The trend of embellishing the body with different arts or styles is not new rather it dates back to ancient times. People used to etch different figurines on their bodies.
Eventually, it became a ritual in various cultures to adorn the body with tattoos, jewelry, and other ways. Now, when somebody talks about body jewelry or art, you have many designs and styles to choose from.
Body piercings are one of the most common ways of beautifying your body. This art is way simpler than tattoos. There is a wider scope of choices and these are less permanent.
Needless to mention here that different piercings have different risks, healing period and level of pain. To name a few of the most opted piercings are earlobe piercing, cartilage, gauging, Tragus piercing, conch, snag, Monroe piercing, rook, belly piercings, and many other.
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What Monroe Piercing Means?
Monroe piercing became a sensual fashion trend after the timeless beauty of Marilyn Monroe, the iconic actress. If you ever have adored her amazing face pictures, you can easily understand the reason for this piercing being named after her.
In this piercing, a perforation is created on the left side, above the upper lip. It just replicates the beauty mark of a beautiful American model, singer, actress, Marilyn Monroe. This resemblance gave it the name of Marilyn Monroe Piercing.
A Monroe piercing combined with a Septum piercing can enhance your beauty amazingly. Let’s know about the pros and cons of this fabulous piercing.
Pros And Cons
If you are planning to have this gorgeous lip piercing, it is advantageous to know some of its pros & cons. Read carefully to avoid any unwanted consequences.
Pros:
- Monroe piercing gives you an elegant and unique look. You can become the center of attraction among the crowd if you have got this iconic piercing.
- It is a lip piercing that has a quick healing period as compared to other facial piercings. The reason behind the fast healing is a sufficient supply of blood in the lip area. It clearly implies that you will not have to follow the aftercare instructions for a long time period.
- The best thing about Marilyn Monroe piercing is that it can be combined with many other lip piercings. Originally, it includes a single perforation but you can also have a double or reverse/ bottom Monroe piercing. These combination piercings are not very common but are admired when carried with style.
- It also gives you creative results when combined with other facial piercings such as a spider bite, a septum or smiley piercing. You have an option to combine it with a labret piercing too which looks exceptionally good with any other piercing.
- You must have heard about another lip perforation, ‘Angel Bites Piercing’. It sits on the opposite side of Monroe piercing and not very common but gradually becoming a hot trend.
Cons:
- It can cause a little irritation due to the endings of the nerves in this area. There can be minor blood loss also during this procedure.
- You can experience some lip swelling for a few days which is quite common but can cause uneasiness.
- You can easily get infected if not following the ‘must-to-follow’ aftercare guidelines and instructions. Some of the important instructions are discussed here in this article for our reader’s convenience.
- The major concern about this piercing is some of the major complications, for instance, tooth damages and gum recession. And, this happens because of the continuous slamming of your piercing jewelry against the gum and teeth. Some other risks have also been mentioned in our article.
- Yes, if you are scared about the scars, you have to rethink your decision of getting a lip piercing. The reason, it may leave a scar that will be clearly visible after you will decide to remove your jewelry. So, be extra careful about the size (advised- small) and material (advised-hypo allergic) of your piercing jewel.
Procedure Of Monroe Piercing
The first and foremost thing to take care of before starting the piercing procedure is an experienced and professional piercing hand. You must have to check the reputation of the piercer, his love for his tools (should be latest), and his knowledge about the sterilization of all required equipment.
Step 1: The cleaning of the upper lip, where the perforation for required piercing is intended.
Step 2: The marking of the spot by using a surgical pen (preferably). It is done to give the customer an idea about where exactly she/ he will have the stud.
Step 3: The perforation is made by a hollow needle by the professional piercer. He performs this action by holding the upper lip with the help of a surgical clamp.
Step 4: The finalization of Monroe piercing by inserting initial jewelry is considered the last step followed by some ‘aftercare’ guidelines given to the customer to keep the chances of infection away.
Alternatives/ Different Forms
Double Monroe Piercing:
Monroe Piercing has become popular in both males and females. It is easy to combine it with many other facial piercings. When combined with a Madonna Piercing, it is known as an ‘Angel Bites Piercing’ i.e. when someone flaunts a Madonna and a Monroe piercing, both in a one go.
In some cases, two perforations are made at the same side (adjoining position), these perforations are also named as a double Marilyn Monroe piercing.
Madonna Piercing:
Many people confuse it with a Madonna piercing. But, Madonna piercing is on the right side unlike Monroe piercing though the position/ location is the same, above the upper lip.
Bottom/ Reverse Monroe Piercing:
Bottom or reverse Monroe piercing as the name suggests is in reverse position i.e. instead of sitting above the upper lip, it sits below the bottom lip though the face side is the same and that is left.
How Much This Piercing Hurts?
You will agree with us that it’s an undeniable fact that every one of us has a different level of patience and pain tolerance. Thus, it is advised to stay positive and relaxed throughout a piercing procedure to bear the pain easily.
