With its nerve-rich flesh, the inner lip is one of the most painful areas to have tattooed, Gaudet confirmed. And it's a body part that poses a challenge for ink artists because of the texture of the skin and the need for the client to hold their bottom lip open with as little movement as possible.
Inner-Lip Tattoos
Lips are one of the most painful areas to have tattooed. The client has to hold their lower lip open and keep it perfectly still during the tattooing process. Lip tattoos may last only weeks or months because of the quick cell turnover in the oral environment. Frequent touch-ups are required.
Inner lip tattoos are most likely to fade away because of the way the inner lip area heals. For many people, an inner lip tattoo will only last for a few years. In some cases, the tattoo might fade away entirely after just a few months.
Eat a good meal beforehand.” Why you might ask, well Effler says that blood sugar is important with any body modification. “Your body is going through a trial and needs fuel to cope. Avoid alcohol beforehand. Most people think it's solely because of the impaired judgment, but alcohol is also a blood thinner.
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.
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).
You'll need to use an alcohol free mouth wash, and avoid acidic foods at all costs. Also, kissing your significant other is a no no. You don't want to risk exposing yourself to all kinds of bacteria during the exchanging of saliva!
Inner lip tattoos may seem like a good idea, and there are pros to back that up, but the cons that come with them don't seem worth it. You don't get a permanent tattoo, there's very little creativity involved, and the area itself is just plain risky.
Q: How much does the inner lip tattoo cost? A: It all depends on the tattoo artist. Some tattoos can cost as little as $50, while some more reputable tattoo studios with better equipment and more experienced personnel will charge up to $100 for an inner lip tattoo.
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.”
You might experience more pain with a lip tattoo compared with other areas of the body, such as an arm or leg tattoo. It can take about two weeks for a new tattoo to heal, so be sure you understand all aftercare techniques before leaving the studio.
Before You Get a Lip Tattoo
You should think through what kind of design you want on your inner lip. You'll also need to decide where you want to get your tattoo done. A professional tattoo artist will use sterile equipment and a clean, unused needle. You should research the shop you want to go to before you go.
The least painful places to get a tattoo are areas of your body with fewer nerve endings. Think outer shoulder, calf, buttocks, and outer arm. While people generally focus on the location on the body, Stanley Kovak, a cosmetic physician, theorizes that pain is more about size.
Inner lip tattoos seem like a silly concept, but once you learn more about them they don't seem like such a bad idea. These tattoos are actually temporary because of the cells on the inside of your mouth that cause the area to repair itself.
In short, after tattooing your lips, you need to abstain from chicken, beef, duck, sticky rice, water spinach, seafood and greasy foods, etc. You should eat yogurt, carrots, tomatoes.
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.
You can still use lipstick
Your new lip tattoo is designed to act as a beautiful base, but it doesn't mean you should throw out your lippy collection at all. You should never use lipstick during the healing process, but once everything is fully healed up, you can use lipsticks, glosses and balms as usual.
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.
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.
Generally, there's no need for Vaseline on a new tattoo whatsoever. Once your bandages are off, you'll want to stay away from Vaseline during the healing process, too. You may be able to use Vaseline on a newer tattoo only after it's completely healed.
Areas that are bony with little to no fat are also the most painful, like the wrist, ankles, feet, collarbone, ribs, and elbows. If you ask five different people about where the most painful place to get a tattoo on the body is, you're going to get five different answers.
Avoid pain relievers.
Don't take aspirin or ibuprofen for 24 hours before your session. These medications can thin your blood, which may prolong the tattooing process.
Many have taken over-the-counter Tylenol 30 minutes before treatment. This will not interfere with the procedure. Any physician prescribed pain relieving medication for which you have arranged, should be taken as directed, usually after your arrival.
The price of a cosmetic lip tattoo will vary depending on the artist you choose and the complexity of the design. Generally, a lip tattoo will cost between $250 and $550. Some artists may charge more or less than this, so it is always best to do your research beforehand.