Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDoes It Hurt?Aftercare StepsEating and DrinkingPiercing JewelryRisksRemoval and Reinsertion
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Does It Hurt?
Aftercare Steps
Eating and Drinking
Piercing Jewelry
Risks
Removal and Reinsertion
A medusa piercing is a type ofbody piercing. It uses a stud that passes through yourphiltrum. This is the midline indent just under your nose and above your upper lip.
Like other body piercings, a medusa piercing needs proper care to reduce the risk ofinfection. Knowing how to keep the site clean and healthy can help prevent certain types of tooth and mouth damage common with oral piercings.
Alex Liew / Getty Images
Medusa Piercing in Philtrum: Does It Hurt?
While everyone experiences pain differently. Your pain level can vary based on your tolerance, the skill of your piercer, and your aftercare.
The philtrum contains a large number of blood vessels and nerve endings, so pain is inevitable. The lips have such abundant nerves that they are considered a tactile sensory organ.
Healing Speed and Difficulty on Upper Lip
It is normal to experience the following side effects during the first three to five days after your medusa piercing:
Minor swelling and secretions can continue through the first week. During this time, the piercing can appear slightly red on lighter skin or slightly darker than the surrounding skin on dark skin. The area may also feel tender and/or itchy.
Different Types of Eye Piercings
Medusa
Important Medusa Piercing Aftercare Steps
Keep your piercing clean with the following solutions:
Some common procedures advised during piercing aftercare include:
Eating and drinking:
Hygiene:
Scar Tissue Massage and Management
Eating and Drinking With a Medusa Piercing
After it is fully healed, your medusa piercing should not interfere with the way you normally eat and drink. However, the Association of Professional Piercers (APP) advises taking the following precautions during the time your Medusa piercing heals:
How to Vet Medusa Piercing Jewelry
Taking time to choose medusa piercing jewelry can promote healthy healing and reduce your risks of complications over the long term.
Choosing an appropriate size, style, material, and quality suited to the location of the piercing can affect your ability to heal. Your body jewelry should be free of irregular surfaces such as nicks, scratches, burrs, and polishing compounds.
The APP advises selecting your first piercing jewelry from one of the following materials of a biocompatible grade:
Before Medusa Piercing: Risks to Know
Like other oral piercings, a medusa piercing is a puncture wound that can lead to a range of oral health problems. However, the results of one study indicate that up to half of people with oral piercings were not informed about the risks and possible complications of oral piercings before their procedures were performed.
While many people have medusa piercings without complications, knowing the risks can help you understand and recognize possible problems. When complications occur, they can develop immediately after the procedure or at any time over the long term.
Some of the most common risks linked with a medusa piercing include:
Infection, pain, and swelling: Millions ofbacteriaexist in your mouth. It is an ideal breeding ground for infection. An infection that starts in your mouth can quickly become life-threatening without proper treatment. It can also interfere with normal breathing if it causes your tongue to swell and block your airway.
Damage to your teeth, fillings, or other dental work: Biting or playing with the piercing can cause cracked or damaged teeth. In one study, up to 26% of people with lip piercings had tooth injuries.
Problematic speech, chewing, or swallowing: Having a medusa piercing can interfere with the normal function of your ability to speak, chew, or swallow.
Damage to your gums: Up to 50% of people with lip piercings developedgingival recession(gum tissue pulls away from your teeth and exposes the roots).A lip piercing makes you more than 4 times more likely to develop gingival recession than people without a lip piercing. Damage occurs when the barbells wear away the gum tissue from constant contact.
Allergic reactions: When metal oral piercings come in contact with saliva and other oral fluids, they may become corroded and leak metal ions into the surrounding tissues. These released ions can causeallergic reactions. Research shows that nickel is the most common allergen, though other metals such as cobalt and chromium have also caused these types of reactions.
Infectious diseases: Having your medusa piercing performed with contaminated piercing equipment can lead to a blood-borne disease such ashepatitis B,hepatitis C,hepatitis D, andhuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS.
