The lips are one of the primary features defining facial appearance. Throughout history and across cultures, people—especially women—have sought every means to enhance and beautify their lips, adding natural charm and allure. Today, the advent of permanent lip makeup has resolved the daily hassle of repeated lip application, allowing beauty to remain permanently on the lips. However, permanent lip makeup is an extremely delicate and high-precision art form; failure can result in lifelong regret.Over recent years, through repeated practice, I have gradually developed a relatively successful set of techniques, which I now share for the reference of fellow practitioners.
I. Pre-operative preparation is crucial to success.
1. Three days prior to the procedure, the patient should take Banlangen granules orally and receive intravenous metronidazole or other broad-spectrum antibiotics to create an optimal physical environment for the lip tattooing process.
2. Starting three days before the procedure, the patient must avoid certain foods, primarily pungent, spicy, or irritating items like raw garlic, raw onions, and chili peppers. Additionally, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and seafood should be avoided. This dietary restriction must be maintained throughout the entire lip tattooing process until the wound is fully healed, typically around two days.
3. Select an appropriate timing. Women should generally avoid undergoing lip tinting during menstruation; the optimal time is one week after the menstrual period ends.
4. Determine whether the client experiences frequent or seasonal cold sores on the lips. If so, in addition to intravenous or oral antibiotics three days prior to the procedure, oral vitamin C should also be taken. Oral vitamin C and antiviral medication should continue for five days post-procedure.5. Select colors based on the client's age, skin tone, and natural lip color. For pale lips or younger clients, bright red, deep red, or vermilion shades are suitable. Older clients or those with darker lips should opt for light red shades; avoid coffee brown, as it may create an unhealthy liver-like hue. Color selection requires careful consideration.
6. Technicians must wear masks during procedures, disinfect hands with 75% alcohol, and ensure all instruments undergo strict sterilization with aseptic technique. Pre-procedure oral hygiene and lip disinfection are mandatory: clients must rinse with mouthwash, while lips are disinfected three times from inner to outer edges using 75% alcohol swabs.
7. Adhere to a single-needle-per-client policy and use individual pigment sets to prevent cross-contamination.
8. Lip tinting is generally unsuitable for individuals with poor blood clotting, allergic constitutions, or keloid-prone skin.
9. Adjust needle tip length before starting; 1.8mm is typically optimal.
10. Pre-procedure removal of any lip line markings left during design is essential to prevent infection. II. Lip design is pivotal to achieving lasting beauty on the lips and serves as a benchmark for an aesthetician's artistic judgment. 1. Lip design must integrate individual lip shape, facial structure, nose profile, eye shape, age, and skin tone.
2. When designing lip contours, pay attention to the proportion between upper and lower lips. However, whether expanding outward or contracting inward, the design should closely follow the natural vermilion border and should not exceed 1.5mm to avoid compromising aesthetics.
3. For individuals with broad faces and prominent chins, design plump, rounded lips.
4. For narrow, pointed faces, design a "cherry mouth" lip shape.
5. Customers with downturned corners appear aged. When designing the lip shape, extend the lower lip line toward the corners while slightly shortening the upper lip length to create a lifting effect at the corners.
In summary, lip design must achieve: elegant curves, contours that follow natural peaks, and adherence to the vermilion border. Overall vertical and horizontal adjustments are crucial to create lips suited for diverse face shapes.
III. Key Considerations During and After Lip Tattooing.
III. Key Considerations During and After Lip Tattooing.
1. First, apply pre-cut olive-shaped cotton pads soaked in epinephrine hydrochloride solution over the entire lip area for 15-20 minutes. Once the skin turns completely white, apply the anesthetic. After the anesthetic takes effect, the client may feel lip swelling. To prevent misunderstanding, provide a small mirror for the client to confirm their lips remain undistorted and unswollen.
2. When outlining the lip line, use a gliding needle technique at a 45-degree angle to the skin, repeating the process 4-5 times for optimal color retention.
3. During lip tinting, apply the pigment using a "mesh" needle technique 4-5 times. Avoid wiping while tinting; allow sufficient time for pigment penetration. Typically, after 8 minutes, gently press and wipe the area.
4. Adhere to the principle: "Light is better than dark; narrow is better than wide."
5. Avoid applying any topical medications to the lips post-procedure. Continue oral and intravenous antibiotics for 3-5 days.
6. Regularly cleanse lips with cotton balls soaked in gentamicin solution to accelerate wound healing.
7. After lip tinting, temporary uneven pigmentation may occur. Avoid any lip enhancement methods (e.g., lip liner, lipstick) during this period. Within 1-2 months, the color will even out, revealing naturally beautiful lips.but poorly done, it can backfire, even disfiguring the face. Some aestheticians today prioritize lip tattooing techniques while neglecting pre-procedure sterilization and lip design, often failing to achieve the desired results. My experience in lip tattooing is that proper technique must be combined with thorough pre-procedure preparation and perfect lip design to truly achieve that "cherry on top" effect.