When it comes to lip piercings, you may have come across the terms “embedded” and “nested” lip piercings. One is good! And the other, not so much. In this post, we’ll break down the differences and what they mean for your piercing.

What is a nested piercing?

Nesting is a unique phenomenon that occurs only in oral piercings. It is also a healthy and natural outcome where a pocket is formed in the lip tissue surrounding the jewelry backing. 

Over time, your body forms a snug fit around the jewelry, allowing the flat back or post to sit comfortably within the lip tissue without irritation. This nesting process protects the piercing and can indicate proper healing.In fact, a nested lip piercing can help prevent some of the adverse effects that can occur from an oral piercing (gum recession, cracked teeth, and eroded gum enamel). The pocket protects the jewelry from contacting your teeth or gums.

As long as your lip piercing isn’t causing discomfort, pain, or the tissue surrounding the piercing looks red or irritated, a nested lip piercing is safe!

Signs of a Healthy Nested Piercing:

- Jewelry sits securely and comfortably in place.

- No signs of redness, swelling, or pain.

- Jewelry can easily pop in and out of the pocket. 

What is an embedded piercing?

An embedded piercing occurs when the jewelry becomes partially or fully covered by the surrounding skin or tissue. Unlike nesting, this is not a positive outcome – it signals a problem in the healing phase, usually caused by jewelry that is too small. 

Because oral piercings can swell so much during the initial healing process, it is super important to be fit with jewelry that is big enough to accommodate for this. 

Causes of Embedding:

- Swelling that exceeds the jewelry length.

- Inadequate or incorrectly sized initial jewelry. 

- Pressure on the piercing from swelling or external trauma.

Signs of an Embedded Piercing:

- The backing or posts sinks into the lip tissue.

- Increased pain, redness, or swelling beyond normal healing.

- Difficulty moving or seeing parts of the jewelry. 

What to do if your Piercing is Embedded:

Consult a professional and reputable piercer immediately! They most likely will replace the jewelry with a longer bar and/or address any irritation to prevent further complications. Ignoring embedding can lead to infections, improper healing, or complete jewelry embedding (which may require surgical removal).