusa, Monroe, Madonna, and canine bite piercings. So, if you're looking for a bold way to express yourself through body modification, consider exploring these labrum piercings.

Once you're ready to change your body jewelry, switch to a high-quality replacement, such as those we offer at Body Pierce Jewelry. We only carry the finest body jewelry of hypoallergenic acrylic, titanium, and surgical-grade steel. Plus, you can shop with peace of mind as we back our products with a 90-day guarantee.

Shop our lip ring collection now to make a statement with your piercings!