The Medusa piercing is an upper lip piercing perfect for people who already have some piercings under their Orion’s belt. The Medusa can elegantly balance out snakebites for people who want a set of lip piercings that are to-die-for.
To help you prepare for your hero’s journey to the piercing shop, we’ve compiled a guide of everything you need to know about the Medusa piercing, its price, aftercare, and jewelry.
What Is a Medusa Piercing?
A Medusa piercing is technically called a philtrum piercing. It’s located in your philtrum, the area is located right above your Cupid’s bow in the center of your upper lip. And, fortunately, your partner can get up close and personal with your Medusa without worrying about you turning them into a statue. At least not with your jewelry.
A single piercing is the most common, but some folks have double Medusa piercings. That’s when you have one labret is closer to the bottom of your nose and a second piercing closer to your lips. Your piercer will help you determine the best placement for your face.
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How Much Does a Medusa Piercing Cost?
You don’t have to have King Midas’ golden touch to afford this piercing. But you should be ready to invest in a qualified piercer.
Different piercers will charge based on the jewelry you pick. But, in general, you can expect to spend between $40 and $80 for your new bling.
How Painful Is a Medusa Piercing?
From personal experience, I’d rate my Medusa piercing as a 6.5 out of 10 on the pain scale. But this lip piercing does have a somewhat questionable reputation when it comes to how painful it is to get.
If you Google “Medusa piercing,” you may see that it’s often called the most painful piercing. So, is this pain myth or fact?
Different people have different pain tolerances. So, this piercing can be a nightmare for some and just a sharp pinch for others. But, do expect the piercing to hurt at least a bit because it’s in a sensitive area. As you know from kissing, the lips have lots of nerves, so a piercing can really sting, and your eyes may automatically start to water.
But at the end of the day, a professional piercer will ensure that this piercing is quick and as pain-free as possible.
How Long Will My Medusa Piercing Take to Heal?
Your lip may be swollen and sore for a couple of weeks. I mean, you were high-key stabbed in the face.
The swelling should go down in six to eight weeks, but these piercings take two to three months to be fully healed. And many people heal differently.
Even if the outside of your piercing looks like it’s closing up well, the inside of the fistula may still be tender. (A fistula is the actual hole that your piercing goes through. Save that for your next spelling bee!)
As soon as the swelling has gone down, you can replace your jewelry as long as your piercer gives you the A-okay.
What’s Good Medusa Piercing Aftercare?
Matt Southwood, professional piercer and tattoo artist from Traditional Tattoo in San Luis Obispo, gives some advice on piercing aftercare in his video below. “Don’t touch your piercing, play with it, or spin it. Keep it as stationary as possible.” Essentially, if a toddler would do it, don’t.
Southwood explains that the Medusa “is in your mouth, so this piercing will get a lot of movement naturally. So don’t spin it with your tongue…be careful when you’re kissing, drinking, or eating.”
For cleaning, he recommends avoiding ointment, rubbing alcohol, or witch hazel. Instead, he says, “Use some [unscented] antibacterial soap to lightly wash the front of the piercing.”
Finally, make sure to clean the piercing with a saltwater or saline soak a couple of times a day for the first month or so of your healing. Your piercer can give you more advice about how to properly care for your piercing.
What Medusa Piercing Jewelry Should I Use?
The most annoying part of a Medusa piercing is having the back of the labret bump up against your teeth or tongue. Unfortunately, this is bound to happen during the initial healing period.
That’s because your piercer will use a longer labret than you technically need because your lip will swell in the first couple of weeks. And, you’ll need a longer piece of jewelry to accommodate that swelling. Think of this first labret as wearing stretchy pants during Thanksgiving dinner – it’s a precaution you’ll be grateful for later on.
After your swelling goes down in a couple of weeks, that longer piercing may become more obtrusive. So after a month or two, you can take that initial 16 gauge, 3/8 labret, and have your piercer insert a 16 gauge, 5/16 piece of jewelry. This size of labret is just a bit smaller, and it’s what most people will wear in their healed Medusa.
Available on Etsy.
So what jewelry will you wear in your Medusa? Labrets are definitely the best option.
Hoops tend to snag when you’re eating, drinking, or smooching. And curved barbells, although some people do opt for them, have a tendency to shift around as you speak, Meaning it may not appear to sit evenly on your lip.
But labrets are a safe bet a drop-dead gorgeous Medusa piercing. From simple diamonds to multi-colored gems, there are tons of options to make your new piercing a true knockout.
Available on Etsy.
When she's not lesson planning or editing, Laken might be hanging out with her Fulbright or graduate school colleagues, writing for sites like Entropy and Lambda Literary, or eating apple peelings.
Follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn and feel free to ask her how she was almost abducted by a cult while on a writing retreat in Ireland.
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A medusa piercing is located above the center of your lip. It takes a couple of weeks to heal and with the proper care you can easily make sure nothing goes wrong. Thank you for your information.