Medusa Piercing: Steps to Success Before Going Under the Needle
Medically reviewed by Susan Bard, MDMedically reviewed by Susan Bard, MD
A medusa piercing is a type of body piercing. It uses a stud that passes through your philtrum. 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 of infection. Knowing how to keep the site clean and healthy can help prevent certain types of tooth and mouth damage common with oral piercings.
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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
The healing speed and difficulties that occur after a medusa piercing vary by individual. Generally, it can take six to eight weeks for a lip piercing to fully heal.
It is normal to experience the following side effects during the first three to five days after your medusa piercing:
Bruising
Light bleeding
Tenderness
White to yellow secretion that may become crusty on the jewelry surface
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.
Since a medusa piercing heals from the outside in, the pierced area may appear normal even as the healing process continues and skin on the inside remains weak. Don't try to rush the process. Follow precautions and a cleaning regimen until the piercing is fully healed.
Learn More: Different Types of Eye Piercings
Medusa
There is no consensus on why this piercing is named after the Greek goddess Medusa, known for her head of snakes and striking looks. Some piercers believe it is linked to its unique appearance, which attracts attention like Medusa's. Others say the name was first used by a Canadian hairdresser in the 1990s as an easier way to describe a philtrum piercing.
Important Medusa Piercing Aftercare Steps
Medusa piercing aftercare is key to reducing your risk of complications and promoting healthy healing of your piercing site. Follow the instructions provided by your professional piercer.
Keep your piercing clean with the following solutions:
Plain bottled or filtered water
Alcohol-free and hydrogen peroxide-free mouth rinse
Dry mouth oral rinse
Packaged sterile saline solution indicated for wound care
Some common procedures advised during piercing aftercare include:
Don't speak or move your jewelry more than necessary since it can cause scar tissue.
Use an over-the-counter (OTC) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as Advil (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen sodium) to reduce pain and inflammation.
Regularly check threaded ends on your jewelry for tightness. If you have threadless jewelry, ensure there is no gap between the post (inside) to the top (outside). If a gap exists, place your index finger and thumb on both sides of the jewelry and press them together. Be sure to check that the gap is closed.
Work to decrease healing times by up to 40% by avoiding emotional stress.
Sleep with your head elevated above your head for the first few nights after your piercing to reduce overnight swelling.
Eating and drinking:
Allow ice to dissolve in your mouth.
Rinse with bottled or filtered water thoroughly after every time you eat, drink, or smoke.
Reduce or avoid smoking and vaping, which can increase your risk of complications and prolong the healing process.
Hygiene:
Always wash your hands thoroughly before you clean or touch your piercing.
Maintain a healthy mouth by brushing, flossing, and using mouth rinse after every meal.
Use a clean toothbrush to avoid the buildup of plaque by gently brushing the jewelry. After healing, you can brush the jewelry more thoroughly.
Rinse your piercing with warm water in the shower once daily, then rinse it with saline twice daily.
Gently remove any crust or discharge on your jewelry, and then dry the area with gauze.
Avoid wet kissing and other oral sexual contact while you heal.
Avoid submerging your piercing in lakes, pools, oceans, and the bathtub while your piercing heals.
Do not chew on fingernails, gum, tobacco, pencils, or other foreign objects, as this could introduce bacteria into your mouth.
Learn More: 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:
Eat slowly until you become accustomed to your piercing and the jewelry has been downsized.
Avoid sharing plates, cups, and eating utensils.
Avoid using straws. Straw use can increase the risk of swelling and bleeding until you are used to the piercing and the jewelry is downsized to prevent irritation or prolonged healing.
For the first two weeks, avoid eating spicy, salty, acidic, or hot foods or beverages, though you do not have to avoid specific foods.
Use cold foods and beverages to soothe and reduce swelling.
Avoid opening your mouth too wide when you eat or drink, as this can cause your jewelry to catch on your teeth.
Eat a nutritious diet to help heal and support your ability to fight infection.
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:
Surgical steel
Titanium
Niobium
Solid gold that is 14 to 18 karat (k) nickel-and cadmium-free
Platinum
Glass
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 of bacteria exist 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 developed gingival 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 cause allergic 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.
Dental treatment complications: A medusa piercing can interfere with the proper application of dental treatments by blocking oral anatomy on X-rays.
Infectious diseases: Having your medusa piercing performed with contaminated piercing equipment can lead to a blood-borne disease such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS.
Endocarditis: Endocarditis is 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.
Removal and Reinsertion
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.
This usually occurs about two weeks after your piercing. Since this is performed during the healing process, it is safest to have it done by a professional piercer.
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:
Ensure your piercing site, your hands, the jewelry, and your work area are clean.
Since piercings are often tight, soak your piercing and/or lubricate the jewelry to make removal and insertion easier.
You should not attempt to force or push your jewelry in. Doing this can tear your tissue.
Visit a piercer for assistance if your jewelry doesn’t go in easily.
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.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
