Finding the perfect natural-looking lip balm, gloss, or stick can be challenging. What color should you choose? Which formula is best? What will be the longest lasting? If you want to skip all these considerations and the cost of constantly restocking your favorite natural-looking lip products, turn your attention toward lip blushing, one of TikTok’s latest viral beauty crazes. 

“Lip blush is a form of semi-permanent makeup that’s revolutionized old harsh lip-liner tattoos,” says Studio Sashiko artist Miranda Cyre. “This service is designed to look more cohesive and natural with a softer look. Rather than just tattooing the outline or liner, lip blush is a shading technique on the whole surface of the lip skin.”

Intrigued? Keep reading to learn everything there is to know about lip blushing. 

The Benefits of Lip Blushing

• Long-lasting, natural-looking pink-ish pout
• More uniform lips
• Evenly pigmented pout
• Minimizes the appearance of lip scars
• Creates a fuller-looking mouth

Lip blushing is circulating social media as the must-have cosmetic treatment of 2024, thanks to how it streamlines the perfect pout. “Lip blush is a cosmetic tattoo that can be used to balance symmetry, increase the appearance of the lip size, camouflage scars on the lip tissue, change the color of the lips, and create a more youthful lip appearance,” says Velvet Cosmetic Tattoos owner and master artist Savannah Messenger. “Lip blush is a natural-looking enhancement and a great way to upgrade what you were born with already.”

Since lip blushing virtually perfects the appearance of the natural pout, it offers an I-woke-up-like effect. The way Messenger sees it, lip blushing makes for a stress-free routine. “Wake up every day with the perfect lip color and shape created to suit each individual uniquely,” she says. “No more smudged lipstick or lipstick transfers to your glass or to your partner after a kiss.”

Lip Blush vs. Lip Fillers and Old School Lip Liner Tattoos

Lip blushing treatments encompass the benefits of two cosmetic treatments (filler and old-school lip liner tattoos) while also imparting even, allover color.

“Lip blushing is less invasive than lip fillers and traditional tattooing, with minimal downtime and discomfort,” Cyre says. “Lip blush also offers more flexibility in terms of color selection and allows for adjustments to suit individual preferences. With the typical shelf life of cosmetic tattoos being three to five years with minimal touch-ups, it also allows clients to change their desired look over time without painful removals or dissolving of fillers.”

Suffice to say, lip blushing is in a category of its own. “There’s really nothing quite like lip blush out there,” Messenger admits. “It is designed to make you a better version of you and use what you were born with naturally to create the perfect lips.”

The Lip Blush Process

The lip blushing process is like that of any cosmetic beauty treatment. It starts with a consultation to determine goals and discuss feasible results. Once the client and artist are aligned on shape and shade, photos will be taken of the client’s lips to serve as the before, with comparison after shots taken post-treatment. Then it’s time for the treatment itself. 

“We’ll start the mapping process, where we work to create the client’s desired shape,” Cyre says. Once everything is outlined, a numbing agent is applied and allowed to set in over 20 minutes or so. Then, it’s time to tattoo. 

“I like to start with the outline of the lips to ensure there will be no guessing where the decided shape is,” Cyre says. “This outline is very subtle and often just barely visible to ensure we have no harsh lines when healed.” After the tattooed outline is in place, Cyre says she likes to pass over each lip roughly three times to ensure even pigment saturation. Once all is said and done, the client will be shown their results, and final photos will be snapped. 

Most lip blushing treatments take around three hours, Messenger points out. So, while it might seem like a small tattoo, it will require a solid block of time to bring to life. “Touch-ups and refreshes take about two hours to complete,” she adds.

How to Prep For Lip Blushing

Just as you have to prepare for Botox appointments and large tattoo placements, lip blushing requires a bit of prep, too. According to Cyre and Messenger, clients should follow the below outline to adequately prep for a lip blush tattoo.

• Wait at least one year after using Accutane before booking a lip blush tattoo
• Wait at least one month after receiving fillers before booking a lip blush tattoo
• Wait at least two weeks after receiving Botox to book a lip blush tattoo
• Stop using harsh skincare ingredients (like vitamin C, retinoids, and chemical exfoliants) two weeks before a lip blush tattoo
• If you’re prone to cold sores, take a prescribed oral medication for two to five days before treatment. (“While lip blush is great to help cover up the scars from cold sores, it will trigger an outbreak in the area during healing,” Cyre reveals.)
• Don’t consume alcohol within 24 hours of a lip blush tattoo (“This will 100% cause clients to swell and bleed, affecting healed results,” Cyre warns.)
• Don’t take Advil or blood thinners within 24 hours of a lip blush tattoo (“Tylenol is okay,” Cyre says.)
• Don’t consume caffeine the day of the appointment (This can also exacerbate swelling, Cyre says.)
• Don’t smoke weed during the day of the appointment (It can cause sensitivity and provoke paranoia, Messenger warns)

In addition to everything you’ll want to avoid leading up to a lip blush tattoo, giving your lips a little TLC in the days preceding treatment is a must. “Having moisturized lips is also extremely important—we cannot tattoo over dry cracked lips as this skin is already turning over and will likely have a less than ideal heal,” Cyre says. “Staying hydrated, using lip scrubs, and being sure to wear lip balm with SPF can help ensure your lips are ready for lip blush.”

