Lip Blush

Lip blush is a form of semi-permanent makeup applied by an aesthetician or permanent makeup artist. Lip blushing is a subtle lip tattoo that uses natural shades of organic pigment to enhance the beauty of your lips.1 The purpose of lip blushing is to:

• Boost your natural lip color
• Improve or correct the shape of your lips
• Add definition to lip borders
• Create the illusion of fullness

While lip fillers actually add volume to your lips, a lip blush tattoo gives the illusion of volume by adding pigment. Lip blushing delivers a natural-looking finish that may elevate your look in a more subtle way than a lip injection.

So what happens in an appointment? First, there’s pout prep. A topical anesthetic is applied to pre-numb the lips for 20 minutes. Afterwards, the technician will draw the shape of the  lips so that you can evaluate and make any changes.

“Generally, I love to make the cupid’s bow a little more pronounced and add fullness to the sides of the lips, as sometimes the natural color is lost in those areas. 

The procedure takes place over the course of 2 to 3 hours if not longer, depending on the look you’re going for. Once the appointment is completed, your lips may be swollen—it is a tattoo, after all—so you can ice them if necessary. Over the next week, your lips will start to heal, meaning they may scab, so it’s important to time this carefully around your schedule.

After your treatment, you may see some of the following changes to your lips:

• Swelling
• Flaking
• Peeling
• Dryness
• Strong pigmentation (a stronger color than you were expecting)

These changes will vary from person to person and will likely go away as your lips heal. If you have any concerns, contact your lip technician.

• Pregnant or nursing
• Diabetic
• Undergoing Chemotherapy (Consult with you doctor)
• Viral infections (diseases)
• Had Botox within a 2 week period of appointment
• Had an organ transplant
• Epilepsy
• Sick with a cold or flu-like virus
• Used Accutane in the past 6 months. 

Cold sores are a risk of lip blush tattoo.  If you have had a cold sore in the past- we advise you to go to the doctor for an anti-viral medication prior to any lip procedure, to help avoid an outbreak.  Even if you have not had a cold sore before- I recommend all of my clients take L-lysine 2 weeks before the appointment and 2 weeks following the appointment to reduce the risk.  

​After your Appointment:

Lips will feel swollen and very dry after your treatment. Apply ointment on lips several times a day. This should be done for at least 14 days post treatment. Do not allow lips to become dry. This may interfere with healed color. During the day if lips feel dry, apply a liberal amount of ointment. Just tap on skin and do not rub in. 
​
Always use a clean Q-tip, not fingers to apply ointment to the lips area. This will reduce the risk of infection. 

After lips are no longer tender to the touch they may become flaky. This is normal and is expected. Please do not pick or scratch at them. This may significantly reduce the amount pigment absorption. Avoid the sun and tanning beds pre and post procedure. Be sure to use a sun block once lips are healed. Do not use any Glycolic, Hydroxy or fruit acid products on lips. Avoid direct water pressure, pools and other bodies of water, until healed. You can resume wearing lipstick once lips are healed. Redness, swelling, tenderness, dryness are all common post treatment side effects and will dissipate in a short period of time. Avoid oily, salty, acidic foods and alcohol while healing. 

Lips are a muscle and may require a touch-up session to complete the process of this procedure. Lips are unpredictable. Some clients will yield very strong healed lip color. Others will only heal with slight color uptake. This will vary on an individual basis. Clients with sun damage, scar tissue (from injury or fever blisters) and clients with implants may not have strong results. Hyperpigmentation can happen on any lip client without warning. If you have a history of Fever Blisters, Cold Sores or Chicken Pox, we advise you to go to the doctor or for an anti-viral medication prior to any lip procedure, to help avoid an outbreak. Follow all before and after instructions after all lip treatments. Lip retouch must be scheduled 30 to 45 days apart from initial season to help with color retention. 

Lips heal in three stages: Too dark - Too light - Just right. This takes one month to happen. Please avoid any friction to lip area.