So You Want a Lip Tattoo?

Inner lip tattoos (or underlip tattoos) seem to be big right now. We've been seeing a spike in requests for them. A sneaky tattoo on the inside of your mouth. Yesss. But before you throw down money for a lip tattoo, here's what you need to know.

Lip tattoos probably won't hold well.

That's not because you had a "bad artist" and it's also not necessarily because you didn't take care of it right. Certain body parts simply don't hold ink the same as other parts. For more information on where tattoos fade the most, read this.

Lip tattoos are prone to fading because of fast skin cell turnover -- think about how fast your lip heals when you bite it. Saliva helps mouth wounds heal quickly, which is great when healing your tattoo, but not great if you want it to last a lifetime.

Because lip tattoos are highly prone to fading or falling out, they are not guaranteed the same as other tattoos. With other tattoos, your artist will offer free touch-ups, if needed. But it would be an infinite touch-up session to offer free touch-ups for your inner lip.

How Long Does a Lip Tattoo Last?

How long a lip tattoo lasts depends a lot on the person and how their skin sheds and is used; this is an uncontrollable variable. Again, completely out of your artist's hands. A lip tattoo can last between 1-3 years, but it can be longer. Or shorter. There's no way to guarantee how long it'll last or even that it will last at all.

So if you want to get a lip tattoo and you want it to continue to look good over time, you should budget a (not free) touch-up every year. (Sort of like cosmetic tattoos, like your eyebrows. You gotta go in for annual coloring.)

Do Lip Tattoos Hurt?

Lips are definitely one of the most painful places to get a tattoo, and the process isn't comfortable. You have to hold out your lower lip and stay totally still while getting the tattoo.

How Do I Take Care of an Inner Lip Tattoo?

If you still decide to get an inside lip tattoo, while it's healing, you'll want to avoid spicy and acidic food that can affect the healing process. Avoid smoking, chewing tobacco, drinking alcohol and using mouthwash with alcohol, and other activities that can irritate the area.

Keep it clean! Just like any tattoo. Along those lines, avoid kissing people (and introducing new bacteria to your mouth) while it's healing.