Lip piercings – Going beyond kisses and words
- Posted by Pete Bogdanovich
The lips that little line on our face that defines our life. With our lips we utter words that can change the world; with our lips we express love toward our loved ones with kisses. When we meet someone for the first time the shape of their lips can determine their character and also the mood of the conversation taking place. But to some that isn't enough some want more, for those who want to stand out more. This is their story, the story of lip piercings. Lip piercings as a form of body modification have a history behind them in various parts of the world. From African tribes of Mali and Ethiopia to the Aztecs and Mayans right up to the Native Americans, its symbolism varied from culture to culture. Some have them for spiritual reasons connecting them to the netherworld with their loved ones, for some it represented class distinction, in some tribes it is also used as a rite for women to get married to their man. And of course there are those who have done them simply out of beauty.
The lips that little line on our face that defines our life. With our lips we utter words that can change the world; with our lips we express love toward our loved ones with kisses. When we meet someone for the first time the shape of their lips can determine their character and also the mood of the conversation taking place. But to some that isn't enough some want more, for those who want to stand out more. This is their story, the story of lip piercings. Lip piercings as a form of body modification have a history behind them in various parts of the world. From African tribes of Mali and Ethiopia to the Aztecs and Mayans right up to the Native Americans, its symbolism varied from culture to culture. Some have them for spiritual reasons connecting them to the netherworld with their loved ones, for some it represented class distinction, in some tribes it is also used as a rite for women to get married to their man. And of course there are those who have done them simply out of beauty.
Lip piercings today are a very common sight by piercing enthusiasts, Because they can be placed in various spots around the lips. Chances of infections are very slim since our mouths have adapted through the ages to fend off bacteria. Still one must not take lip piercing lightly because it still has its own kind of dangers you need to be careful of. As said earlier lip piercings come in a variety of forms depending on the positions they are placed around the lips (never on the surface of the very lips). In the first days you will notice swelling, scabbing, redness and sometimes even bleeding. No panic necessary since you're dealing with a wound, thing that most piercings are initially. Your body is just reacting to it and massing up its defenses, mostly it will be in the form of yellowish pus. Your body is doing its job naturally as you should do also follow suit. In the weeks to come you should have immaculate oral hygiene, for that you will need Listerine mouthwash (non- alcoholic please), a form of Saline solution, Q-tips and antibacterial soap if you don't have one already.
A first thing first is of course DO NOT touch or clean you're piercing without first washing your hands with the antibacterial soap. The most causes for infection are dirty hands; keep yourself and other around you clean when touching the piercing.
When cleaning, apply the saline solution on the Q-tip and clean the area of the piercing of crusts from pus discharging from your body. You can also use a smaller toothbrush, but make sure it's brand new since they may contain bacteria from previous cleaning. Do these two times a day regularly during the healing period.
Use paper tissues or gauze when you dry cleaning yourself, don't use towels as they too can harbor bacteria that can lead to infection. The mouthwashes role in this is to keep your mouth sanitized be it after eating, smoking or drinking.
My advice is generally to avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs during the first month or so. As I said use mouthwash after every meal, but don't also share plates, cups and eating utensils with anybody. But it doesn't have to be all that bad news when eating, as you are encouraged to eat frozen foods in the first few weeks such as ice cream, frozen yogurt or just simply suck on ice to relieve the swelling caused by your piercing.
If the pain overwhelms you at times, use Ibuprofen to lessen the pain and it also helps with keeping the swelling at bay. Heck you can even suck on anti-inflammatory throat lozenges (cough drops) to greatly reduce chances of infection.
To further push the healing processes use vitamin B with Zinc even before the piercing to further your body's ability to heal quicker. I also have to remind you after all of that you should keep your dental hygiene in top form brush and floss your teeth twice a day as to prevent any leftover food particles from endangering your piercing. Any form of oral sex is also prohibited until the piercing has healed. Avoid submerging the piercing in lakes and public pools as they also can harbor various bacteria. As you can see many things that have been said in my previous articles can also be seen here more or less. Staying true to my simple mantra of keeping it safe, keeping it cleans and everything will end up simple. Just stay hungry for information, knowledge is power and that applies also in piercing as well.
Find your peers in the area who has experienced lip piercings on themselves or your local professional piercer for more advice on the matter. And in dire situations when something goes wrong you can visit your dentist as they can also help you in all matters oral hygiene and care.
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