09/02/2026
Let’s talk about the lip blush process! 💋
Lip Blush is a tattoo to brighten and fill in, darken or lighten, or define the borders. Every client’s goals will be slightly different. Many different pigments and techniques exist and a knowledgeable artist will discuss realistic outcomes based on your specific lips - noting light areas, texture changes, how much melanin is present, and how many sessions may be required to achieve the result you want. Clients should be vigilant about preparing their lips for tattoo - keeping skin soft and moisturized beforehand, and starting antiviral prescriptions if they’ve ever had a cold sore or canker sore in the past. (The needle trauma can trigger a cold sore if you’ve ever had exposure to the virus in the past.)
In this instance, my client has lightly melanated lips which steers the technique and pigments we choose. The photos show immediately after the first session and before.
Her healing will be in stages:
Days 1-3 - bolder and darker
Days 3-5 - bold color is peeling and flaking off
Days 6-30 - very light and uneven color, almost non-existent for some
Days 30-60 - Some brighter color starts to bloom and look more even
Days 60-90 - we finally see how her long term healed results are going to look
Melanin rich lips take just a little bit longer to show the true healed color. This is because the body produces extra melanin in response to healing a tattoo, plus the skin is filled with opaque healing cells. The combination of those two factors make the lip color look skewed for a short period of time. For some it can appear darker and for others, duller. It is only after the extra melanin and opaque healing skin cells are shed naturally that the true healed results are seen.
For fair skin tones, true healed results are seen in the 6-8 week range instead of the 8-12 week range, so it’s just a little quicker to balance.
I’ll be sure to post some healed and second session pics for you all when she’s back in. They’re going to be gorgeous!
