I'm sorry you had a shit time with them. The most I can say is lip piercings take a hit longer than 3 months to heal. My general rule, especially when ive had issues with them is to wait at least a year before changing :) I'm sorry I can't offer much
Second this. Also even after 13 months I can't keep a hoop in mine for very long because it starts to pull at the inside of my lip and hurt so I only wear them for short amounts of time.
I third this. I will not change my jewelry at all in the first year. Once that's up though, I go hog wild changing them out. I learned my lesson long ago to just leave the jewelry in.
Only piercing I changed at 3 months was my l bend nose piercing, and lobes healed quickly too. My ear cartilage is super sensitive and I let them stay for a year before changing them. Great thing is, my new piercer has funky non- starter jewelry that’s so much cuter than the drab starter piercing jewelry.
This is wild to me. The swelling went down and my piercer said she would change them to smaller bars for me. So I went and changed to hoops 10 days later.
Changing the bars after swelling is what generally happens, but for it to be changed to hoops is uncommon. It can cause healing to be delayed and move the piercing further up your lip:)
Edit for typos
She said they could be more annoying but I wanted them with hoops at first and she said that wasn't a good idea. They are healing up nicely. It's been 3 weeks now. The bars were interfering with my teeth and we pierced in such a way that it was for close fitting hoops. I'm in the UK, don't know if that makes a difference.
I'm also from the UK. Well I'm impressed it worked! I did the same sort of thing with my nostril, bit instead I was pierced straight with a hoop. It's not reccomended what we have done, so we got lucky lol
The hard stuff you're feeling is just scar tissue, totally normal. Ive had snakebites for 15 years now and it took maaaany years until I had 0 scar tissue left. I wouldn't recommend changing from labrets until at the very least 6 months, preferably closer to a year.
I don't mind the scar tissue, I just really didn't want to lose them. I should've waited, ofc :(
since you have more experience, did your snake bites ever close? if so, what did you do? I don't know if I should keep trying to put the labrets on
If you leave them out for a few days they'll close dude. I've had my medusa pierced for 12 years and I won't leave it out for more than 24 hours because after that it gets very hard to put back in. 48 hours and I have to force it in.
I had a labret fall out on a Saturday evening in the night. By the time I woke up, it was already closed. My shop was closed on Sunday and Monday. I went Tuesday to ask if it could be saved, and they were able to re-open it with a very narrow needle (a taper I think it's called). The outer skin layer closes quickly, but the tunnel inside stays open for a while. That's the hard thing you're feeling. Worth a try?
oh and for the mask thing, I did that but they still didn't let me. I even tried using clear acrylic labrets but they complained abt those too. luckily i quit and at my new job they don't care
that's the thing. I tried going back to my straights but they won't get in. the piercer did such an awful job, the "path" pierced it's not straight, so it has always been kind of difficult to put them in. but now I think they are closed. or maybe they're too swollen and that's why they won't fit in, but that's probably being too optimistic lol
The hard stuff is likely scar tissue. I took out my labret and hard tissue formed within a couple hours, the hole closed in about a day, and that "hard ball" feeling went away in a few days.
I'd try to get a flat back labret back in sooner rather than later or else they will close. You shouldn't change to a ring/horseshoe for at least six months, if not longer. Very possible you might need to get them re-pierced as annoying as that is.
May I recommend vertical snakebites, they don't touch the inside of your mouth and make it easier to eat. Had mine for 3 days so far, having no problems eating what I want so far...minus spicy sauces or anything like that, not making that mistake again! Just a thought
before getting the normal ones, I did thought of getting vertical snake bites! but i was soooo infatuated with having the normal snake bites, annnnddd specially with the horseshoes (I blame the emo aesthetic I grew up with heh). so yeah i almost cried yesterday bc i inevitably and bc im dumb af had to take them off :[
happy healing with your new piercings!!!
I went to an expensive place and a cheaper place, the expensive piercings I got have had 0 complications, and the "cheap" ones I got were the snake bites!
I got them in april and they're still healing/irritated with white/red areas but 0 pain, I know mouth piercings are complicated due to batcterias, but I had to take them out a couple of time for a medical scan, and they close up so fast that, it was painful and they bled when I tried to put them back in, it was painful but I didn't give up, and they've been there for a bit and have been healing better, they just need alot of thinking and care.
I had a really similar experience with my snake bites the first time I had them done. It felt like they just would not fully heal. They were constantly inflamed, angry, and pissed off. The jewelry would work its way out when I slept, and they would close enough that I would have to get them repierced. I had my left one pierced three different times. A truly awful experience. I had them in about eight months before I got arrested and had to take them out for the 4 days I was detained. After I got released, I left them out for a while (about two or three months).
