A Canadian saved the day back in the 1990s when he named this type of piercing the Medusa piercing. Since it’s kind of complicated to remember its medical denomination, namely the philtrum piercing, I am thankful he was inspired. You can refer to it as an upper lip piercing, but this doesn’t narrow down its exact location. The first person who got one was actually a guy; the same guy who named it. His name is Kerrick and the piercer who accepted the challenge is called Tom Brazda. What’s atypical about this aspect is that nowadays you’ll see more girls sporting a Medusa piercing than dudes.
On a deeper insight, girls like to emphasize their lips by using lipstick and lip gloss. They can add a labret stud in the middle of the upper lip in order to attract attention on that area of their faces. If you are a girl and thinking of piercing your lip, you should also know that this is both a body and an oral piercing, meaning that you’ll have to care for it trying to maintain good hygiene on both sides, differently. There is a plethora of things you should avoid for 3 to 4 months until the hole heals, such as not eating spicy, not putting on makeup around the piercing, not smoking or drinking.
The Medusa piercing is perfectly aligned with your septum, so it will make your face appear longer and even oval. This is an advantage to most girls who are obsessed with contouring. However, guys may benefit from this positioning as well. Overall, getting pierced is really cool and it makes both guys and girls stand out of the crowd. If you can get over 30 seconds of medium pain and care for it properly, you can enjoy it for a long time.
1. A bead that stands out
Probably because this is a black and white picture, the bead on this girl’s lip stands out almost as much as her glasses. This is a great thing, since both are considered accessories.
2. Circle opalite on the upper lip
If this won’t be your first piercing, then you probably know how many jewelry you can chose from. The variety is simply overwhelming, which is also great because you can express your personality without compromising.
3. Simple labret stud for lip
This is probably how the standard jewel will look like. This type is recommended because it’s made of all the right materials and it is fitted to your lip. In other words, by opting for it, you avoid infection and migration. Both are undesirable events that will leave you scars.
4. Matching septum and lip piercing
If you have any other face piercings, then you can match them with your Medusa piercing. In terms of jewelry, you’ll find same-sized beads and other ideal combination for your desired look.
5. Avoid makeup until it heals
As you can see, this chick is wearing makeup. I’m not saying you’ll never be able to wear makeup again. It’s just that you have to wait until your hole heals. Otherwise, you’ll clog your pores and the risk of getting an infection will be higher, not to mention the inflammation.
6. The healthy look is best
This chick has a superb healed philtrum piercing. She is the proof that keeping it makeup free will make it look gorgeous. She didn’t totally skip makeup though. Her eyes are pretty defined!
7. Low Medusa piercing
Some people have enough space on their upper lip for 2 piercings. Or, they can simply position one piercing lower or higher than others. This girl went for the second option and it fits her nicely!
8. Blue stud matches face painting
I like this chick’s look. It is very interesting, creative and uncommon. I wonder what’s the face paint for? Butterflies are beautiful and all, but what could be the purpose?
9. Black versus black
Black face piercings are really easy to notice. She combined a circular nose piercing with a labret stud. Do you feel like this combination might work for you as well?
10. High philtrum piercing
Getting a piercing positioned this high on your lip means that you don’t have a septum piercing or you’re not planning to get one soon. This position is ideal when you don’t want your bae to touch your piercing while kissing you.
11. Jeweled labret stud
The jeweled labret stud from this girl’s lip is an inspired choice. This is because she is also wearing a silvery nose ring, which goes nicely together with her philtrum piercing.
12. Just above the lip line
When you want a Medusa piercing, you should think about its exact placement. The whole point of getting your upper lip pierced is to flatter it, so finding the best spot is mandatory. Each person has lips that are shaped differently, so there is no standard placement. This girl, for example, placed her piercing above her lip line and I think it looks amazing! The distance between her nose and her lip is ideal as well!
13. A golden bead for value
Golden accessories have a way of attracting attention more than others. This could be because we consider gold precious and because of its bright color. When you have no other face piercing but the Medusa piercing, you can safely opt for gold without thinking it’s too much.
14. Small beads for maximum discretion
Graceful girls always opt for small jewelry. This blonde girl looks like she adores body modifications of all sorts, but she likes to keep them simple.
15. Decorations for the lip
If you look closely, you’ll see this beautiful girl has an upper lip piercing and a lower lip piercing. The one below can’t be seen as well as the philtrum piercing. I would choose the latter if I had to.
16. A discreet face piercing
The Medusa piercing can make a discreet face piercing if the size of the bead isn’t too big. She is not necessarily into discreet body modifications since she has her earlobe stretched, but she looks nice anyhow.
17. Like a septum piercing’s bead
This babe’s septum jewel doesn’t have a bead, but she does have one in her lip. This is an interesting combination of jewels, don’t you think? They look separate, but they could form one.
