Since the age of about 14 I've really wanted to get my lip pierced. I didn't get it done when I was younger because of school - and I don't think my parents would have let me to be honest. Also from 16-19 I had a girlfriend who wasn't too keen on the idea and so I kinda gave up figuring it wasn't worth the arguments it would cause. However - once starting my third year of university - single, I figured it was time to get it done. The decision was made whilst drunk at a pirate fancy dress night - me and some friends went to Hedonism the next week. It was Friday the 13th October...
At A Glance Author Snoidy Contact Snoidy@bme.anon When Six months ago Artist I don't know her name :( Studio Hedonism Location Stoke on Trent I must say I was rather nervous as I hadn't had any piercings since I got my ear lobes done with a gun when I was 9. But I'd made my decision and nothing was gonna stop me! I was pretty chuffed cause it was only £20 - my friend had got hers done in Lincoln for £30 - needless to say I was feeling rather smug.
Okay - onto the piercing itself. Me and my friends were in the waiting room and for some reason I ended up going first. I was really rather scared! Though outwardly I was apparently as cool as a cucumber - hiding my fear is one of my talents. I was greeting by a girl with many lip piercings and mad hair - I don't know what I was expecting... she was really friendly and really put me at ease. My nerves soon dissipated! She explained the procedure to me, although I wasn't really listening - I just wanted it done! She put the mark on my lip, though i got her to adjust it a bit. It's on my right side - about 10mm from the centre. I didn't want it way off to the side.
So she then gave me the stuff to numb the inside of my lip (which I don't remember the name of) - it is apparently supposed to taste of bananas. But in fact it just tasted weird.... I was told to sit there with it in my mouth without swallowing - it was actually quite unpleasant as it made my tongue go all pins and needley. very annoying! After I spat that out she numbed the outside of my lip and put the clamp on. The actual piercing didn't hurt that much at all, I remember thinking '..is that it?' So she then put my labret in and put the ball on. trying to speak to her afterwards was rather embarrassing as I had a rather numb mouth! So I paid up and went back into the waiting room whilst my friends got their piercings done. It took about 10 minutes for the numbness to wear off and it was quite sore. Also talking was hard cause I suddenly had a big bit of metal in my mouth!!
Okay - onto healing! It did swell quite a lot, and it made eating, smiling, talking and general mouth usage rather difficult! The pain wasn't too bad - it was more of an ache. But the swelling was kinda nasty. After a week I went back to Hedonism and Kyle changed my stud to a ring for me which was instantly more comfortable. It was still a bit swollen though - but I could eat without the worry of chipping my teeth! Unusually for me healing was uneventful! My piercings since have been a pain I think because I'm not so scared now! But back to my lip - it was pretty much completely healed after a month and I had no problems at all. The initial swelling and pain went down after the first week and a half. The only real problem was my skin dried out from all the saltwater - but it was worth it to stop infection.#
I love this piercing and it's definitely my favourite because I'd wanted it for so long. The first week I admit was hard work, but its surprising how quickly you get used to a bit of metal in your mouth. It also heals very quickly because of the excellent blood supply to your lip - just be prepared for eating very small mouthfuls very slowly for the first week!
It's been fully healed for ages now and I love it - though I do recommend an acrylic labret so that its not affecting your teeth and gums so much! Though personally I usually wear a ring - it gives me something to play with when I'm bored or nervous! I'm quite surprised because my parents are actually pretty okay with it - though I'm gonna have to get a retainer for when I'm gonna be having job interviews. Because I find it difficult to believe that it doesn't put employers off!