THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
• If you have lip filler, you last appointment cannot be any sooner than four weeks prior to your tattoo appointment.
• You must be over 18 years old.
• You must not be pregnant or breast feeding.
•You must wait 6 weeks after vaccinations before your lip blushing appointment.
• Avoid booking during your mensural cycle as it can increase your pain.
• Retinol, glycolic acids, AHA and active ingredients formulated for the skin should be avoided at least 1 week prior to your procedure and 1 week after. For clients with more sensitive skin, consider 2 weeks before and after.
• It's important to note that the colour will be more bold than desired immediately after your appointment. The colour will fade by 30-50% by the time they are fully healed at six weeks - at this point, you will be due for a touch-up appointment. This is an important step in the process to achieve perfect results.
REGARDING COLD SORES
Cold Sore outbreaks are often triggered by stress or trauma to the lips and skin.
If you are prone to cold sores even once in your life you must take an anti-viral medication at least 1 day before your appointment to prevent an outbreak.
TO OPTIMISE RESULTS
The week leading up to your procedure exfoliate your lips a few days a week to optimize results. Areas of dry skin will not retain colour well and makes a difficult canvas to work with.
ON ARRIVAL
• Make sure your lips are well exfoliated and moisturised; dry and flaky lips do not pick up pigment consistently.
• Arrive with no make up; wiping throughout the procedure will remove it anyway.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER
• Swelling and light bruising may occur, which should only last a few hours.
•You may notice plasma fluid appearing on the surface of your lips; these are all normal healing responses.
• Keep the area clean by gently wiping your lips with a baby wipe every 30 minutes for the first three hours and reapply the aftercare gel with a clean cotton tip. Make sure to do this immediately after eating and drinking.
• Do not touch the area with your bare hands - treat it is an open and healing wound, will want to minimise the risk of infection.
It's important to note that the colour will be more bold than desired immediately after your appointment. The colour will fade by 30-50% by the time they are fully healed at six weeks - at this point, you will be due for a touch-up appointment. This is an important step in the process to achieve perfect results.
MUST AVOID
• Whitening toothpaste for seven days as it contains ingredients which will affect colour retention.
• UV exposure, for at least four weeks after the procedure as it will alter the appearance of the tattoo.
• Facials, chemical treatments, microdermabrasion, botox, and fillers for four weeks after the procedure.
• Smoking, as it will slow down the healing process and cause pigmentation that darkens the area.
FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS
• Moisturise the area with aftercare jell until you run out, then use paw paw ointment or vaseline sparingly with freshly washed hands or a cotton tip.
• It is normal for you to experience swelling, itching, scabbing, bruising, and dry tightness. Icing the area and using aftercare gel will help to relieve these symptoms.
• Avoid kissing for at least three days; it is an open wound, and you want to minimise the risk of infection during the healing process.
• Avoid using any make up on the area for at least three days.
• Don't get the area wet for too long (i.e. during swimming, or excessive sweating) as it will soften the scabs and they'll fall off prematurely. Sweating will also affect colour retention, so if you do sweat, blot it away immediately.
• If you use skin care with active ingredients, be sure not to get them too close to your lips as this can affect colour retention.
SCABBING
• The colour of the tattoo will darken as scabs begin to form; don't pick them, you want scabs to stay for as long as possible, and they will fall away naturally within 3-10 days depending on your skin type.
• Avoid sleeping on your face.
• Avoid harsh cleansers, creams, make up, or any other products on the area until all the scabs have all come off naturally.
• Once the scabs have completely fallen off, you may return to your normal routine make up and skin care routine. At this stage, your tattoo may have a milky / grey hue to it. This is an indication that the surface layer of skin has healed, but the underneath layers still need more time (up to six weeks).
• Results will vary depending on your skin type, and a touch up appointment is usually necessary to achieve perfect results, this is because areas of the lips retain pigment differently. At 6 - 8 weeks all top layers of your skin will be fully healed.
ONCE YOU'RE FULLY HEALED
• If you're having any laser or facial treatments, please inform your technician that you have had a cosmetic tattoo done before the procedure.
This treatment will continue to fade after 1 to 3 years, depending on your skin type and lifestyle. If you have oily skin, suffer from iron deficiency, or have a strong immune system, your pigment may fade faster than you anticipated. The following factors will cause the pigment to deteriorate prematurely, causing your tattoo to fade quicker than expected:
• UV exposure: continue to apply sunscreen to the area daily.
• Salt water and chlorine.
• Products such as Benzoyl Peroxide, Hydrogen Peroxide, Glycolic Acid, Apple Cider Vinegar, Vitamins E and C, and Retinol: avoid where possible.