Endocarditis:Endocarditisis an inflammation of the heart valves or tissues. The puncture wound created during a medusa piercing provides a pathway for bacteria from your mouth to enter your bloodstream and travel to your heart.
After the initial swelling of your medusa swelling subsides, you will have to replace the original, longer jewelry with a shorter barbell or post to avoid damage to your teeth and gums.
Make sure you understand how to remove and reinsert your medusa piercing. The ball on one end of a barbell-shaped piece must be able to be screwed on and off to make the jewelry easy to insert and remove. Mouth jewelry that is improperly inserted can be accidentally swallowed or inhaled, causing injury. In some cases, surgical removal may be necessary.
If you are removing and reinserting your medusa piercing jewelry at home, take these precautions when doing so:
If you remove the piercing without replacing the jewelry, the hole will begin to shrink or close. This can happen as quickly as within a few hours after removing the jewelry. In most cases, just a small mark will remain if you choose to not reinsert the jewelry again. Continue cleaning the area until the hole closes to prevent an infection.
Summary
While a medusa piercing is done for aesthetic reasons, the process involves making a wound that needs cleaning and proper care. If you are considering this piercing, it is key that you know the risks and possible side effects. Piercing your philtrum can change the way you speak, chew, and swallow. It can also threaten your oral and general health.
Start with a professional piercer to reduce your chances of problems such as infections. After your piercing, you will have to take special precautions while it heals. This involves daily cleaning and proper oral health.
Having a medusa piercing also involves giving the site the care it needs to remain clean and germ-free in the long term. Knowing what’s involved in having this type of piercing can help you make an informed decision about your future health.
19 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Philtrum.Elsevier.Integument: upper lip.University Health Services.Cleaning and healing of pierced body parts.Association of Professional Piercers (APP).Suggested aftercare guidelines for oral piercings.NHS.Infected piercings.Association of Professional Piercers.Suggested aftercare for oral piercings.JewelInfo4u.Piercings named after people: exploring the stories behind piercing names.Urban Body Jewelry.Philtrum piercing information and aftercare.Association of Professional Piercers (APP).Suggested aftercare for oral piercings.Association of Professional Piercers (APP).Jewelry for initial piercings.Covello F, Salerno C, Giovannini V, Corridore D, Ottolenghi L, Vozza I.Piercing and oral health: a study on the knowledge of risks and complications.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(2):613. doi:10.3390/ijerph17020613American Dental Association.Oral piercing/jewelry.American Dental Association (ADA).Oral piercings.Hennequin-Hoenderdos NL, Slot DE, Van der Weijden GA.The incidence of complications associated with lip and/or tongue piercings: a systematic review.Int J Dent Hyg. 2016;14(1):62-73. doi:10.1111/idh.12118Masood M, Walsh LJ, Zafar S.Oral complications associated with metal ion release from oral piercings: a systematic review.Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2023;24(6):677-690. doi:10.1007/s40368-023-00831-0Connecticut Department of Public Health.Oral piercings and oral health fact sheet.Oral Health Foundation.Oral piercings.MyHealthAlberta.ca.Mouth piercing problems.Association of Professional Piercers.Jewelry for healed piercings.
