Why You Should Always Be Extra Careful With That New Facial Piercing

Here's why you should always be extra careful with your new face piercing.

Haley Ormand, a 22-year-old nanny living in Denton, Texas, got a "Monroe piercing" at a local tattoo parlor on Nov. 15. Four weeks later, her lips had swelled to twice their original size.

"I just tried cleaning it with warm salt water and it obviously didn't work," Ormand told The Huffington Post in a Facebook message. "I literally went to bed and woke up Tuesday and it was like this, swelled up beyond belief over night!"

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The photo of her swollen lips went viral on social news site Reddit on Wednesday. Now, Ormand says she's learned her lesson. "It's very painful, needless to say that will be my last facial piercing ever! Lol," she told HuffPost.

Anyone getting a Monroe piercing should clean it regularly (but not too much, since you could irritate the wound), use mouthwash after meals and sleep with clean sheets. Touching the new piercing should also be avoided, as should swimming, taking baths and consuming drugs, alcohol or spicy foods.

(Hat tip, Reddit)