Piercings

[JustinSoundxx]

hello,

i am new here, and i was looking into getting some type of lip piercing.
i have been playing flute for 7 plus or minus years and i have always wanted to get a monroe or snake bites, or maybe just one lower lip piercing.

i was wondering if anyone has one of those piercings and if it could or does effect your tone quality at all.

thanks!

-Justin

[pied_piper]

Holes in your lip can't be good for your embouchure. There are lots of muscles and nerve endings around the mouth and piercings could jeopardize the control of those muscles and/or reduce the sensitivity needed for control of the flute. Also, if you wear the piercings while playing, I expect it would alter your lip position. They could also scratch the embouchure plate of your flute.

I'm not opposed to flutists (or anyone else for that matter) having piercings, just choose another body location other than your lips or tongue if you value your flute playing. Consider piercing your ears, eyebrows, nipples, or points south rather than the mouth area.

[kiwiflute]

In the 1970s and 80s it was very common for serious male woodwind players to grow a moustache or even a beard to avoid the risk of damaging their lips while shaving!

So I find it difficult to comprehend why you would consider mutilating a part of your anatomy absolutely crucial to playing a wind instrument. It's not just the damage to delicate muscles and nerves from the piercing, but also the possibility of more extensive damage resulting from complications like bruising and infection.

As in the previous post, I have no problem with piercings as such, but for a woodwind player the lips and tongue are a definite no-no IMHO.

[fluteguy18]

Nope. Don't do it. Here is my list of sure-fire ways to ruin/damage/hinder your flute playing career:

1. Taking poor care of your hands. Heavy lifting, over-practicing, broken bones, pulled muscles and overly strenuous activities involving your hands can damage them.
2. Poor dental hygiene. It's hard [or impossible] to play without any teeth, or with nerve damage from dental work.
3. Smoking/using illegal drugs. It's hard to play if you can't breathe or are high.
4. Piercings around/in the mouth.
5. Doing ANYTHING that could kill you if it were to go awry. This involves skydiving, bungee jumping, lion taming, cheating on your girlfriend/boyfriend, cow tipping, wandering around the highlands of scotland in search of Hogwarts, extreme mountaineering in search of Big Foot... buying a pet anaconda... or tiger...



Okay. Lol. I would definitely pass on this one. Lip piercings would seriously mess up your playing. I am absolutely sure that if you looked elsewhere on your body, there are tons of other places that are begging to have holes poked in them.

Okay! Okay! Lol. With all seriousness, pierce whatever you want. But avoid facial/cranial piercings. They can lead to problems that will affect your playing.

[vampav8trix]

I have had plenty of piercings but not a lip piercing.

I would also suggest not gettting your tongue pierced. It will affect your toungueing and possibly your embouchure.

Think about it for a minute. You need to be able to control your airstream precisely to play the flute. This affects the intonation and tone.

If you have a lip piercing you will have an obstruction in the airstream and it could make the air passing through your embouchure turbulent. This could destroy your tone.

I would not even suggest trying it to see what may happen. It is possible for you to get nerve damage from a piercing.

I definitely would not do that!

I have a nose piercing and I had an eyebrow piercing about 15 years ago.

Decorate the rest of your body and enjoy being wild.

I did.

[JustinSoundxx]

thanks everyone!
i think i wont be getting a lip piercing then.
=[
i really wanted a monroe!
haha.
thanks, for all the helpful replies!


-Justin

[aanyel]

I have 3 lip piercings can play the flute fine, however:

- I need to have the jewelry out when I'm playing, it's impossible to play otherwise.
- You will probably heal up with the jewelry out. I'm one of the minority who can keep piercings jewelry out for long periods of time.
- You wont be able to play when healing. As you can't take the jewelry out. And you will heal up instantly then.

Overall i wouldn't recommand it, taking any break for a couple of months is bad for your embroucure, as your muscles will weaken. Get other body parts pierced!

[vampav8trix]

Well you are lucky that you don't have any nerve damage.

By the way. Once a piercing is healed, the hole is permanant. I didn't wear my piercings for 15 years and then went back and put jewelry back in. The holes just shrink over time, but they are still there.

[aanyel]

Well you are lucky that you don't have any nerve damage.

By the way. Once a piercing is healed, the hole is permanant. I didn't wear my piercings for 15 years and then went back and put jewelry back in. The holes just shrink over time, but they are still there.

On nerve damage, your'll have to be VERY unlucky and have a piercer to not know what he's doing.

Secondly, your one of those people who never heal. Most people lobe piercings don't, but other areas tend to. My sister took out her 3 year old snakebites for a job interview and they healed over in 20 minutes.

Like I said, I would not advice a flautist to do it. I did mine in a 'break', which lasted for around 3 years while I had university studying psychology. I've been playing again now for a couple of months, and now my muscles have built up again, I can play like I used to

[theflutisteternity]

you do run risks of hitting a nerve. I have many piercings, no lip piercings, and only my nose is pierced for a facial piercing.

But i have taught many highschool students with lip piercings, and the only problem i noticed was scratches on their lip plate.

Also plastic retainers are available to wear in your piercing once your mouth is healed, About two maybe three weeks to fully heal.

[tearsnsorrow]

I have been playing the flute for nearly 8 years, and in March I got a labret piercing on the left side of my lip, it only affected my playing for maybe a week, and that was only while the piercing was swollen and healing. I plan on getting a second one done in the near future. I also don't have to take the piercing out to play as long as it is a stud or hoop. I hope this helps you guys out. I'm also considering getting my tongue pierced, cause I figure if it doesn't work out I can just take it out and let it heal.

[fluteguy18]

I'm also considering getting my tongue pierced, cause I figure if it doesn't work out I can just take it out and let it heal.

Not if they hit a nerve. If they hit or sever a nerve, it won't come back. I had some dental work done a while back and they hit a nerve with the needle. I warned them that I was a flutist. I was livid (and gave them a piece of my mind....), but after some work on my embouchure, I worked around it. I was lucky. It was only some slight weakness on one side of my face (by comparison to the other).

If they damage a nerve, you might not be able to play anymore.

[numptie]

i am new here, and i was looking into getting some type of lip piercing.

What's wrong with clip ons?

Clearly I'm not into self-mutilation

Are looks more important than sounds?

[Vampiressrory]

My Monroe hasn't caused any problems with my playing. However it is higher up than some. Its closer to where Marilyn Monroe's actual beauty mark was. The Madonnas are placed much closer to the upper lip.

[jseligmann]

Don't do it.
If you really are serious about playing the flute and are driven to pierce your skin, pierce somewhere else.