Monroe Piercing

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The Monroe piercing Ref: Monroe
A Monroe piercing is a piercing placed off-centre in the upper lip, meant to resemble a beauty spot; it is also known as a 'Madonna' or 'Crawford'. The three variations of the name for the piercing bear their names from famous female icons: Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, and Cindy Crawford. The names vary depending on which side of the mouth you get 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'.

This piercing is usually done with a 1.6mm(14g) labret (chin) or 1.2mm(16g) labret (chin) ( stud, which is then shortened after healing. The labrets used often have a metal ball or a jewel. It's a piercing that has a more 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. Celebrities with the Monroe piercing include Travis McCoy, of Gym Class Heroes, Amy Winehouse, Ashley Massaro, Christine Dolce aka ForBiddeN and Mutya Buena of former Sugababes fame. In the past decade, the Monroe piercing has become associated with the mainstream, due to acts such as Amy Winehouse.

One good thing about Monroe piercings is that they generally heal 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 6 weeks or less. Also, because the mouth contains enzymes that can kill bacteria, the chances of getting an infection are less.

However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t any risks involved.

Typical piercing problems still apply: -

Infection: it can still happen, especially if the site is not kept clean whilst healing (the exposure and subsequent breakdown of food/organic substances being the main cause of infection)

Blisters and swelling: can be diminished by keeping the area clean and using ice to numb the site.

Extended healing time: smoking or drinking during the healing period can irritate the piercing and delay healing

However, a frequent problem with this particular piercing usually happens a couple of years after the initial piercing...

Damage to the gums and teeth: if you choose to wear a metal labret-stud the back disc can rub against your teeth and gums whenever you eat, speak or move your lips, causing gum recession and/or surface damage to the teeth. One way around this is to wear a plastic labret-stud, such as BioFlex, which still allow you to attach jewels and other items to the front.

Many say the monroe/madonna is a relatively painless piercing process compared to other piercings (for instance cartillage piercings) as this area of the face is quite soft. The nerve which runs above the top lip is called the Quadratus labii superioris and the chances of this nerve being 'hit' by a needle are relatively small as it runs quite close to the lip itself, although obviously it can happen, particularly if you choose to have a 'Crawford'.

Basically, the amount of pain experienced during the piercing process differs from person to person and depends on the specific location of the piercing.

The condition of the skin-surface will determine how much force has to be applied to push the needle through. For instance, men may feel slightly more pain as their upper lip is rougher than that of the average woman's due to shaving/razor friction.

Those with thicker lips or well-exercised facial muscles will have more flesh or more solid muscle to pierce through and therefore may suffer more pain than others. For instance, the orbicularis oris is the muscle around the mouth, it is also one of the muscles used in the playing of all brass instruments and some woodwind instruments, as a result former/current players of these instruments tend to have a larger muscle around the mouth and consequently may experience more discomfort during the monroe or madonna piercing process.

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Monroe Piercing