Oral piercings include any piercing inside and around the mouth, including lip and tongue piercings. This tissue is some of the fastest healing in the body, however oral piercings do have some unique challenges and risks.
Oral Piercings
Reducing Oral Piercing Risks
The Association of Professional Piercers has a great brochure detailing the risks of oral piercings and how to reduce them. You can see that here.
The main concern with oral piercings is ensuring proper placement of piercings and fit of jewelry to reduce risk of damage to teeth and gums.
Downsizing jewelry after the initial swelling portion of healing is CRUCIAL to reduce damage to teeth and gums. In the short term, excessively long jewelry can both snag on teeth and cause chipping/breaking. In the long run, extra length puts additional wear/pressure on gums, which can cause recession, sometimes to the point of tooth loss. This is why we’ll want to see you for a checkup a couple weeks after your initial piercing.
Because of the high risk of damage to teeth, gums, or other oral tissue, we DO NOT perform snake eyes/scoop/other horizontal tongue piercings, smiley/frown-y/frowney/lip webbing/lip frenulum piercings, or tongue web piercings.
The main concern with oral piercings is ensuring proper placement of piercings and fit of jewelry to reduce risk of damage to teeth and gums.
Downsizing jewelry after the initial swelling portion of healing is CRUCIAL to reduce damage to teeth and gums. In the short term, excessively long jewelry can both snag on teeth and cause chipping/breaking. In the long run, extra length puts additional wear/pressure on gums, which can cause recession, sometimes to the point of tooth loss. This is why we’ll want to see you for a checkup a couple weeks after your initial piercing.
Because of the high risk of damage to teeth, gums, or other oral tissue, we DO NOT perform snake eyes/scoop/other horizontal tongue piercings, smiley/frown-y/frowney/lip webbing/lip frenulum piercings, or tongue web piercings.
Oral Piercing Aftercare
Initially, the main concern with oral piercings is reducing the initial swelling and getting it to go away as soon as possible. We find it’s important to avoid irritants like smoking/vaping/etc., harsh chemicals like mouthwash and toothpaste, spicy foods, strong acids like lemon juice, alcohol, and excessive salt. These irritants can increase swelling and discomfort.
It’s very helpful to keep the piercing cold by drinking lots of cold water, eating ice chips, and applying cool compresses to lip or cheek piercings.
We do want you to brush your teeth with a new electric toothbrush and bottled water. We also want you to rinse your mouth with water every time you eat or drink anything.
It’s very helpful to keep the piercing cold by drinking lots of cold water, eating ice chips, and applying cool compresses to lip or cheek piercings.
We do want you to brush your teeth with a new electric toothbrush and bottled water. We also want you to rinse your mouth with water every time you eat or drink anything.
Lip Piercings
There are almost endless variations on lip piercings. The most common being center or side lower lip and the philtrum, which is the center of the upper lip. Multiple piercing configurations are also available. You might see a lot of nicknames on the internet. We try to stick with anatomical or descriptive names for clarity.
Because lip piercings involve both the oral mucosal tissue and outside, normal skin, healing can be a little trickier than the tongue, but they are still fast healers. It’s important to make sure that makeup, lipstick/chapstick/etc., stay away from the piercing until it’s fully healed.
Initial jewelry for most lip piercings will be a flat-back post/labret. It’s best to wait for rings until the piercing is fully healed. Vertical placements are generally curved bars, and rings usually won’t work for vertical placements.
DOWNSIZE: 2-3 WEEKS
HEALING TIME: 3-6 MONTHS OR LONGER
Lip piercing, single
Single lip piercing service: center/labret, side, vertical, philtrum, upper lip/beauty mark/marilyn/monroe, etc. Jewelry priced separately.
Lip Piercing, double
Get two of the same piercing, or mix and match. If you’re planning paired piercings, it’s easiest to get the most even results if we plan both piercings together. Jewelry priced separately.
Tongue Piercings
Standard tongue piercings are placed in the center of the tongue between the u-shaped muscles. While initial swelling can be awkward and uncomfortable, these can be some of the fastest healing piercings. It’s important to avoid playing with your jewelry while you’re waiting for it to be downsized.
