Aftercare is the most important factor determining how well your lip blush looks in the long term. A good treatment with perfect aftercare beats an excellent treatment with poor aftercare. Understanding exactly what to do and what to avoid during healing gives you the best chance of a beautiful, long-lasting result.
I provide written aftercare instructions to every client, but this guide covers the complete routine in detail. It explains the why behind each guideline so you understand the purpose. When you understand why something matters, you’re more likely to follow through.
The Critical First Week: Days One Through Seven
The first week is when your lips are most vulnerable and when the pigment is most likely to be lost. Anything that compromises the healing process during this week directly affects your final result.
Water is the biggest enemy during the first week. Your lips are tiny open wounds at the microscopic level. Water breaks down the clotting that’s forming and washes away pigment. Don’t shower over your face. Don’t submerge your lips in water. Don’t expose them to water spray.
If you accidentally get water on your lips, gently pat them completely dry with a clean tissue. Don’t rub. Don’t leave them wet. Moisture left on the healing area can cause uneven fading.
You cannot swim, bathe, or soak in water for the first seven days. If you have a shower, keep your face out of the water stream. Some people use a shield or cover their lips with a waterproof bandage to be extra safe, though this is usually unnecessary if you’re careful.
Sun exposure causes uneven fading. Avoid direct sun on your lips for the first two weeks. If you need to go outside, wear a hat or stay in the shade. SPF won’t fully protect healing skin, so prevention is better than protection.
Heat increases swelling and inflammation. No saunas, steam rooms, hot showers (keep face out of water), or intense heat exposure. No exercise that makes you sweat. No hot beverages near your mouth where steam could reach your lips.
Sweat is basically salty water, and salt water breaks down the healing barrier. Avoid any activity that causes sweating for the first week. This includes exercise, hot work environments, and anything that heats your body significantly.
The Aftercare Balm Routine
Apply the provided aftercare balm every two to three hours during the first week. This is not optional. The balm keeps your lips moisturized and supports the healing barrier.
Use only the balm I provide. Don’t substitute with other lip balms, Vaseline, or other moisturizers. The balm is specifically formulated to support healing of fresh pigment. Other products might contain ingredients that interfere with the healing process.
Apply the balm thinly. A little goes a long way. You want your lips moisturized but not oversaturated. If you use too much, it can trap moisture and actually interfere with healing.
By week two, you can transition to a regular SPF lip balm if you want. The critical healing phase is mostly done by then. Continue applying it several times daily, especially if you’re going outside.
Keep the balm with you always during the first week. Have it at work, in your bag, at home. Whenever you feel your lips getting dry, apply it. This keeps them moisturized and protected throughout the day.
What to Eat During Healing
Avoid very hot foods and drinks. Heat increases inflammation and swelling. Room temperature or cool foods are better. This doesn’t mean frozen, just not steaming hot.
Avoid spicy foods. Spice increases inflammation and can make your lips feel uncomfortable. Stick to bland, cool foods for the first few days.
Avoid foods that require a lot of lip movement. Crunchy foods, hard foods, or foods that are messy might disrupt the healing area. Soft foods are gentler. Smooth, creamy foods are ideal.
Avoid salty foods. Salt draws water out of skin, which can interfere with healing. Salt water or salt spray can break down the pigment barrier.
Avoid foods that stain. Berry juices, red sauces, or other highly pigmented foods can stain your lips and make it hard to monitor the actual color of your new lip blush. Stick to neutral foods for the first week.
Hydration is important. Drink plenty of water, but don’t let the water touch your lips directly. Sip slowly and gently. Don’t press a water bottle lip to your lips; take small sips instead.
Sleep Position and Bedtime Routine
Sleep with your head elevated. Use an extra pillow to keep your head higher than your heart. This reduces overnight swelling and helps your body metabolize the swelling more efficiently.
Don’t sleep on your face. Try to sleep on your back or with your head turned so your lips don’t press into the pillow. Pressing your lips into a pillow can disrupt the healing barrier and cause uneven healing.
You might drool slightly during sleep, which is fine. Your lips will adjust. If you wake up and your lips feel sticky or have saliva on them, gently pat them dry and reapply balm.
Your first night after treatment might be uncomfortable because of swelling and tenderness. This improves each night. By night three or four, sleeping should be much more comfortable.
Medications and Products to Avoid
Avoid ibuprofen the day of and day after treatment if possible. While it helps with pain, it also thins blood and can cause more bleeding during treatment and early healing. Acetaminophen is a safer choice for pain management.
Avoid retinoids, vitamin A, acids, and other potentially irritating topical products on or near your lips. These can interfere with healing and cause sensitivity.
Avoid makeup on your lips for the first week. Even “permanent makeup” specific products can interfere with healing. Once the scabbing is done (around day seven), you can wear makeup if you want, but it’s not necessary and some women prefer to skip it while lips are healing.
Avoid lip scrubs and lip treatments. Nothing goes on your lips except the provided balm during the first week. No exfoliation, no treatments, no products other than the balm.
