Tips for Applying Lipstick with an Ashley Piercing

An Ashley piercing (also known as an inverse vertical labret or vermillion piercing) is a bold and eye-catching way to enhance your lower lip, but if you love wearing lipstick, you’ll ned to adjust your routine just a bit. Because this piercing passes directly through the center of the lower lip, it places a single piece of jewelry right where lip products are usually applied.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through the best ways to apply lipstick with an Ashley piercing, whether your piercing is fully healed or still relatively new.

Tip 1: Skip Lipstick Until It’s Fully Healed

As we mentioned in our Ashley piercing healing guide, you cannot put anything on your lips while the piercing is in its healing period. The initial healing period for an Ashley piercing is 12 to 16 weeks, which averages approximately 3 to 4 months. During this time, your lips will be very chapped, as you cannot even apply chapstick to them. Therefore, it is essential to stay well-hydrated and drink plenty of water to help prevent chapping as much as possible.

Why can’t you wear anything during the healing process? Lipsticks and glosses can trap bacteria, clog the healing piercing channel, and slow the recovery process.

Your best bet is to wait until the piercing is fully healed and then resume your makeup routine.

Tip 2: Clean Your Hands, Lips, and Jewelry First

Once your Ashley piercing is fully healed, the first step in any makeup routine should be cleaning the area.

First, wash your hands thoroughly. You always want to wash your hands if you’re going to have them near your piercing to avoid introducing unwanted bacteria into the piercing channel.

Next, use a saline solution or sterile wound wash to remove any residue that might interfere with lipstick application.

Tip 3: Don’t Double Dip or Share Lip Products

You should never share or double-dip lip products if you have an Ashley piercing because doing so dramatically increases the risk of introducing bacteria, viruses, or fungi directly to the piercing site. It’s a problem because:

• Even after healing, your Ashley piercing is a direct passage from the outside of your lip into the inner tissue of your mouth. That makes it especially vulnerable to pathogens from contaminated makeup. Sharing lipsticks, glosses, or lip liners, even once, can introduce saliva-borne bacteria, cold sores (caused by the herpes simplex virus), staph, or fungal spores to the area.
• If you apply lipstick with a brush or applicator that’s touched your mouth or piercing and then put it back into the tube without cleaning it, you contaminate the entire product. Each future use reintroduces bacteria, and over time, this can irritate or infect the piercing, even if it has healed.
• The tissue around your piercing, especially the part that rests inside your mouth, is softer, more vascular, and prone to irritation. It’s more susceptible to infections, allergic reactions, or delayed healing when exposed to foreign microbes or irritants in shared cosmetics.
• Some people assume that once a piercing is healed, the risk of infection is gone. That’s not true. An Ashley piercing can still become inflamed or develop issues if exposed to contaminated makeup, even months or years after the initial piercing.

Keep brushes sanitized, replace old products, and discard anything that smells off, too.

Tip 4: Use Lip Liner to Create a Clean Border

Lip liner becomes especially useful when you have a piercing in the middle of your lower lip. Choose a liner that matches your lipstick, and outline your lips to define the shape. When you reach the area around the piercing, slow down and draw carefully, leaving a tiny gap between the liner and the jewelry.

This technique helps control your lipstick application and keeps color from drifting toward the stud. It also prevents feathering, especially when using bold shades or glossy finishes.

Tip 5: Apply Lipstick with a Brush for Better Precision

Skip applying lipstick directly from the tube. Instead, use a small lip brush for better control and accuracy. A brush allows you to apply color carefully near the piercing without coating the jewelry itself. That being said, if you do end up getting lipstick on your Ashley piercing jewelry, simply wipe it off after you’re finished with your application. It’s okay to get lipstick on the jewelry, so long as you remove it.

Start from the corners of your lips and work inward, using gentle strokes and dabbing motions around the stud. This method provides full color coverage without the mess, making it easier to enjoy your favorite lip shades without compromising your appearance.

It’s worth noting that you shouldn’t move the jewelry out of the way or apply pressure to it to push it aside when applying lipstick, as this can irritate the piercing channel and also eventually change the angle of the piercing if done too often.

Tip 6: Choose the Right Lip Product

The type of lipstick you use matters when you have a lip piercing. Matte and satin finishes tend to stay in place and are less likely to smear onto your jewelry. Liquid lipsticks can also be a good choice, provided they’re not overly drying. Look for formulas that are long-lasting, transfer-resistant, and free from harsh ingredients.

Avoid heavy glosses, oil-based lipsticks, or plumping formulas that contain menthol or cinnamon, as these can migrate into the piercing site and cause irritation. The goal is to choose lip products that won’t move around, transfer onto your jewelry, or dry out your lips too much.

Another thing to avoid is glittery or chunky lip gloss. Even though you’re trying to achieve dramatic shine, it may trap debris and cause unwanted buildup in the piercing channel (fistula).

Tip 7: Set Color to Prevent Transfer

To minimize lipstick transferring onto the stud or fading, blot lightly with a tissue and then dust translucent powder over another tissue layer. This helps lock in the color.

Tip 8: Clean Around the Piercing After Application

Even with the most careful application, a little lipstick might still find its way near the jewelry. Gently wipe around the stud with a cotton swab dampened with saline or warm water. Avoid tugging or pulling on the jewel; instead, gently dab to remove any lipstick residue.

This step helps keep your piercing clean, prevents a clogged piercing channel, and maintains the brightness and freshness of your jewelry, as makeup can dull it over time.

Tip 9: Remove Lipstick Gently and Thoroughly

When it’s time to remove your lipstick at the end of the day, you always want to start with freshly cleaned hands. Unwashed hands can introduce bacteria into the piercing channel, even if it’s fully healed.

Next, you’ll want to use a gentle, fragrance-free makeup remover. Avoid anything with alcohol or menthol in it, as these can irritate the piercing. Instead, opt for a gentle micellar water, fragrance-free cleaning oil, or a mild makeup-removing balm suitable for sensitive areas. These dissolve long-wear lipstick without drying or causing a reaction.

To wipe off the lipstick with the remover, soak a soft cotton swab or clean reusable cloth in the remover. Dab it gently on your lips and hold it in place for a few seconds to allow the lipstick to soften. Then press and blot outward from the piercing, rather than swiping across it, so you don’t drag pigment over the jewelry or irritate the piercing by making it move with unnecessary pressure from your wiping or scrubbing at your lips.

Once you’ve finished removing your lipstick with makeup remover, cleanse the piercing with warm water or a sterile saline solution. It’s best to remove your lipstick at the end of the day so you don’t overclean and irritate your piercing.

Tip 10: Prevent Your Jewelry from Looking Dull

If you’re worried about your jewelry looking dull due to lipstick or lip product residue buildup, you can use a soft-bristle baby toothbrush with warm water to scrub the jewelry. If you have a Waterpik, you can use it on a low setting to wash the jewelry clean of makeup residue that dulls its shine or sparkle.

How to Apply Lipstick with an Ashley Piercing

Your Ashley piercing deserves to be shown off. Yes, you can wear lipstick beautifully with it. Keep it safe with clean hands, precise brushes, hydrating formulas, and gentle cleanup. Respect your piercing’s healing and hygiene needs, and your makeup can enhance your look without compromising your lip’s health.