Types of Lip Piercings: Placement, Pain, and Healing

Lip piercings fall into a handful of placements: the single labret below the lip, the vertical labret and its relatives, the centered medusa, the upper-lip monroe and madonna, and the paired “bites.” This guide maps every one, with the honest pain level, healing time, gauge, and starter jewelry for each, so you can match a placement to your face and your appetite for aftercare.

One rule covers all of them. Get pierced with a single-use needle by a professional, and start with jewelry fitted long enough to leave room for swelling. Lip tissue swells more than most people expect in the first week.

How lip piercings heal

Lip piercings sit in soft tissue, so most heal faster than cartilage and on a predictable timeline. A standard labret closes in about 6 to 8 weeks. The catch is location. Anything that sits inside the mouth deals with saliva, food, and constant movement, so the visible surface often looks healed while the inside is still knitting.

Gauge is the thickness of the jewelry post, measured on a scale where a bigger number is thinner. Most lip placements start at 16 gauge (1.2 mm), and the thicker labret and horizontal labret often go to 14 gauge (1.6 mm). Your piercer fits the first piece with extra length for swelling, then downsizes it.

Downsizing means swapping to a shorter post once the swelling drops, usually two to four weeks in. It matters more on the lip than almost anywhere else, because a long bar knocks against your teeth and drags on the piercing every time you talk or eat. Book that follow-up when you get pierced.

Every placement compared

Pain here is relative and brief, a pinch of a second or two during the needle pass, and it varies a lot between people. Healing times assume a needle piercing, quality jewelry, and clean aftercare. Paired placements heal on the same per-hole timeline as a single labret, but you are caring for two or four wounds at once.

Placement	Where it sits	Typical gauge	Pain (relative)	Healing time	Starter jewelry
Labret	Below the lower lip, centered	16g to 14g	Low	6 to 8 weeks	Flat-back stud
Vertical labret	Up through the lower lip, both ends outside	16g to 14g	Low to moderate	6 to 8 weeks	Curved barbell
Ashley	Front of the lower lip, back exits inside the mouth	16g to 14g	Moderate	8 to 12 weeks	Flat-back stud
Medusa (philtrum)	Center of the upper lip, below the septum	16g to 14g	Moderate	6 to 8 weeks	Flat-back stud
Monroe	Upper lip, off-center on the left	16g	Low to moderate	6 to 8 weeks	Flat-back stud
Madonna	Upper lip, off-center on the right	16g	Low to moderate	6 to 8 weeks	Flat-back stud
Jestrum	Vertical through the upper lip, both ends outside	16g to 14g	Moderate	8 to 12 weeks	Curved barbell
Snake bites	Lower lip, one on each side	16g to 14g	Low to moderate	6 to 8 weeks	Two flat-back studs
Spider bites	Two close together on one side of the lower lip	16g	Low to moderate	6 to 8 weeks	Two flat-back studs
Angel bites	Upper lip, one on each side	16g	Moderate	6 to 8 weeks	Two flat-back studs
Dolphin bites	Lower lip, two centered close together	16g to 14g	Low to moderate	6 to 8 weeks	Two flat-back studs
Dahlia	The two corners of the mouth	16g	Moderate	8 to 12 weeks	Two flat-back studs
Canine bites	Upper and lower lip, four total	16g	Moderate	8 to 12 weeks	Four flat-back studs
Horizontal labret	Along the lower lip, two points side by side	14g	Moderate	8 to 12 weeks	Curved barbell

Use the table to shortlist, then read the notes below for the detail that decides whether a placement suits you. For how these fit into the wider map of the body, see our guide to every type of piercing and the reference on what piercing placements mean.

Labret piercing

A labret is a single piercing centered below the lower lip, sitting in the flat skin rather than on the lip itself. It is the most common lip placement and the most forgiving, healing in about 6 to 8 weeks. Start with a flat-back stud in implant-grade titanium (ASTM F-136 is the standard to ask for), because the flat disc sits inside the mouth without a ball to rub the gumline.

The one thing to manage long term is tooth contact. A flat-back stud and prompt downsizing keep the disc small and close, which is easier on your teeth than a bead.

Vertical labret

A vertical labret runs straight up through the edge of the lower lip, so one ball sits on top of the lip and the other just below it. Neither end touches your teeth or gums, which makes it the kinder choice for oral health, and it heals on the standard 6 to 8 week timeline. It takes a curved barbell fitted to the lip.

Because the piercing follows the lip rather than passing behind it, the jewelry stays visible from the front, which is part of the appeal.

Ashley piercing

An ashley is a single lower-lip piercing with one visible point on the front of the lip and the back exiting inside the mouth, sometimes called an inverse vertical labret. It is a facial lip piercing, not an intimate one, despite being grouped with intimate placements in a lot of online lists. Healing runs a little longer than a standard labret, usually 8 to 12 weeks, because the back of the channel sits against the wet inside of the lip.

It starts with a flat-back stud and shows a single bead centered on the lip. Because it passes through the lip proper, it is more swelling-prone than a labret, so downsizing on time matters here.

Medusa piercing

A medusa, or philtrum piercing, sits in the philtrum, the dip in the center of the upper lip directly below the septum. It is central and reads as symmetrical, and it heals in about 6 to 8 weeks. Start with a flat-back stud showing a single bead in the groove above the lip.

Internally threaded jewelry helps it settle: the thread sits down inside the receiving end, so what travels through the channel is a smooth post rather than a threaded one. Most people run a 16g or 14g stud.

