The most common purpose of a labret piercing is adornment. Wearing jewelry in the piercing adds beauty or decoration to a person's features. The Dogon tribe of Mali wears this piercing for religious beliefs, while others have labrets for rites of passage or to show their rank in society, according to PainfulPleasures.com.
There are three types of a labret piercing. A traditional labret is underneath the lip, above the chin and centered. A vertical labret starts at the location of a traditional labret and is vertical, exiting on top of the lower lip. A "lowbret" is a labret that is placed lower than a traditional labret, still centered and closer to the chin.
The jewelry choices are captive bead rings, flat back or fishtail labret studs, or circular barbells for a traditional labret. A curved barbell or J-curve jewelry are the options for vertical labrets. The lowbret's only jewelry option is a flat back labret stud. These types of jewelry come in a rainbow of colors and shapes, such as flowers, stars or spikes.
The healing period of a labret piercing is roughly six to eight weeks. This varies according to the person receiving the piercing, because of factors such as diet, exercise, strength of immune system, stress level and overall health.
The first two weeks of the healing period bring the most discomfort. Swelling and exuding of fluids is normal, and discomfort is relieved by taking an anti-inflammatory medication and avoiding alcohol. Following a professional body piercer's aftercare guidelines ensures safe healing.
The size of the jewelry inserted in a labret piercing depends on the client's anatomy. Women or men with small facial features benefit from wearing 16 gauge jewelry in the labret piercing. For initial jewelry in a person with large facial features, 14- or 12-gauge jewelry is inserted.
Stretching is possible with a labret piercing, and when a client informs the piercer of interest in this process, the piercer explains that full healing is necessary first. The piercer will stretch the piercing gradually, a gauge size at a time with a waiting period between each stretch, until the desired size is reached.
Take the rules at work and school into consideration before committing to a labret piercing. A retainer is an option to hide the piercing after healing, but work or school might not allow you to wear the initial jewelry in the piercing.
If you allow the labret piercing to close, a pinhead-size scar will remain. Taking care of a labret piercing is a responsibility, and time in your schedule must be put aside to care for the piercing properly. The result of a poorly cared for labret piercing is an infection or damage to teeth and gums. Follow the professional piercer's advice and aftercare guidelines to ensure a healthy piercing.