Shark Bites Piercing [26 Ideas]: Pain Level, Healing Time, Cost, Experience

While many variations of lip piercings exist, the shark bites piercing is one of the more intense versions. Getting four piercings isn’t for the faint of heart!

Below you’ll find all you need to know about shark bites piercings including price, procedure, pain level and healing time. Aftercare product recommendations & over 20 photos will help you make shark bite piercings all your own.

What is a Shark Bites Piercing?

Shark bites piercings are two pairs of double piercings on either side of the lower lip. These piercings combine the viper and snake bite piercings to emulate the appearance of shark teeth. Shark bites have four punctures total in two symmetrical sets.

Angel bites piercings are a similar lip piercing variation located on the top lip.

Should You Get a Shark Bites Piercing?

Shark bites piercings can seem a bit intimidating because there are four piercings in total. Weigh out the pros & cons below to see if this piercing is right for you:

Pros

Shark bites piercings are great unisex piercings because they highlight the lip area.
Shark bites are a relatively new variation of the lip piercing and ensure your trendsetting status. You can also combine these piercings with septum or medusa piercings for an enhanced look.

Cons

Four separate punctures make this piercing more painful. Swelling can also be a concern.
As with any piercing, there are certain infection risks that come with shark bites piercings. Following proper aftercare and consistently cleaning your piercings will ensure these concerns are minimal.

Piercing Procedure

It’s important to find a reputable piercer before getting any piercing. When you arrive at the shop, your piercer will go over the procedure with you and have you fill out some paperwork while they get set up. They’ll call you back when they’re ready and clean your lip beforehand. Four marks will be made with a surgical pen to show where your piercings will be located. Make sure you like where the marks are before moving forward!

Your piercer will then clamp your lip to hold it steady and puncture your lip with a hollow needle. After the puncture is done, the needle will be replaced with jewelry. They’ll need to repeat this procedure four times for complete shark bites. As a last step, your piercer will go over aftercare instructions with you before leaving. Make sure you understand what’s necessary and ask questions if you have them.

The videos below give a real-time perspective of getting shark bite piercings:

How Much do Shark Bites Piercings Hurt?

7 out of 10

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Due to the multiple punctures that are required, shark bites are rated at a 7 out of 10 on the pain scale. It’s normal for your new piercings to be swollen and tender for the first few days. Cold compresses and anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen can help make this experience more tolerable.

You may be able to reduce swelling and pain levels by separating your piercings by a few days. This helps your body to heal the initial punctures in pairs. Talk to your piercer and see what’s right for you.

Read about the most and least painful piercings.

Healing and Aftercare

Shark bites piercings take anywhere from 8 – 12 weeks to fully heal.

Healing time may be shortened by following the aftercare guidelines below:

Always wash your hands thoroughly before touching your piercing.
Maintain good oral hygiene and be extra careful when brushing your teeth.
Change your pillowcase often to avoid piercing contamination.
Clean your piercing inside & out twice per day to avoid complications.

Do not hesitate to contact your piercer or doctor if swelling, sensitivity or bleeding becomes a problem during healing.

How to Clean Your Shark Bites Piercings

To clean the outside of your piercings, prepare a saline solution at home. First, dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in 8 oz of warm water. Soak a clean pad or towel with the saline rinse and hold it on your piercing for a few minutes. This will help loosen any crusted debris that may be present. Wipe these off and make sure to gently clean your jewelry off without moving it.

To clean the inside, swish non-alcoholic mouthwash after eating or drinking. Swishing with mouthwash should be repeated when cleaning the outside of your piercings as well.

Repeat this procedure once in the morning and once at night to ensure your piercing stays clean regularly.

Recommended Aftercare Products

Sea salt

This sea salt mixture is excellent for making your own saline solution at home.

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Piercing aftercare spray

Piercing spray is ideal for anyone on-the-go. Throw it in your bag and clean your piercing anywhere!

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What to Avoid During Healing

Bacteria can come from anywhere, and this is especially important to keep in mind with multiple healing piercings. Avoiding exposure to the following things will make infection less likely:

Smoking or drinking alcohol.
Spicy & acidic foods.
Oral contact with other objects or people.
Swimming in open waters or public swimming pools.
Applying makeup or lipstick to the healing area.
Jewelry removal. Early jewelry removal can cause piercings to completely close.

Risks

Infections and piercing bumps are risks for any body modification. However, thorough aftercare measures described above drastically reduce the chance of infection.
Tooth erosion is a common risk for lip piercings. Constant lip movement can rub on your teeth and cause problems. To avoid this, make sure your jewelry fits you properly. Longer jewelry is often used as initial jewelry to account for swelling, but this can be replaced after healing.
Jewelry rejection. Low quality & plated jewelry can sometimes cause a piercing reaction. Avoid these issues by choosing high quality jewelry made from titanium or surgical steel.

Best Jewelry for Shark Bites

The most common option (especially for healing) are labret studs. Labrets do not move around as much as rings and come in various sizes. After healing, clicker rings, captive bead rings or circular barbells can be used to give more of an aggressive look.