Alright, so you booked your appoitment, yay! But... now what?

Click through these slides to see how to prepare, what to know, and how to keep your lips looking flawless after everything is said and done.

You should discontinue the use of any harsh skincare products such as retinal and tretinoin around the lip area. You should also avoid getting any botox, filler, or abrasive facials.

If you are prone to cold sores or have ever gotten one, it’s important to take anti-viral medication. Cold sores are usually caused by stress or trauma to the lip, so if you’re prone, lip blush can bring one on. Taking anti-viral can lessen the chances of that happening. You should continue the medication until two days after your appointment (and do the same for your touch up). You should also avoid excessive sun exposure and taking any blood thinning supplements.

Now is also when you should start paying close attention to the state of your lips. Use a sugar scrub to eliminate dead skin & keep lips hydrated for the optimal condition, which will lead to optimal healed results. Drink plenty of water to help with hydration as well.

You should avoid alcohol, exercise, caffeine, and ibuprofen/aspirin.

Consultation: First, we will go over your concerns, goals, and answer any questions you have about the process before we get started. At this time, we will also remind you of the process so that you are aware of what’s happening every step of the way.

Mapping: Then, we’ll get started with the mapping process. Using the necessary tools, we will identify where your lip line is and create a shape that is complimentary & as symmetrical as possible. While we try to stick to your lip shape as much as possible, there is a little wiggle room. It’s important to not that don’t tattoo the very corners of your lips because those areas have a higher chance of pigment migration, which can look like smudged lipstick. Once we have completed the mapping process, we will have you take a look and approve everything before we get started.

Application: Now is the time for us to get to work! Typically, we’ll work in quadrants, splitting your lip in four parts. We’ll complete each section until its about 90% done, then once all quadrants are filled, we’ll go in and blend everything together.

Reveal & Education: Once your lipw have been completed, it’s time for the big reveal! Right after your appointment, your lips will look bolder, bigger due to swelling, and overall more makeup-y. Your lips will lighten about 50% and soften around the edges once fully healed. After you see your fresh lip blush, we will go over aftercare with you & give you the necessary tools to execute it perfectly in an aftercare baggie. In your baggie, you’ll also get a few goodies, including written aftercare instructions to refer to during the healing process.

What You’ll Do: Once your appointment is finished, for the first 6 hours, lightly dab your lips every hour to remove any lymph fluid with a cotton ball. This will lead to less peeling. In your aftercare bag, you’ll receive a lip ointment that can apply anytime you’d like, as often as you’d like starting the day of your appointment. We just ask that you do it with clean hands and apply the ointment in thin layers. You can continue applying it throughout and after the peeling stage.

Visual Changes: Your lips will have many phases over the course of the healing process. Like we had already talked about, right after your appointment, your lips will be bolder, bigger due to swelling, and overall more defined. The day following your appointment, your lips will look darker in tone as a light film starts to build up over them. Around day 2-3, your lips will start to crack and peel, usually the peeling finishes by the following day. When they’re totally done peeling, you might feel like your lips look patchy or overall lighter than you expected, this is called the “ghosting” phase. What’s happening is a layer of new skin is growing over the layer of skin where we placed our pigment, giving it a milky appearance. Once that skin sheds, your color will come or “bloom” back! This usually happens around week 8-12, which is why we wait that long for the touch up. With lip blush, there is also the possibility of temporary hyper/hypo-pigmentation.

What to Avoid: Until your lipss have totally shed & are flake free: NO spicy foods, NO acidic foods/drinks, NO foods super hot to the touch, NO dental work, NO sexual contact, NO saunas, NO steam rooms/excessive steam, NO excessive sweating/intense workouts, NO swimming/hot tubs, NO makeup/skincare within an inch of your brows, NO picking/scratching/itching.

**Following aftercare closely is vital in achieving the best result possible.

Permanent makeup is a two step process. At your first appointment, we build the foundation of the lip color. Then, at your touch up, we can tweak color, tone, and density to ensure your lips will look beautiful for the next 1-3 years. After your touch up, you’ll go through the same exact aftercare as the last slide.

**With lip blush, it is not uncommon to have a third touch up to achieve your desired result. If this is a possibility, it will be mentioned at the very first appointment so you have as much notice as possible.

Permanent makeup is low-maintenance, not no maintenance. It’s important to follow the necessary steps to ensure you lips stay looking vibrant.

• The #1 fading factor when it comes to permanent makeup is sun exposure. It is crucial to protect your lipss with a high SPF lip balm when outside for long periods of time.

• Retinals, acids, and other aggressive skincare that promotes cell turnover are best kept away from your lips by at least an inch. Ingredients in these products can aid in fading of your permanent makeup.

• Try to avoid picking & biting your lip skin.

The last piece of protecting your investment is coming in for a refresh appointment every 1-3 years. Lip blush is one of the only permanent makeup services that does not require maintenance appointments. As your lip blush starts to fade, you can just let your lips fade back to their original condition. But, if you would like to refresh the color, you can come in for a COLORBOOST, a one time appointment to redefine your lip shape and add color. Then you’re all set again for another 1-3 years!