Monroe piercing

Monroe piercing
A Madonna piercing
Nicknames	Crayfish Madonna piercing
Location	Off-center, above top lip, on the right side.
Jewelry	Labret stud
Healing	6–12 weeks

A Monroe piercing

, although Monroe's beauty spot was on her cheek, not her lip. The Madonna piercing is similar but worn on the right-hand side.

This piercing is typically fitted with a 14, 16, or 18 gauge

Health impacts

An advantage of a Monroe piercing is that the lip area generally heals faster than other piercings. The estimated healing time given by professional piercers for this type of lip piercing is between 8–12 weeks,^[citation needed] but many find it heals in 3–6 weeks.^[2]

The Monroe can be a very painful piercing process, as this area of the body contains a large system of nerves. There is a small risk of piercing the superior labial artery, which lies just above the upper lip.

The amount of pain experienced during the piercing process differs from person to person and depends on the specific location of the piercing. Those with thicker lips or well-exercised facial muscles will have more flesh or muscle to pierce,

(the sphincter muscle around the mouth) is used in the playing of brass and woodwind instruments; as a result, players of these instruments tend to have a larger muscle around the mouth and may experience more discomfort during the piercing process.