Everything You Need to Know Before Getting Snake Bite Piercings

While they are more popularly known by their slang name, snake bites piercing, two piercings on the outer edges of the bottom lip are also known simply as paired labret piercings. These piercings got their slang name because their placement mimics where snake fangs would be or the look of a snake bite.

If you’re thinking of getting snake bites, it’s important to know what to expect from the piercing and healing process before you journey to your favorite piercing place. That’s why we’ve put together this complete guide to help you make the most informed decisions.

The Piercing Process

Placement

Because the snake bites piercing involves a pair of lower lip piercings, precise placement, and symmetry is extremely important. Once the piercer takes you to perform the piercing, they will first mark where the piercings will go. This can take some time and require multiple markings to ensure the piercer gets as close to perfect symmetry as possible.

A traditional labret is usually placed at the midline of the lower bottom lip, just under the vermillion border where the lip meets your skin. A snake bites piercing consists of two paired non-midline labrets, one on each side of the lower lip.

Because each person’s face has different features and nobody’s face is 100% symmetrical, your piercer will mark where they think it makes the most symmetrical sense for your entire face. This typically includes marking where the midline of your lower lip is and then marking the two spots for the actual piercings to go.

Some piercers will even start by piercing one side of the lip and ensuring there’s one good piercing to start with, then go about matching it and creating symmetry on the other side. Either way, there will be plenty of opportunity to look in a mirror and approve of the markings before your piercer goes through with the piercing.

In addition to symmetry, your piercer will ensure that the placement doesn’t interfere with your teeth and gums, ensuring that your snake bites piercing will do as minimal damage to your oral health as possible. To do this, they will make sure the angle of the piercing is as natural as possible. Therefore, if you plan to switch between studs and rings after you’ve fully healed the piercings, it’s important to bring it up to your piercer before they mark you, as this will affect the angle of the piercings and the distance from your vermillion border.

Initial Jewelry

One other thing that will occur before you’re even taken back for the piercing process is picking the initial jewelry for your piercings. While you can technically wear rings as initial jewelry, it’s not recommended for several reasons, including:

• To get pierced with rings as your initial jewelry, they will need to be larger in diameter to accommodate any swelling that occurs as part of the initial piercing.
• Rings can cause migration and irritation issues for healing piercings because they need to be so large to accommodate any swelling.

Therefore, it’s best to start with labret studs as your initial jewelry. When choosing initial jewelry, it’s best to choose a body-safe, Association of Professional Piercers (APP) approved material. This means you should stick with implant-grade titanium, implant-grade steel, or 14-karat gold.

It’s also important to know that the initial jewelry you select will be longer to accommodate any swelling that occurs.

Getting Pierced

Different piercers will perform this piercing in different ways, it all depends on how your piercer learned and what they’re comfortable with. Some piercers will use forceps on either the inside or outside of your lip while others will do the paired lip piercings freehand.

Aftercare and Healing

The next few days after your initial piercings, you can expect your bottom lip to swell quite a bit. Fortunately, because you have two new piercings at each side of your mouth, the swelling will be pretty symmetrical compared to a single labret piercing.

When you have the longer jewelry in before you downsize, you’ll want to make sure to eat a bit slower than normal. This is to help you avoid biting down and accidentally chewing on your jewelry, which could cause you to chip your teeth.

Additionally, after a fresh lip piercing of any kind, you’ll want to avoid eating spicy foods. The spice can irritate your piercing and cause it to swell and sting. You should also avoid super salty foods or drinks with a salt rim. Since your new piercings are essentially healing wounds, the salt can irritate them and increase swelling as well.

Fortunately, the mouth is an area on the body that heals quickly due to the blood supply in the area and your saliva defending against bacteria.

For proper aftercare, it is recommended to follow these steps for about 8 to 12 weeks:

• Do not touch your piercings unless you have to. If you do need to touch your piercings for whatever reason, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before doing so.
• Apply a pre-made saline solution to the piercing twice daily. NeilMed or H2Ocean offer spray bottles of saline solutions that you can easily purchase for aftercare. Spray the piercings and gently wash away any crusties that may have formed on the jewelry.
• Brush your teeth and clean your mouth after eating and drinking. Use alcohol-free mouthwash while your snake bites are still healing.
• Avoid alcohol and cigarettes, as these can irritate the piercing and prolong the healing process. Avoid public bodies of water, such as pools, hot tubs, or even the beach, as these places can introduce bacteria and cause infections.
• Avoid sharing straws and cigarettes or even kissing during the first few weeks after you got pierced to avoid introducing other bacteria to the healing fistulas.

FAQ

How much does the snake bites piercing hurt?

Each person has a different pain tolerance, so how much the snake bites piercing hurts will depend on your specific pain tolerance. That being said, people generally report that this piercing doesn’t hurt too badly. Because you’re getting two separate piercings at once, it will hurt more than getting a singular labret piercing.

How much does the snake bites piercing cost?

Each piercer and piercing studio will have a different rate, so it’s hard to predict an exact cost. That being said, the price of the piercing typically includes a needle fee/service fee + the cost of the jewelry you pick. On average you can expect to pay anywhere from $60 and up.

How long does the snake bites piercing take to heal?

Each person’s body will heal at different times. On average snake bites take between six to eight weeks to fully heal. However, at around the two- or three-week mark, the swelling should dissipate enough to where you can downsize the jewelry for a more comfortable fit. You will need to downsize again once the piercings have fully healed.

What’s the difference between Snake Bites and Angel Bites?

Snake bites and angel bites are similar in that they are slang names for paired lip piercings with one on each side of the lip. The difference between the two is that snake bites are on the bottom lip and angel bites are on the upper lip.