Lip Blushing: Procedure, Benefits, Side Effects, and Aftercare

Updated: Jan 29

If you are an avid social media user, you must know that the lips have always been the winner when it comes to facial aesthetics. While there is no one standard of beauty, women generally want their lips to look full, plump, and smooth. This is where permanent cosmetic procedures like lip blushing come in.

Back in the day, women used to rely on lip fillers and lip liner tattoos to enhance the appearance of their lips but not anymore! Lip blushing is a new procedure that women can’t stop raving about since the past few years – and for good reasons. With this permanent technique, you can change not only the shape and size of your lips but also their color. Most importantly, your lips look natural and the results are pretty long-lasting.

Let’s dive right in to discover how this procedure works and what benefits it offers. We will also discuss the side effects it may cause and the general aftercare instructions.

What Is Lip Blushing?

Often called ‘lip tattooing’, lip blushing is a cosmetic enhancement procedure that alters the shape and color of the lips to reveal fuller, younger-looking lips. This permanent procedure aims to enhance the natural beauty of the lips and defines them to give the illusion of fullness.

What makes this procedure super popular among women is that it promises natural-looking results. The healing process is also quick and easy. If you want fuller, beautiful lips that look natural, lip blushing is the way to go!

The Procedure: 3 Steps Involved in Lip Blushing

The lip blushing procedure is quite similar to lip tattooing. It may take up to three hours, involving three simple steps:

Step 1: Numbing

First of all, your lip blushing physician will apply a numbing gel on your lips to ensure you feel little to no pain or discomfort throughout the procedure.

Step 2: Determining the Perfect Shape and Tone

While waiting for the numbing gel to work its magic, the physician will discuss your desired lip shape and tone. This usually takes around 20 minutes. They may create a sketch of your new lips and ask for your approval. You will be free to make any changes you like. The idea is to make sure you are 100% satisfied before moving on to the final step.

Step 3: Depositing the Pigment

Next, your physician may use a tiny mechanized needle to deposit a natural-looking pigment into your lips. They do this multiple times to build layers of color, creating an even tone. This step may take an hour or an hour and a half, depending on the look you desire.

Does the Lip Blushing Procedure Hurt?

Since your lips will be numb throughout the process, any pain or discomfort you feel will be minimal. However, since every individual has a unique pain threshold, the amount of discomfort you experience will depend on your pain tolerance. There won’t be any pain per se, rather just slight discomfort. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being extremely painful, most clients rate it three or four at max.

That being said, you may ask your lip blushing physician about taking acetaminophen before your appointment if you’re still worried about the discomfort. Do NOT take aspirin, naproxen, or ibuprofen, or supplements like garlic, vitamin E, fish oil, and ginkgo. These substances may cause blood thinning, increasing sensitivity as well as your risk of bleeding and bruising during the procedure.

How Permanent is the Lip Blushing Procedure?

Similar to the Microshading procedure, which involves manually implanting tiny dots of pigment on the skin, the results for lip blushing may vary from person to person. While it is a permanent cosmetic procedure, it gives natural-looking results that can easily last several years.

There are certain factors though, that may determine the longevity of the results, including your aftercare routine, sun exposure, and overall lifestyle. The following things can make the pigment fade more quickly:

· Smoking

· Sun exposure

· Iron deficiency

· Excessive use of exfoliating products in your skincare routine

· Oil-prone skin

Lip Blushing Aftercare

Once the lip tattooing is done, you may notice some redness and swelling on your lips. You may ice them or use cold compresses to relieve the swelling. As much as you may be tempted to cover or bandage your lips, don’t do it. The best results will be achieved when you let them air dry.

After a week, your lips will start healing. Be prepared for some scabbing around this time. Make sure you don’t pick on these scabs as it may leave scars and result in an uneven tone. To protect your lips and get some relief, you may apply your aftercare on them. Do this before going to bed, as sleeping on your face could also cause premature falling of the scabs.

During the first 24 hours, it is best to blot your lips with wet cotton pads and let the air work its magic. This will keep your lips clean, remove any body fluids that may have surfaced, and prevent them from forming scabs. The scabs will fall off naturally after five to seven days.

Apart from this, you must avoid going out in the sun and working out during the first two weeks. At this point, you can also expect your lips to look slightly darker than what you had in mind. This is absolutely normal; the true color will show when the lips have fully healed. Typically, full results are seen in about a month. Your physician may ask you to visit them for a follow-up session to make sure everything is okay. After a couple of months, you may have to go for a touch-up session to achieve the exact shade you want.

Are There Any Possible Side Effects?

You can expect some minor side effects after lip blushing. They usually go away on their own as your lips heal. They include:

· Redness

· Swelling

· Pain

If you don’t follow the aftercare instructions properly, you may develop a lip infection. Consult with a doctor if you notice:

· Worsening pain

· Excessive swelling

· Puss oozing from the lips

· Fever and chills (happens in severe cases)

Other side effects of lip blushing include:

· Fever blisters (cold sores) – If you are prone to fever blisters, it is imperative that you consult with a medical physician for a prescription to prevent flare ups. It is recommended 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the lip blushing procedure.

· Scars

· Rash

· Itchiness

· Bumps

· Uneven tone

For the desired results, make sure you follow the healing and aftercare instructions properly.

Achieve the Perfect Lips at Microblading Los Angeles by Tinted Liquid

At Microblading Los Angeles by Tinted Liquid, we offer partial and full lip color service to define your lips and give them a plumping effect. Our licensed and experienced experts will help you choose the perfect pigment color for natural-looking results