I got my vertical labret done yesterday. I had been saving up for awhile, and wasn't quite sure whether I should get a standard lip piercing or a vertical labret. I decided to go for the vertical labret because it's not as common as a lip piercing and I've always thought it would look better on me. I think that I made the right choice. Previously I've had my navel pierced (about 3 years ago) and 3 piercings in each ear, the first and second (with the second at a 10G) in the regular places and the third slightly to the center and above the other two piercings.
At A Glance Author Janelle Contact starcrossedpunk@hotmail.com When It just happened Artist "Spooky" Robert Studio Laughing Buddha Location Seattle, WA (219 Broadway East) I drove down to the Laughing Buddha in Seattle last night. I took my best friend with me for moral support, and so I could squeeze her hand when I was in pain. I was really anxious and scared because I'd asked a few people about their piercings. One friend who has a lip piercing told me it hurt a lot. Another who has a labret told me that hers was bleeding a ton for a few days afterwards. My mom (who is extremely against me getting it done) was convinced that it would hurt so much more than my navel and it would hurt for days after I got it done. I decided to go through with it because I knew I'd regret it if I just went home, and I'd probably end up going back.
So, I walked inside and was told the wait would be about 30 minutes, but I could start filling out the paper work. When I told the employees I wanted a vertical labret, they made a big point of it, and several employees were like "oh man, I wanna see that!" Then one employee just stared at me and at first I could not figure out what the hell he was doing. Turns out he was trying to determine what size barbell to use on me, but it kinda freaked me out He stared at me for like 30 seconds before he was like, "oh sorry, I'm just trying to figure out what size to use".
So finally it was time, and I was led back into the room they use for piercing. I was told to sit down. My piercer, Robert, asked if I had any questions before we began. So, I asked what I should stay away from during the time I was healing. To this Robert rattled off a memorized list of things I should stay away from, alcohol and tobacco included, unfortunately. He sounded like he should be an airline flight attendant, he must have recited this spiel over a hundred times, at least that's how it sounded. He told me what I should expect; a swollen lip, and it would be tender for awhile. He had his buddy (who was in the room to simply watch) go and get a different sized barbell, one that would allow extra space for swelling to occur. The one he brought back was about a half an inch long. He told me I'd understand why it had to be so long in the morning.
Then Robert explained the process he would use to pierce me. First he would use a clamp to hold my lip in place (he said it was the worst part, yeah right) and then bring a needle through my lip and then put the barbell in and screw on the ball. Right before he was about to start, another employee wandered in and asked if she could watch. He first put the marks on my lip and below my lip so I could see where the piercing would go. I thought they looked fine, so I grabbed my friend's hand and squeezed as Robert put the clamp on my lip. He asked if I was ready, so I said sure and he counted to three and stuck the needle through my lip. I won't act like it didn't hurt, but really I was surprised because I was expecting it to hurt so much more. The most painful part was when the barbell entered my lip and was shoved through. As soon as I was done, I went and looked in the mirror. It looked awesome. I was shocked at how fast the pain vanished. I told Robert he did a great job and gave him a tip. Then, the most painful part, I went up to the cash register and paid. They threw in some sea salts to soak with. What a cool studio.
After I had paid, I started feeling a little light-headed, so I went outside and had a seat. This same exact thing happened when I got my navel pierced. I felt like I was going to black out for a few minutes, and then it felt more like I was going to puke. I just sat there for about five minutes and then felt fine, so we got up and left.
Overall it was a relatively painless experience. A day has passed, and my lip did swell up overnight, but I figured it would. Eating food is an issue now... I have to cut everything up and drink through a straw. I'm sure it will get better, I tried drinking out of a glass today and it was alright, but my lip was sore. My advice is if you're considering getting a vertical labret, go for it. I doubt you'll regret it. I'm already in love with mine. If you have any questions, just email me and I promise to answer.