Tattoos are one of the most fascinated body arts. You will find people falling for various types of tattoos. Out of the latest craze and trend, lip tattoos are raising the heat amongst Americans.
If the term, ‘Lip Tattoos’ has fascinated you too to explore the web then you have landed the right page. We will help you understand the term and its associated topics in this detailed guide.
Hold your horses and do not straight jump to the lifespan of lip tattoos, allow us to help you explain what are lip tattoos in simple words. The clearer you are about the concept, the confident you will be to go for a lip tattoo.
The technique is said to be risky so you need to be prepared for the same, especially if it is your first tattoo on the body.
How long do lip tattoos last?
Lip tattoos have a life span of approximately 12 to 18 months. The pigments used on the lips give you a natural finish that makes your lips look flawless. Lips are one of the most sensitive areas of the body and so the process is painful.
But you don’t have to be scared; if you are crazy for artwork and creativity then there is a price to pay. People are doing it, isn’t it? This is why we suggested that it would be wise to check the subject in detail with the help of this guide.
If you wish to go for temporary fillers, it may fade or lose results sooner however, a long-lasting lip tattoo will cost you more compared to the former. The healing time for lip tattoos generally takes 10 to 12 days.
You need to take extra care for the tattoo to completely heal. During the healing process, your lips are likely to chap and become dryer than usual, which is normal.
Are inside lip tattoos permanent?
It is always worth considering whether inner or inside lip tattoos are permanent. After all, these are not easy on the wallets and not all can afford to go for frequent re-touches.
If you compare other regular tattoos on the various parts of the body, inner lip tattoos tend to fade much sooner.
The shelf-life of your inner tattoo also depends on how your skin takes it during the healing process.
As we explained earlier, that a skin tattoo wound takes about 2 to 3 weeks to complete the healing process however, lips can heal faster and so lip tattoos heal in only 2 to 3 days.
To get the best results for lip tattoos, we recommend the following products. You may discuss these with your tattoo artist and check if he is ok to try those on you:
Do lip tattoos fade completely?
There is a medical reason why lip tattoos do not stay longer; we all have experienced how fast lip recovers from a chapped skin or accidental bite. Compared to other parts of the body, lips heal their wounds faster on their own.
The same applies to tattoo wounds as well. It is one of these reasons why the upper and inner lip tattoos fade sooner.
Also, as lips heal faster than other areas of the body, you can say that lip tattoos fade completely. The rapid generation of mucosal cells makes tattoos disappear faster in about 1 to 5 years only.
Thus, you cannot say that lip tattoos are permanent. You will need frequent re-touches. To share a fact, many people have experienced tattoo fading completely in just about a few months.
Well, you should at the brighter side; your body’s immune power is strong to heal outside wounds quickly.
Why did some lip tattoo fade in a day?
Anything that connects you to the saliva, food, and drink will fade sooner and there are medical reasons to it. This is why lip tattoos do not last long and some may even fade in a day.
Another common reason why people complain about tattoos fading in just a day is due to constant touching of the lip with saliva.
The frequent contact between your lip and teeth creates a lot of moisture that tends to fade the tattoo as soon as it is done. You will need to take extra care if you wish your lip tattoo to stay longer with you.
Be prepared, no matter how many efforts you take, you may be able to extend the life of your lip tattoo but cannot stay with it for a lifetime. One or the other day, it will go away as there is no permanent fix to this.
How do you get a lip tattoo to stay on?
Although your tattoo artist will give you a list of tips to follow and precautions to take post-lip tattoo, we have some tips that will help you to enjoy longer results. Follow these tips and let us know if they worked on you too like others.
Tips to make lip tattoo stay on longer:
- Avoid washing your lip with any antibacterial soap or even normal soap.
- Do not apply any body lotion, lip gloss, or lipstick on the lips.
- Let the lip heal completely if you wish to enjoy long term results.
- Try placing a paper towel under your tongue to avoid saliva from touching your lips.
- Do not think of retouching the lips until they are completely healed.
- Make sure that your tattoo artist uses sterile tools only as lips are the most sensitive part of your body.
- To enjoy longer results, ask your designer to give you thinner lines as thinner lines keep the lines close to each other.
- Rinse your mouth well before and after the tattoo to avoid any contact with bacteria or infection.
- Lip tattoos are risky and can be done only by a professional artist. We urge you not to experiment with your lips and only choose an experienced tattoo designer! An experienced artist will guide you the best and will ensure that you do not need many re-touches.
