Do you have a girlfriend or a boyfriend named Ashley? Well, the ashley piercing is going to ask for even more commitment than your soul mate. But then again, with a stud(piercing) calling out to you and making you look beautiful, this is going to be one hell of a look to pull off!
What is an ashley piercing?
The ashley piercing is like a cousin of the better known vertical labret piercing. Just like cousins, there are slight differences between these two although they belong to the same lip piercing family. While the ashley piercing is made of two punctures (exits), the first one in the lower lip and the second one is inside the mouth, the vertical labret is different because it never touches the inside of the mouth.
Pros:
- The ashley piercing is one of the most fashionable piercings on the market. Just think about it: a shiny barbel will nicely highlight the beauty of your lip.
- Such kind of a lip piercing could be perfectly combined with many other facial piercings, such as nasal septum or monroe on the upper lip. Moreover, you could experiment with double ashley piercing, which definitely become a statement!
Cons:
- You should not forget that ashley piercing is quite a painful procedure, as it goes through the large area of lip tissue, which has many nerve endings. So, before getting it, take into account your personal pain resistance level to avoid unpleasant surprises
- With this type of piercing, its very important to find the right piercer who knows what he’s doing with the placement. Otherwise, the jewelry constantly touches the gum or teeth, you may experience some side effects, such as gum erosion or tooth scrambling. That is why finding a proper piercer for ashley piercings is crucial.
- The piercer must choose the right spot in order to avoid rejection and migration.
- The dark scar remains after you take out the piercing; while girls can cover it with lipstick however, it can be tricky for guys.
- Scars.
- Dark pigmentation can persist if you use low quality metals in the jewelry you picked out.
Ashley piercing scar
One of the first things people look up on google is if the scar from
getting an ashley piercing, will remain forever. Let’s be totally honest
here, a lot of us get bored with the novice of the new piercing and
want to remove it. Whether it was for gum or teeth erosion, or for the
workplace or for a photo, sometimes we just have to remove it. If you
were to choose big jewelry, it can stretch your skin and leave the scar
after the removal.
So how can we face the scar? Well, there are some tips to help the lip to regenerate. Check the solutions out below:
Understand What Happens With The Hole
When we remove lip jewelry, something unique happens to our naturally
elastic skin. Since it’s elastic it needs the pressure of the jewelry
to keep the hole open.
Skin is made up of collagen and elastic, so taking out the hard metal
thing from the fistula (name for the hole) makes it vulnerable to close
up. This is why you cannot remove the newly-pierced jewelry from the
hole.
Once there is nothing in the hole for a few weeks or months, the hole
will shrink and fill up with sebum. Sebum is your body’s collection of
natural oils that are produced from our sebaceous glands. Usually, after
sitting in the hole, it will have some kind of odor that isn’t exactly
pleasant.
If you had an unhealed piercing removed, the hole should have
completely closed. But if it was older, the hole could be smaller in
size (or closed up completely) and there most likely is some form of the
indentation left on the skin. The hole may leave a scar.
Why Does It Scar?
- If your piercing hasn’t completely healed and you want to remove it- two things can happen. 1) an infection 2) the hole closes soon without a problem, leaving minimal scarring.
- However, if it’s an older piercing, it could possibly take years for the hole to get smaller. It is all a matter of how big the hole was, where the piercing is on the body, and how your skin is naturally.
- Depending on your skin and depending on your pigmentation or skin color, scarring can vary. For example, both people who have oily skin and people with darker skin tones show less noticeable scars.
- Placement is crucial for an ashley piercing scar to develop. To explain the importance of placement affecting someone’s skin after removal, take the example of cheek piercings. Cheek piercings have to be long term piercings, because the chance of scarring or leaving some indentation on the skin is extremely high. Those with cheek piercings, removing it can leave permanent dimples and scarring if the right jewelry wasn’t used (no pressure, piercers). The same situation translates to an ashley piercing.
- Lastly, low quality metals used in jewelry can cause an indelible dark stain. So, once the piercing is removed, there’s no way to make that coloring go away without cosmetic surgery. Please use high-quality jewelry from reputable shops.