Avoid mouthwash with strong alcohol content. This can irritate the healing area. Warm salt water is fine for rinsing your mouth after eating.
Smoking and Alcohol
Smoking reduces blood flow to the area, which compromises healing. If at all possible, avoid smoking for the first week. If you can’t avoid it completely, minimize it as much as you can.
Secondhand smoke should also be avoided if possible. Any smoke exposure can affect healing. This is one of the most important things you can control to ensure good healing.
Alcohol thins your blood, which can cause more bleeding and swelling. Avoid alcohol for at least 24 to 48 hours after treatment. After that, minimal alcohol is fine, but it’s still not ideal during the first week.
Week Two Through Four: Continuing Care
By week two, the scabbing should be mostly done and you can be a bit less restrictive. You can shower normally, but avoid direct water spray on your lips. You can eat normally. You can return to light exercise.
Continue using SPF lip balm whenever you go outside. Sun protection during this phase prevents uneven fading. The pigment is still integrating and sun can cause color loss.
By week three, most restrictions are lifted. You can do all normal activities. You should still use SPF lip balm during sun exposure.
Continue using lip balm regularly even during weeks three and four as your lips finish healing. Keep them moisturized. This supports the healing process and helps prevent any issues.
Don’t judge the color until week four when healing is completely done. During weeks two and three, your lips are still changing as the inflammation settles and the pigment fully integrates.
Long-Term Care After Healing
Once you’re past the healing phase (week four), your lips are back to normal. But a few habits extend how long your lip blush lasts and keeps the color looking fresh.
Use SPF lip balm daily, especially if you spend time outside. UV exposure causes pigment to fade faster. Protecting your lips from sun keeps the color vibrant for longer.
Minimize smoking. Smoking stains lips and can affect the color of the pigment. It also reduces blood flow, which can affect how the pigment is maintained.
Avoid extreme heat and sweat exposure (saunas, hot work environments) regularly. Heat doesn’t affect healed pigment the way it does healing pigment, but excessive heat exposure over time can accelerate fading.
If you notice the color starting to fade (usually around month 12 to 18), you can choose to get a top-up to refresh the color. A touch-up deepens the pigment and extends how long it lasts.
The Top-Up Appointment and Beyond
Your top-up appointment is six weeks after the initial treatment. Healing from the top-up is faster and easier than from the initial treatment because your skin has already been treated once.
After the top-up, follow a simplified aftercare routine for a few days. Avoid water and sun for the first week after the top-up, just like after the initial treatment, but the restrictions are usually easier to follow because the area is less sensitive.
Future top-ups (if you choose to do them) happen around one year after the initial treatment or when the color has faded noticeably and you want to refresh it. Each top-up extends the lasting power of the color.
What Happens If You Don’t Follow Aftercare
Poor aftercare leads to poor results. If you expose your lips to water during the first week, the pigment is literally washed away. Uneven water exposure causes uneven fading. Some parts of your lips will hold color better than others.
If you don’t apply the balm regularly, your lips dry out and the healing barrier breaks down. This causes pigment loss and can lead to scabbing that’s heavier or healing that’s slower.
If you expose your lips to sun during the first two weeks, the color fades unevenly. Some areas might be noticeably lighter than others.
If you don’t protect your lips from sweat and heat, your body sheds the pigment along with sweat and the color doesn’t take as well. The pigment doesn’t integrate as effectively into your skin.
Good aftercare is the difference between excellent results and disappointing results. The treatment itself matters, but your responsibility during healing matters just as much.
Book your lip blush appointment and I’ll provide detailed written aftercare instructions. I’m also available by email or phone during your healing if you have questions about whether something is okay to do or if you’re concerned about your healing progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I shower after lip blush?
You can shower, but you need to keep the water off your lips for the first week. Direct water spray or immersion in water will wash away pigment and disrupt healing. Shower normally but avoid getting your face wet. After week one, you can shower normally and let water touch your lips without worry.
What’s the best lip balm to use?
Use only the aftercare balm provided by your artist during the first week. It’s specifically formulated to support healing of fresh pigment. After the first week, you can use any gentle, SPF lip balm. Avoid balms with strong flavors, essential oils, or irritating ingredients while your lips are healing.
Is it okay if my lips feel a little dry?
Some dryness is normal, especially during the scabbing phase. Apply the balm more frequently. Dryness means your lips need more moisture. But make sure you’re not oversaturating them either. A thin layer of balm applied frequently is better than a thick layer applied rarely.
Can I wear makeup over my healing lip blush?
Not during the first week while the scabs are forming. Once the scabbing is mostly done (around day seven), you can wear makeup if you want, but many women choose not to during healing. After healing is complete (week four), you can wear any makeup you want over your lips.
What if I accidentally get water on my lips?
Gently pat them completely dry with a clean tissue. Don’t rub. Don’t leave them wet. One incident of water exposure isn’t a disaster, but repeated or prolonged water exposure during the first week can affect your results. Just dry them and move on. Be more careful next time.
