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“Lip blush tends to last much longer than permanent makeup on other facial areas.”

Long lashes and bushy brows have been trending for a while, but those features barely hold a candle to pouty lips, at least when it comes to what's popular on social media right now. Long before Instagram and TikTok existed, options for that plump, just-kissed look were more limited. Fillers existed but weren’t as widely available or customizable as they are now. Maybe you’d put on a swipe of DuWop Lip Venom gloss, which temporarily flushes the lips, and call it a day.

Now, there’s a bevy of lip augmentation options available, including non-surgical procedures that require minimal downtime and provide semi-permanent results. One such offering is lip blushing, which is essentially a “tattoo” for your lips that can enhance the color and outline of your mouth.

If you’re picturing a very painful procedure with not so subtle results though, you’re in for a surprise. Permanent makeup has come a long way in the past couple of decades, and you might be shocked by just how natural the results of lip blushing can be—think your lips, only slightly fuller and a little more shapely. Before you go all in on this kind of procedure, it’s a good idea to explore the vital facts, as not every treatment is for everybody.

Read this primer on lip blushing so you can decide if this method of fool-the-eye lip augmentation is right for you.

Imagine rolling out of bed with a perfectly pouty, pigmented-to-your-exact-liking kisser every morning. Like a favorite shade of lipstick plays up and draws attention to your mouth, lip blushing will make your lips look slightly more pronounced, shapely, and voluminous, too.

“Lip blushing is a form of cosmetic tattooing in which pigment is deposited into the skin to enhance the shape, symmetry, and color of the lips,” says Randi Davis, a licensed cosmetic tattoo artist who specializes in the lip blushing procedure. “The technique can also be used paramedically to conceal scarring.”

Essentially, this procedure uses a very small needle to implant pigment into your lips, says Davis, building a nice wash of color in layers. Shade selection is also super-customizable, as Davis has matched her lip blush ink to her client’s favorite lipstick hues or worked with their skin tone to find a bespoke complementary shade.

“Colors range from nude and natural to bright and bold,” she says. Pigmentation from lip blushing can also be corrective, says Davis, either to camouflage scaring or to otherwise offset uneven tone or asymmetry of the natural lips.

According to Davis, lip blushing is a great alternative to lip fillers, since the technique can be used to define the outline of the lips to create the illusion of volume. Think of lip blushing as getting semi-permanent liner and all-over color on your lips combined together, so you can expect that type of appearance and effect from this treatment.

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A laundry list of things can affect the life of your lip blush pigment, from level of sun exposure and skin type to immediate and long-term aftercare post-treatment. “Results typically last three to five years,” says Davis.

If that sounds drastically different compared to what you’ve heard about other similar cosmetic tattooing procedures, that’s because of the location—versus the brows or eyes, for example. “Our lip skin does not contain sweat or oil glands, so lip blush tends to last much longer than permanent makeup on other facial areas,” Davis adds.

Certain health and lifestyle factors can also affect lip blush longevity. “Frequent smokers or those with iron deficiency anemia may have results fade,” says Davis. In this case and others, it’s possible to get touch ups, which are recommended every few years anyway. Like a regular tattoo touch up, the goal of these appointments is freshening up your color to make it pop a little more again.

According to Davis, a lip blushing service from a reputable technician typically falls within the range of $500 to $800—maybe even in the low to mid four-figures, depending on the market you're in.

“Oftentimes, an eight-week perfecting appointment is included to evaluate how the color has healed and to make any necessary adjustments,” says Davis. If tweaks are made to the overall shape of your lip blush or certain areas need filling in again, these adjustments should be included in the original cost of the procedure.

Because lip blushing uses a tiny needle to “open” up your skin for pigment deposit, Davis points out that there’s always going to be a chance of infection. “That being said, if you carefully select a reputable technician, risk will be minimal,” she adds.

Consider your medical history before going in for this procedure, too. Specifically, those prone to cold sores should consider taking a prophylactic antiviral for a few days leading up to the appointment, says Davis, and a few days following; lip blushing can trigger an outbreak and hinder your healed results.

According to Davis, you also shouldn't try lip blushing if you’re pregnant, have a blood clotting disorder, have used Accutane in the past year, or are prone to keloid/hypertrophic scarring.

As with any procedure, it’s always important to check with your physician to avoid any complications. Do your research: Make sure you’ve picked a reputable provider, and you’re familiar with their work and all aspects of the procedure long before you sit down in the chair, ready for color.

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Davis recommends her clients moisturize their lips well for a week leading up to their appointment, capping off their pout prep with an exfoliating lip scrub three days prior to the treatment. She also advises avoiding anything that will thin the blood, such as ibuprofen, alcohol, and excessive amounts of caffeine, before the appointment. “You should wait to have lip blush done if you have active acne, cuts/sores, or chapped lips,” says Davis.

When you arrive at your lip blush provider’s office, you can expect to be numbed, which will help offset what you might feel during the tattooing process. “Levels of discomfort vary upon each individual’s pain threshold and sensitivity,” says Davis. “To ensure maximum comfort during the procedure, a topical anesthetic (typically lidocaine) will be applied.”

Once you're numb, you’ll go over your outline and color choice with your artist before any tattooing takes place. Then your provider will get started, and the treatment usually takes less than two hours.

Post-treatment, the lips may be swollen, and ice and ibuprofen can help reduce pain and swelling. According to Davis, it’s best to avoid salty and spicy foods for a few days after lip blushing to prevent irritation. Scabbing is the next step, and you’ll want to do as much as you can to make sure scabs fall off naturally.

Moisturizing is key to the healing process—you don’t want that gorgeous color fading sooner than you’d like.

“I always recommend my clients moisturize consistently for several weeks after their service, as lip blush can temporarily compromise the natural moisture barrier of the lips,” says Davis. “Lip chap containing SPF can be used once lips are healed to prolong retention.”