Healthy, hydrated lips heal best — here’s how to get them ready for your appointment:

• 4–6 weeks prior: Pause use of retinol, tretinoin, or other harsh skincare around the lip area. Avoid Botox, filler, or abrasive facials during this time.

• 72 hours prior: If you’re prone to cold sores, begin taking an antiviral medication as prescribed (continue through two days after your appointment and again for your touch-up). Also avoid sun exposure and blood-thinning supplements. Start prepping your lips by gently exfoliating with a sugar scrub and keeping them well-hydrated. Drink plenty of water for extra hydration.

• 24 hours prior: Skip alcohol, caffeine, exercise, ibuprofen, and aspirin — these can all affect healing and pigment retention.

✦ The better condition your lips are in before your appointment, the smoother your healing and final results will be.

Here’s what you can expect during your lip blush session:

• Consultation: We’ll begin by talking through your goals and answering any questions so you feel comfortable and informed every step of the way.

• Mapping: Using your natural lip line as a guide, we’ll design a shape that’s as symmetrical and flattering as possible. We won’t tattoo into the very corners of the lips (to avoid pigment migration), but you’ll get to approve the shape before we begin.

• Application: We work in quadrants, building up each section of your lips until about 90% complete, then blend everything together for a seamless finish.

• Reveal & Aftercare: Immediately after, your lips will look bolder, slightly swollen, and more “makeup-like” than the healed result. Over the next weeks, they’ll lighten by about 50% and soften beautifully. Before you leave, we’ll walk you through aftercare and send you home with a kit (plus a few goodies) to help you heal perfectly.

✦ We’ll guide you through every stage so there are no surprises — just soft, natural results in progress.

Proper aftercare is the key to soft, even color once your lips are healed. Here’s what to expect and how to care for them along the way:

• What You’ll Do: For the first 6 hours, gently dab your lips every hour with a clean cotton pad to remove lymph fluid (this helps reduce peeling). Starting the day of your appointment, use the ointment provided in your aftercare bag — apply thin layers with clean hands as often as needed, never thick or goopy. Continue using ointment throughout and after the peeling stage to keep lips comfortable.

• What You’ll See:

  • Immediately after: Lips will look bolder, slightly swollen, and more defined than they’ll appear healed.

  • Day 1: Lips darken in tone as a light film forms.

  • Days 2–3: Peeling and flaking begin, usually finishing within a few days.

  • After peeling: Lips may look patchy or lighter than expected — this “ghosting” phase happens as new skin covers the pigment. Around weeks 8–12, the true color will “bloom” back through.

  • Note: Some clients may experience temporary hyper- or hypo-pigmentation — this is normal and resolves as healing continues.

• What to Avoid: Until your lips are fully healed and flake-free, avoid spicy or acidic foods, hot drinks, dental work, kissing/intimate contact, saunas, steam, heavy workouts, swimming, makeup/skincare near the lips, and picking or scratching at the skin.

✦ Following aftercare closely is vital for even color and beautiful, lasting results.

Lip blush is a two-step process designed to give you soft, natural results that last.

• The Perfecting Session: Your first appointment builds the foundation of color. At your touch-up (6–8 weeks later), we refine tone, shape, and density to ensure your lips heal evenly and beautifully. With lip blush, a third session is sometimes needed to achieve the desired result — if this is the case, your artist will let you know at your very first appointment so you’re fully informed. After each session, you’ll follow the same aftercare routine.

• Protecting Your Investment: Lip blush is low-maintenance, not no-maintenance. To keep your color fresh:

  • Always protect your lips with SPF lip balm — sun exposure is the #1 factor in fading.

  • Keep retinols, acids, and other exfoliating skincare at least an inch away from the lips.

  • Avoid picking or biting at the lip skin.

  • Expect results to last 1–3 years. Unlike brows, lip blush doesn’t require regular maintenance — you can simply let it fade if you choose. If you’d like to refresh the color, a one-time Color Boost will redefine your shape and restore vibrancy for another 1–3 years.

✦ With the right care, your lips will stay soft, vibrant, and beautifully enhanced for years to come.