What are the cons of lip piercing?

Lip piercings have become a popular form of body modification, especially among teenagers and young adults. A lip piercing is done by inserting jewelry, usually a small gauge post or ring, through a puncture in the lip. While lip piercings can be an edgy fashion statement, they come with some downsides that are important to consider beforehand. Some key cons of lip piercings include:

Pain and discomfort – Getting a lip pierced can be quite painful, and the piercing will be sore, swollen, and tender for several days or weeks after getting it done. Even once healed, a lip piercing may be prone to irritation or infection if not properly cared for.
Scarring – While a well-done lip piercing should not leave a very visible scar, there will be a small mark left behind on the inside and outside of the lip once the piercing closes or is removed.

Damage to teeth and gums – Jewelry rubbing against the teeth and gums can gradually cause enamel wear, chipped teeth, and gum recession.
Difficulty eating and drinking – Lip piercings, especially rings, can make it awkward to eat, drink, kiss, play wind instruments, and perform other activities involving the mouth.
Excess saliva and drooling – Lip piercings may trigger an overproduction of saliva and make drooling more frequent.

Table of Contents

Pain and Discomfort of Lip Piercings

Getting an actual lip piercing and living with it during the healing process can be quite uncomfortable. During the procedure, a hollow needle is pushed through the lip tissue, and jewelry is inserted into the puncture. Even with a topical anesthetic, this piercing experience is often described as more painful than earlobes.

The level of pain and discomfort during the piercing depends on factors like:

Lip anatomy – The fleshier parts tend to hurt less.

Jewelry gauge – Larger gauges puncture a bigger hole and tend to cause more pain.
Piercer skill – Quick, precise piercing techniques minimize pain.
Pain tolerance – This varies significantly between individuals.

After getting pierced, the lip area often throbs, feels sore, and may bleed for a short time. Swelling peaks at around 48 hours post-piercing and can last up to 1-2 weeks. While the inside healing time is only 4-6 weeks, the outer lip swelling and tenderness may persist for 6-12 weeks until fully healed. Proper aftercare like rinsing and applying antibiotic cream helps minimize inflammation and discomfort during healing.

However, even once healed, a lip piercing carries lifelong risks of irritation, infection, and injury that can cause pain. Oral piercings tend to migrate over time, which may also cause recurring discomfort requiring jewelry adjustments or removal. Ultimately, those prone to mouth irritation or who have low pain tolerance should think twice before a lip piercing.

Scarring Risks

While a well-performed lip piercing should not leave major visible scarring, some light scarring is inevitable. When the hollow needle punctures through, it creates a small wound channel through the lip tissue. During healing, this channel seals up with fibrous scar tissue both on the outside and inside the lip around the piercing site.

Even after the piercing closes or jewelry is removed, the scar tissue remains and creates a small indentation mark. In some cases, more significant scarring can occur from:

Improper piercing technique and jewelry that damages the tissue.
Infections that cause wound enlargement and hyper granulation.

Rejections resulting in migration, tearing, or blowouts.

The degree of internal and external scarring also depends on factors like:

Lip thickness – Thinner lips show more scarring.

Jewelry size – Larger gauges leave bigger holes and scars.
Repeated irritation or trauma.
Genetic and ethnicity factors that affect wound healing.

While scars lighten over time, some slight indentation of the lip border often remains permanently. Those concerned about minimizing scarring should opt for experienced piercers using small gauge jewelry ideal for their lip anatomy. However, some mild scarring should still be expected with any lip piercing.

Dental and Gum Damage

Having jewelry constantly rubbing inside the mouth raises some oral health concerns with lip piercings. The risks include:

Enamel wear and cracking – Jewelry, especially metals, can gradually erode and damage tooth enamel. Cracked teeth are also more decay prone.

Gum recession – Friction from jewelry can cause the gums to recede and expose vulnerable root surfaces.
Tooth fractures or chipping – Lip studs or rings can chip teeth from impact, like when biting down.
Increased tartar buildup – Piercings make oral hygiene difficult, allowing more tartar and plaque to accumulate.

Prolonged jewelry contact jeopardizes both natural teeth and any dental work like braces, implants, or crowns. The gum recession and bone loss also cannot be reversed once it occurs.

