HELP!Labret probs.

OK

J> house has a cancer causing agent in it . . . does anyone know of J> anything that can be applied to the flatback to cushion and reduce J> friction against the gums?

when i wore a flatback & it started irritating my gums, i found there was nothing i could cushion it with to stop the destruction. silicon & such hardens up enough to still bother [me] - what you'd really need is a disc back made of something softer than your gums. (ie fresh gum.)

if you can tolerate it until the swelling goes down, derek lowe (brilliant piercer in ohio) has exclaimed on his success with 3mm labret discs. you might not want that in a fresh piercing, though, as it's so small it might pull inside.

pook has said multiple times that woods are the most comfortable, because you can file them down to a personal fit. i never tried them as i don't like the look.

the only other thing i personally found as a fix was to make the post so short that the disc DID pull into the lip somewhat. if you do this, though, keep your eye on it & check it a few times a day to be sure your gums aren't growing OVER the disc.

but remember that the damage you do your gums is permanent (barring surgery). so if it's really bothering you, TAKE IT OUT. it's just a piece of metal; your teeth are your teeth.

lish

33.2% / 32

i put vaseline on mine

K> i put vaseline on mine

you are an idiot.

lish

33.2% / 32

I'll try to be helpful first, then I'll rant a bit...

It sounds like, as Lish mentioned, putting a 3mm disk on the labret stud may be your only option. However, I see a couple of downside to this for you

1) You will have to wait until the swelling is gone and the piercing is toughened up quite a bit. Usually I suggest waiting until the 2-3 month mark at least. If you put it in before that, the intermitten swelling that goes along with labret piercings will likely cause the disk to embed in your piercing. This is less likely to happen with a 16ga labret stud, as opposed to 14ga, because there is a larger size difference between the thickness of the post and the size of the disc. .

2) You will need to buy a new piece of jewelry. As far as I know, Anatometal is the only company which makes the 3mm disks.

3) The 3mm disk may not work for you. For some people, even once their piercing is very well healed, the 3mm disk still embeds in the lip. This really varies from person-to-person, but it does happen sometimes.

Okay, a bit of a rant...

There is a reason that all the stuff in your mouth, aside from your teeth, is soft. Teeth and gums are fairly fragile parts of your body. They don't hold up well to continued irritation and they don't recover well from damage. Hence, it probably doesn't make a lot of sense to get a labret piercing in a location which is going to pretty much guaruntee irritation and potential. As I recall, your labret piercing was placed very low. If that's where you wanted it, hey, great. But, be prepared to deal with exactly what you are experiencing now. Also be prepared to deal with the reality that removing the piercing may be your only option other than having your gums destroyed.

I know some people will proclaim the wonders of fishtail labret pieces for really low labret piercings. Those work well for some people, and for many they don't. You experienced some of the common problems with them right after your piercing. The problems you described have much more to do with the way fishtails sit in your mouth than anything your piercer probably did. I've seen labret piercings with fishtails from incredibly talented and experienced piercers that don't sit right in someone's piercing.

The other option, and the more sensible one, is to place the piercing up higher so it has less chance of coming into contact with your teeth and/or gums. This reduces, but does not eliminate, the chance for irritation and damage. But, even with a higher placement, you may still have irritation and/or damage.

But hey, who ever said piercing was good for you? Best of luck.

Just my thoughts...

Thanks Derek

But the vaseline also helps her smile easier. Old beauty pageant trick. I swear.

Kavin

'i'll teach you to turn away.' wrote:

KT> But the vaseline also helps her smile easier. Old beauty pageant KT> trick. I swear.

that part IS true. but she's an idiot for putting it on her piercing. unless, i suppose, the piercing in question is a scrumpter.

lish

33.2% / 32

okay, I'll agree. She's just an idiot.

Kavin

'i'll teach you to turn away.' wrote:

NO WAY IT ACTUALLY WORKED..I TRYED EVERYTHING BUT THE GOOD OLE VASELINE

have you tried a ring instead of a labret stud while it heals? i healed all of mine with rings...then put the flatbacks in once the healing was done...also solved the problem of the inner lip growing over the back of the stud....a problem my roommate is still trying to contend with!