Labret Piercing

"Labret" specifically means the centred, below-the-lip placement. It's easy to confuse with its neighbours, so here's the map: a vertical labret is a curved barbell that enters below the lip and exits on top of the lip, showing two beads; a medusa (philtrum) sits above the top lip in the centre; snake bites are a symmetrical pair of labrets low and to each side; spider bites are two close together on one side. We'll help you choose the placement that suits your anatomy and the look you're after — see the full lineup on our lip piercing page.

Less than people expect. Most clients rate a labret around a 3 to 4 out of 10 — a brief sharp pinch as the needle passes, and the lip area numbs quickly afterward. There's more swelling than pain in the first couple of days, which is normal and exactly why we fit longer jewelry to start (more on that below).

A labret heals in roughly 6 to 12 weeks. The first three to five days involve real swelling — that's expected — and it settles quickly. The inside of the mouth actually heals fast thanks to good blood supply, but the trade-off is that your oral environment (food, drink, bacteria) is constantly in contact with the wound, so aftercare discipline matters more here than on an ear. Expect some white or clear discharge as it heals; that's normal lymph, not infection.

We start every labret with a 14g implant-grade titanium (ASTM F-136) labret stud — a flat disc on the inside, a threadless end on the outside — and we deliberately fit it long to allow for swelling. Jewelry that's too short in the first week presses into swollen tissue and causes problems; once the swelling settles, we downsize you to a shorter bar that sits close and comfortable. That downsize is part of the plan, not an upsell, and it's one of the most important appointments you'll book.

Once healed, the outside end is yours to play with: solid 14k or 18k gold, gem ends, opals, and designer pieces from BVLA (Body Vision Los Angeles). The flat disc inside always stays — it's what keeps the piece comfortable and low-profile against your teeth.

Any oral piercing carries a real, well-documented risk to teeth and gums if it's done or worn wrong — a bar end knocking against enamel can chip a tooth over time, and constant contact can cause gum recession. This is precisely why the flat-back labret stud is the right tool: the disc sits flush and flat against the gum instead of a ball rolling against your teeth, and correct sizing keeps it from riding on the gumline. We fit and downsize carefully to protect your mouth, and we'll flag honestly if your anatomy makes a labret a poor idea. Keep up with your dentist, and mention the piercing at cleanings.

Labret aftercare is two jobs. Outside: clean with sterile saline twice a day, hands off otherwise. Inside: rinse with an alcohol-free mouthwash or a saline rinse after eating, drinking anything but water, and smoking. Avoid alcohol, very spicy or hot food, and — for the first week or two — playing with the bar against your teeth, which is the single biggest cause of trouble. No kissing or oral contact while it's healing. Full basics are in our piercing aftercare guide.

You must be 18 or older with a valid government-issued photo ID for any oral or lip piercing with us — no exceptions, and we check every time. When you're ready, book a labret consultation, call (310) 331-0605, or explore the rest of our piercing services.

Every piercing at our Santa Monica studio is done with a single-use sterile needle — never a piercing gun, which can't be sterilized and crushes cartilage. We install only implant-grade titanium (ASTM F-136), solid 14k/18k gold, or niobium, placed and checked by a Fakir-certified senior piercer. Your fresh jewelry is sized long for swelling, and a downsize follow-up is built into every piercing so it settles cleanly.