Lip Tattooing

I guess since cosmetic tattoo artists with years of experience ask me to conduct private workshops for them and they send me lip clients by the dozens, I am pretty much thought of as the lip expert in my area. Actually I have lectured in several places in the country on lip tattooing as well.

Here is my secret: Keep it simple and be in charge - period!

No matter what the client does or wants, this means NO extreme, over the lip border stuff unless you are working over baggy, saggy lip tissue. A young firm lip has a definite and noticeable vermilion ridge and it will be obvious if you extend it too much - fake and trashy looking, actually.

Artists who think they can train in lips over a week or two course and produce adequate work are fooling themselves and hurting their clients. You have to have a fair amount of experience in other tattooing before you should attempt lips - they are unlike any other part of the body and are the hardest thing to do.

Once again, I am reading on a message board about how EVERYONE battles to get good color retention in lips....this is a load of horse hocky. If you know what you are doing, what tools to use, what colors to use, you get the job done - PERIOD!

More to follow when I am in the mood...