Smiley piercing is an interesting type of facial piercing. It is done on inside the upper lip involving the tissue above the gums (‘frenulum’ of the upper lip). The jewellery used for this sort of piercing is usually a ring or barbell.
As the jewellery is placed right in the middle of the inside of the upper lip, it usually stays hidden and becomes visible only when you smile. It is for this reason that smiley piercings, though painful, manage to arouse interest in so many individuals.
When going for this type of facial piercing, it is generally suggested to choose non-oxidizing and non allergic materials such as surgical stainless steel or gold for smiley piercing jewelley.
Rings prepared from such materials are usually considered safer. Other complex jewellery items like studs or barbells, though good to look at, are associated with the risk of migration of jewellery as they tend to slip out of the original spot.
Do Smiley Piercings Hurt?
Smiley piercings are usually not too painful. The healing period mostly varies from 6 to 8 weeks as it involves healing of thin and sensitive skin. Smiley piercing pain can be there till about three weeks after piercing.
The discomfort can be reduced by avoiding the temptation to play with the jewellery.
Plus, do not remove a smiley piercing until it heals. Rinse the mouth with saline solution or a good mouthwash to avoid infection. Pierced smiley can cause some discomfort during eating, speaking, brushing the teeth etc for the first few days.
Although, smiley piercings are often associated with issues like plaque buildup, gum problems and tooth problems. Depending on the kind of jewellery used, smiley piercing can cause damage to the teeth because of erosion to the outer surface of teeth.
Therefore, it is advisable to opt for smaller jewellery items that do not rub against the teeth continuously. When planning to remove a smiley piercing, keep in mind that the hole tends to close up quite easily.
Risks of Piercing Own Smiley
Although smiley piercing is impressive and exciting to flaunt, it also has certain risks. However, as it involves only a tiny portion of the skin, the chances of developing any serious complications are minimal.
Nonetheless, if you plan to pierce a smiley yourself, without any professional help, then the risks tend to increase manifold. The dangers arise mainly due to the use of unsterilized equipments and jewellery.
Consequently, piercing own smiley increases the risk of contacting infections and diseases like Hepatitis, Tetanus, Meningitis, HIV, MRSA.
The key to reducing risk factors associated with smiley piercing is to use properly sterilized jewellery and equipments. However, merely sterilizing through procedures like exposing the relevant equipments to flame or using alcohol are not as effective as sterilization achieved through the high temperature and pressure of a steam Autoclave.
Besides, factors like inadequate knowledge and lack of expertise also add to the risk of damaging a nerve or a blood vessel while piercing smiley. Therefore, as far as possible, try to get your smiley piercing done by a professional.
I’m doing my Smiley later tonight :3
I can’t wait, my friend has hers done [professionally] and it looked great! Until she ripped it out with eating a sandwich O_o
I have a fairly high pain tolerance, and I’m also doing my own bellybar. Nearly every one of my friends has at least one self piercing, and I’ll pass on the advice they gave me:
“as long as you’ve got a tray of ice, time, and the right sterilising stuff, it should be a success’.
And, yes, I’m hiding them from my mother. I’m a few months off 15, and she’d go NUTS xD
I have a curved barbell, so it shouldn’t be too hard :L
Good Luck with your own piercings!!! 😀 (a)
xxxx
okay, so, i’m concerned.. i pierced my own smiley myself, and it’s very swollen. i’m kind of scared. it don’t hurt though. i pierced it yesterday night. i think it’s the cutest piercing ever. i just turned 15. i’m hiding it from my mom.
i didn’t pierce it with the right tools though.. i used a tack and my nose ring. i put the nose ring in my nose and ear.. can’t be too dirty. i also wiped off the tack before i did it.
i didn’t pierce it with the right tools though.. i used a tack and my nose ring. i put the nose ring in my nose and ear.. can’t be too dirty. i also wiped off the tack before i did it.
You are stupid!!!-_-
I agree. “can’t be too dirty” What are you retarded?
uhmmm that is not safe… sorry to say and its not like i can change ur mind about DIY piercings, but if you are going to be that stupid about it, you should stay away from DIY piercings. you are most likely going to get infected from the dirty tack and jewlery… im not judging you or trying to tell you how to live your life but that is just gross… -_-
i self pierced my smiley about a month ago and i love it! c: it is by far my favorite of my self piercings( i have done my septum, cartlidge and my smiley. and i also did my friends cartlidge and her smiley) . i used the proper sterilized equipment (an unopened hollow needle and a sterile captive ball ring) along with sterilizing the piercing site correctly. it was sore for like a day or two and then only when i played with it ^,^ and when i brushed my teath and cleaned it. i personally love it and i have gotten a lot of compliments on it! :3 i turned 17 a week ago and i look forward to piercing my lips next! c:
does anyone have any comments on how high you should pierce it if your doing it yourself? im scared ill do it too low and it’ll start migrating heaps easy. Also what is the best ways to steralize a needle?
YOU DON’T
well maybe your mom has good reasons for not ltteing you get oral piercings. i just let my monroe grow shut because it was damaging my gums a lot, as did my lip ring. but if you’re dead set on a lip ring and nothing else maybe try to guilt her into it, that works on most moms. offer to pay for it yourself(this is how i got my first piercing at 15). tell her you’re going to do it when you turn 18 anyway so why not now. if that doesn’t work maybe consider different piercings. or find a friend who has the tools to do it themselves. yeah this can be dangerous if you’re not careful. but there are some freelance body piercers who can be trusted. just make sure they’re not using dirty needles or doing it free hand.
okay i wanna pierce my smiley but my smiley is really small, and I’m scared its gonna rip after i do it.. does anyone have any suggestions or has anyone gone through the same thing??? should i do it or not???
how long do you keep it in for? as my friend has just done it self all sterilsed and everything.
well i currently have braces , so when i get them off soon im hoping to peirce my smiley . but is it done in the middle or slightly lower? thanks !
Ok so… I pierced my smiley with a safety pin a couple nights ago. Its all fine.. not swollen, not infected, but the whole is too small! I can fit an ear ring into it easily and a push pin is a bit harder. I really want to be able to get a belly ring into it before I buy real jewelry for it..
Can anyone give me tips on how to make the whole bigger!???
I pierced my smiley the other night with a sewing needle that had never been touched but I sterilized it with my lighter and tubing alcohol, and I just shoved a 16g barbell through it after I had pierced it and I rinse with peroxide every time I eat something- by far the best piercing ever!!(: but it’s left a dent in my gums -.-
I have tried to peirce my smiley but the needle wouldnt go through and I don’t know if it’s because of my skin or if I’m afraid. Any tips of helping me get it through .???
Truthfully does it hurt and how much does it roughly cost?
I pierced my smiley by myself.. It hurt me…I used a piercing needle and I germ x and alcohol that bitch!! Even the jewelry!! I brush my teeth with a new tooth brush and salt water!!! It is taking long to heal but that’s okay!!