Snake bites are two lower-lip piercings placed symmetrically, one toward each corner of the mouth. Each is an independent piercing through the lip and out inside the mouth, and together they read as a pair of fangs, which is where the name comes from.
They are the most popular of the paired lip piercings, and the most straightforward. Everything true of a single labret is true here twice.
Placement, and why symmetry is the hard part
The two holes sit below the lower lip, roughly level with each other, spaced evenly either side of the centre line. How far out they go is a judgement call: closer to the corners reads more dramatic, closer to the centre reads more subtle.
The hard part is not the piercing, it is the matching. Faces are not symmetrical, and marking two points that measure the same distance from the centre often does not look the same. A good piercer marks both, hands you a mirror, and adjusts against your face rather than a ruler.
Get both done in the same appointment. Adding the second one months later means matching it to a piercing that has already settled, which is considerably harder than placing two at once.
Pain
About 3 out of 10 each. The lower lip is thin and vascular, and the needle passes quickly.
Doing two in a row does not double the pain, but it does mean sitting through the sensation twice in a few minutes, and the second is usually noticed more than the first.
What people underestimate is the swelling. Two fresh wounds in the lip swell more than one, and for the first three or four days that means slurred speech, awkward eating and a lip that feels like it belongs to someone else. It settles quickly.
Healing
Two to three months. They heal in parallel, so the total is no longer than a single labret, but the experience is more disruptive while the swelling lasts.
- Days 1-4: peak swelling, tenderness, difficulty eating and speaking clearly.
- Weeks 1-3: swelling drops away, some crusting outside, white or clear discharge inside.
- Weeks 4-12: the channels finish maturing internally, long after they look finished.
Downsize at two to four weeks. This is not optional with lip piercings. The initial posts are deliberately long to allow for swelling, and once the swelling is gone that extra length becomes a bar sitting loose against your teeth and gums. Both need doing at the same visit.
The dental question, doubled
Every piercing that exits inside the mouth puts hardware against tissue that was not designed for it. With snake bites there are two flat discs resting inside your lower lip.
Positioned correctly, each disc rests against the soft inner lip and touches nothing else. Positioned badly, or left on an oversized post, it presses on the gum line, and sustained pressure there causes recession that does not grow back.
Three things reduce the risk:
- Downsize on schedule, so nothing is longer than it needs to be.
- Ask for the smallest comfortable disc. A large flat back has more surface to press with.
- Tell your dentist. They will check the gum margin behind each piercing at your regular appointment, and they will spot recession earlier than you will.
Chipped enamel is the other risk, and it comes from playing with the jewelry against your teeth. This is a habit, not an accident, and it is worth breaking early.
Aftercare
Snake bites straddle two environments, so they need two routines:
- Outside: sterile saline twice a day, patted dry with clean paper towel.
- Inside: an alcohol-free antibacterial or saline mouth rinse after eating, drinking anything but water, and smoking.
Avoid alcohol-based mouthwash entirely. It is far too harsh for a fresh oral wound and it delays healing rather than speeding it.
For the first fortnight, eat cold and soft, take small bites, and keep the jewelry away from anything hot. The aftercare guide has the full routine.
Jewelry
Flat-back labret studs, 16 gauge, implant-grade titanium, on a long post to start and downsized once the swelling drops. Threadless or internally threaded only, so nothing sharp passes through the channel. See the materials guide.
Once healed, small rings and hoops are the common change, and they are what most people picture when they think of snake bites. Rings move more than studs, so they are worth saving until the channels are fully mature rather than swapping at three months.
Related placements
- Spider bites: two piercings close together on the same side of the lower lip.
- Shark bites: two pairs, four piercings in total.
- Angel bites: the upper-lip equivalent, one either side.
- Vertical labret: through the lip with no exit inside the mouth, which removes the dental risk entirely.
Cost
$60 to $140 for the pair in a US studio, plus jewelry. Most studios price a second piercing in the same session below the first, so two together generally cost less than two separate visits. Tip 15 to 20 percent.
Frequently asked questions
What are snake bites piercings?
Two lower-lip piercings placed symmetrically, one toward each corner of the mouth, so they sit like a pair of fangs. Each is a separate piercing with its own jewelry, usually a flat-back labret stud or a small ring.
Do snake bites hurt?
About 3 out of 10 each. The lower lip is thin, well-supplied with blood and quick to pierce. Most people find the swelling over the following three or four days more of a nuisance than the piercing itself.
How long do snake bites take to heal?
Two to three months, the same as a single labret. They heal in parallel rather than one after the other, so the total time is no longer, but the swelling is more noticeable because there are two sites.
Can I get both snake bites done at once?
Yes, and it is the usual approach. Doing them in one appointment keeps them symmetrical, because a piercer marks both against your face at the same time. Getting the second months later makes matching the first harder.
Are snake bites bad for your teeth?
They double the exposure of a single labret. Two flat backs rest against the inside of the lower lip, and if either sits against the gum instead, it can cause recession over time. Correct disc size and periodic checks matter more here than with one piercing.
What is the difference between snake bites and spider bites?
Snake bites are symmetrical, one on each side of the lower lip. Spider bites are two piercings close together on the same side. Shark bites are two pairs, so four piercings in total.
Sources
- Association of Professional Piercers - Suggested aftercare for oral piercingshttps://safepiercing.org/oral-aftercare/
- Association of Professional Piercers - Jewelry for initial piercingshttps://safepiercing.org/jewelry-for-initial-piercings/
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy) - Oral piercingshttps://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/oral-piercings
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This article is for education only and is not medical advice. If a piercing is hot, swollen, spreading redness, oozing yellow or green discharge, or you have a fever, see a doctor today.