Rising Stars of Modern Piercing: the Smiley

Location: In the strip of tissue that connects the upper lip to the upper gums, called the lip frenulum.

Alternate Names: Smile, Scrumper, lip frenulum piercing

Piercing: Smileys are performed like most piercings, with a hollow piercing needle, though they may be done with a smaller than average needle in a 16 or even an 18 gauge. Before being pierced, the inside of your mouth will be cleaned, usually with special mouthwash. Due to the difference in shape and size of the upper lip frenulum, a small number of persons will be unable to get this type of piercing.

Aftercare: Because the upper lip frenulum sees a lot of movement, migration is slightly more common than with other oral piercings. To prevent migration, rejection, and infection, oral rinses are recommended several times per day, particularly after consumption of certain foods. It’s also generally helpful to refrain from smoking, overuse of “goopy” lip products, and to take extra care while brushing your teeth.

Jewelry: Since the area that a smiley is pierced through is rather thin, jewelry should be as lightweight as possible. This usually includes horseshoe rings, segment rings or ball captive rings, with as small a diameter as physiologically allowable. Occasionally, a small curved barbell can be worn.

Prevalence: Although women are statistically more likely to be pierced than men, the smiley piercing is entirely unisex, and common primarily among those between the ages of 18 and 29.