Dahlia Piercing

"Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous" ~ Bill Moyers.

Body piercings have been a maddening craze amongst the youth of today. Apart from the creativity factor that they add to a body, it is the style factor that makes the person stand out amidst the crowd.

They can be done on the tongue, eyebrows, navel, and so on. Piercings on the sides of the lips is what people call dahlia piercing. This is one of the latest styles in facial piercing and is extremely popular among women.

Dahlia piercing is a type of lip piercing; it is similar to Monroe, medusa, and labret piercing. In the Monroe style, the piercing is done on the left or right side of the upper lip giving a feel of a mole; in the medusa style, the piercing is usually in the center of the upper lip; and the labret style is right below the lower lip.

The dahlia style could be done on the upper lip, lower lip, or on the extreme corners of the mouth similar to that of the labret. The piercing could also start from the center of the lower lip and go all the way down through the tissue and end in the upper chin.

Another unique type is horizontal piercing, where the piercing has a horizontal bar etched on the lower lip and it goes all the way through the lip surface that also includes the creases of the mouth. The most famous and common style is getting studs pierced on either or both corners of the lips, making the lips and the smile more prominent.

Dahlia jewelry includes labret studs, captive bead rings, and lip rings which are made of high quality surgical stainless steel or implant grade titanium. The diameter and length of this jewelry are made larger than the actual fit in order to make space for the initial swelling post piercing.

As the piercing is done on the sensitive tissues of the face around the lips, there will be pain. Healing takes around 3-10 weeks. A scar tissue may be present in order to heal the wound. The fistula which happens during piercing (when joining unconnected epithelial tissues) also heals over a period of time.

Aftercare is of utmost importance. There might be some lymph discharge which can be palliated with a saline soak 2-3 times daily. Soaking the wound in saline water heals it faster by softening the blood tissue.

You can also use cotton swabs to clean the jewelry and remove excessive discharge that accumulates. Saline solutions are quite easy to make; all you need is ¼ gray non-iodized sea salt mixed with 1 cup of distilled water. This is also recommended for rinsing the mouth post meals.

Using an alcohol-free mouthwash post meals is advised to remove any dirt and also to keep the piercing clean. During the healing process, anything containing alcohol, iodine, peroxide, tea tree oil, and antiseptic soaps must be avoided as they can aggravate the skin damage and prolong the healing process.

Mild face washes which do not contain any strong soap should be used to clean the face, otherwise it can lead to further swelling and irritation in the area which could lead to an infection.

Dahlia piercings are definitely attractive because of their unique boldness. Teenagers love to get them done as it gives a boost to their morale and also to their personality. However, taking care of the piercing is quite important when they are done on the extra sensitive parts of the body, like the face.