Monroe piercing - upper lip piercing, what it looks like and how long it takes to heal

The tradition of decorating the area above the upper lip with a “mole” has been around for centuries. And if in the 18th century they were made of velvet and attached with glue, then in the 20th century the fabric versions were replaced by the Monroe piercing, named after the famous beauty Marilyn Monroe. Other names: Madonna piercing or Crawford piercing have the same origin - all these movie and pop stars are owners of such attractive moles by nature. The difference is that the Monroe and Crawford piercings are done on the left side, and the Madonna piercings are done on the right.

Nowadays, Monroe piercing is no longer just the prerogative of girls - men also decorate themselves with metal moles. If you did not inherit such jewelry, piercing specialists will come to the rescue and quickly correct this “flaw.”

How is a Monroe piercing done?

Monroe's upper lip piercing is quite simple to perform, the main thing in it is the markings . Ideally, the puncture should be located a centimeter above the lip, but if the client wants, the markings can be made higher or lower. Then the puncture itself occurs - the skin is fixed with a special triangular clamp and a through puncture is performed using a hollow piercing needle. Next, the taper is smoothly inserted into the puncture, to which the labret is screwed, then the taper is unscrewed, and the screw is screwed to the labret. At the end of the procedure, the master gives recommendations for care.

Types of lip piercings

Among young girls, the two most popular lip piercing options are Monroe and Madonna. Using earrings, they imitate a mole, like those of famous Hollywood stars - Cindy Crawford and Marilyn Monroe. The name depends on which side the earring is placed on - right or left.

A Monroe style piercing is done on the upper lip slightly to the side - the approximate distance is 1 cm and may vary depending on the anatomical features of the face. It is advisable to carry out the procedure by a professional who has sufficient knowledge about dangerous areas of the face and sanitation rules. Many people decide to pierce themselves at home; this risks rejection, bleeding, disruption of important nerve endings and health problems.

Monroe gained his popularity in the 90s when he was made by the bassist of the band Coal Chamber. Today, many celebrities wear earrings that imitate the famous mole.

How to care for a Monroe piercing?

Marilyn Monroe piercing will heal quickly and without problems if you follow all care recommendations. It is necessary to treat a fresh puncture twice a day, spraying the antiseptic octenisept (or miramistin) into the puncture site . For 3-4 weeks, avoid visiting baths, saunas, hot baths and hot showers. In case of injury and inflammation, apply baneocin ointment to the puncture 2 times a day (but no more than 5 days). The piercing above Monroe's lip may bleed in the first days, but under no circumstances should you remove dried blood! You cannot use cotton swabs and cotton pads . The piercing near Monroe's lip swells after the puncture, so a longer labret is placed for initial healing; after 2-3 weeks you can replace it with a shorter one.

How does the procedure work?

Lip piercing is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that requires proper preparation. Before day “X”, you need to visit the salon so that the specialist will examine the condition of your skin and oral cavity. If there are inflamed elements in the work area, medicinal ointments are prescribed.

A couple of days before the piercing it is highly recommended:

Do not drink energy drinks or coffee.
Refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages, including those with low alcohol content.
Eliminate food supplements containing garlic extract, ginseng and other active substances from your diet.
Avoid taking acetylsalicylic acid, Naproxen, vitamin E, Ibuprofen. It is not advisable to continue treatment with antibiotics, but their cancellation is permitted only in consultation with the attending physician.
Start taking vitamin K. You can get it through special supplements or from food; sources include cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, bananas, pumpkin, and olive oil.

The puncture procedure step by step:

The client is on the couch in a comfortable position. The face is positioned towards the lamps and the cosmetologist.
The side and place of piercing are selected and markings are made.
The skin is treated with an antiseptic. Reusable instruments and earrings must be disinfected in a special autoclave. The master works in gloves treated with an antiseptic.
At the client's request, pain relief is performed using subcutaneous injection of lidocaine or local anesthetics. The piercing is painful, but it lasts a couple of minutes and many people can withstand these unpleasant sensations without medications.
The upper puncture is performed with a needle equipped with a catheter. Using a surgical clamp with a hole, the lip is grabbed and slightly moved to the side so that the needle passes sideways and does not injure the gum.
The jewelry is inserted into the free edge of the catheter and inserted into the hole. The earring is fixed inside the wound using tweezers.

All manipulations take an average of 10-15 minutes.

Monroe Piercing Jewelry

For primary healing of the Madonna lip piercing, a straight labret size 1.6x12 is suitable, to which any screw can be matched. Most often it is a small titanium ball that resembles a mole. A little less often they choose wraps with cubic zirconia and opals; shaped wraps are very original and unusual. After initial healing, the labret is replaced with a shorter one, but remember that the Monroe piercing earrings should under no circumstances put pressure. Earrings for Monroe piercing should be made of high-quality material - titanium. Jewelry gold, surgical steel and silver are not suitable due to the presence of nickel in their alloy, which oxidizes when worn, especially since the mole piercing above the lip is located in the mucous part, where oxidation begins quite quickly, which is fraught with inflammation and other troubles.

