by MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com
Tattoos for the lips?
Yep, it’s a thing. And it’s a procedure that can enhance your appearance, according to one practitioner who offers the service.
Savannah Kondratyev, owner of Velvet Cosmetic Tattoos in New York City, said “Lip blush tattoos are semi-permanent cosmetic tattoos that can be used to balance symmetry, increase the appearance of the lip size, camouflage scars on the lip tissue, change the color of the lips and create a more youthful lip appearance.”
Kondratyev said, “Lip blush is a natural looking enhancement.”
Kondratyev said lip blush tattoos, although relatively new to America, have been provided in Eastern Europe for more than 10 years. “(They are) as common as a trip to the nail salon.”
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons said permanent cosmetics such as lip tattoos “involve the use of a hand-held device that punctures the skin hundreds of times per minute with a very thin needle and pushes the pigment into the desired location.” ASPS said “micropigmentation can not only be used on the lips but can enhance eyebrows and permanently create the look of blush and eye shadow.”
“(Lip blush tattoos) are similar to traditional body tattoos but they do not go as deep into the skin which makes them semi-permanent,” explained Kondratyev.
Lip tattoos are similar to body tattoos, but not completely so, she said. “Most commonly the ink used for lip blush is different than body tattoo ink. It is designed for facial tattooing and (healing is more) natural looking.”
Before the procedure begins, Kondratyev said, “We select the color to tattoo you by first figuring out your goals; secondly, (by) assessing your natural color; and then (by) choosing the color to tattoo to get you there.”
She explained, “It works a lot like painting. The color we tattoo plus the color of your natural lips (work) together to create the final result. Sometimes multiple sessions are required depending on your goals, natural starting point (and) what it will take to get you there.”
Lip blush tattoos, indeed, are a procedure not just an application.
Kondratyev said, “First sessions typically take about three hours start to finish. There’s more than just tattooing involved. We have to pre-draw, select a color, and numb you before we even begin.”
And when her job is done, the body must go to work.
Kondratyev said, “The color will take 4-6 weeks to develop entirely based on your skin type.
If you’re worried about pain in a sensitive area like the lips, Kondratyev said, “The pain is actually very mild. Most would rate it as a 2 or 3 on a scale of 1-10. I keep my clients super numb the whole time… Just be sure to follow pre-care instructions as things like caffeine, alcohol and blood thinning medications in the system can affect the sensitivity you feel while being tattooed.”
Kondratyev said a lip blush tattoo can last 2-4 years. But it can last longer with an annual refresh session. “If you decide you don’t want it any longer you should just let it fade out naturally,” said Kondratyev.
Just because you have the lip blush doesn’t mean you are stuck with that color until it fades. Kondratyev said you can still apply makeup on tattooed lips.
“This will not affect your makeup routine, (it will) just make you feel like you don’t need it unless you absolutely want to spice it up and add it,” said Kondratyev.
The federal Food and Drug Administration warns that permanent makeup ink and regular body tattoo ink do offer risks. Among the issues that can arise are infection, allergic reactions, granulomas (small areas of inflammation that occur when the body perceives a substance as foreign) and keloids (raised scars).