Still, if you are willing to have a rough idea, you can give it a 4 out of 10 on a pain scale meter (1-least painful to 10- most painful). For a few seconds, you may experience a sharp pain which is quite normal but within some time, you will learn to handle it.
Healing & Aftercare In Monroe Piercing
It is advised to follow the aftercare instructions just after having the piercing procedure.
Usually, it (Monroe Piercing) takes 5 to 10 weeks to heal. But, it greatly depends on how good your piercing artist/ professional is and how honestly you have been following his guidelines and aftercare instructions. In the absence of proper guidelines and aftercare routine, it can take approx. 7-10 months.
Many youngsters find it difficult to religiously follow all the instructions as the perforation is being performed in the upper lip. It becomes hard to cover the piercing spot all the time and when you are foody, it’s not at all easy for you to skip hot and spicy food just to take care of your piercing hole. Yes, you have to stick to some specific type of food to avoid any unwanted problem/ pain.
Let’s read about the practices to adopt and to avoid quick and easy healing.
- Keep the piercing dry as much as you can
- Always touch your Monroe piercing with washed hands, use a quality anti-bacterial hand wash.
- Don’t play with your initial jewelry, rather avoid touching or removing it before healing.
- You should not irritate the inner side of your Monroe piercing as it can delay the healing period. You are suggested to use a soft toothbrush till the piercing is not healed.
- Avoid swimming in public pools.
- Do not share your towel with anyone or it may cause bacterial infection.
- Avoid using any cream without consulting your piercing artist for the outer side of your piercing.
- Do not smoke, take alcohol, spicy or hot food items for some days.
- Saltwater is considered good for cleaning the outer side.
- Use some good quality anti-bacterial mouthwash to rinse after each meal.
Risks Related To Monroe Piercing
It is pointed earlier also that some risks are always associated with this type of facial piercing. Let’s discuss some of them.
Gum Recession Or Tooth Erosion
You have to be very careful while choosing your pierce jewel. It is because the risk of slamming the jewelry against your teeth and gum can cause serious tooth damage or gum recession.
Monroe Piercing Scar
The jewel you choose should be of the right size and right material as it can leave you with a scar and maybe some infection. Always opt for a hypoallergenic material and small-sized jewel. Certainly, the large the jewelry size, the larger the scar chances it can leave after you will remove it.
Monroe Piercing Infection:
If you are not following all the instructions or guidelines given by your piercer, you have greater chances to get infected easily. As the inner skin of lip piercing will always get touched by the drinks or food you will eat, so it becomes mandatory to strictly follow the proper instructions to rule out the chances of any infection.
Monroe Piercing Jewelry
It is mentioned earlier also that the jewelry you chose for your Monroe piercing, should be of hypoallergenic material. Also, the size of your jewel should be carefully selected.
If you are thinking to buy a ring for your sensual piercing, drop the idea. It won’t be a good choice at all. The most suitable jewel for your Monroe piercing will be a stud. You may find various variations of it.
How Much Monroe Piercing Costs?
Talking about the setup of a Monroe piercing, it generally comes in three parts. The first, the bead which is the visible part of your jewelry, second- the barbell which is a rod-like structure that connects with bead and the third, disk which holds the piercing firm.
Monroe piercing, in the USA, may cost you around 40$ to 80$ and in the UK around £40 to £70 whereas, at Europe side, the cost varies from €25 to €75. It is important to mention here that the prices mentioned here are just for an idea and may vary due to a lot of reasons/ factors.
Experience
Despite the fact that the Monroe piercing seems generally clear and easy to create, the piercer still should be sufficiently experienced to embed the needle and precisely the correct area/ location. Not exclusively is this so as to accomplish the exemplary Monroe look, yet in addition to forestall regular lip and mouth puncturing issues, for example, veneer disintegration and gum damage.
Questions Asked By Clients (FAQS)
1. How painful it is?
On a scale of 10 measures (1, the least-10, the most), a Monroe piercing pain level is 4.
2. Are Monroe piercing and Madonna piercing the same?
No, the main difference between the two is that Monroe piercing is on the left side but Madonna piercing is on the right side. Otherwise, both the piercings are above the upper lip.
3. What products should be used to clean it?
Do not use any cream rather, for the outer side, saltwater solution (2-3 times a day) is best to clean while for the inner side, you must use some anti-bacterial mouthwash to rinse your mouth, preferably after each meal.
4. What is the exact location of a Monroe Piercing?
It is always above the upper lip and on the left side of the lips/ face.
Video Credit: Megan Markel
5. In which conditions should it be avoided?
If you have any dental problem say, receding gum lines, never go for it. It can worsen your problem. Also, if you have low pain tolerance, you should avoid it. Moreover, if you are not ready to consider the risks associated with it which may include a scar, tooth erosion, and gum recession then also you should drop the idea of having a Monroe piercing.
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