What To Expect

Your lips will be swollen, tender, and may look uneven. Due to the nature of the treatment, I will alternate between sides of your lips throughout your session. As such, different areas of the lips will be at slightly different stages of healing when your session ends. Don't worry! This will subside quickly. The color will be especially dark and opaque today, but will look 20-40% less opaque once the skin has fully healed.

The color of your lips will appear solid, bold and very dark. If you didn't experience swelling on the first day, you may wake up with slight swelling during this period. This is a natural result of your lymphatic system slowing during periods of sleep, causing puffiness in the lining of the mouth. I ask that you be patient and trust the healing process: the swelling will subside in a couple of days.

This is the final stretch of the initial phase of healing. During this time your lips can feel tight or rough, and may begin to peel. It is imperative that you do not pick at your skin, as this will cause further damage and can affect the final visual result. Let your lips exfoliate themselves slowly and naturally, and continue to gently apply your aftercare cream to the area. You may see flakes of color appear over the skin during this period, and the lip underneath may appear very light in color, creating the appearance that the tattoo is “falling out”. Don’t be alarmed—during this time the skin is repairing itself, and the layer of new skin healing over the lip underneath is more opaque than usual, making the tattoo appear dull or faded. The color, meanwhile, needs a bit more time to settle. The initial phase of healing is followed by a secondary phase that cosmetic tattooists call the “bloom”: the return of the color’s richness once the epidermis has fully regenerated and regained its natural translucence. The bloom takes 4-6 weeks to fully conclude. Now more than ever, I ask that you trust the healing process.

By this time most of the flaking (if any) will subside. The color of your lips will be anywhere from 10-60% lighter than it started, and the skin should again feel soft and smooth. You may now feel your lip is too light or too dark, or notice inconsistencies in tone. This is completely normal and signals the start of the bloom. Everyone heals differently, and everyone’s skin will retain pigment in different ways. This is the reason that we scheduled your perfecting session: to put finishing touches and adjust for evenness of color. Once your lips have no more signs of peeling and the skin is uniformly soft and smooth, you may discontinue use of your aftercare cream. You may also wet the lip and begin exercising again.

Now that initial healing has concluded, all that remains is the bloom. The exact duration of this secondary healing phase varies from person to person, but should last no longer than 6 weeks from the date of your first session. During this period, the ink begins finding its way back towards the skin’s surface to settle. Due to this, some days your lips will look lighter, and some days they will look darker. Again, I ask you to trust the healing process. Once the ink has fully bloomed, I will see you for your perfecting session to finalize the tattoo and ensure evenness of color. You’re almost done—just a little more patience, and your healing will be complete!