Want A Smiley Piercing? Here’s What You Need To Know

If you’re looking for a quirky piercing to give you a new lease of life… allow us to point you in the direction of the smiley piercing – which makes the infamous tongue piercingseem like old news (sorry Mum and Dad). Completely different from traditional piercingslike those around the ear, the smiley is located in the mouth (nowhere near the cheeks or dimples if you were thinking otherwise).

It’s a piercing that will get you noticed when you smile, but can easily be covered with your top lip once your mouth is closed. If you’re considering this unique piercing, we have a full guide of everything you need to know below.

What is it?

A smiley piercing goes through your frenulum which is the part of your mouth that connects your upper lip and gum. The piercing can’t be seen when your mouth is closed, hence the name – “smiley”.

How is it pierced?

The piercing is done relatively quickly and it involves these four steps:

1. First your piercer will give you an antibacterial solution to rinse your mouth.

2. After your mouth is clean, the piercer will then pull your upper lip back to show the frenulum (what is essentially getting pierced).

3. The piercing is then done with a sterile needle.

4. Finally, the jewellery is put through the hole, and, screwed on to hold it into place.

How much does it cost?

A smiley piercing can cost you anywhere between £25 to £50 and you will most likely be charged separately for the jewellery. At Timebomb Piercing and Tattoo studio, the piercing costs £35 including the jewellery but this can vary from place to place.

How painful is it?

Pain tolerance and thresholds vary from person to person. But you’ll be glad to know most people experience little to no pain when it comes to this piercing. This is due the membrane the piercing goes through, it’s relatively thin and has few nerve endings. Another plus is that that the procedure is also very quick but, this does not mean you should do it at home!

What type of jewellery is used?

The best part! When you first get pierced, most piercers will use a captive bead ring which is a circular shape with a small bead. When the piercing is completely healed most people opt for circular barbell, this piece has a horseshoe shape with a bead on each end (it looks like a septum ring). Finally we have the seamless ring, which is the least common of the three, it connects without using a bead to hold it in place.

Healing time

Smiley piercings despite what you may think have a relatively quick healing time – you should expect to be all healed up in four to 12 weeks.

Cleaning and care

It’s essential that you follow up with proper care to ensure your piercing heals correctly. Most professional piercers recommend, you brush your teeth twice a day with a mild toothpaste and use saline solution to rinse your mouth.

Avoid these whilst the piercing is healing:

• Spicy and hot foods

• Alcohol

• Excessive touching

• Kissing

• Acidic food

• Crunchy food

What are the risks associated with this piercing?

Although this piercing is super cool, it does come with some side effects if proper care is not followed. These include:

• Wearing down teeth and gums: The jewellery rubbing on the teeth could potentially chip the enamel and damage soft gum tissue.

• Speech issues: Its normal for speech to sound a bit different as you get use to your new piercing.

• Accidental swallowing: If the piercing is not secure properly, you could also risk swallowing it.

• Infection: This could be caused by improper aftercare.

• Piercing rejection: Naturally your body may reject the piercing which may cause swelling. You may also notice the piercing slowly coming out the front of the frenulum.

To avoid these problems it’s advised you get your piercing done professionally and follow the correct aftercare plan.