So I've had my lips pierced for well over a year now (as well as 10 other piercings), but my lips in particular have given me trouble. The left one got infected at one point and it migrated to where it almost looks like an angel kiss now instead of back where it's supposed to be. I refuse to take it out and repierce it, though. :c

Anyways, I've had anywhere from 18g-14g stainless steel captives in them the entire time (changed them out only once) and every once and a while, one of them will become swollen (because I'll accidentally hit it or something). I can't even let my girlfriend bite my lip while we're kissing because it'll make them swell and become very, very painful and the swelling is normally so bad that I can't move the piercing in my lip at all. I got them done with an 18g needle and gauged them up to 14 because the left one was rejecting and I was out of options (tried a bunch of other things before that and the gauging actually worked).

ANYWAYS. I'm getting new captive rings and since my lips have always given me problems, I'm thinking of switching to a different type of ring- namely, acrylic. I'm kind of scared, though. I don't want it to reject because of a new material, but I want to try to find one that will be more comfortable.

So, for you people with experience, is this a bad idea? Should I just stick with stainless steel or should I chance it and switch to acrylic? I've heard acrylic sometimes takes better than metal. :x None of my other piercings have ever given me this problem. ;-; Help?

. You should never use acrylic in a piercing that hasn't fully healed. If it's still giving you trouble, it's not healed. Acrylic is only good for healed piercings for short periods of time. If you can find some good quality glass jewelry that would be a much better option.

from everything i've read about piercings, acrylic isn't good for healing or infected piercings, so stick with stainless steel for now. you can try titanium too. another thing is that CBRs can promote infection more because when they are moved they can drag crusties and such into the hole so you should try a longer labret stud for the mean time. (this happened to one of my ears when i had a CBR in after i got it pierced)

but for the best advice, go to your piercer or a reputable local piercer. (edited because i forgot to ping, whoops :P)

Ohhey, I didn't even think about glass. o: Thanks! I think I'll try to get some because all the glass I've seen look pretty cool, as well. I just don't understand how it isn't healed yet when I've had them for such a long time. . .I take good care of them. It's so frustrating. Ugh. :c

Idk whether it's still infected or not. I can't tell because it's so. . .off and on. Like, one day it'll be sore, swollen, and I won't be able to move the ring, and within a couple days time it'll be absolutely fine and behave like a completely healed piercing. :/ I just don't get it. Ugh. I had labret studs in them for a long time but there was a major problem. The skin on the inside of my lip started to heal over the backing and it literally would not stop no matter what I did so I had no choice but to change it out to horshoe rings only a week or so after I got it pierced (which was probably a bad idea because I gauged up only a day or so later because the skin was snaking up the hoops and healing over that, too. the gauging seemed to stop it, though.) I'm scared if I put a stud in again it'll do the same thing. :c I've been cleaning my captives with saline solution pretty much every day or every other day since I got them. Idk how they're still giving me problems after all this time. .___. So frustrating. . .

. Glass is definitely my favourite material for piercings, it's so nice and smooth! I understand your frustration. I've had my industrial for almost two years and it still flares up from time to time. Good luck!

ouch :x. i'd say to try the studs again except get a longer one. i'd also start cleaning it a couple of times a day and try a "sea salt soak" (here's a basic recipe) with a chamomile tea bag added. but still, i advise to check with a reputable piercer so they can get a good look at it and give you the best solution

i know how you feel with industrial problems, took a whole year for mine to heal EDIT again cause i'm a derp and couldn't remember the link code

Yeah, my industrial gave me so many problems. Took almost 3 years to heal. :c But, it was pierced wrong. I let my friend practice on me (bad decision) and she fucked up. I can't wear anything but straight bars in it because of the angle, too. Haha. I'm glad you reminded me of glass, though. I had completely forgotten about it. c:

Unfortunately, the piercers I've been to have said that the left piercing is going to reject but I'm not taking it out till I'm 110% sure because. . .despite the tattoo's and piercings I have, I'm terrified of needles. Like. . .ridiculously phobic of them to the point at where I had to get therapy over it. Haha. So I know I most likely wouldn't repierce it if I took it out. :c I've only been to three piercers and a few of my friends that are piercers in training, though. Thanks for the link, btw! c: I'll give that a try. I've just kind of been mixing sea salt (at very random amounts) with warm water. .__.;;

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erm, even though you're afraid of needles (that's strange, given you have tattoos AND piercings, haha), it really sounds like you should take the bothersome one out. if more than one professional has said it's going to/is rejecting, why put yourself through the pain and annoyance any longer? i mean, there may be a chance it will heal if you really get on a strict cleaning regimen or change your hardware, but with the contact your mouth goes through on a daily basis, you might just be reinfecting it no matter what, making any treatment you apply pretty much useless. ): "migrating" piercings don't sound too normal, either. owwies.

personally, i stopped using captive rings a few months after i got my labret and since then i had only used horseshoes on special occasions. for whatever reason, even at 16g, the rings always hurt and made the hole swollen after a time. i kept them clean, of course, but it felt like they "chafed" a lot and that the grossness just accumulated easier. otherwise, it was studs all the way. they always seemed to be a little thinner, and even though the backings bothered me at first, i got used to them. you say that gauging up helped, but could it be that it made the site more prone to infection?

Surgical Steel is the best route, so I'm told. I myself have "snake bites". had them for about 2 years now. I had no problems with them except for the healing process which took forever xD If you think a piercing is infected or not healing properly, try using Non-iodized sea salt to clean it or an alternative is to buy Saline spray for wounds or cuts. I've also seen people using a solution in a spray can called "H2Ocean". I guess it's similar to sea salt water :P I also just got my septum pierced about 2 days ago..I've been using sea salt soaks to clean it and also some q-tips. damn thing still hurts a bit when i touch it :/ oh the joy of having a hole through your face :P

It sounds like a horrible idea haha. Steel and glass have the least reactions for body, if the steel is high grade anyway (surgical grade stainless)... and you can't very well have glass for your lips, so there you go. Acrylic is kind of cheap and whack, and also has pores so if it's healing it might be worse. Also, if you have an infection, just leave it alone and don't try to touch it or anything weird, your body will likely heal it itself. I'm guessing your issue is with your grade of metal, I drop 20-30 bucks on mine... after all, it's going in my face. o_o

Another side note, be careful because liprings and tongue rings do pull down your gums and they will NEBAR grow back haha.