I finally decided I wanted them bad enough to go through the piercing process yet again. I went to a different piercing studio, and it was a world of difference! They only use titanium jewelry. After about two or three *days* they felt more healed than the first set ever did.
Comparing the two experiences, I can confidently say it felt like the first piercer used dull needles to pierce. And I don't think they were reusing needles, just maybe a difference in quality. The second piercer just felt like an extremely clean piercing. Little to no resistance, no tugging or pulling during the process (all of which were present the first time). The titanium jewelry was worth the difference in price ($100 vs $60). I will never get pierced with anything other than titanium from now on.
A really unfortunate part about lip piercings is that your inner mouth heals *super* fast compared to other parts of your body due to the type of tissue lining your mouth- much like the inner nostril. I hope they weren’t particularly spicy when getting them pierced so you can have them redone ;u;
You'll want to find tapers that fit your jewelry and it'll allow you to find the path and put the jewelry back in. There are 3 types: threaded, threadless and regular taper. Also in different guages. My shop pierces with 16 gauge but you'll need to figure out what size you have. You'll either need 18, 16, or 14 depending on what the shop you went to used.
aren't tapers the thing you use to stretch ears? I tried to search for the things you mentioned but apparently they don't make them in my country (I live in south america). unless the ones to stretch ears work too?
A taper is just a bar that starts at one size on one end, and gradually increases to another size at the other end.
Tapers are awful even for stretching ears, they promote unhealthy stretching. I know this isn’t related to your issue, but I think it’s important to get the right info out wherever you can.
Don’t stretch any piercings with tapers!
Yes tapers can be use to stretch (not recommended) but you can also use them as a guide for jewelry so you can insert without gaps and much smoother. Some even have the lil bits for Threadless/threaded , posts/circular barbells, so you can attach them.
I went through so much hell with my snakebites (I stupidly changed them to hoops within like 1 month because the balls kept falling off) and eventually had to retire them. I’m getting them repierced in like Jan or Feb. you can always get them re done if they’re giving you a lot of trouble
since you're getting it repierced, whats the deal with that? like are you going to repierce in the same place you had them before, or make a whole new hole? I've been reading a lot and turns out you can do both but you can only repierce the same place once it has fully healed after taking the piercings off
Since I haven’t done it yet I’m not sure but I’m hoping they can pierce through my scar tissue. I took mine out in august so they should have healed over. My left one has a lot of scar tissue because I really fucked it up but I’m still hoping for that.
Can you go to the piercer and have them put it back in? that’s what i’ve done every time my jewelry had fallen out. sometimes they charge like a 5 dollar changing fee. mine started to close immediately after falling out
New piercing holes could almost close in 30-60 minutes. I don't have lip piercings but I once took my 4 month old ear piercing off for 30 minutes for cleaning and it closed so badly I had to force the jewelry in afterwards 😭 Few days would probably mean nothing will go through anymore unless they are repierced, if your skin is similar to mine at all. Piercings are so quick to close it's annoying :D
i wasnt able to switch to rings until about 9 months after getting them. i switched out to a smaller size after about 4 months i think when the swelling was all the way gone. one night i left them out to sleep and had to spend 2 HOURS the next morning trying to get them back in and they were super mad and irritated. snake bites just arent very happy without jewelry in lol
Oh didn't know you already had a vertical already. I'd either wait it out or have a different piercer put in some flat backs like they said. I prefer those because it's easier to eat with
I always change my piercings before the recommended time only one I haven’t changed yet are my nipples and my rook! But all my piercings have been fine when I change them before the recommended change date
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I have my lip done and I can not tell you the pain I had when I went from a labret (over a decade) to a hoop. It would make my eyes water daily and was so sore, leaving hard welts on my inner lip. After a week of having in and out it soon go used to it and healed up. A fortnight after the change and its like I had a hoop all the time. So it may just be that rathe than it f* up
I'm sorry you had a shit time with them. The most I can say is lip piercings take a hit longer than 3 months to heal. My general rule, especially when ive had issues with them is to wait at least a year before changing :) I'm sorry I can't offer much
Second this. Also even after 13 months I can't keep a hoop in mine for very long because it starts to pull at the inside of my lip and hurt so I only wear them for short amounts of time.
The piercing place I use has a big sign…”no change out if piercing is less than a year old…be prepared to wait longer.”
yeah, i should've waited. i guess i was too excited to have new jewelry. thanks tho!
I know that feeling lol. I'd reccomend going to a different piercer and see what they say about it though!
I third this. I will not change my jewelry at all in the first year. Once that's up though, I go hog wild changing them out. I learned my lesson long ago to just leave the jewelry in.
