How you care for your lip blush is just as important as the treatment itself when it comes to achieving the best healed results.

 

You will receive detailed aftercare instructions by email before your appointment, and your PMU artist will also talk you through everything you need to know during your treatment. Your aftercare may be adjusted slightly depending on your skin type and how your lips respond, but the following is a general guide.

 

Immediately After Your Treatment

Immediately after your lip blush treatment, your lips will appear stronger, bolder and darker than your desired healed result. Some swelling is also completely normal. Treat your lips gently and follow your aftercare instructions carefully.

 

Do not get your lips wet until all flaking has completely finished, except for the specific cleansing routine outlined below for Days 1–2.

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Days 1–2: Cleansing & Balm

Gently cleanse your lips using clean water - either bottled, distilled or cooled boiled water.

• Using clean hands, gently wash the area using small circular movements or light strokes. Don’t be afraid to cleanse thoroughly - we need to remove any lymph fluid or excess pigment from the surface of the skin.

• After washing, thoroughly pat the area completely dry using clean kitchen roll. Your lips should be completely dry before applying your balm.

• Apply your recommended balm using either a clean finger or directly from the tube. If applying directly from the tube, make sure you clean the nozzle between uses.

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Repeat this routine approximately every 2 hours, or at least 3 times throughout each day. You do not need to wake during the night to do this.

 

From Day 1 until all flaking has finished:

• Avoid spicy, acidic or very salty foods.

• Drink through a straw where possible.

• Avoid strongly coloured drinks such as coffee and red wine.

• When eating, try to keep food from coming into direct contact with your lips.

• Avoid whitening toothpaste and mouthwash.

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Days 3–5: The Flaking Stage

Your lips may begin to scab, flake and peel quite intensely during this stage. Don’t panic - this is a normal part of the healing process and usually passes relatively quickly. If your lips feel particularly dry or uncomfortable, you can gently pat a small amount of your recommended balm onto the area. Do not rub or massage the lips. If your lips feel comfortable, you can leave them completely alone during this stage.

 

Until all flaking has completely finished, please avoid:

• Getting your lips wet unnecessarily - baths may be preferable to showers.

• Excessive exercise and sweating.

• Hot steam, saunas and swimming.

• Rubbing or using abrasive products such as towels, flannels or exfoliants.

• Touching, picking or peeling the skin.

• Soaps, makeup or other products on the lips.

• Facial treatments such as laser, facials or waxing where the area may be affected.

• Lash treatments where products may come into contact with your lips.

• Direct sun exposure and sunbeds. If sun exposure is unavoidable, protect the area with a hat or other suitable covering.

• Bleach, fake tan or other chemical products around the area.

 

Most importantly, do not pick or pull at any flaking skin. Allow it to come away naturally.

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The Ghosting Phase

Once all the flaking has finished, it is completely normal for your lips to appear pale, patchy or even almost colourless. This is known as the ‘ghosting phase’ and is a completely normal part of the healing process. The colour will gradually begin to return as your lips continue to heal over the following weeks. Once the flaking has completely finished, you can return to your normal routine, including getting your lips wet and applying lip balm as usual.

 

Your true healed colour will not be visible for approximately 4 weeks after your treatment.

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Your Perfecting Session

If, after 4 weeks, you feel that your colour has not fully returned from the ghosting phase, or your skin has not responded as expected, please don’t worry. Everyone’s skin heals differently, and your PMU artist can assess your healed results and make any necessary adjustments during your perfecting session. Your perfecting session will be tailored to how your lips have healed and what you would like to achieve. This may involve adding more colour, increasing definition, strengthening the overall result or adjusting the tone.

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Long-Term Lip Blush Care

Once your lips have fully healed, protecting them from the sun is one of the best ways to help maintain your results. Try to avoid prolonged sun exposure wherever possible. When sun exposure is unavoidable, use a high-factor SPF 50 lip product.

 

Some lip balms already contain SPF, but we particularly like:

• La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF50+ Stick Sensitive Lips

• Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Targeted Sun Defense Stick SPF50

 

We also recommend avoiding skincare or lip products containing exfoliating acids such as AHAs and BHAs around the lips, as these may contribute to premature fading.

 

With the right aftercare and ongoing protection, you can help keep your lip blush looking fresh and beautiful for longer.

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Colour Refreshes

Lip blush is designed to fade gradually over time, but it can be surprisingly difficult to judge how much pigment has actually faded. The natural colour of your lips can change throughout the day depending on factors such as temperature, hydration, circulation and even how your lips are feeling on the day. This can sometimes make your lip blush appear more faded than it really is. When assessing whether you’re ready for a colour refresh, try gently stretching your lips to see the pigment more clearly. This can help reveal how much of your implanted pigment is still present beneath your natural lip colour. To be suitable for a colour refresh, your existing lip blush should be at least 50% faded or desaturated. There needs to be sufficient pigment loss to safely add more without risking over saturation.

 

If you're unsure if your lips are ready for a colour refresh, please send some images so your artist can assess and advise whether you are ready for a colour refresh or whether further fading would be recommended first. This ensures we can continue to achieve the best possible results while protecting the long-term appearance of your lip blush.