Not everyone with a lip piercing suffers noticeable dental issues. Factors like jewelry fit, oral hygiene, diet, and habits impact the risks. However, studies do show higher rates of dental problems in those with oral piercings compared to non-pierced controls. Thus, a lip piercing carries a lifelong threat to dental and gum health that must be carefully weighed.

Difficulty with Eating, Drinking, and Other Oral Functions

Lip piercings, particularly rings, make many day-to-day activities involving the mouth more tricky and awkward. Some key challenges include:

Drinking – Liquids may dribble out of pierced lips until the technique is mastered.
Eating – Food can be difficult to chew and manipulate in the mouth with lip jewelry.
Playing instruments – Lip rings get in the way of mouthpieces for woodwind and brass instruments.

Kissing and intimacy – Jewelry can make kissing uncomfortable and get in the way.
Talking – Some letters or sounds may whistle or not form properly around piercings.

It takes practice to adjust to having jewelry protruding from the lip area. Even once comfortable, certain activities like playing the trumpet or saxophone prove nearly impossible. Eating, like biting into a sandwich or apples, also remains a hassle.

For teens still developing motor skills and coordination, managing a new lip piercing can be especially frustrating. The jewelry catches on the teeth and gets tangled in the mouth frequently. This can discourage proper eating and oral hygiene during the critical adolescent growth stages. Thus, maturity level and lifestyle activities should factor into the decision for a lip piercing.

Excess Saliva Production

Lip piercings are known to stimulate saliva production, which leads to excessive drooling and problems managing saliva flow. There are a few reasons behind this:

The jewelry irritates the salivary glands.

The blood and lymph fluid during healing smell strange, altering taste and increasing saliva.
The piercing affects nerves and blood vessels involved in saliva regulation.

While researchers do not fully understand the mechanism, studies consistently associate oral piercings with increased salivary flow and drooling complaints. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dentistry, 82% of surveyed individuals with lip or tongue piercings reported increased salivation after getting their piercing. Excess saliva lasted at least several months for half of those affected.

Too much saliva becomes problematic by:

Causing drooling andwetting the face and clothes.
Promoting more tartar buildup around the piercing site.

Requiring frequent swallowing and spitting.
Contributing to dehydration and dry mouth symptoms.

The good news is that in most cases, the saliva overproduction is temporary while the piercing heals. However, a subset of individuals experience chronic hypersalivation requiring prescription medication or surgical removal of the piercing altogether. Thus, the drooling and spitting side effects should not be taken lightly when considering a lip piercing.

Conclusion

Lip piercings allow creative self-expression and provide an edgy, alternative look. However, the risks of pain, scarring, dental issues, oral dysfunction, and excess saliva are not negligible. Teens and young adults must carefully weigh the pros and cons before taking the plunge. For those who do opt for lip jewelry, proper placement and sizing by an expert piercer combined with attentive aftercare can help minimize adverse effects and complications. But some degree of risks and lifestyle adjustments come with any body piercing, especially in the delicate lip area. Ultimately, good candidates for lip piercings are those who are prepared to accommodate the long-term consequences.

References

Levin, L., Zadik, Y., Becker, T. (2005). Oral and dental complications of intra-oral piercing. Dental Traumatology, 21(6), 341-343. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-9657.2005.00369.x
Venta, I., Lakoma, A., Haahtela, S., Ylipaavalniemi, P., Turtola, L. (1997). Oral Piercings Among First-Year University Students. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology, 83(3), 298-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1079-2104(97)90280-5

Ziebolz, D., Hornecker, E., Mausberg, RF. (2009). Long-term effects of tongue piercing – a case control study. Clinical Oral Investigations, 13(3), 237-243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-008-0229-9
Perkins, CS., Meisner, J., Harrison, JM. (1997). A Complication of Tongue Piercing. British Dental Journal, 182(4), 147-148. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4809339
Hennequin-Hoenderdos, NL., Slot, DE., Van der Weijden, GA. (2016). The incidence of complications associated with lip and/or tongue piercings: A systematic review. Journal of Dental, 55, 11-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2016.09.002