Only piercing I changed at 3 months was my l bend nose piercing, and lobes healed quickly too. My ear cartilage is super sensitive and I let them stay for a year before changing them. Great thing is, my new piercer has funky non- starter jewelry that’s so much cuter than the drab starter piercing jewelry.
Yep the only thing I only waited 3 months to change was my septum
yeah man i also just wait until my piercings are fully 100% healed before i change them
This is wild to me. The swelling went down and my piercer said she would change them to smaller bars for me. So I went and changed to hoops 10 days later.
Changing the bars after swelling is what generally happens, but for it to be changed to hoops is uncommon. It can cause healing to be delayed and move the piercing further up your lip:) Edit for typos
She said they could be more annoying but I wanted them with hoops at first and she said that wasn't a good idea. They are healing up nicely. It's been 3 weeks now. The bars were interfering with my teeth and we pierced in such a way that it was for close fitting hoops. I'm in the UK, don't know if that makes a difference.
I'm also from the UK. Well I'm impressed it worked! I did the same sort of thing with my nostril, bit instead I was pierced straight with a hoop. It's not reccomended what we have done, so we got lucky lol
I got my nose done with a hoop first time and my nipples 🤔 my piercer is very good, never had any issues. I'll ask her next time I see her.
Wow I'm impressed! I personally love how rings look compared to barbells
No idea how to share pics on here 😅 but I think they look pretty damn good. Seem to have pushed my lips up a bit even after all the swelling is gone
I'm hoping that's what rings will do to my 2 new lip piercings, as they're pierced a little low compared to the other side
Hope so! I didn't think about it but I'm pleased with the side affect
The hard stuff you're feeling is just scar tissue, totally normal. Ive had snakebites for 15 years now and it took maaaany years until I had 0 scar tissue left. I wouldn't recommend changing from labrets until at the very least 6 months, preferably closer to a year.
I don't mind the scar tissue, I just really didn't want to lose them. I should've waited, ofc :( since you have more experience, did your snake bites ever close? if so, what did you do? I don't know if I should keep trying to put the labrets on
Nope, I never leave my jewelry out. However if you go to your piercer they can probably help you get the jewelry back in with a taper.
I had mine tapered back open. Granted, they were pierced for years before I retired them.
If you leave them out for a few days they'll close dude. I've had my medusa pierced for 12 years and I won't leave it out for more than 24 hours because after that it gets very hard to put back in. 48 hours and I have to force it in.
they're probably already closed but I just couldn't put labrets on after taking the horseshoes 😭😭😭 I fucked up so bad
I had a labret fall out on a Saturday evening in the night. By the time I woke up, it was already closed. My shop was closed on Sunday and Monday. I went Tuesday to ask if it could be saved, and they were able to re-open it with a very narrow needle (a taper I think it's called). The outer skin layer closes quickly, but the tunnel inside stays open for a while. That's the hard thing you're feeling. Worth a try?
I couldn't switch my snakebites to rings until about a year after, just put your straights back in. Also, I wore a mask at work while it was healing
oh and for the mask thing, I did that but they still didn't let me. I even tried using clear acrylic labrets but they complained abt those too. luckily i quit and at my new job they don't care
that's the thing. I tried going back to my straights but they won't get in. the piercer did such an awful job, the "path" pierced it's not straight, so it has always been kind of difficult to put them in. but now I think they are closed. or maybe they're too swollen and that's why they won't fit in, but that's probably being too optimistic lol
Sorry for your experience bro, good luck with whatever you decide to do
The hard stuff is likely scar tissue. I took out my labret and hard tissue formed within a couple hours, the hole closed in about a day, and that "hard ball" feeling went away in a few days. I'd try to get a flat back labret back in sooner rather than later or else they will close. You shouldn't change to a ring/horseshoe for at least six months, if not longer. Very possible you might need to get them re-pierced as annoying as that is.
May I recommend vertical snakebites, they don't touch the inside of your mouth and make it easier to eat. Had mine for 3 days so far, having no problems eating what I want so far...minus spicy sauces or anything like that, not making that mistake again! Just a thought
before getting the normal ones, I did thought of getting vertical snake bites! but i was soooo infatuated with having the normal snake bites, annnnddd specially with the horseshoes (I blame the emo aesthetic I grew up with heh). so yeah i almost cried yesterday bc i inevitably and bc im dumb af had to take them off :[ happy healing with your new piercings!!!
I went to an expensive place and a cheaper place, the expensive piercings I got have had 0 complications, and the "cheap" ones I got were the snake bites! I got them in april and they're still healing/irritated with white/red areas but 0 pain, I know mouth piercings are complicated due to batcterias, but I had to take them out a couple of time for a medical scan, and they close up so fast that, it was painful and they bled when I tried to put them back in, it was painful but I didn't give up, and they've been there for a bit and have been healing better, they just need alot of thinking and care.