The Importance of Booking With a Reputable Tattoo Artist

Cosmetic treatments come with lots of benefits but they’re not without risk. The best way to mitigate lip blush risks is to book with a reputable tattoo artist.

“To put it simply, this is a tattoo on your face,” Cyre reminds us. “If it’s done wrong, there can be a number of issues that arise, such as spending way more time and money trying to correct work that could have been done well in the first place.” An improperly applied lip blush tattoo can also lead to irreversible scarring, harsh results, increased sensitivity, and uneven pigmentation, she adds. What’s more, if you book with a non-reputable artist, you run the risk of contracting an infection from exposure to unsanitary tools. In other words, do your due diligence to avoid less-than-stellar results.

Lip Blushing Aftercare

Even if you book with a qualified artist and follow all of the prep steps, your lip blush tattoo can turn out wonky if you forget to follow proper aftercare. Help your lip blush tattoo heal beautifully by following Cyre and Messenger’s professional recommendations, below.

• Avoid citrus and spicy foods, as well as extremely hot or cold foods, on the day of treatment
• Use a barrier balm (typically provided) for at least one week post-treatment to keep lips protected and moisturized
• Use straws for one week post-treatment to avoid dunking your lips in water while drinking
• Avoid heavy sweating (working out, steam rooms, excessive UV exposure) for at least one week post-treatment 
• Don’t kiss or do any sexual activities that could cause friction on your lips for at least one week post-treatment
• Don’t apply harsh skincare ingredients for at least two weeks post-treatment
• Don’t get Botox, filler, or laser treatments for at least two weeks post-treatment
• Don’t pick or exfoliate your lips for at least four weeks post-treatment (“Allow the skin to shed on its own—if you pick the skin as it is trying to shed it will compromise the lip color and its final healed result,” Messenger warns.)

According to Messenger, the first 24 hours after a lip blushing treatment are often the most challenging. “Keep in mind, immediately following the procedure, your lips may still be a bit numb and can be swollen,” she says. “Each client is different. Some will swell up like balloons while others will leave with hardly any swelling at all. It all depends on your body chemistry. Either way, there is absolutely no need to worry about swelling. It’s completely normal, and although it can be intimidating to see at first, it will not last, and it is a part of the healing process.”

Above all else, Cyre and Messenger say that keeping a blush tattoo clean and hydrated is of the utmost importance. “I personally have my clients clean their lips every two to three hours with warm water and cotton pads (always patting dry) for five to seven days or until the lips are flaking,” Cyre says. “This will help to clean away lymph fluid that will begin to form a scab on the lips and keep the lips as sanitary as possible during healing.”

As for moisturizing, Messenger says to commit to a routine but don’t overdo it. “A thin layer every time you feel them drying out is plenty,” she assures us. “If you glob large amounts on it will actually be bad for your lips. Over moisturizing can lead to lips becoming irritated and possibly forming little bumps on the lips.”

Lip Blushing Results

Lip blushing effectively transforms the appearance of your lips. “The final product is always worth it when it comes to lip blushing,” Messenger says, noting that the results typically last two to three years. “It’s truly a life-changing procedure that can help improve your daily glow and make you feel like every day is a trip down the runway. It’s the best and most amazing way to enhance your natural lips.”

Keep in mind, while lip blushing lasts for a few years, the tattoo gradually fades. “You will notice as each year goes by your color will look a bit lighter, until your natural lips are restored,” Messenger says. “Most clients who receive lip blush never want to live without it so we recommend refreshes every year to two years after desired results are achieved to maintain it.”

Lip Blushing Risks and Side Effects

Remember: Lip blushing tattoos, as amazing as they are, aren’t without risks and side effects. Don’t worry, though. Cyre says that adverse outcomes typically boil down to who’s performing the tattoo. Specifically, she says that if you book with an uneducated artist, they might choose the wrong pigments for the client’s skin type or tone, which can cause discoloration. They could also use too much pressure, which can lead to scarring. Meanwhile, if they use unsanitary tools and practices, an infection may be imminent.

Other than those applicant issues, though, lip blush tattoos come with little risk. “As long as you do your research and are sure to choose an artist that can display a large portfolio of healed work, there really isn’t anything to worry about,” Messenger says.