How to Minimize Scarring With Monroe Piercings

Jewelry in the upper lip, resembling a beauty mark, is called a Monroe piercing. Also sometimes referred to as a "Madonna" or "Manson" piercing, Monroe piercings take eight to 10 weeks to heal. When you remove your Monroe jewelry, you will have scar, just as you would with any other facial or body piercing. Several factors during the Monroe piercing procedure and the healing period determine the size of the scar on your face after you abandon the jewelry in your piercing.

Visit a professional piercer to perform your Monroe piercing 2. Professional piercers perform Monroe piercings at a small gauge, usually 16, which leaves a scar that resembles the size of the head of a pin 2. A nonprofessional or novice may pierce your upper lip with a needle and jewelry that is too large for your anatomy, causing a large scar.

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Ask your piercer to show you the jewelry for your Monroe piercing. Appropriate jewelry for a Monroe is long to allow for swelling during the healing period, but the width of the jewelry is thin. Inquire if the piercer uses the same size needle as the jewelry. If the needle is a gauge larger than the jewelry, your skin can encounter issues during healing that could cause more scarring than necessary.

Clean the inside and outside of your Monroe piercing daily with the products recommended by your piercer. Use products such as mild soaps, alcohol-free mouthwashes, saline and sea salts for cleaning your Monroe piercing and jewelry. Avoid harsh products and products containing petroleum jelly on your Monroe piercing to prevent additional scarring caused by burning or irritating your skin.

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Follow the aftercare tip sheet provided by your piercer. Chewing on your jewelry or playing with the stud can cause the skin of the piercing hole to stretch and enlarge, requiring you to replace the thin jewelry with jewelry of a larger gauge. Stretching out the hole will cause a larger scar if you remove the jewelry completely.

Take out your Monroe jewelry when participating in contact sports. Ripping or tearing your Monroe piercing can cause additional scarring. Replace your jewelry with an acrylic retainer during the game or match.

Tips

Resist the urge to touch your Monroe piercing because infection is possible from dirty hands.

Avoid deep kissing and oral sex during the healing period of your Monroe piercing to prevent infection or tearing of the piercing.

Warnings

Removing your Monroe jewelry may cause the piercing hole to close permanently.