LipPiercingIdea

Lip piercing is a custom that goes back as far as ancient history. Some tribes believed that it would make their ancestors' spirits happy. For some, it was a ritual or a status symbol. For some, of course, it was just a sign of beauty, of femininity, like the members of the Makolo tribe of Malawi. The Mayans and the Aztecs wore labrets or special lip pins made of gold, jade and obsidian. Among some tribes in Africa, the labrets could well be a disk, rather than simple jewelry. Lip piercing is considered to be the simplest and the safest type of piercing, because there are no large-vessels and complex ganglia in our lips.

Although it is termed as lip piercing, it's not necessarily located on the lip itself, and can be found anywhere around the mouth. According to the specific position they occupy or graphic images they are associated with, types of lip piercing are named as follows:
• Monroe - located on the upper lip, exactly where Marilyn Monroe had her beauty spot.
• Madonna - this is just on the opposed side of Monroe piercing, named after Madonna's birthmark.
• Angelbites - these represent two piercings on the opposite sides of the upper lip.
• Snakebites - similar to Angelbites, but these are located on both sides of the lower lip.
• Medusa - considered being the real top labret piercing since it crosses the middle of the upper lip.
• Dahlia - another piercing executed on the upper lip, near the crease of the mouth.
• Philtrum - very similar to Medusa, refers to upper lip piercing.
• Cleft - is found on the portion between the edges of the top lip.
• Canine bites - located namely on the lip area. These are comparatively few in number if related to other types which have been previously mentioned.

Make sure the jewelry is made out of titanium, niobium, surgical steel or 18 carat gold. It takes from two to six months for a lip piercing to heal completely. With lip piercing gaining popularity, there are few ground rules that one should follow. It is most important, though, to get the piercing done by a professional, so proper hygiene is ensured and the jewelry is of the right metal and does not rub against the gums. After the piercing make sure that it does not develop an infection - either viral or bacterial. It is important to rinse your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash, and keep away from smoking and alcohol. Some people recommend taking extra Vitamin C and Zinc in order to help the healing process, as well.