Some individuals have piercings in their lips or in the area surrounding the mouth. It will typically take your lip piercing at least two to three months to heal and can cause problems, such as erosion of your gums and chipping or cracking of teeth, according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Three major types of lip piercings exist, and each style has several different options for you to personalize, such as placement on your mouth and the look of the jewelry. Lip rings made out of surgical stainless steel or titanium may help prevent possible complications for you, such as infection.
Ring
A lip ring, or barbell, is a lip ring style that allows a curved shaped metal piece of jewelry to extend through the hole in the piercing. The ring slips through the hole and closes on itself to form a full ring or a ring that closes the ends together with a ball. You can wear rings either centered or off centered on the bottom lip. A snakebite lip piercing uses one ring placed on opposite sides of your lower lip.
Labret
A labret is a stud-type piercing that is a post with a flat end on one end and a fitting on the other, similar in style to an earring stud. The fitting end of a labret may have a ball, gemstone, spike or novelty shape or logo. It is visible on the outside of your lip. People with a labret may have piercings anywhere around the mouth, and each type has a specific name for the location. The Madonna or Monroe piercing has a stud through the skin above the upper lip in an area close to the iconic beauty mark on Marilyn Monroe or centered under your lower lip, above the chin as the Madonna style. A snakebite style may use a labret instead of a ring with the placement of one stud on opposite sides of your lower lip. Angel bites are two labret piercings on opposite sides of your mouth, such as in the Monroe style.
Lip Hugger
A lip hugger is a mesh of a barbell and a labret. This style of lip piercing jewelry includes a bar that goes through hole under your lip and wraps around to the inside of the mouth and over the top of your lip. The area that passes through your skin is smooth, and the ends may hold a spike, gem or ball.
