Monroe Piercing and its aftercare

A Monroe piercing is placed off-centre, above the upper lip and is meant to resemble a beauty spot; it is also known as a 'Madonna' or 'Crawford'. The three name variations of the piercing bear their names from famous female icons: Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, and Cindy Crawford. The name varies depending on which side of the mouth is pierced: if the piercing is on the left side of the face it is a 'Monroe', if it is on the right it is a 'Madonna' and if it is placed very near to the top lip it is a 'Crawford'.

The Monroe piercing has a recent history, unlike others that were popularized in the late 70s and 80s. Seen in the mid/late 90s on the bassist of the band Coal Chamber, Rayna, the Monroe piercing can also be seen on celebrities such Amy Winehouse, Ashley Massaro, Nikki Mariam,Christine Dolce aka ForBiddeN and Mutya Buena of Sugababes fame. Although more favoured by women, this piercing is seen increasingly on men; male celebrities who wear this piercing include Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes And Trace Cyrus of Metro Station.

This piercing is typically fitted with a 12, 16 or 18 gauge labret , the bars of which are usually shortened after healing. A variation on this piercing is the Crayfish piercing - a double version of a Monroe piercing with piercings worn on both sides of the upper lip. When long barbells are worn in this piercing, they look similar to the antennae on a crayfish, hence the name. Most people with a monroe piercing favor a metal ball or a jewel on the outer-end.

The lip can often swell considerably after the piercing and will need both facial and oral aftercare to keep both sides of the jewelery clean at all times. Monroes, like all piercings, are prone to infection and it is vital that the piercing is cleaned regularly. Scaring is minimal to none if properly taken care of.

An advantage of a Monroe piercing is that the lip area generally heals faster than other piercings. The estimated healing time given by professional piercers for this type of lip piercing is between 8-12 weeks but many find it heals in 3-6 weeks.

The monroe is said to be a relatively painless piercing process, compared to others, as this area of the body is soft and contains few nerves. There is a small risk of piercing the inferior labial artery, which lies just above the upper lip.

The amount of pain experienced during the piercing process differs from person to person and depends on the specific location of the piercing. Those with thicker lips or well-exercised facial muscles will have more flesh or muscle to pierce and may suffer more discomfort. Men may experience slightly more pain than women, as repeated shaving can make the skin of the upper lip tougher and harder to pierce. The orbicularis oris (the sphincter muscle around the mouth) is used in the playing of brass and woodwind instruments; as a result, players of these instruments tend to have a larger muscle around the mouth and may experience more discomfort during the piercing process.

Monroe piercings can cause long-term damage to the gums and teeth. The back-disk of metal jewellery worn in this piercing rubs against them, potentially resulting in gum recession or damage to tooth enamel. Plastic labret-studs are available to minimize this problem.