Wash your lips with water or a fragrance-free cleanser on a cotton pad before hydrating the area with occlusive balm or gentle moisturizer (Otsuji recommends Aquaphor Healing Ointment or Zensa Healing Cream, according to her commentary for Byrdie).
Avoid eating hot, spicy, salty and acidic foods for the first 2 weeks and drink liquids through a straw for 3 days. While eating, do not constantly wipe your lips with a napkin or keep licking your lips as this will impede the healing process.
You can expect a lip tattoo to heal in about two weeks fully. “Everything inside your mouth heals really fast, but for it to completely heal, it would take as long as any other tattoo,” says Jay. “Your mouth does contain a lot of bacteria, so it might take longer if you don't take good care of your tattoo.”
Keep lips moist with Vaseline or Aquaphor for the first 5 days. Use lip balm/moisturizer for the remainder of the healing period (typically 14-21 days).
Avoid: Sun, sweat, steam, and swimming for 48 hours, ideally 7 days. Avoid:Kissing, eating spicy foods, drinking hot drinks or applying ice directly to your lips.
Immediately following your procedure, blot the area with a clean wet cotton pad every 1-2 hours for the remainder of the day. Then immediately apply a thin layer of Aquaphor before bed. Sometimes the lips will bruise even after the procedure.
Right after the procedure clean the lips with damp cotton (clean bottled water) every 30 min until bedtime. Before sleep if the lips still has some dry lymph then wash with lukewarm water gently removing the dry lymph, pat dry and apply Aquaphor Healing Ointment (you can find it in any grocery store, kids section).
use Chapstick, lip-gloss or lip balm with sun block over the tattooed area to preserve color. The continued use of at least SPF 30 sunblock with UVA and UVB protection will help to prevent fading.
FOR LIPS ONLY: Use Aquaphor to keep the tattoo protected while it heals and to soothe any discomfort such as itching or dryness. Avoid applying lip balms, lipstick, or other lip products during this time. Apply Aquaphor every 30-60 minutes for the first week to keep lips from drying out.
Though it's best known as a moisturizer for dry skin, Aquaphor is also commonly used as a safe and effective part of tattoo aftercare.
Immediately after the treatment, lips will be slightly swollen and tender. You can apply an icepack to reduce swelling and soothe the area. Apply aftercare balm every hour or as often as possible to keep lips moist for the first 10 days. This will help with tenderness, as well as holding in the colour.
Avoid facials, swimming and or hot tubs for at least five days. Before brushing your teeth, seal lips with ointment first. Put cotton balls in gum areas so toothbrush will not rub against the lips. No whitening toothpaste (during the healing process).
No kissing, rubbing or friction on your newly tattooed lips until after 10 days or you may lose pigment. Lips may be dry for 3 to 6 months depending on the body reaction.
Coconut oil is gentle enough to use during any stage of the tattoo process. You can apply it to new tattoos, old ones, or even those that are undergoing removal or retouching. This can prove beneficial if you have more than one tattoo, or if you're thinking about getting additional ink in the near future.
Your lips will also feel swollen and tender. Your color will begin to darken temporarily throughout the day as the pigment oxidizes. Days 3-14: Swelling will have finished.
After the cosmetic lip tattoo wash the lips every 3 hours to 4 hours with cotton balls and water, rub gently and preform this for the first 24 hours. Always keep a very thin coat of Vaseline and Vaseline only on your lips until healed. Always use a new jar of Vaseline.
Despite using some of the most vibrant colors around, all tattoo ink eventually fades as your dermis and epidermis heal. The same is true of tattoos done on, around, or inside the lip area. Tattoos done inside the mouth fade the quickest because they're always in contact with saliva, food, and drinks.
Use clean Q-tips to apply Antibiotic Ointment (Bacitracin Zinc, or Polysporin) 3 times daily for 3 days. If you have allergic reaction to the antibiotic ointment, i.e. redness, rash and swelling, stop using it and see your doctor immediately. Avoid eating spicy and salty food.
If your lip tattoo gets wet, gently pat the area dry using a clean tissue. Some itching is normal. DO NOT PICK, PEEL OR RUB your lips as the colour may heal unevenly and you could risk infection, which in turn could lead to scarring. Allow the colour to flake away by itself.
No soaps, cleansing creams, or chemicals on lips. Wash your face carefully avoiding the lip area for 7 days. Avoid moisture to the lips such as Hot Soup, Hot Cocoa, or Hot Coffee for 5 days.
After 3 hours wipe your lips every 2 hours until bedtime and apply the ointment given or aquaphor. Wipe your lips 4-6 times per day and keep them moist with given ointment or aquaphor.
Your lips will start to flake and peel around 3-4 days after your lip blushing session. During this stage, scabs begin to form to recover from the needle-induced wounds. This portion of the healing process is nearly identical to that of a traditional tattoo.
The risks most commonly associated with tattoos include infection, an allergic reaction to the ink, swelling, rashes or scarring. Inner lip tattoos might be particularly prone to infection because of the high numbers of bacteria that make a home in your mouth, Global News notes.