Monroe and madonna

A monroe sits high on the upper lip, off-center to the left, placed to mimic Marilyn Monroe’s beauty mark. The identical piercing on the right side is a madonna, named for the same look on Madonna. Both heal in about 6 to 8 weeks and take a flat-back labret stud that shows a small bead like a mole above the lip.

Both rest against the gum on the inside, so they carry the usual tooth-and-gum consideration. A flat back and timely downsizing keep the contact minimal.

Jestrum piercing

A jestrum is a vertical medusa: it passes up through the upper lip so both ends show on the outside, one bead in the philtrum and one on the lip. It takes a curved barbell and heals in roughly 8 to 12 weeks, a touch longer than a flat medusa because it goes through the body of the lip. It is a bolder, more visible version of the centered upper-lip look.

Snake, spider, and dolphin bites

These three are all paired lower-lip piercings that differ only in spacing. Snake bites sit one on each side of the lower lip, wide apart and symmetrical. Spider bites sit two close together on one side. Dolphin bites sit two close together in the center. Each hole is essentially a small labret, so each heals on the 6 to 8 week timeline, and each starts best with a flat-back stud.

The work is doubled aftercare, not extra pain. Two fresh holes mean two spots to keep clean, and speech and eating feel awkward for the first week while both swell. Wait until both are fully settled before switching either to a ring.

Angel bites

Angel bites are two piercings on the upper lip, one off-center on each side, essentially a monroe and a madonna worn together. They frame the upper lip symmetrically and heal in about 6 to 8 weeks per hole. Start with flat-back studs and switch to rings only once both are healed.

Because both sit against the gumline inside the mouth, angel bites carry a bit more tooth-and-gum exposure than a single upper-lip piercing. Downsizing both on schedule keeps that in check.

Dahlia bites

Dahlia bites, sometimes called joker bites, sit at the two corners of the mouth, one where the upper and lower lip meet on each side. They stretch a smile visually and are among the more distinctive lip placements. Healing runs about 8 to 12 weeks, and they are more prone to migration than a centered piercing because the corner of the mouth moves constantly.

They start with flat-back studs. A piercer will check whether the corners of your mouth have the tissue to hold the placement, since a shallow spot tends to reject.

Canine bites

Canine bites are four piercings in total, a pair on the upper lip and a pair on the lower, spaced to sit roughly where the canine teeth show. It is the biggest single commitment on this list because you are healing four channels at once, so expect about 8 to 12 weeks and real swelling in the first week. Each starts as a flat-back stud, usually 16 gauge.

Stick to soft foods early, keep all four clean, and go slow on jewelry changes so you are not stressing four spots at the same time.

Horizontal labret

A horizontal labret runs side to side along the lower lip, showing two beads next to each other rather than the single point of a standard labret. It uses a curved barbell and heals in roughly 8 to 12 weeks. As a surface piercing along a mobile area, it is more prone to migration and rejection than the piercings that pass cleanly through the lip, so it needs an experienced piercer and careful placement.

Not every piercer offers it, and a good one will tell you honestly whether your lip anatomy will hold it.

Teeth and gums

The real long-term cost of a lip piercing is dental, not the healing itself. Jewelry that rests against the teeth wears enamel over the years, and a back disc pressed into the gumline can cause the gum to recede. This is why placement and jewelry choice matter as much as aftercare.

Three habits cut the risk. Downsize to a shorter post once swelling drops so the jewelry sits close rather than swinging into your teeth. Choose a flat-back stud over a ball on any inside-the-mouth placement. Mention the piercing to your dentist so they can watch the nearest teeth and gum. The vertical labret sidesteps most of this, since neither end contacts the teeth.

Aftercare that works

Clean a lip piercing from both sides, because it has an outside and an inside. On the outside, use sterile saline (a plain wound-wash spray, or 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized salt in a cup of warm water) once or twice a day. On the inside, rinse with the saline or an alcohol-free mouthwash after meals and before bed.

Skip the things that set healing back. Do not rotate or play with the jewelry, do not use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, and avoid smoking, alcohol, spicy food, and oral contact while it heals. Eat in small bites and take smaller mouthfuls for the first week while everything is swollen. For the full routine that applies to every piercing, see our piercing aftercare guide.

Read this as education, not medical advice. When the site spreads redness, turns hot, and leaks thick yellow or green discharge, that is a doctor visit, not a piercer visit.

Jewelry and gauge

Ask for internally threaded or threadless jewelry in implant-grade titanium (ASTM F-136) or solid gold for anything fresh. With internal threading the threaded section hides inside the post, so nothing coarse drags through the channel. The words “surgical steel” are marketing shorthand, not proof of a safe alloy, so ask what the metal actually is.

Most lip piercings start at 16 gauge, with the labret and horizontal labret often at 14 gauge for stability. The initial piece is fitted long for swelling and then downsized, which is the single biggest thing you can do for both healing and your teeth. For the full breakdown of thickness and length by piercing, see our body jewelry sizing guide. The Association of Professional Piercers publishes plain-language aftercare and jewelry guidance at safepiercing.org. For a wider tour of lip styles, this guide to different types of lip piercings covers the range as well.

Choosing your placement

Start from your own face and your tolerance for upkeep, not from a saved photo. If you want the easiest first lip piercing, a single labret or a vertical labret heals cleanly and is kindest to your teeth. If you want a centered statement, look at the medusa or jestrum. If you want symmetry, snake bites and angel bites deliver it at the cost of double the aftercare. Book a consultation, let the piercer mark the spot, and heal one placement fully before adding the next, so you are never nursing four fresh lip piercings at once.