What to Know Before Getting Snake-Bite Piercings

1 The Pain Is Doable

Pain is always a primary concern when it comes to new piercings, but according to Tom Gottschalk, a piercer at Dorje Adornments in Rochester, NY, lower lip piercings aren't unbearably painful for most people.

"If you're going to get your lip pierced, it's probably the lesser of all the evils," he says. "Some upper lip piercings or piercings going through the lip might be a little worse," since spots like the centre of your top lip have tons of nerves. Of course, everyone's individual experience will be different, but it's nice to know that this is one of the easier lip piercings to get.

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2 Use Correct Terminology

Image Source: Unsplash/Bianca Berg

Gottschalk advises people to "ask for two lower lip piercings [rather] than snake bites, because there's so many names out there for different things." You want to make sure you're getting what you're envisioning, so feel free to point, describe, or even use images for your piercer's reference.

Anna Beall, a piercer for CowPök in Buffalo, NY adds that piercing terminology is constantly evolving, and it can be hard to keep up. Her advice is to remember that, "A lot of times the internet changes what things can mean, so we just usually say paired lip piercings."

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3 Be Prepared to Downsize Your Jewellery

"When we pierce somebody's lips, we pierce them with a super long bar, because they're going to swell up, [and] we want the bar to be able to accommodate the swelling," Gottschalk says. He warns that if the jewellery isn't long enough, then when the initial swelling occurs, the bar will have no place to go but inside your body, which is definitely not the desired outcome. Once the initial swelling goes down, which Beall says can take anywhere from two to four weeks, this jewellery can then be replaced with a shorter bar, which is called downsizing.

"Not everyone is always prepared for the fact that they kind of have an antennae sticking out of their lip for the first 24 hours, and then it swells up after that," Beall says. It may take a few weeks, but as soon as the swelling has gone down, you can visit your piercer to get the appropriately sized jewellery put in for aesthetic and dental purposes.

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4 Consider the Dental Risks

The bottom line is, if done incorrectly, lip piercings can destroy your teeth. To combat this, work closely with your piercer to make sure your jewellery fits. When done right, Gottschalk says the piercing should "nest" and tuck into your lip, which is your body's natural way of keeping the jewellery off of your teeth. Once it's been downsized, the piercing also shouldn't stick out too much from your lip.

Any implant grade metal works best, but metal is harder than your teeth, so if you've had extreme dental work, consult your piercer beforehand about any potential risk. While oral damage of some kind is to be expected with lip piercings, Beall says it should be pretty minimal if the placement of the piercings is correct, with the jewellery more towards the gum line rather than the teeth. Beall also prefers titanium studs for "snake bites" with flat discs on the inside to reduce damage.

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5 Aftercare Is a Little Different Than With Other Piercings

Image Source: Pexels/Sabrina Kennelly

Once you've got your piercings, remember that now you have to take care of them on the inside and the outside. Externally, a simple saline solution will work to clean the piercings, but internally, warm water rinses are your best friend.

"Any time you eat, drink, smoke, kiss, or anything really that goes into your mouth that's not air or water, just take a sip of water and swish it around," says Gottschalk.

Staying super hydrated is another thing that can help reduce the initial swelling, but don't expect the piercing to feel completely healed until about three to four months. Beall says it's also a good idea to avoid super salty or spicy foods, since they can irritate the piercing, and resist the urge to twist, turn, or rotate the piercing with your fingers or tongue.

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