Permanent makeup was a thing since way back. But the innovation started this decade. Imagine “waking up with makeup” every single day – our brows done, your lashes already curly and long, your eyeliner already winged and your lips are already pink. A lot of women love this because it saves them so much time to get ready in the morning.
Lip tattoos are a bit new here. Although in the past, people used to do inner lip tattoos where a traditional tattoo artist would tattoo some sort of art work, usually letters, on the inner lip of a person. This tattoo can only be seen when you pull your lower lip down.
Recently, permanent makeup artists also do permanent lip tattoos for a permanent lip tint. Although a good solution to people with pale lips, remember that compared to other semi-permanent makeup, lip tattoos don’t last as long because your mouth and lips heal and shed skin cells faster compared to the other part of your bodies.
If you’re considering a lip tattoo, here are things you need to consider.
Your Mouth Breeds Bacteria
Did you know that the human mouth has more bacteria compared to the mouths of other animals? This is why it is recommended we brush our teeth at least twice a day. This becomes a problem when you get a lip tattoo because this procedure is essentially creating a wound in your lips and it will be prone to infection.
This is also why it’s important for you to go to a licensed professional permanent makeup artist because they’re trained to practice proper hygiene and have the right, sterile equipment for use.
Healing is a Lifestyle Change
Since tattoos are essentially wounds that can breed bacteria which means the sight of the wound can turn into an infection easily, you have to make a major lifestyle change. Lip tattoos heal differently than regular tattoos since there are lots of things we put inside our mouth. Plus, the area is moist so that’s just a festival for bacteria.
If you smoke, you’re going to have to quit smoking until the wound heals. Well, it wouldn’t be the worst idea if you quit altogether. But you get the point, right? Avoid acidic foods like vinegars and citruses because it can burn the wound site. Chewing rigorously can also reduce the blood flow in your mouth and will slow down the healing so soups are your best friend.
And, most importantly, you’re going to need to constantly brush, floss and rinse with mouthwash.
Understand that This is Temporary
Remember that semi-permanent and even permanent makeup will eventually fade. Most aestheticians who do this would give you disclaimers how the tints of your lips will fade in the course of 3 to 5 years depending on the quality of the service. So, you are going to need to come back for touch ups. But, people often say that you shouldn’t do touch ups anymore because injecting on the same site will increase the risk of infection.
Scar Tissues Are Like Sings of Oral Cancer
Which means that it’s not really cancer but also means that it will be hard for a doctor to detect oral cancer because it resembles it so much which is pretty scary if you think about it.
The Process is Painful
We have a lot of sensitive areas in our body and the lips is one of them. If you plan to get a tattoo, ready yourself for the pain. The lips have more than 1 million nerve endings – yep, that’s why it’s so pleasurable to kiss and why orally fixated activities are so pleasurable, too like eating or smoking. If you have a high tolerance for pain, then this should be okay. If not, then mentally prepare yourself.
And last but not the least, don’t forget to consider all the risks involved in getting a lip tattoo. The mere fact of applying ink around your mouth is already hazardous to your health. If you really want to get a lip tattoo, please look for a reputable artist to do the job.