19 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Philtrum.Elsevier.Integument: upper lip.University Health Services.Cleaning and healing of pierced body parts.Association of Professional Piercers (APP).Suggested aftercare guidelines for oral piercings.NHS.Infected piercings.Association of Professional Piercers.Suggested aftercare for oral piercings.JewelInfo4u.Piercings named after people: exploring the stories behind piercing names.Urban Body Jewelry.Philtrum piercing information and aftercare.Association of Professional Piercers (APP).Suggested aftercare for oral piercings.Association of Professional Piercers (APP).Jewelry for initial piercings.Covello F, Salerno C, Giovannini V, Corridore D, Ottolenghi L, Vozza I.Piercing and oral health: a study on the knowledge of risks and complications.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(2):613. doi:10.3390/ijerph17020613American Dental Association.Oral piercing/jewelry.American Dental Association (ADA).Oral piercings.Hennequin-Hoenderdos NL, Slot DE, Van der Weijden GA.The incidence of complications associated with lip and/or tongue piercings: a systematic review.Int J Dent Hyg. 2016;14(1):62-73. doi:10.1111/idh.12118Masood M, Walsh LJ, Zafar S.Oral complications associated with metal ion release from oral piercings: a systematic review.Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2023;24(6):677-690. doi:10.1007/s40368-023-00831-0Connecticut Department of Public Health.Oral piercings and oral health fact sheet.Oral Health Foundation.Oral piercings.MyHealthAlberta.ca.Mouth piercing problems.Association of Professional Piercers.Jewelry for healed piercings.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Philtrum.Elsevier.Integument: upper lip.University Health Services.Cleaning and healing of pierced body parts.Association of Professional Piercers (APP).Suggested aftercare guidelines for oral piercings.NHS.Infected piercings.Association of Professional Piercers.Suggested aftercare for oral piercings.JewelInfo4u.Piercings named after people: exploring the stories behind piercing names.Urban Body Jewelry.Philtrum piercing information and aftercare.Association of Professional Piercers (APP).Suggested aftercare for oral piercings.Association of Professional Piercers (APP).Jewelry for initial piercings.Covello F, Salerno C, Giovannini V, Corridore D, Ottolenghi L, Vozza I.Piercing and oral health: a study on the knowledge of risks and complications.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(2):613. doi:10.3390/ijerph17020613American Dental Association.Oral piercing/jewelry.American Dental Association (ADA).Oral piercings.Hennequin-Hoenderdos NL, Slot DE, Van der Weijden GA.The incidence of complications associated with lip and/or tongue piercings: a systematic review.Int J Dent Hyg. 2016;14(1):62-73. doi:10.1111/idh.12118Masood M, Walsh LJ, Zafar S.Oral complications associated with metal ion release from oral piercings: a systematic review.Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2023;24(6):677-690. doi:10.1007/s40368-023-00831-0Connecticut Department of Public Health.Oral piercings and oral health fact sheet.Oral Health Foundation.Oral piercings.MyHealthAlberta.ca.Mouth piercing problems.Association of Professional Piercers.Jewelry for healed piercings.
MedlinePlus.Philtrum.
Elsevier.Integument: upper lip.
University Health Services.Cleaning and healing of pierced body parts.
Association of Professional Piercers (APP).Suggested aftercare guidelines for oral piercings.
NHS.Infected piercings.
Association of Professional Piercers.Suggested aftercare for oral piercings.
JewelInfo4u.Piercings named after people: exploring the stories behind piercing names.
Urban Body Jewelry.Philtrum piercing information and aftercare.
Association of Professional Piercers (APP).Suggested aftercare for oral piercings.
Association of Professional Piercers (APP).Jewelry for initial piercings.
Covello F, Salerno C, Giovannini V, Corridore D, Ottolenghi L, Vozza I.Piercing and oral health: a study on the knowledge of risks and complications.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(2):613. doi:10.3390/ijerph17020613
American Dental Association.Oral piercing/jewelry.
American Dental Association (ADA).Oral piercings.
Hennequin-Hoenderdos NL, Slot DE, Van der Weijden GA.The incidence of complications associated with lip and/or tongue piercings: a systematic review.Int J Dent Hyg. 2016;14(1):62-73. doi:10.1111/idh.12118
Masood M, Walsh LJ, Zafar S.Oral complications associated with metal ion release from oral piercings: a systematic review.Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2023;24(6):677-690. doi:10.1007/s40368-023-00831-0
Connecticut Department of Public Health.Oral piercings and oral health fact sheet.
Oral Health Foundation.Oral piercings.
MyHealthAlberta.ca.Mouth piercing problems.
Association of Professional Piercers.Jewelry for healed piercings.
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