18. Alternative with a lip piercing
The Medusa piercing is versatile. I’m saying this because it is suited for alternative people, as well as for regular people. It compliments this chick’s blue hair and cheek piercings, but it is just as good for a princess look if the jewel is chosen properly.
19. Is this Ariel the Mermaid
When I saw this picture I instantly thought of Ariel the Mermaid; the punkish version. Her overall look is amazing and the piercings contribute to it for sure!
20. A very polished look
Although the nose piercings and the lip piercings may look alike, they are in fact different. The only resemblance is in the small beads. She doesn’t have an alternative style, but as I was saying, piercings are for everyone.
21. Crystals, crystals everywhere
The bead of a piercing may accommodate crystals. If you like sparkly looks, then you can find a combination for all your face piercings or just for the philtrum piercing.
22. Medusa versus Jestrum
The piercing located in this girl’s lower lip is called a Jestrum. It can be done in the upper lip as well. A Medusa cannot turn into a Jestrum though because the Jestrum involves piercing through the lip.
23. Symmetrical lip piercings
These 2 symmetrical lip piercings look like they are framing this woman’s lips. It’s an interesting idea if you’re a fan of the symmetry. She will have to change the jewels after her lips heal because they are clearly too long. This could put her teeth in danger.
24. A perfect triangle of piercings
The piercings from this chick’s nose and the one from her lip form an upside down triangle. This is a symbol and it has a deep meaning, but I’m not sure if she was aiming for that or not. Would you create such hidden meanings with your piercings?
25. Two cute piercings
Aren’t these 2 piercings extra cute? Her smile contributes for sure! Healthy piercings look best! A proper hygiene is needed in order to get such wonderful-looking piercings. Cleaning them twice a day with saline water for a period of 3 to 4 months is crucial.
26. A well-placed piercing
A professional piercer will study your face features and he or she will suggest the perfect placement for your Medusa piercing. This person got it all right!
27. Common nose-lip combination
Brave girls will not stop at getting just one piercing. They will often opt for this common nose-lip combination. How does it look to you?
28. A fresh philtrum piercing
As long as the area around the piercing is still red and sore, it means the piercing is fresh. It is supposed to look inflamed. However, it is not supposed to stay like that for more than a few days.
29. An after-piercing picture
After you pierce your lip, you can take pictures every day to see how the healing evolves. In case you notice swelling, pain or even pus, you should seek medical attention. Your lip should look better and better, not worse than during day 1.
30. Tiny piercing for the lip
Acryl studs are usually recommended for hiding a Medusa piercing. However, this chick found a tiny black one that looks like a mole at best. It is so small that I wouldn’t suspect her for actually having one.
31. Symphony of colors and a crystal
This woman’s face looks like nature. More specifically, it looks like fall thanks to her choice in colors. The crystal on her piercing is a bead of light shining through.
32. A pretty colored flower
In case you didn’t believe me when I said the jewels diversity is overwhelming, here’s another example of how diversified they can be. Flowers are romantic and pretty, so they fit her well.
33. Maximized effect with big beads
The bigger, shinier or colored the beads are, the more attention you’ll attract. Her beautiful lips deserve all the attention, so she made inspired choices.
34. Snake Bites and Medusa meet
Why is it that these 2 piercings have reptile names? Why is the human brain associating them with the animal world? I think this is a topic that deserves some thought.
35. Another successful combination
When people wear black is called style, so why not apply that to black piercings?
36. A stretched Medusa piercing
On a more extreme side of piercings, there are stretched piercings. These can be found in lips, cheeks and even nose. She is a piercing enthusiast, so taking it to another level might be inevitable.
37. A wild look
Philtrum piercings tend to represent neat looks, but wild looks may be created too. I think it’s all about each person’s inner spirit that emanates energy. She looks peaceful and untamed.
38. Black and silver
The fact that she’s got black lips and black horseshoe jewelry is not an inspired combination. Or, at least I don’t think so. Her Medusa piercing is cute though.
39. Jewel size should match lip size
Unless you desire a disproportional look, you should always ask yourself is the size of the jewelry you want to buy is right. Full lips like in the picture above need something bigger to compliment them. A tiny bead wouldn’t have been enough in this case.
40. An unwanted scar
Your body may reject jewelry or your jewelry might migrate. These are cases when you will get an unwanted scar. Of course, it will look better in time, but the scarring process tends to last for a long time. On the bright side, you can try again with another piercing when your lip is healed and do your best not to repeat the same mistakes. If your body simply can’t support a piercing, then you can give up. A piercing technician should be able to tell you what went wrong and what you can do to make it all better.
41. Medusa on a redhead
Natural redhead or not, this girl looks very nice with her Medusa piercing on, don’t you think? Her lips are highlighted by her simple bead.
