Angel Bite Piercing: The Complete Experience Guide With Meaning (2024)

Angel bites are piercings that go through the upper lip of the mouth and are often looked at as the counterpart to snake bites, which go in a similar location but on the bottom lip. As angel bites do sit on the top lip, they are sometimes considered a bit more “unique” than snake bites, as the bottom lip is often the preferred place for a lip piercing. To learn more about angel bites, including what they are, any dangers associated with them, how much you should expect to pay, healing, and more, keep on reading! I have collected information from my own experience with lip piercings, as well as information from online to help bring to you a cohesive guide to angel bites!

What are Angel Bites?

Angel bites, as I wrote above, are a set of 2 piercings that go through the upper lip. These piercings are placed on opposite sides of the mouth, so that the piercings are far apart from each other, but mirror each other’s placement.

Angel bites are named in contrast snake bites, which is placed identically to angel bites, but on the lower lip. Both angel bites and snake bites are fairly common piercings, though snake bites are seen slightly more often, simply due to them being a somewhat less damaging piercing to your oral health.

Dangers Associated With Angel Bites

With any oral piercing, the main danger comes from the piercing being continually pressed against your teeth, as this leads to an increase in dental issues and receding gum lines. With a piercing on the bottom lip, there is more of a natural gap sitting between the gum line and the piercing which means that certain piercings don’t make as much contact if they are through the bottom lip. Angel piercings, however, are almost always pressed against the gums, no matter what. Because of this, this piercing is not recommended for those who have dental health issues, and if you are unsure, maybe talk to your dentist before going in to get this piercing!

Other than the potential dental issues, this is a fairly safe piercing. There is always some risk to any form of body mod, so this one is basically just as dangerous as any other, plus the dental risk.

What Should I Expect in the Procedure?

Before you even begin the procedure, take a quick look around the piercing studio. Make sure that the environment is clean and that you trust your piercer. The shop where you are getting your piercing should smell like sterilizer and the station where your piercer works should be organized and clutter-free. Piercing and any sort of body modification can be dangerous if not done properly, so it is vital to make sure that you are comfortable in the shop you’ve chosen. Don’t be afraid to ask your piercer any questions you feel necessary before the procedure starts.

The procedure for angel bites isn’t much different than any other piercing appointment. Your piercer will sterilize your lip and mark the spots that you have described where you want your piercings to sit with a sterile marker. Make sure to take a good look at the marks on your lip; if they aren’t in the place you want them to be, now is the time to ask them to be moved! If you’re happy with the placement, it’s time to move on to the piercing itself.

Using some piercing tongs, your piercer will grasp your lip in the premarked spot, and using a sterile, hollow needle, pierce the skin. They will then thread the shaft of the jewelry into your piercing before removing the needle and adding the labret ball. Note that the jewelry placed in right after you get pierced will be longer than usual and might feel quite clunky in your mouth. This is ultimately a fairly quick process and will be over in a matter of seconds.

How Much Do Angel Bites Piercing Cost?

Angel bites are estimated through whatever your local piercing shop advertises their oral piercings as costing. This will be doubled because angel bites are 2 separate piercings. With that in mind, you can expect to pay about

$75-100 in America

£40-80 in England

€50-90 in Europe

This obviously changes depending on how experienced your piercer is and where the shop is located. Because of this, if you aren’t sure, I recommend calling ahead instead of guessing. Also, keep in mind this price doesn’t include the jewelry! That will be an additional cost.

I Have My New Piercing, What Now?

Congrats on your new piercing! Oral Piercings can be difficult piercings to heal though, so now the real work starts. Because the lips are a very quick healing area on your body, you can expect your piercing to be fully healed in 2-4 months, with the majority of the healing happening in the first month. The better you are at aftercare for your piercing, the faster it will heal.

Different piercers will have different instructions depending on who you ask. Each piercer has a healing method that works best for them and their clients, so first and foremost, make sure you talk to your piercer about how to properly care for your piercing. However, usually the procedures to heal cartilage piercings are the same overall.

In order to heal correctly, first, make sure to touch your piercing as little as possible. The more you move and play with it, the longer it will take to heal and the more likely infection will become. If you need to touch your piercing, always make sure to wash your hands with a mild soap first to ensure they are very clean.

You should aim to clean your piercing site twice a day. With the piercing left in, use salt water to soak the area both morning and night to keep the piercing clean. If you see a build-up of grime around the piercing, you can use a cotton swab that has been dipped in the salt solution and gently use the tip to clean around the jewelry to try and clear some of the build-up. Always make sure to use a light hand when doing this and try to not move the jewelry much.

In addition to a soak, you will need to clean your mouth after every time you drink or eat for the first 2 weeks, and every time you eat for the next month, and then in the morning and the evening before bed for the 2^nd month. To do this, get any alcohol free mouth wash and swish it in your mouth for a minute,

Even with proper care, an infection can sometimes be an issue. Keep a close eye on your piercing to see if there is ever excess swelling, pus, or redness. If you are worried about a possible infection, please contact your doctor.

What Jewelry Should I Choose?

For angel bites, labret studs are definitely the most common jewelry worn. When you first get your piercing done, this will be the stud put in, but be aware that the piercing you get pierced with will be very long to accommodate the swelling of the lip after. After 2 months or so, you can change out the swell bar for a more normal-sized lip stud.

Another option is to wear a lip ring instead of a stud. This loops around your lip and goes through the piercing site. Some believe that this form of piercing is ultimately less damaging to your enamel and gums as well. Truly, your choice of jewelry comes simply down to preference. I prefer rings, while many prefer labret studs! And that’s ok!

I hope this guide was helpful to you in helping you understand what angel bites are, and whether they are the right piercing for you. Personally, I am a huge oral piercing fan and would love to one day also add angel bites to my collection! Whether you decide on angel bites, or another piercing, happy piercing, and good luck!

Angel Bite Piercing Images