Lip blush typically last between 2-3 years without any touchups. Factors such as your skin type, genetics, lifestyle and proper aftercare practices affect the lifespan of your lip tattoo. Oily skin types, a vitamin D deficiency, frequent exfoliation, sun exposure (especially without SPF protection) and smoking can all cause premature fading. Always apply lip balm with SPF 30 before going outside to keep the pigment vibrant and extend the life of your lip blush tattoo.

Lip blush can give the illusion of fuller lips. It helps define your lip shape, which often makes the lips appear bigger. However, unlike lip fillers, lip blush doesn’t add any material volume to the area. Lip blush is perfect for adding a subtle and naturally fuller look to your lips.

Yes! You will need to wait at least 4 weeks before or after getting lip fillers to get lip blush.

Bring inspiration photos or your favorite product to your appointment. The entire lip blushing session should take 2.5-3 hours, including the consultation, color selection, and permanent makeup procedure.

In the few days leading up to your appointment, routinely exfoliate and hydrate your lips. Use a lip scrub (either store bought or DIY sugar scrub) and a moisturizing balm daily. Having smooth lips when come to your appointment enables the pigment to appear vibrant and distribute evenly. Lip blush also dries out the lips, so removing dry patches and diligently moisturizing your lips reduces complications during the healing process, such as cracked skin, infection or patchy pigmentation. Avoid alcohol for the last 24 hours before your appointment to further prevent skin dehydration. Drink plenty of water to support your skin’s moisture levels. The pigment colour will be its brightest immediately after your session. The color will fade between 30-40% from the initial hue, so don’t be alarmed if your lip colour looks more vibrant than you expected

Lip blush is a more extensive process if you have darker lips. More melanin-rich lips has a darker blue or purple tint, which hinders pigment colour from showing up accurately on your natural lips. Lip Neutralization is used to balance out the skin’s undertones and lighten your lips. Lip neutralization, a form of lip blushing, uses an orange based pigment to even out the undertones, eliminate dark spots and slightly lighten your lip shade. 1-2 additional lip neutralization sessions are needed for the best results. While you can do lip neutralization alone, it is often done as a prerequisite to a normal lip blushing procedure. The healing process for a lip neutralization tattoo is similar to that of a standard lip blush tattoo (around 10-14 days to initially heal and up to 8-10 weeks to fully heal).

The lips are a naturally sensitive area, so a topical numbing cream will be applied to significantly reduce the pain. I typically use Zensa Numbing Cream, which features 5% lidocaine for maximum strength pain relief and does not contain any vasoconstrictors that prevent the ink from properly settling. The numbing cream is left on the lips for about 20 minutes before the procedure begins. With the numbing cream, your treatment should include minimal pain. Many clients describe the lip blush procedure as light scratches or pinches, but everyone’s pain tolerance is different, so don’t be alarmed if you feel a moderate amount of pain at certain moments.

Some minor, normal side effects include:

• Swelling

• Redness

• Dryness

• Minor Bleeding

• Mild Soreness or Pain

Side effects of improper after-care practices after lip blushing include:

• Rash

• Scarring

• Infection

• Itchiness

• Uneven Pigment Distribution

• Excessive Swelling

• Oozing

• Fever or Chills (Seek medical attention immediately)

• Spicy Foods, Hot Beverages, Alcohol (for at least 48 hours)

• Intense Exercise, Kissing, Saunas, Swimming, Sweating or Friction-Causing Activities (for 2 weeks)

• Direct Sun Exposure, Laser Treatments, Chemical Peels, Lip Exfoliators or Cosmetics (for 2 weeks)

The entire healing process takes 4-6 weeks. However, the top layer of skin should finish healing within 7-10 days after your lip blushing treatment. For the first 24 hours, expect the pigment to be incredibly vibrant. Lip blushing creates micro-wounds on the skin, which triggers your body’s inflammatory response. This process leaves lips fairly swollen and produces lymphatic fluid. Around 4-6 hours after your lip blushing session, gently dab this fluid off your lips with a fresh paper towel and lukewarm water. Follow up this step by applying a hydrating ointment (like Aquaphor) or a tattoo lotion.

Wash your lips with water and a fragrance-free cleanser daily for the first 10 days after lip blushing. Complete your after-care routine with your approved moisturizer. Apply a thin layer of your hydrating product as needed for at least 2 weeks.

After 2-3 days into the healing process, the swelling and pigment vibrancy should start to go down. By days 3-4, your lips will begin peeling as the scabs start to fall off to unveil a healthy, healed layer of skin. The peeling stage should last up to around day 6-7. By day 7, the pigment’s vibrancy should diminish by around 30–40% from its initial look. After 10-14 days, your lip blushing tattoo should be healed on the surface level. However, you might see that the pigment color will ‘disappear’ at this stage before your lip tattoo fully heals. As the skin continues to heal, the scabs thicken and temporarily conceal the ink. The color should ‘return’ within 4-6 weeks once the lower layers of skin fully heal. At 6 weeks, you can schedule your touchup appointment.