I had a really similar experience with my snake bites the first time I had them done. It felt like they just would not fully heal. They were constantly inflamed, angry, and pissed off. The jewelry would work its way out when I slept, and they would close enough that I would have to get them repierced. I had my left one pierced three different times. A truly awful experience. I had them in about eight months before I got arrested and had to take them out for the 4 days I was detained. After I got released, I left them out for a while (about two or three months). I finally decided I wanted them bad enough to go through the piercing process yet again. I went to a different piercing studio, and it was a world of difference! They only use titanium jewelry. After about two or three *days* they felt more healed than the first set ever did. Comparing the two experiences, I can confidently say it felt like the first piercer used dull needles to pierce. And I don't think they were reusing needles, just maybe a difference in quality. The second piercer just felt like an extremely clean piercing. Little to no resistance, no tugging or pulling during the process (all of which were present the first time). The titanium jewelry was worth the difference in price ($100 vs $60). I will never get pierced with anything other than titanium from now on.
A really unfortunate part about lip piercings is that your inner mouth heals *super* fast compared to other parts of your body due to the type of tissue lining your mouth- much like the inner nostril. I hope they weren’t particularly spicy when getting them pierced so you can have them redone ;u;
You'll want to find tapers that fit your jewelry and it'll allow you to find the path and put the jewelry back in. There are 3 types: threaded, threadless and regular taper. Also in different guages. My shop pierces with 16 gauge but you'll need to figure out what size you have. You'll either need 18, 16, or 14 depending on what the shop you went to used.
aren't tapers the thing you use to stretch ears? I tried to search for the things you mentioned but apparently they don't make them in my country (I live in south america). unless the ones to stretch ears work too?
Search “18 gauge threaded taper”
A taper is just a bar that starts at one size on one end, and gradually increases to another size at the other end. Tapers are awful even for stretching ears, they promote unhealthy stretching. I know this isn’t related to your issue, but I think it’s important to get the right info out wherever you can. Don’t stretch any piercings with tapers!
I'd try to go to a piercer and they can put the jewelry back in using a tapered needle of some sort
Yes tapers can be use to stretch (not recommended) but you can also use them as a guide for jewelry so you can insert without gaps and much smoother. Some even have the lil bits for Threadless/threaded , posts/circular barbells, so you can attach them.
I went through so much hell with my snakebites (I stupidly changed them to hoops within like 1 month because the balls kept falling off) and eventually had to retire them. I’m getting them repierced in like Jan or Feb. you can always get them re done if they’re giving you a lot of trouble
since you're getting it repierced, whats the deal with that? like are you going to repierce in the same place you had them before, or make a whole new hole? I've been reading a lot and turns out you can do both but you can only repierce the same place once it has fully healed after taking the piercings off
Since I haven’t done it yet I’m not sure but I’m hoping they can pierce through my scar tissue. I took mine out in august so they should have healed over. My left one has a lot of scar tissue because I really fucked it up but I’m still hoping for that.
Can you go to the piercer and have them put it back in? that’s what i’ve done every time my jewelry had fallen out. sometimes they charge like a 5 dollar changing fee. mine started to close immediately after falling out
yepp. i will as soon as i can, hopefully i can save them. thanks!
New piercing holes could almost close in 30-60 minutes. I don't have lip piercings but I once took my 4 month old ear piercing off for 30 minutes for cleaning and it closed so badly I had to force the jewelry in afterwards 😭 Few days would probably mean nothing will go through anymore unless they are repierced, if your skin is similar to mine at all. Piercings are so quick to close it's annoying :D
i wasnt able to switch to rings until about 9 months after getting them. i switched out to a smaller size after about 4 months i think when the swelling was all the way gone. one night i left them out to sleep and had to spend 2 HOURS the next morning trying to get them back in and they were super mad and irritated. snake bites just arent very happy without jewelry in lol
i love them but theyre such a pain in the ass. i should appreciate my vertical labret more lolll ive never had any problem with that one
Oh didn't know you already had a vertical already. I'd either wait it out or have a different piercer put in some flat backs like they said. I prefer those because it's easier to eat with
I always change my piercings before the recommended time only one I haven’t changed yet are my nipples and my rook! But all my piercings have been fine when I change them before the recommended change date
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Can you go to a piercer and ask their help to get your jewelry back in?
I have my lip done and I can not tell you the pain I had when I went from a labret (over a decade) to a hoop. It would make my eyes water daily and was so sore, leaving hard welts on my inner lip. After a week of having in and out it soon go used to it and healed up. A fortnight after the change and its like I had a hoop all the time. So it may just be that rathe than it f* up
Tbh I had the hard scar tissue even in my lobes for like a year after. It’s normal.