Inside: 29 reasons to get the fabulous Monroe piercing.
Upper lip piercings. A staple, a classic, and a favorite in the piercing community! There are so many different styles and placements, how can you choose? Truly? I don’t know about you but the Monroe is a personal favorite, due to the actual placement and the namesake itself! Maybe a little biased decision, but how fun is that?
When choosing a new facial piercing, I always lean towards what will look cute or pretty, classy and still a little edgy. The Monroe checks all of these boxes!
By simply being on the upper lip it’s already edgy, the fact that it’s placed in order to simulate a beauty mark gives it the classy Hollywood glamor vibe, and if you wear smaller, cuter jewelry, it’s a cutie little embellishment to add to your face.
I’ve answered several questions you probably have about this piercing, so let’s get into it!
The Difference Between A Madonna And A Monroe
So if you’ve looked at a chart of face piercings or even just started searching for information on this piercing, you’ve probably seen the names of the Madonna and the Monroe go hand in hand.
If you haven’t seen a solid chart of the different styles of face piercings, I’ve got a pretty conclusive one for you here!
This is because they are essentially the same piercing but with different placements. Monroe is on the left and Madonna is on the right side of the one being pierced. Easy.
And I’m sure you can guess why they are named so: since the piercing is meant to simulate the look of a beauty mark, each one is named respectively after the Hollywood star who’s genuine beauty mark is featured on that side of the upper lip.
Pretty fun right?!
Not to mention that the same process was used to name the Labret and Medusa piercings. These are each centered on the bottom and top lip respectively.
This would totally be a deciding factor when choosing which side to get my top lip pierced on! I would love to channel the energy from a star that I admire and respect.
How Much Does It Cost
The cost of your Monroe piercing is always going to vary on a few different factors.
Remember– don’t cheap out on things that matter. Getting a piercer with ample experience and buying quality jewelry truly make the experience better and will make it an easier process.
The factors that vary are: geographical location, shop minimum, and piercer/experience. Some cities are just naturally more expensive than others, and some shops are the same. Pick a reputable shop in your area but remember that major cities tend to have higher prices than the suburbs.
Based on all of these, you’re likely to pay anywhere from $50 to $80. Being a lip piercing, it’s a little bit in the higher range, but doesn’t always get too high since it’s not necessarily a complicated procedure.
How Much Does It Hurt
You’re going to be a little sore, and that may be the worst part of the process for you. You will feel a little sting of course as your lip is being pierced, but for the most part it’s not a particularly painful piercing!
Everyone is different and rates piercing pain levels differently, but this is a generally pretty low-pain piercing.
How To Heal And Not Get Infected
Healing a lip piercing can be a bit precarious since we use our mouths often and they’re moving a lot while eating and talking.
The cleaning process is similar to other piercings, you should be cleaning it twice a day. It’s a little bit more of an involved process with mouth piercings, but it’s not too difficult.
Clean the outside with a Q-Tip and saline, like you would any other piercing. Then you’re going to want to use a non-alcoholic mouthwash to get the inside.
Be sure to rinse with the mouthwash after every meal– ideally you want to clean a piercing twice a day but when you have to think about food and beverages being lodged in your piercing, you’ve got to do a little more than that!
It’s not necessary to lock yourself down on vocal rest to keep your lip piercing from moving around, but definitely be mindful that it will heal faster the less you move it.
What Does The Scar Look Like
Scarring on your lips and cheeks are pretty unavoidable when it comes to piercings. The fleshy areas have more scar tissue in the works and your skin learns to configure around the interrupting object. It’s a pain, but over time it diminishes.
Some things you can do to help keep the scarring from your Monroe to a minimum is to avoid pulling on it, and be super protective of it not getting snagged, especially while it’s still a fresh wound.
Stretching the piercing is where the scars are going to get worse, so anything you can do while it’s still too tender will help the scarring on your upper lip in the long run.
Small Monroe Piercings
These piercings can totally be loud, proud, and in your face, or they can be soft and subtle.
The difference lies in the jewelry that you choose for it! If you choose a small and understated stud, it will be a subtle feature added to your facial features. If you choose a large stud or something bold, it will be an attention grabber and conversation starter.
If you’re on the small and dainty route, here are some small Monroe piercing ideas for you to see how it can work out in a subtle way.
1. Silver Ball
2. Black Stud
3. Subtle Rhinestone
4. Subtle Stud
5. Dainty
6. Little Stud
7. Beauty Mark
8. The Classic
9. Combination
Monroe Jewelry
You can totally show your personality through these piercings, even when they feel so limited.
The Monroe feels like just a stud, but there are so many ways to style a piercing with “just” a stud, you just need to be inspired! So here I am. I am here to inspire you and show you what all you can do with the right piece of jewelry for your face.
If piercings are about self expression, get ready to express who you are to the world!
10. Your Standard
11. Star
12. Match Your Nose
13. Gold Stud
14. Silver Stud
15. Inset
16. Colored Stones
17. Diamond
18. Hearts
Aesthetic Monroe Piercing
Piercings are all about aesthetic choices and decisions we make for ourselves.
The piercings we choose and the way that we style them says a lot about who we are and who we want to portray ourselves as. So check out these aesthetic Monroe piercings to feel out new ways to style it!
19. Heart And Stars
20. Flower
21. Hot Pink
22. Spider
23. Opal
24. Light Pink
25. Peach And Nude Tones
26. Blue Gem
27. Hearts
28. Skull
29. Green Stone
The Monroe is such a fabulous piercing, if you’re considering it, take this as your sign to just do it! You’ll love it.
Lip piercings are always going to be a bold move, so don’t wait for confidence… make it happen. You’re going to love the result. The Monroe has an attitude and personality that might just match your own. Find a piercer you trust with piercing your face and get to it, you might just find that it’s your favorite piercing so far!
If you’re considering your other options or if you just got the Monroe and are curious what other facial piercings are possibilities, you’re in the right place.
I’ve put together the only face piercing chart you need along with descriptions of each. You’ll see the Monroe on here and many more that might be perfect for your next needle adventure!