Contraindications for puncture

Oral piercing of Monroe's lip is allowed only after reaching the age of majority. Otherwise, written permission from the parents and their presence is required.

The procedure is associated with a violation of the integrity of the skin, and has the following contraindications:

Predisposition of the body to the formation of keloid scar tissue. In this case, healing will take a long time with an inflammatory process and a high probability of scarring.
ARVI. Surgical interventions should not be performed if you have a cough, severe runny nose, or fever.
Dermatological diseases of the skin: dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, lupus erythematosus, etc. The consequence of the puncture is inflammation and the transition of the disease to an acute state.
Hepatitis C and B.
Disturbances in the process of blood clotting, which increases the risk of heavy bleeding.
Allergic reactions to anesthetics and metal alloys.
High blood sugar. This interferes with the normal regeneration process.
Chronic diseases in the acute phase: stomach ulcer, otitis media, gastritis, pankeratitis, sinusitis.

Do not hide the presence of contraindications to the procedure from the specialist; this can lead to complications and serious health problems.

Life after a puncture. Care

Monroe is a piercing that should not be left unattended. If you decide to pierce your upper lip, then be prepared to take very good care of it. The surface and inner part of the lip must be treated with an antiseptic. Thanks to this procedure, you prevent the appearance of various scars on the skin of the face. If you take proper care of your piercing, there will be no scars at all. Here are some tips:

After piercing (for four hours), do not try to smoke, drink alcohol or eat. You will experience a very noticeable change in the quality of diction, but do not be alarmed - this will only last for 3-4 days;
Do not eat citrus fruits for 5 days;
You are forbidden to eat sweet, salty, bitter, cold and hot.

Main stages of the procedure

Piercing can be done horizontally or vertically. Horizontal is a puncture parallel to the lip. It heals for about a month.

Vertical is a puncture in the center from the bottom of the lip to the top. As a rule, labrets are used for this type of piercing.

Lip piercing

The master makes a puncture in the center of the lip or slightly to the side. With a vertical puncture, the sample is considered to be a puncture in the center, since it is the most attractive. With horizontal piercing, the lip is pierced deeper to avoid rejection. The puncture is made parallel to the lip. Although, punctures are possible along the entire perimeter of the lip. No more than two punctures can be made at the same time, otherwise they will not allow each other to form freely.

The lip piercing procedure is relatively short and does not require special preparation, with the exception of the basic rules prohibiting the consumption of alcohol on the eve and on the day of the “creation” of the piercing.

Photo of making a lip piercing.

The basic stages of the lip decoration process are:

Reducing salivation by “plugging” large salivary glands located under the tongue with a cotton pad or a special “suction” device.
Treatment of the future piercing site. Hydrogen peroxide or Chlorhexidine is traditionally used as a disinfectant.
Preparation of lips. Depending on the area being pierced, the upper lip is strongly pulled upward to pierce the frenulum, or with the help of special forceps it is “fixed” in a position convenient for the master.
Puncture. Using a sterile catheter or a thin long needle from a traditional syringe, a straight line is inserted into the lip, piercing it through and resulting in a hole for future attachment of jewelry.
“Installation” of the earrings. Having made sure that the puncture process was performed correctly, and also that the resulting hole is through, the master inserts a pre-disinfected rod into the lip, securing it on both sides.
Final treatment of the oral cavity. At the final stage of “creating” the piercing, experienced craftsmen “rinse” the patient’s mouth with “Miramistin” and also generously “moisten” the place where the jewelry is attached with hydrogen peroxide.

When should you not get a piercing?

Piercing, like any cosmetic procedure, has contraindications.

It is not recommended to carry out the procedure in the following cases:

hypersensitivity to painkillers;
blood clotting disorder;
individual intolerance to the metal from which the jewelry is made;
critical days;
dermatological problems - dermatitis, psoriasis, etc.;
frequent relapses of herpes, also herpes in the active phase;
diabetes;
epilepsy;
viral infections, in particular ARVI, hepatitis;
liver and kidney dysfunction.

Choosing an earring

To make your Monroe lip piercing look beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, you need to choose the right earring. For this purpose, it is better to immediately contact a specialist in a beauty salon. But if you are looking for some unusual or designer option, consider the following points:

Don't buy silver earrings. There is a high risk of its oxidation. This can lead to wound suppuration and various complications.
If your body rejects any alloys other than gold, choose a metal of at least 585 standard.
Experts recommend using niobium earrings for Monroe piercings. This is a medical hypoallergenic alloy. Such a product can be replaced with an earring made of precious metal when the puncture site heals.
The ideal solution is the use of labrets. This is a type of long earring. The arch width is no more than 1.8 mm, so the puncture wound heals quickly. The length of the labret is from 5 to 10 mm. This prevents the jewelry from constantly coming into contact with the skin and irritating it.
Before the puncture procedure, you must attach the earring to the place where it will be attached. The specialist must ensure that the product does not rub against the skin. Otherwise, tissue growth may occur around the earring. In this case, you cannot do without the help of a surgeon.