Lip Blushing

• Lip blushing can enhance the natural shape and tone of the lips, giving people with thin, pale, or ill-defined lips a look of greater fullness and contour.  It can also temporarily correct asymmetries. 
• The organic tattoo ink creates a your-lips-but-better stain that obviates the need for everyday lip color. (Bonus: no smudging, reapplying, or lipstick on your teeth!) 
• The procedure can create a variety of effects. For instance, an ombre lip blush saturates the outer edges of the lips the most, with a more gradual and transparent color towards the center. “Aquarelle” lips are more saturated in pigment in the center than the outer part.
• By not creating a sharp lip line, the effect is soft and natural-looking. 
• If you dislike the results of lip blushing, it can be covered with regular makeup. The pigments in a lip tattoo can also be removed with a laser treatment over a course of several sessions. 

Next, you and your permanent makeup artist will select a color that complements your skin tone and preference. The artist will mix a custom tint, usually one to two shades darker than your natural lip color. Cooler skin undertones tend to suit blue-based colors better, while warmer tones are enhanced by shades with a yellow base.

The entire procedure lasts between one to three hours. Immediately after, the lips appear significantly more vibrant, although the intensity fades by as much as 50% within the first week as the lips heal. Unlike older permanent dyes, modern natural pigments—often vegan and/or organic—fade gradually and maintain their true tone over several years.

Cons

• Even with topical anesthesia, lip blushing can be painful. Though one client on RealSelf felt comfortable through the entire procedure, another client reported the opposite experience. “I have a pretty high pain tolerance, especially if it’s something I know will pay off in the end. But this hurts,” she says. As a result of the pain, she didn’t think she’d return for a follow-up appointment.
• While there’s no real downtime, tattooed lips can take up to 10 days to heal, so you’ll need to carefully schedule your lip blushing around important events.  

Pre-Treatment Instructions

To prevent bruising, you’ll want to avoid blood thinners like ibuprofen, aspirin, alcohol, fish oil, and vitamin E for 3 days leading up to your appointment.

If you have a history of cold sores caused by the herpes simplex virus, it is recommended that your medical provider prescribe an antiviral medication, like Valtrex or Zovirax, for you to take in the days before and after your procedure.

You may also want to pop a Tylenol (acetaminophen) an hour or so before your appointment, to lessen discomfort.

If you regularly get lip injections, schedule your lip blushing around your lip fillers. Some providers advise against getting lip injections four weeks before and after lip blushing.

How long does lip blushing last?

The resulting tint does not wash off, but lip blushing is only semipermanent. Results typically fade in 2 to 5 years.

The indelible carbon-based inks commonly used in traditional tattoos are rarely if ever used in modern-day lip tattoos, and the needling devices that deliver newer iron oxide–derived pigments don’t delve as deep into the skin. 

Smoking, sun exposure, saltwater, chlorine, and exfoliating skin-care products (like scrubs and alpha hydroxy acids) will fast-track fading. 

Skin type may also play a role: People with oily skin may need more frequent touch-ups, since the excess sebum extracted from the pores around the lips pushes out the pigment.

Ready to for low maintenance, natural-looking lips?