Jewelry for tongue piercings will be a straight barbell, often with an M&M-shaped bottom. The top can be a solid ball or bezel/ball-set gem.
DOWNSIZE: 1-2 WEEKS
HEALING TIME: 2-4 MONTHS
Jewelry for tongue piercings will be a straight barbell, often with an M&M-shaped bottom. The top can be a solid ball or bezel/ball-set gem.
DOWNSIZE: 1-2 WEEKS
HEALING TIME: 2-4 MONTHS
Tongue piercing, single
This service offers a standard, center tongue piercing. Jewelry priced separately.
Tongue Piercing, double
Two center tongue piercings. Not everyone will have enough room for this. Jewelry priced separately
$75 Service Fee, 30 Minutes >Advanced Oral Piercings
The following oral piercings are considered “Advanced” because they tend to be both difficult to perform and difficult to heal. Initial swelling can be much more intense and take longer to go away. This may mean multiple sizes of posts and visits to the piercer to have jewelry changed. Healing can be very uncomfortable. There is a greater risk of oral damage, scar tissue, and other complications. We do not offer these piercings to smokers/vape users/etc, as the risk of swelling, scarring, and other complications is even higher.
We only offer these piercings after consulting with the piercer. Please email us.
Muscular Tongue Piercings
Muscular tongue piercings are performed vertically through the muscle on the side of the tongue, often in pairs. Because these are placed through the actual muscle, not between like a standard tongue piercing, healing is much more involved. We expect more initial swelling and discomfort and for the swelling to last longer. You will likely need to downsize multiple times. Because these are placed closer to your teeth, there is an increased risk of oral damage, even with proper downsizing.
FIRST DOWNSIZE: 2-4 WEEKS
AVERAGE HEALING: 6-12 MONTHS
Cheek Piercings
Cheek or dimple piercings can be some of the most difficult piercings to get to heal. This tissue tends to swell more and stay swollen longer. It can also be prone to bump formation or even abscesses. We expect these piercings to require multiple downsizes and potential upsizing as well. Because of the temperamental nature of these piercings, we will not perform them on smokers or anyone inexperienced with oral piercings.
Jewelry for cheeks piercings will be a straight barbell, often with an M&M-shaped inside. The outside can be a solid ball or bezel/ball-set gem. Initial downsize is expected at about 2-3 weeks, with overall healing between 4 and 6 months.
FIRST DOWNSIZE: 2-4 WEEKS
AVERAGE HEALING: 6-12 MONTHS
Muscular tongue piercings are performed vertically through the muscle on the side of the tongue, often in pairs. Because these are placed through the actual muscle, not between like a standard tongue piercing, healing is much more involved. We expect more initial swelling and discomfort and for the swelling to last longer. You will likely need to downsize multiple times. Because these are placed closer to your teeth, there is an increased risk of oral damage, even with proper downsizing.
FIRST DOWNSIZE: 2-4 WEEKS
AVERAGE HEALING: 6-12 MONTHS
Cheek Piercings
Cheek or dimple piercings can be some of the most difficult piercings to get to heal. This tissue tends to swell more and stay swollen longer. It can also be prone to bump formation or even abscesses. We expect these piercings to require multiple downsizes and potential upsizing as well. Because of the temperamental nature of these piercings, we will not perform them on smokers or anyone inexperienced with oral piercings.
Jewelry for cheeks piercings will be a straight barbell, often with an M&M-shaped inside. The outside can be a solid ball or bezel/ball-set gem. Initial downsize is expected at about 2-3 weeks, with overall healing between 4 and 6 months.
FIRST DOWNSIZE: 2-4 WEEKS
AVERAGE HEALING: 6-12 MONTHS
Muscular Tongue Piercing, single
This service is a vertical piercing through the side muscle of the tongue. Jewelry priced separately. Must book consultation first.
Muscular Tongue Piercing, paired
This service is for a set of vertical piercings through the side muscles of the tongue. Jewelry priced separately. Must book consultation first.
$100 Service Fee, 45 Minutes Cheek Piercing, single
Cheek/dimple piercing service, one side. Jewelry priced separately. Must book consultation first.
Cheek Piercing, paired
Cheek/dimple piercing service, one side. Jewelry priced separately. Must book consultation first.
$100 Service Fee, 45 Minutes