Ashley piercing inside
The Ashley piercing goes through the lip vertically, at an angle that includes both front and back part of the lip. Thus, the piercing generally goes through lots and lots of lip tissue, which is why Ashley piercing is not among those piercings that are relatively painless.
Ashley piercing pain
Even those who have been pierced before report that this piercing is
one of the most painful lip piercings. If you can’t tolerate the pain,
that well, maybe Ashley piercing isn’t such a good idea. While the whole
process takes only a few minutes, it can be quite painful.
However, this is not the most painful piercing out there. On an average, people have rated the piercing to be 4 out of 10. But then again, this depends on your pain tolerance levels.
What contributes to the most pain is the location of the piercing.
To achieve the Ashley piercing, the piercer pushes a needle
horizontally through the bottom lip and into the mouth. Since the lips
host a large number of nerve endings, and this piercing goes straight
through the lip (unlike the vertical labret that will go vertically
through the lip and the skin above the chin), you’ll feel a much greater
pinch than other piercings. Although the pain is swift, it’s sharp, so
this piercing is not recommended for those with lower pain tolerances.
However, ashley piercing pain could be reduced with painkillers, healing and aftercare.
Ashley piercing healing time
The initial healing time is about 3 to 4 months given that you follow
the proper directions. Complete healing begins after 6 months and can
extend to a year because these piercings take time to heal.
Due to its location on the lips, the Ashley piercing experiences more
swelling during healing than other piercing types, so you’ll need to
use a longer barbell for the first few weeks to accommodate swelling,
and you can switch to a smaller labret stud later.
Although the swelling reduces within a few days, the piercing wound
will still be present. Thus proper aftercare helps accelerate the
process of healing. So here are some of the important aftercare tips you
must follow after the piercing is done:
- Avoid biting on your jewelry as you get used to the piercing.
- Clothing, fingers, cell phones, makeup, and other beauty products touch our faces on a daily basis. These all need to be clean when they do come into contact with your face. Any bacteria or pathogens that are located on such objects can cause complications with the new piercing.
- While it is important to keep your face clean and free of bacteria when you have just had an Ashley piercing done, be wary of the products you use in the specific area where the piercing was made. Face washes, toners, and creams can be harsh on the area and lead to irritation – or worse, cause an infection to develop.
- As one of the exit holes of the Ashley piercing sits in your mouth, you need to properly keep the inside of your mouth clean. Thus, floss and brush your teeth on a daily basis, and be sure to use a mouthwash as well. It’s a good idea to stick to softer foods in the first weeks as you get used to navigating your new piercing.
- You can use a saline solution to clean the outside area of the piercing. All you need do is, clean the area gently (with a soaked cotton) at least two to three times a day (in order to avoid infection).
- Avoid going to places where you might be exposed to pathogens like bacteria: A public pool is an excellent example. There are hundreds of people swimming here every day, so there is no saying in the bacteria and other harmful microorganisms that may be lurking in the water.
- Allow the wound to heal properly. Complications may occur if you decide that you want to remove the piercing while the wound is still in its healing process. Wait at least a few days – or perhaps a week or two – before you decide that it is time to clean the piercing or change it form something funkier.
Ashley piercing price
The cost for an ashley piercing can range from $30 to $85. It’s
important to take into consideration, the cost of quality because this
is a truly commitmental piercing.
Pay For High Quality Metals To Avoid Risks:
Go for titanium, silver or gold instead of cheaper nickel based jewelry to avoid swelling or infection from an allergic reaction. Not to forget that it can also cause migration.
Low quality metals used in jewelry can also cause an indelible dark
stain. So, once the piercing is removed, there’s no way to make that
coloring go away without cosmetic surgery. Please use high-quality
jewelry from reputable shops.
Pay For Quality Piercing Experience:
Another factor that can affect the cost of quality, is picking a
certified and experienced piercer. An inexperienced piercer can
seriously cause permanent damage since the ashley piercing is a lip
piercing with many nerve endings.
With this type of piercing, it’s very important to find the right piercer who knows what he’s doing with the placement. Otherwise, the jewelry constantly touches the gum or teeth, you may experience some side effects, such as gum erosion or tooth scrambling. Wrong placements also leads to scars when you want to take it off. That is why finding a proper piercer for ashley piercings is crucial.