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Lip Blushing. Have you heard of it? Yelp - a pretty huge online directory in the USA - has named it the top beauty trend for 2022, with searches for the treatment increasing by 130%. If in any doubt then head over to TikTok, where all the cool kids are hashtagging #lipblush and #lipblushing over 115 million times and with nearly 55 million views. Okay... we better find out what the experts think of this then!
Lip Blushing - is it the next big thing?
Lip blushing is a type of semi-permanent cosmetic tattooing procedure and works by depositing coloured pigments in your lips using teeny tiny needles. You might be more familiar with lip tattooing which is generally used to create a lip-liner effect, blushing is more of an enhancement, rather than the standard art of lip tattooing.
If you've had your eyebrows micro-bladed, it's basically the same thing - but for your lips! You choose a coloured ink and it's embedded into the lips, so they look 'made up' constantly. But, it can also have a natural effect and make lips look more defined and fuller. Think of it as semi-permanent lipstick!
A before and after of lip blushing (these images are not verified by Glowday - please do your own research before going ahead with any treatment and ask your beauty therapist for real patient photos)
Lip blushing can help if you’d like to achieve more symmetry and tone. Your provider will likely help you choose a natural-looking pigment for your treatment, but essentially lip blushing can change the colour and shape of your lips.
Hannah Taaffe is the resident semi-permanent make-up artist at Dr MJ Rowland's aesthetic practice Smileworks in Liverpool, which offers semi-permanent treatments alongside its medical aesthetics treatments believing they all go hand-in-hand with the effortless beauty look. Hannah specialises in Lip Blushing and says: "In the past year I am seeing and treating more and more people for Lipblush - I’d go as far to say as it’s as requested as much as semi-permanent eyebrows.
Hannah continues: "Ladies who are more mature are asking for this treatment, as many don’t want lip fillers. As we age, lips loose their colour, volume and in general tend to blend into the background. Lip Blushing is the perfect treatment for adding a splash of colour and improving symmetry and shape , giving a fuller more youthful appearance . You can actually go as far as increasing lip size by 1-2mm outside of the vermillion boarder, without going onto the skin. It's a very popular treatment!"
One of Hannah's clients after their Lip Blush treatment feeling very pleased with her new, pinker lips!
Apples and pears. They're different. But as we have just learned, they can go hand in hand and while Lip Blushing may not be *better* than lip fillers per se, it can be an alternative and a good option for people who for whatever reason simply don't want lip filler. However, Dr Emmaline Ashley from Ashley Aesthetics urges caution and says "while anyone who is interested in it is more than welcome to try it, do not be misled into thinking it will give you the same rejuvenation, volume, or hydration as a filler treatment. It simply cannot!"
Amar Suchde from AMS Aesthetics says Lip Blushing can be of great benefit to many people who may not be suitable candidates for lip filler. Amar says:
"It's a great treatment for people who perhaps have thin lips or lips which have been impacted by extrinsic factors such as too much sun worshipping or smoking. The ageing process will play its part too - it's a big factor - if they've lost more of their bone in that area and the fibrous tissue, the collagen fibres are not as strong as they once were, so people can lose structure around that area and won't be suitable for lip filler treatment. Therefore Lip Blushing can be of benefit to these people and be of real value to them in creating the structure they need, or want, which could be too difficult to achieve with lip filler."
Amar says Lip Blush is a great alternative for people who aren't suitable for lip fillers. Maybe not blue, though, eh?
Well, only you can answer that. It's a personal decision based on what your goals are. Shelley Folkes at The Glow Clinic Hereford, says:
"I’m not sure it’s an alternative to Lip Fillers as such, as fillers increase volume and a large percentage of my lip patients are looking for smoothing of peri oral lines which lip blushing wouldn’t achieve. I’ve seen some lovely results on photos of immediately treated lips however once the colour has faded, personally, I’m not sure if it’s worth it? The ones I’ve seen have been very, very subtle once settled. I suppose it would depend on what colour you went for. Although who would want full on colour all the time? It can definitely help with definition around the edges which is flattering and youthful so perhaps it has its spot as a more subtle option for lips and in terms of application I assume it has less risks than filler. It seems popular so it has its place!”
As with any form of permanent or semi-permanent make up there are risks. Typically they will range from infection to allergic reactions - swelling, bruising and redness will also be usual. Perhaps the biggest risk is going to someone who doesn't know what they're doing and a poor technique leaves you with silly coloured lips, wonky lips, or an uneven application. So as well as making sure your beauty therapist is using a sterile and safe technique, you want to be sure they are good at what they do and have a lot of experience.
Similar to a skin tattoo, there will also likely to be some peeling as the lip blushing heals.
It will depend greatly on where you are in the UK and who you see, but expect to pay around £400 for an experienced beauty therapist.
While most of the aesthetic clinics on Glowday will only specialise in medical aesthetics (Botox, Fillers, Profhilo, Chemical Peels and Microneedling) some of larger practices will offer complimentary beauty treatments with incredible beauty therapists. While you can't yet book these treatments directly on Glowday, if you're interested in Lip Blush, we highly recommend that you find an aesthetic clinic where medical professionals are in charge, such as Smileworks. While they might not administer the treatment themselves as their beauty therapists will be far better trained and skilled in this treatment, they will have oversight of the clinic and work with the best beauty experts. And who knows, you could be tempted by a spot of filler while you're there!
