Wash your hands before touching your labret jewelry. Ask your piercer for the gauge and length or circumference of your labret ring before purchasing new jewelry, and purchase new jewelry from your piercer so you know it is an appropriate size for your piercing. Piercing jewelry cannot be returned after purchase.
Determine what type of labret jewelry is in your piercing. Appropriate jewelry for a labret piercing are captive bead rings, flat-back labret studs and circular barbells. Flat-back studs have three parts: a ball that is visible on the outside of the lip, a post inside the piercing channel and a disk that lies flat on the inside of your lip. A captive bead ring is a hoop containing one bead held in by pressure. Circular barbells have a horseshoe shape, with two beads that screw on and off at the open ends.
Rinse your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash.
Remove the jewelry. For flat-back labret studs, hold the back disk inside your mouth while turning the ball on the front to the left. As the ball loosens, you will see threads on the ball. Remove the ball completely from the post. Pull the post out of your labret piercing from the inside of your mouth, with your fingers gripping the disk.
Hold a circular barbell on the curved section of the post. Turn one of the beads to the left until the threads are exposed and the bead comes off the post. Pull the circular barbell out of your mouth by holding the other, bead on the jewelry.
For captive bead rings, push the bead out of the ring with your thumb. Tilt the ring at a slight angle while one side of the bead opening is visible on the front of your labret piercing. Push the ring back and up to remove the ring from your lip.
Remove beads from your new labret jewelry and insert into your labret piercing. Reverse the removal process to insert the new jewelry. Tighten beads once you insert the jewelry to ensure the beads or ball will not fall out or off.