Fashion

Monroe Piercing: The Cutest Lip Piercing To Ever Get

Monroe Piercing

A Monroe piercing is an upper lip piercing that is meant to look like a beauty spot. The most standard labret for this type of lip piercing is usually 14, 16 or 18. After the piercing is fully healed, you can go back to get the bars shortened.

It also goes by many other names (more things for you to google, yay). These nicknames include Anti Bites, Beezy piercing, Angel Bites or Crayfish (the long barbells being used on the piercing looks the same with the antennae of a crayfish). 

What’s the monroe piercing pain level?

Monroe piercing pain on a scale of 1 to 10, is at a 4. The produce of getting this piercing can be painful, as there are a lot of nerve endings in the inner lip zone. The pain level also depends on the individual characteristics of your lip. For example, there is a higher level of pain if you’ve got a thicker lip. The tissue would be tougher to pierce if you’ve got juicy lips.

Is your monroe piercing swollen? 

If so then follow these general rules to reduce the swelling:

The jewelry used for a Monroe is a 14, 16 or 18 labret which is long and the width of the jewelry is thin. This is a great choice to allow for swelling during the healing period. Inquire to your piercer if they have used the same size needle as the jewelry. If you got pierced with a needle with a gauge larger than the jewelry, your skin can encounter issues during healing leading to more scarring than necessary.

To reduce the swelling, clean the inside and outside of your Monroe piercing daily. You could use products such as saline solutions, mild soaps, alcohol-free mouthwashes and sea salts for cleaning your Monroe piercing and the jewelry itself. Avoid harsh products and products containing petroleum jelly on your Monroe piercing to prevent additional scarring caused by burning or irritating your skin.

You can also reduce the swelling by 1) not chewing on your jewelry or playing with the stud. 2) Make sure you remove your Monroe jewelry when participating in contact sports. Ripping or tearing your Monroe piercing can cause additional scarring. Replace your jewelry with an acrylic retainer during the game or match. 3) Avoid touching your Monroe piercing because an infection is possible from dirty hands, so always wash your hands.  4) Lastly, avoid deep kissing and oral sex during the healing period of your Monroe piercing to prevent infection, swelling or tearing of the piercing.

What to do with a monroe piercing scar? 

A monroe piercing scar depends on how the procedure was done, how long you leave it in and how your body reacts to it.

If you would like to take off your piercing one day, be aware that it may leave a scar. The scar size depends on the worn jewelry. It is possible to avoid scarring in the future, if you choose small tiny studs, or if you would use special scar removal solutions. As we’ve mentioned before these piercings need to be pierced with a 14, 16 or 18 labret. So if a nonprofessional or novice pierces your upper lip with a needle and jewelry that is too large for your anatomy, it can lead to a large scar. Otherwise, scars can occur when you take the piercing out for good.

Here are some thing to keep in mind to minimize the possibility of scarring: 

  1. Keep the piercing and the jewelry clean. Always use the aftercare recommended by your piercer.
  2. Have the piercing done by a professional who won’t use inappropriate tools that leave a large scar.
  3. Take out the stud when participating in any sports and replace it with a retainer. Any rip or tear can lead to scarring.
  4. Do not chew or fiddle around with the jewelry because it can create a bigger hole which causes scarring. Chewing can cause the skin of the piercing hole to stretch and enlarge, requiring you to replace the thin jewelry with jewelry of a larger gauge. Scarring can occur if you stretch out the hole if you remove the jewelry completely.

What’s the monroe piercing cost?

This piercing usually ranges between $25 and $80 in any renowned piercing parlor. 

Is there a monroe piercing meaning?

Jewelry just above the upper lip, resembling a beauty mark, is called a Monroe piercing. It is usually located on the left side, replicating the iconic Marilyn Monroe’s beauty mark. Monroe piercing is also sometimes called “Crawford piercing”. You can also call this a Madonna piercing, if done on the right side above the lip.

This piercing is named after beautiful women whose unique looks have inspired beauty. 

Why shouldn’t I get a monroe piercing?

Let’s get right to the point, a lip piercing (let alone a monroe) is not for those who have lower pain tolerance. You also can’t get any lip piercing if you have issues with oral hygiene, receding gum lines, or other oral issues. Speaking of lips, this is the only time where a large lip becomes a liability, any lip piercing is going to hurt more because there’s more skin to puncture.

Because the Monroe piercing is meant to emulate a beauty mark, if you already have one in that area, you might want to rethink whether you want to pierce an artificial beauty mark. Additionally, due to its location, if you choose the wrong jewelry, it could be mistaken for a more unsightly blemish. If you have acne in this area, you might want to hold off on the piercing until your acne clears up, otherwise, your piercing might get lost.

In conclusion, we can’t always get the piercing we want, if the shape of your lips, your health practices, and your daily activities aren’t up to the mark.

Monroe piercing jewelry and monroe piercing studs

After a long awaited healing time, it’s now time to pick a jewelry type to display your personality and it can be so daunting.  Suddenly you’ve gone from pain, pus and crusting to picking a store to shop for new jewelry. So, before changing your jewelry here are some important things to know:

Know what you were pierced with:Many piercings are done in a couple of different gauge sizes depending on the preferences of the piercer and the person being pierced.  For a Monroe piercing, the two common sizes are a 14, 16 gauge and a18 gauge. If you’re not sure what you were pierced with, just ask your piercer, or if you got it done on vacation, go to a new piercer in your area and they can measure for you.  You’ll definitely need to know before you shop because the wrong gauge size just won’t fit right.

Know your size: Next, you’ll want to decide which style stud is best for you. This is generally just a matter of preference, so you might want to try some different types before choosing favorite.  Monroe studs can be classified into studs that push in, those that screw on, and even internally threaded styles that screw in (as in the threads are on the ball rather than the post.)

Know how long you need the post to be: This is another thing that your piercer is a great resource for, but if you already know what size you’ve been wearing, visually gauging whether you need it to be shorter, longer, or the same size should be relatively easy.  The two most common lengths for monroe jewelry are 5/16″ (8mm) and 3/8″ (10mm), but there are definitely people who have thinner or thicker flesh in this area and need a slightly shorter or longer size. For these individuals, jewelry as small as 1/4″ (6mm) or as large as 1/2″ (12mm) is available.


From here, it’s just a matter of what you think looks good.  

Related posts

Monroe Piercing: The Cutest Lip Piercing To Ever Get

Nehita Abraham

Dermal Piercing: All The Questions In Your Head, Answered!

Nehita Abraham

Read This Before You Get A Rook Piercing

Nehita Abraham

Leave a Comment