A vertical labret runs a curved barbell up through the lower lip: in below the lip, out on the top edge of it, so a bead sits above and a bead sits below. The bar itself is inside the lip.
What makes it interesting is what it does not do. Unlike a standard labret, it never enters the mouth. There is no disc against your inner lip, nothing resting on your gum line, nothing to click against your teeth.
Photo by GorillaWarfare via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Why people choose it
The dental problem is the reason most people end up here. Every piercing that exits inside the mouth puts hardware against gum and enamel, and gum recession from a badly fitted labret disc does not grow back.
A vertical labret sidesteps that entirely. Both ends are on the outside of the lip. For anyone who wants a lip piercing and has been warned off by a dentist, this is usually the placement suggested instead.
Your lip has to suit it
This is the trade-off, and it is a real one. The bar has to sit inside the lip along its length without the ends pressing into tissue at either opening.
That needs a lower lip with reasonable height and projection. A full lip gives a piercer a clean path. A thin or flat lower lip does not, and forcing the placement produces a bar under constant tension, which migrates and eventually rejects.
Your piercer will look at your lip in profile as well as head-on, because projection is what decides this and you cannot judge it from the front. Being told your lip does not suit one is a piercer doing the job properly.
Pain
About 4 out of 10, slightly more than a standard labret. The needle travels up through the body of the lip rather than straight through the thin section, so the sensation lasts a moment longer.
Swelling in the first few days is comparable to other lip piercings: enough to feel odd and affect speech briefly, gone within about a week.
Healing
Two to three months.
- Days 1-5: swelling, tenderness, both openings tender to touch.
- Weeks 1-4: swelling drops away, crusting at both ends, which is more visible than on other lip piercings because both openings are on show.
- Weeks 4-12: the channel matures internally.
Downsize at three to six weeks, slightly later than a standard labret because the bar spans more tissue and the swelling takes a little longer to settle fully. A curved bar left too long rocks in the channel, and that movement is what produces irritation bumps here.
Aftercare
Simpler than most lip piercings, because there is no inside to look after. Sterile saline twice a day on both openings, patted dry with clean paper towel, and nothing else.
You still want to be careful with food for the first week or two, because the lower bead sits where a fork or a cup naturally goes. Small bites, cold and soft, and no picking at the crusting. The aftercare guide covers the routine.
Jewelry
Curved barbell, 16 gauge, implant-grade titanium, 12 to 14 mm to start and downsized to 8 to 10 mm. The curve matters: a straight bar in a curved path puts pressure on both openings and will not settle. Threadless or internally threaded only. See the materials guide.
Once healed, the usual change is a smaller or more decorative pair of ends rather than a different style of jewelry, because the curved bar is what makes the placement work.
Related placements
- Labret: the standard version, straight through and out inside the mouth.
- Ashley: one visible hole in the centre of the lip, exiting inside the mouth behind it.
- Jestrum: the same idea on the upper lip, a vertical medusa.
Cost
$40 to $80 in a US studio, plus jewelry. It sits slightly above a standard labret because the placement takes longer to assess and mark. Tip 15 to 20 percent.
Frequently asked questions
What is a vertical labret piercing?
A curved barbell that enters below the lower lip and exits on the top edge of the lip, so a bead shows at each end. Unlike a standard labret it never passes into the mouth, which means no jewelry rests against your gums or teeth.
Does a vertical labret hurt more than a normal labret?
Slightly. About 4 out of 10 against 3 for a standard labret, because the needle travels up through more lip tissue rather than straight through the thin part. It is still brief.
Is a vertical labret safer for your teeth?
Yes, and it is the main reason people choose one. Nothing sits inside the mouth, so the gum recession and enamel chipping associated with lip piercings largely do not apply.
Can everyone get a vertical labret?
No. It needs a lower lip with enough height and projection for a curved bar to sit inside without pressing on either end. A thin or flat lower lip gives a piercer very little to work with, and forcing it produces migration.
How long does a vertical labret take to heal?
Two to three months. Both openings are on the outside, so healing is more visible than a standard labret and crusting is more obvious in the early weeks.
What is the difference between a vertical labret and an Ashley piercing?
An Ashley has one visible hole in the centre of the lower lip and exits inside the mouth behind it. A vertical labret has two visible beads and no opening inside the mouth at all. They look completely different despite sitting in the same area.
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.