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You might have heard somewhere about the snake bite piercings. These piercings are those that sit near the outer corners of the lower lip’s edges and the placement of the piercings look like a snake’s bite and that is the reason that name was given to it.
If you are going to get pierced, you might get confused between the snake bites and the spider or angel bites. If you want to keep away any kind of confusion, you can just refer to them as paired lower lip piercings.
Usually, rings and labret studs are used for snake bite piercings. These are the majority of jewelry options that people go for. A labret stud is a bar with a stud or some similar adornment on one end and a flat plate on the other end that is placed against the side of your lip. Whereas rings are just usual rings that go around your lip.
These piercings are something that will cost around $60 to $120 based on factors like the location of where you are getting the piercing, the jewelry choice for it and the experience level of the person doing the piercing. There is also the customary tip of 20% if you are satisfied with the service you received.
Something else that you might be worried about is whether the piercings hurt. Well, the simple answer to that question is that it hurts but the amount depends on every individual. The snake bite piercings are generally less painful or intense than other lip piercings, especially the piercings that actually got through the lip.
The people who have already got the piercing done rate the pain level at around 3 to 5 on a scale of 10 where 10 is the highest amount of pain. What people often find more uncomfortable than the piercing is the clamping. So you should keep that in mind.
In this article, I am going to tell you a lot of things about the Snake bite piercings like the risks associated with it, the healing time, aftercare, the material options and a lot more. So read ahead and find out about it all.
What Are The Material Options For The Jewelry?
When you talk about piercings, one of the most significant things is the material. For mouth snake bite piercings, the jewelry will be something that will come in contact with your teeth and gums a lot.
It is recommended that whatever material you use should be made from implant-grade metal or 14 karats or higher gold. There are a lot of options that you can choose from and they are:
- Surgical steel is metal that contains other alloys like nickel in it along with steel and has a low release which makes it safe for use as snake bite piercings.
- An implant grade Titanium is nickel-free and safe as a material for the piercings. It costs more than stainless steel but it is a better option than that if you are sensitive to other metals.
- Niobium is a very affordable and lightweight metal and it is similar to titanium but it does not have the implant-grade designation.
- 14 karats or higher gold would be a great option too but just make sure it is authentic and not gold plated or filled. Also, keep a lookout for vermeil or overlay which contains alloys under a thin gold layer that will wear off easily.
How Are The Piercings Done?
If you go for a snake bite piercing, it will start with questions about your preference for the piercing material being asked and the jewelry type you are going to use. You will be then asked to sign a form that will include a waiver.
The next steps of the piercings will be:
- Your skin will be disinfected around the lower lip region.
- You will have to rinse your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash to get rid of any bacteria present.
- A body-safe marker would be used to mark the piercing spots and you’ll be asked to confirm the spot of the piercing.
- A clamp will be used to pull your bottom lip down and away from your teeth and gums.
- A needle will be pushed inside your lip after that and the jewelry will be inserted and secured before moving the piercing on the other side.
- After that, the lip region will be cleaned again and your aftercare instructions would be given to you.
Your lip region would get healed within 2-3 months of the snake bite piercing happening. It will depend on how you follow the aftercare instructions. Other things like your health and the piercing professional’s skill level also affect the healing time.
Risks Due To Getting Pierced
There are some risks associated with snake bite piercings but you can prevent them if you just take good care of them afterwards and if your piercing person is good at what they are doing. The risks can include:
Infection
Some bacteria might get into the piercing while you are eating, touching your mouth, kissing or giving oral sex. All these things can lead to an infection occurring. If the equipment being used for the piercing is not clean, then the infection might happen even then. You could even contract a blood-borne infection like tetanus or HIV.
Swelling
You are going to get swelling for a few days after the piercing but for some people, the swelling might not go away for a while. Applying ice and sleeping with your head elevated can help with that.
Tooth or gum damage
When you are talking or chewing, the jewelry rubs with your teeth and gums, this might lead to irritation on their surfaces and damage tooth enamel.
Trauma or tearing
You might sometimes accidentally snag the lip jewelry when doing things like putting on a shirt or styling your hair or even kissing. So you will have to be careful of that as well.
Nerve Disruption
Another risk would be nerve disruption, although this is very rare. This could result in chronic back pain and eye misalignment as well. But again, this is very rare. As long as you follow the proper aftercare solutions, the snake bite piercings should not pose a problem for you.
Closure | Snake Bite Piercings
Snake bite piercings are very popular these days and that is because they look sexy. This is a very popular type of piercing for body jewelry enthusiasts. You should just keep in mind that while you are getting pierced, you follow the proper guidelines.
If you feel like anything bad is happening during or after the piercing has been done, talk to the professional and figure out if it is a normal thing or if you are having an actual problem. As long as you keep healthy habits, you will be okay.
