When you hear this term, you immediately think of birds or rodents. Maybe even sitting at home in a pillow fort after a long work week. So why are we bringing it up? Well… It’s actually a very common thing in the piercing industry.
Nesting is a term given to a phenomenon that can happen and more than likely will happen with lip piercings. The back of a labret can sink into the soft tissue and create a “nest” Basically this is a healed pocket created by your skin where the jewelry can rest comfortably.
You see this a lot with people who have braces. Typically, the brackets will leave imprints on their lips.
Is this safe?
Absolutely. So long as there is no pain or discomfort. The jewelry should still move in and out of the pocket with ease. It’s common to encourage this process with different lengths and styles of jewelry. If your piercing is resting in a nest, it drastically reduces the risk of damage to your teeth and gums. Quite often this happens over time without the client even noticing.
What If my skin grows over the backing?
This is absolutely a valid concern!!! With a brand-new piercing or a piercing still going through the healing process you want to make sure that the piercing is actually nesting. Not embedding. If it’s red, swollen, painful, raw or irritated, that’s likely a problem and it’s embedding. This could be due to incorrect jewelry length or sometimes placement and even improper aftercare. You’ll want to see your piercer for assistance. Nesting happens with healthy tissue. There should be no secretions (excluding saliva) or bleeding. If you are having a hard time telling the difference it’s best to see your piercer to ensure the longevity of your piercing.
Cleanliness!
This is often over looked. After your piercings are healed typically people will just leave them alone. Even with good quality jewelry plaque can still build up on your jewelry. If you have a healed lip piercing, it’s recommended to still include it in your daily routine when you brush your teeth. You can gently push the back of the jewelry out of its pocket and give it a soft scrub with your tooth brush. A Waterpik can also be an excellent way to remove any stubborn plaque or build up in that area!
Captives, seamless rings and circular barbells.
These styles of jewelry will often leave an indent in your lip over time, if they are used in a fresh piercing (which we do not recommend), that indent will happen almost immediately and more than likely be very painful. The indent left in a healed piercing is perfectly normal and will happen over time. As long as it’s not painful there’s really no reason to be concerned.
Will this happen to my other piercings?
The simple answer is no. You may notice your other piercings leaving little indents or marks, sure. But the pocket that forms is something unique to oral piercings. Your mouth moves more than any other part of your body throughout the day. Eating, talking, drinking etc. The unique soft tissue of the mouth allows for this phenomenon.
This process can be scary if you are new to piercing or haven’t experienced it before, but we assure you it is perfectly normal. It’s actually a good thing long term because of how much it reduces the risk of damage and irritation to your teeth and gums!!