- Remember, touch-ups can be risky and so you must take all the precautions advised by your tattoo artist to enjoy longer results.
- The bottom line is you need to keep the lip area dry and avoid too much moisture to enjoy longer life.
What to know before getting a lip tattoo?
Before you make a final decision on a lip tattoo, you need to know certain facts associated with the same. These are not just facts, but also common mistakes uttered by people in the past.
Do not blame a tattoo artist if you fall for any error without knowing the pros and cons of lip tattoos.
Let us help you with some answers to some extremely important questions related to lip ink art so that you are more confident to take the decision.
Don’t worry about the confusion and second thoughts about lip tattoos; most women go through the same.
Once you have an appointment fixed with your tattoo artist, he/she will explain to you the pros and cons in person and help you to reach a decision.
1. Breastfeeding mothers
Although there have been no scientific reasons to avoid lip tattoos by lactating mothers, it would still be wise to wait.
We agree that professionally done lip tattoos put you at lower risks of infection or allergies but, every skin type and body type is different.
You never know how yours will react. Some have shared experiences of nausea and drowsiness for some time after lip inking.
2. Pregnant women
We highly recommend not going for any type of tattoos when you are expecting a baby. It doesn’t matter which trimester are you in; you must avoid it at all times!
Tattoos involve inserting ink in the deeper layers of the skin that include lips too. The breakage of facial tissues may sometimes lead to swelling or accidental fluid retention.
As a result, pregnant women have higher risks of infection that may reach the baby too. It would anyway be great to wait for your baby to see you getting a tattoo.
3. Follow pre-care instructions
Rinsing the mouth every time you chew or drink something will prevent any risks of infections on your lips. It is one of the essential pre-care tips. Use an alcohol-free mouthwash.
It is ok to rinse few times a day to avoid bacteria, especially when you get back to smoking after the tattoo is healed.
4. Mental preparedness
Remember, no matter how much you love your tattoo and how much care you take, one day it will last. Do not be sad; be mentally prepared for the tattoo fading.
Lip tattoos fade even sooner than you expect. Even if your designer tells you that your lip tattoo will stay forever, be prepared for the reality.
5. Take the advice of your Tattoo Artist
Don’t blow out on your tattoo artist if he/she rejects your lip tattoo request, but, accepts the same from your sibling or friend. Not all lip tattoos are successful because people are not aware of their skin type.
Some lips are too sensitive to take up the wound and heal by themselves. Thus, your artist may avoid taking the risk on you with the fear of you suing him later.
Lip Tattoo Aftercare
Few Important tips for you after you get your lip tattoo done.
1. Cosmetics
Another common confusion about lip tattoos is whether women can apply lipsticks or lip gloss on the tattoo done. We suggest you wait for 10 days for your tattoo to heal fully.
You may need to avoid used lip colors and choose new tips, to begin with on tattooed lips. Choose a lipstick that doesn’t fade your tattoo as some women complain of dry lips for 3 to 6 months post the tattoo.
2. Alcohol and smoking
You are not allowed to smoke or drink for 10 days. Alcohol causes dehydration and lips are anyway dry for many weeks post the tattoos. As a result, your lips will tend to crack making the tattoo fade sooner.
Avoid smoking too until your tattoo artist advises you to do so. He knows his process and technique better as he has worked on your lip art.
3. Kissing or Rubbing
You will be asked by your tattoo artist to avoid kissing or rubbing your lips post the lip tattoo. Your skin may react and lips are freshly wounded; stay away from the same for at least 10 to 15 days until it is completely healed and back to normal.
4. Acidic foods
Avoid intake of acidic foods until your ink heals. Until you are fully recovered, you may want to stay away from acidic foods that could act as an irritant to your lips.
Some acidic foods include citrus fruits, tomatoes, vinegar, and more. Acidic foods can make the swelling on lips or the lumps more painful so you better avoid those. You may also research more about these on the web.
5. Touch-ups
Avoid touch-ups as these can be risky. It is like re-opening an old wound. Accept that your skin on your lips will be too sensitive to bear a re-touch. If you do it twice or thrice, it will only get worse in terms of sensitivity.
Unless you are ok with it, avoid going for frequent re-touches. Thus, the best thing is to take care of it sincerely.
Conclusion:
Finally, if you have decided to get a lip tattoo done, don’t forget to ask your tattoo artist the number of precautions you need to take before the appointment. He/she may ask you to follow certain things so that you both are on the same pace to get started on the same day. All the best with this one and we are desperately waiting to hear about your experience of the same. It is time to get those lips sorted!