42. Three piercings aligned
This brunette’s philtrum piercing is aligned with her cheek piercings. I think she did a nice job matching the color of the beads and opting for this particular arrangement.
43. Up close image of a Jestrum piercing
The Jestrum piercing is a two-point piercing that shows both ends. It goes through the upper lip, making this type of jewel easy to wear. I’m not sure how exactly you can avoid it sticking in your fork, but I’m sure there’s a way. Aesthetically speaking, this type of piercing is intriguing.
44. Medusa with freckles
There is no ideal skin for this both oral and body piercing. The healing mechanisms of your body, as well as your hygiene are the most important factors.
45. Exquisite with a lip piercing
An upper lip piercing allows you to create different looks. Depending on your mood, you can go for an exquisite touch or a beachy air. Black is an elegant color, so you can never go wrong with it.
46. A romantic look
Not every person from these pictures is a model, so you can relate to them. Selfies are a great way of showing off your piercings and your other cool stuff, such as this girl’s hat.
47. A perfect lip triangle
Triangles are geometrical shapes that we consider perfect because we learn about them in school and see them all around us. That’s why, some people recreate geometrical shapes with piercings or in tattoo.
48. Welcome to the wild side
There is something about this girl’s look that makes me think of wilderness and rebellion in the good way. She is also sporting a lip triangle that flatters her impeccable face.
49. Nose, lips and cheeks
Getting pierced may become addictive; in the good way! This chick found a very cool combination of piercing types of her nose, lip and cheeks.
50. Green hair; black bead
Matching your makeup with your outfit and jewelry is enough trouble to go through, but when you have green hair, you should also take it in consideration. For example, this babe chose a black bead that matches her look as a whole.
51. A more natural look
People with piercings aren’t pretentious at all. If you decide to decorate your body with jewelry that goes through your skin, then this doesn’t mean that you also like pompous clothes or makeup.
52. A set of cool piercings
Sporting a set of cool piercings, including a Medusa piercing, this girl is also showing off her awesome tattoos.
53. Cuteness has piercings
Well, no, not really, but look at how cute this girl is!
54. Small piercings and au naturel
Small piercings go hand in hand with natural looks.
55. Au naturel reloaded
Small jewelry may be decorated with crystals or other different types of stones as well.
56. Red lips and Medusa’s touch
No one explained why the Canadian model named the philtrum piercing, the Medusa piercing. However, it’s a cool denomination that can be used in different contexts. This type of Medusa will not turn you into stone if you look in its eyes. Oh, wait! It doesn’t have eyes because it is not a mythological creature. It is, however, a mystical type of piercing.
57. Emo looking girls like it too
So far, we’ve seen lots of styles that go together with the philtrum piercing. This is an example of an emo girl that looks lovely sporting a small bead in her upper lip.
58. Sporty look and a Medusa
When you’re aiming for a sporty look and a hardcore attitude, you can opt for a slightly bigger bead to mount on your upper lip. This chick right here is a very good example in this regard.
59. Emotion and a piercing
Not taking the piercing into account, this picture is actually very artistic. It has captured a human emotion that is hard to look at. Those are not tears of joy, that’s for sure.
60. Sexy, nerdy look
Those big glasses and the Medusa are very trendy right now. This girl likes to keep up with that’s hot and what’s not. That’s totally fine and I’m sure many appreciate her daring look.
61. Frowned beauty wears piercings
Just as facial expressions, piercings are meant to help us express ourselves more. They are a help when we try to make a statement or just change our bodies in order to love ourselves more. Jewelry is not meant to be worn just in your earlobes or other conventional body parts.
62. Two nose piercings and a lip one
Do you remember the triangle I was telling you about earlier? Well, this is basically the same thing, but this is an upside down triangle. We’re looking for perfection in everything, even if we’re not perfectionists.
63. The ultimate Medusa look
The snakes from this girl’s head make her look like the original Medusa. I can’t recommend any movies right now, but I’m sure this is very similar to how Medusa is portrayed in movies. If I remember correctly, the Hercules series might have something to do with it.
64. Philtrum piercing on clean shaven face
Guys might go through more trouble with the Medusa piercing. This is because they might want to shave at some point. It goes without saying that shaving isn’t recommended until the inflammation is gone and the skin starts healing. Even so, it looks gorgeous when healed and clean shaven!
Medusa Piercing PRICE and Aftercare
To avoid infections or misplacement, you should go to a piercing shop to get a Medusa piercing. Save up to $80 for it, including a standard jewel or buy your own and pay between $35 and $45. However, it’s recommended to go for standard jewelry offered by them because it is made of non-allergenic materials and it is chosen to fit your lip perfectly. Also, you’ll need mouthwash that contains no alcohol and saline solution that you should use to clean your piercing on the outside. Happy piercing!
By
