Lip Tattoo
Considerations about Cold Sores / Herpes Simplex
It is important to note that if you are prone to cold sores (herpes simplex virus), even if just one outbreak in your life, there is a significant chance that undergoing a lip tattoo procedure could trigger an outbreak. 90% of people carry the virus in their body and many do not even know it. The trauma to the skin during the tattooing process often causes the virus to flare up, especially without proper preventative measures. We highly recommend consulting your GP for an anti-viral medication before your appointment to minimize this risk. Failing to take anti-viral medication significantly increases the likelihood of a cold sore outbreak, which can impact both the healing process and the final results of the procedure. Your health and satisfaction are our priority, and taking the right precautions helps ensure the best possible outcome.
1
Sheer/Lip Blush
Lip blushing is a form of semi-permanent cosmetic tattooing designed to enhance the natural color and shape of your lips, giving them a soft, subtle wash of color. This technique helps create the appearance of fuller, more symmetrical lips by adding a gentle tint that complements your skin tone. Unlike traditional lip tattoos that use solid colors, lip blushing uses a shading technique to achieve a natural, gradient effect, which results in lips that look naturally flushed without appearing overdone.
The lip blushing process involves the careful application of pigment to the lips using a specialized tattoo machine with fine needles. The color can be customized based on your personal preference, whether you want a barely-there tint or a more defined hue. Once healed, lip blushing delivers a polished look that saves time in your daily routine while giving your lips a fresh, healthy appearance that can last between 1-3 years. It's ideal for anyone wanting a boost in color, definition, or to correct unevenness in lip tone—all without the hassle of daily lipstick application.
2
Lipstick Effect
A lipstick effect tattoo is a more defined form of lip tattooing that creates a bold, vibrant color effect—similar to wearing lipstick every day, but without the need for reapplication. This technique uses advanced tattooing methods to deposit pigment into the lips, offering a full-coverage look that enhances both the color and shape of your lips. Unlike lip blushing, which provides a subtle, sheer tint, the lipstick effect tattoo gives a more intense, solid color that mimics your favorite lipstick shade, making it ideal for those who prefer a more polished, makeup-ready look at all times.
The lipstick effect process uses a specialized machine with fine needles to carefully implant pigment across the entire surface of the lips. The treatment is tailored to your desired shade, whether you're looking for a bold red or a soft pink, and it can also help correct uneven color or contour issues. Once healed, the results are long-lasting—typically between 1-3 years—and provide a beautiful, smudge-proof finish that keeps your lips looking effortlessly vibrant without needing daily touch-ups.
Pre-care Information
I hope you are looking forward to your upcoming cosmetic tattooing sessions as much as I am!
Please be aware that approximately 50% of the result comes from the work I perform in the salon, using professional skill and high-quality pigments. The other 50% depends on your individual skin cycle, how your skin heals, and your before and aftercare at home.
Following the preparation and aftercare instructions carefully is essential for achieving the best possible results and experience.
Please remember that everybody is different. This means I cannot promise that your results will look exactly the same as another client’s results you may have seen online. It is my responsibility to manage your expectations and explain what is realistically achievable for your skin, natural brows and lifestyle.
IMPORTANT: if you are prone to cold sores / have a history of cold sores or just want to be on the safe side I recommend speaking to your doctor & getting some antivirals. Follow the course a week or so prior to tattoo to eliminate any chance of issue. If a break out occurs it will cover the whole lips and wont be pretty so please take the seriously.
Two Weeks Before Your Appointment
Please avoid prolonged sun exposure and taking fish oil, vitamin E, vitamin A, retinol or evening primrose oil, either orally or topically on the treatment area. Please also avoid facial peels, fake tan, Botox or other injectables, and laser treatments in the area. All of these things may affect your healed results. Lips need to be well hydrated and exfoliated prior to your appointment (not just on the day!). Use lip balm religiously. Exfoliate Lips 3x per week until the day of your appointment.
Five to Seven Days Before Your Appointment
Please avoid painkillers, blood thinners, alcohol, tea, coffee, energy drinks and pre-workout supplements.
This helps prevent excess bleeding and bruising, which may cause additional discomfort during the appointment and can also affect your long-term results.
What to Expect at Your Appointments
During your first appointment we go through a thorough consultation to discuss your vision, skin type, lifestyle, age and if this service is actually your best option. We consider whether you wear makeup daily, how often you sweat and what your expectations are for your potential lip blush. After your consultation and after you have had the opportunity to express any worries or concerns you might have, we can then proceed to chatting about colour. Once we have decided on a colour, i will begin the pre-draw. Using the appropriate makeup pencil & lines of symmetry mapping I spend from 10-30 minutes mapping and perfecting the ideal shape for your face based on your bone structure, natural lips, age and vision. After I am completely happy and confident with the pre-draw you can then review the mapping to see how they sit with you, and if you are 100% happy to go ahead we can then proceed with the tattoo. Every artist is different, but for me it is important that they are YOUR ideal lips, not just my version of your 'perfect blush’. With this in mind, it is also important to come in with an open mind as based on my professional opinion and experience, I may occasionally recommend a slightly different shape or colour to what you may be used to having on your lips. At the end of the day though they are your lips and the final choice is yours to make - I want you to love them, not just me!
After consultation but prior to mapping the brow area is then cleaned and numbed for the treatment for approx 15-30 minutes. Use this time to relax, have a nap or scroll facebook! I also use a second numbing treatment throughout the service, to provide maximum comfort for my client.
The entire first treatment takes about 2 hours. The second treatment takes up to 1.5 hrs plus pre-numbing at home prior (I will advise how to do this, dont panic!), we will schedule this follow up appointment for four to six weeks after initial appointment to enhance the results, tweak any areas where pigment was lost and reaffirm the pigment in the skin. At this second appointment we can also make any little tweaks, or darken colour. Again, Results can last anywhere from 12 months to five years, depending on your skin type (pigment fades faster on oily skin), products, and lifestyle. If you were to leave your lip blush tattoo & choose not to refresh, over the course of 3-7 years you could expect the tattoo to vanish almost completely.
What to expect after your treatment?
In the first 3 days lips are up to 60% more pigment dense and up to 50% fuller due to swelling. Please be aware that your lips will often be very swollen for 24hrs and that this is normal. It is best not to plan any major events in the first few days. Colour reflection depends on the natural skin pigment so the shade of lip colour will shift slightly throughout the healing process.
I supply a full aftercare kit with detailed instructions to each of my clients, which is included in the cost.
Please, no guests during our sessions. Lip blush tattoo requires a lot of my concentration and to give you the best results there can’t be any distractions in the salon.
Please avoid all lip makeup for at least 2 weeks after both your initial and follow up appointment. All other makeup can be worn the next day.