I had wanted a side lip ring for a really long time, but didn't want to get a facial piercing until I had left home for college. I was also stretching my ears at the time and trying to heal my antitragus so I wanted to wait until they were fully healed before I got something else pierced. The reason I wanted a lip ring is because thats pretty much the only part of my face that I wouldn't mind drawing attention to. I barely have a brow bone, so no eyebrow piercing and my nose isn't something I'd like people staring at.
At A Glance Author Casey When Three months ago Studio Staircase Location California So I had been at college for a few months already and was itching for another piercing, this time, my first facial piercing. One day, I came across the vertical labret. Absolutely wonderful! I loved how it looked and I had gotten a bit tired of all the side lip rings I had been seeing around. I wanted something that I hadn't seen around town 80 times before. So I had made up my mind and decided to get a vertical labret. I was afraid of what my mom would say, so I didn't tell her and proceeded to pick the right time where I could get it pierced and healed before I had to go home for spring break.
I went with my friend who was getting her monroe done on a Sunday afternoon to Staircase Tattoo. This was our usual shop, so we had been there before and knew some of the piercers. I told the counter guy that I wanted to get a vertical labret that day and he said it was his favorite lip piercing because it doesn't damage your teeth or gums. He also kept saying that I had "nice full lips" which I found to be quite funny. I had my heart set on getting it pierced at 16g because I liked how it looked, but the piercer said that he was doing a 14g because it was easier to heal and that if I wanted, I could just change the size of the balls later. So I agreed and filled out all the forms then went in to watch my friend get her monroe first. She got hers done, then came my turn.
I sat on the chair and my piercer dotted the spots on my lip and under the lip, but it was awkwardly quiet so I started laughing. I think that messed him up a bit, but I said sorry and tried to keep a straight face because I didn't want a crooked piercing! He took a while to do it and moved the dots around a few times, but I was patient because I'd rather have him do it slowly and correctly rather than screw it up because he was rushed. He then made me lie down and then prepped his stuff. I was surprised to see that he didn't have a clamp and was going to do it freehand. It made me a little nervous at that point, although I hadn't been nervous at all beforehand. I also expected him to push the needle down from the top of my bottom lip and out, but instead he started the needle from the bottom. I did the standard breathe in through the nose then out through my mouth then I felt some pain, but not too much. I thought it was done because he had stopped pushing, but realized that he had stopped to change the angle of the needle so that it would come out in the right spot. After he changed the angle and pushed it through the remaining half, I felt excruciating pain like I have never felt before. My eyes started tearing up and my friend told me I made the most uncomfortable face shes ever seen. Also, afterwards the piercer asked if I was okay because I had made some groaning noises, apparently, but I don't remember making them!
But I was fine and I looked at myself in the mirror expecting to immediately love it, but unfortunately I didn't. It was straight and looked nice, but I couldn't get over how big it looked in my lip and on my face. I paid 65 for it, then we left to eat. Big mistake. It was the hardest thing to eat with a freshly pierced vertical labret and a new monroe. We must have looked totally strange trying to eat our food as to not disturb our new piercings.
The next day, it hurt a bit so I took some ibuprofen. All the stories I read said to carry around some straws to drink and stuff, but I honestly didn't have trouble drinking or dribbling. The first week I experienced a LOT of bruising and had people staring at me because it looked like I had gotten punched in the lip. I cleaned it 2-3 times a day with sea salt soaks and every time it hurt like hell. Also, the skin on my lip around the piercing kept peeling a lot, so I peeled it off about every other day then applied chapstick. I ordered 3mm balls and changed them after about 4 weeks and fell in love with the way they looked! They didn't overpower my face anymore and I was really excited about showing it off. Now, its about 3 months later and most of the time I don't even realize I have it because its become such a part of my face. My piercer obviously had experience and did a really good job at getting it straight and symmetrical without using a clamp. I am in love with it now!