The philtrum, mostly known as the
“Medusa” piercing, is one of my all time favorites. Usually
pierced by a labret, it's placed in the groove above the center of
the top lip. There is a variation of this piercing called the
'jestrum' but that's a posting for another day.
IMPORTANT:
Placement of a Medusa piercing is VERY, VERY important. Placed wrong, it can throw off the whole symmetry of ones face which, in turn, would cause everything to look unbalanced. Double check placement before the needle touches your skin.
The Medusa piercing is mostly worn with
a labret but! Rings and other jewelry are possible.
I'd say the care instructions for this
piercing are pretty basic. I'm not sure about others but when I got
my pierced, oh my world on fire, my lip swelled so much. I'll share
my experience in a different post. All I'm going to say is to make
sure you have a comfortable length bar that leaves room for swelling.
Also ice is your friend. It's recommended to stay away from spicy
foods, acidic juices an hot beverages for the first few days. And
you'll want to rinse with Listerine or any ANTISEPTIC mouthwash for
3seconds after each meal, soft drink and cigarette. If you're a
tobacco chewer, it's advised to now chew for at least one week. This
is the basic inside cleaning for the piercing.
For basic outside cleaning, clean it
twice a day- once in the morning, once at night. Make sure the bead
is tight if it is a labret or beaded piercing. After 3 weeks, it's
safe to change out the jewelry for a shorter bar.
Remember, each piercer is going to have
a different set of aftercare instructions and each person is
different. Some people might not get much lip swelling, some might.
Time of healing before it's safe to change the jewelry may vary from
person to person and studio. If you're interested in any piercing, I
recommend first researching it so you know exactly what you're going
to yourself into, think about if you really want it, how to take care
of it and so on.
Also, it's a good idea to get the phone
number of your piercer in case you have an emergency question or if
any problems arise.
I've recently gotten this piercing,
again. I've had it once before but took it out and regretted it oh so
much. Happily, I am with metal once again.
I find facial piercings to be a big
commitment. Some are easier to hide than others. Luckily, retainers
are available. Though they do not make the piercings 100% invisible,
they make it not as obvious that you have a new hole in your face
haha.
Pierce on, friends.
Pierce. On.
