As one of the few lip piercings to actually appear on the lip itself, the Ashley piercing offers an alluring look that pairs fantastically with lipstick that pops. It’s a piercing for those who have gorgeous lips and know it.

Although it is similar to the vertical labret piercing—in fact, the technical term for the Ashely piercing is the inverse vertical labret piercing—the exit puncture appears inside the mouth rather than below the lip, offering a single-pierced look. Decorated with a simple bead, gemstone, or charm, the Ashley piercing offers a minimalistic look that’s out of the ordinary, promising plenty of positive attention.

But, the Ashley piercing is also located in an area that sees a lot of movement. Its proximity to the mouth also means that it’s exposed to more bacteria than other piercing types. Because of this, you’ll need to conduct extra care during the healing process. Here’s what you need to know.

How Much Does The Ashley Piercing Hurt?

In spite of its location on the sensitive lip, the Ashley piercing is relatively easy in terms of pain. Most report mid-level discomfort that goes away quickly. While much of the discomfort you feel will be up to your individual pain tolerance, a reputable piercer will be able to guide you through breathing exercises and conduct the piercing smoothly and quickly, resulting in less pain. Therefore, it’s important to do your research and find a reputable piercer for your Ashley piercing.

Post-piercing, you’ll likely experience some throbbing and swelling. This is completely natural. Your piercer will fit you with a longer starter jewelry piece in order to accommodate the swelling. During the first few days, be sure to keep an eye on your Ashley piercing jewelry to ensure that the ends of the jewelry don’t press against the piercing. If this happens, you’ll need to visit your piercer to switch your jewelry to a larger piece.

Once swelling has gone down after a few days, you should switch to a smaller jewelry piece that sits more flush to your lip. This will help keep the jewelry away from your teeth so that you don’t accidentally chomp on it while eating.

Ashley Piercing Healing Process

Typically, the Ashley piercing heals in 3 to 4 months, but it could take longer depending on your care and your body’s ability to heal. Piercings also appear fully healed before they are, so you should have a piercer take a look and confirm that healing is complete before stopping aftercare practices.

Ashley Piercing Aftercare Rules

The unique location of the Ashley piercing means that you need to be extra attentive with your piercing aftercare practices. As with all new piercings, you should limit touching or moving the new jewelry to avoid trauma to the surrounding skin. However, since the piercing is located directly on the lips, following this rule can be especially difficult.

Be very mindful of the new jewelry, especially in the first few weeks of healing. Breaking your teeth on your jewelry, trauma that causes unsightly scarring, and jewelry rejection are all risks associated with this piercing type, so this is one piercing that shouldn’t see lazy aftercare practices.

Here are some Ashley-specific aftercare tips to help you through healing:

Don’t play with the jewelry. Because of its location in the middle of your lip, this will be incredibly difficult to follow, especially if you’re the type to chew on your lip as a nervous habit. However, playing with your jewelry before the piercing has healed could lead to complications like hypertrophic scarring or stretched puncture holes.

Keep a toothbrush around for regular use. With any piercing that has an exit hole inside the mouth, oral hygiene is a must. Since the Ashley piercing appears on the lips, you have to be careful about both the front and the back of your piercing while you eat. It’s a good idea to carry around a toothbrush and toothpaste so that you can quickly clean your mouth between meals, even on-the-go, to avoid infection.

Watch for jewelry that’s too tight. Embedded jewelry is a risk for all piercings, but since the Ashley piercing tends to swell more than others, you’ll need to keep a close eye. If you suspect that your jewelry is too tight, talk to your jeweler immediately, and they’ll decide if you need a larger piece.

Protect your teeth. Biting on new jewelry poses an issue, but you also need to keep an eye on any damage to the teeth from the back of your jewelry rubbing against your teeth as you talk or chew. Once you can move to a smaller stud, it will hopefully lessen the wear against your teeth, but some contact is likely to happen. Throughout the life of your piercing, you need to pay attention to enamel wear, chipping, or receding gum lines.

No lipstick. One of the most alluring aspects of this piercing is that it creates an amazing look when you pair the right jewelry with bold lip tones. However, you need to wait until your piercing has fully healed before you introduce foreign substances, like lipstick, to the pierced area. Keep in mind that the inside of a piercing takes longer to heal than the outside, so it’s always a good idea to check with your piercer before bringing out the lip colors.

Watch what you eat. In the first few days after getting pierced, it’s a good idea to stick to soft foods as you get used to the new jewelry. This will reduce the risk of accidentally biting on the new jewelry piece. Throughout healing, you should avoid acidic or spicy foods. Besides being incredibly painful for the piercing, it will also irritate the delicate healing skin possibly leading to a scar or piercing bumps.

Don’t use mouthwash with alcohol. Like spicy or acidic food, this will be painful and will irritate the piercing. Instead, use alcohol-free mouthwash or rinse your mouth with a saline solution. 

Ashley Piercing Jewelry Styles

You can only wear flat-back lip piercing jewelry in the Ashley piercing. The flat back is extremely important so that the jewelry is less likely to rub against your gums and teeth and cause issues. While the jewelry styles are limited, you can get creative with different jewelry ends, opting for sleek and simple or opulent and extravagant. 

Choose larger gemstones for a look that refuses to be ignored, or try daintier labret stud ends for a cute and minimalist aesthetic. You can opt for a simple 14k gold ball, or choose cute charms, gemstones like diamonds or opals, or even tiny pearls. The bezel setting is particularly great for this piercing because it allows you to show off a sparkly gemstone with a smooth and comfortable setting type.

The minimalistic look of this piercing also makes it a popular choice to pair with other lip piercings or a septum or nostril piercing.

Why Shouldn’t I Get An Ashley Piercing?

As stated previously, the Ashley piercing needs to be left alone during healing. If you’re one to play with your lips, then you might want to consider a Monroe piercing or another lip piercing that’s out of the way.

Even with a flat disc back, your labret stud will rub against your teeth. If you have oral issues or weak enamel, then you should opt for a piercing that’s nicer on your teeth. The vertical labret piercing is a great alternative.

How Much Does The Ashley Piercing Cost?

You can expect to pay anywhere between $30 and $85 for the Ashley piercing. You should always choose a reputable piercer, especially with a piercing like the Ashley piercing that requires precise placement. Never shirk on cost when it comes to piercing your body. Choose an established piercer that you trust.