Tattoos in the inner lip are the hardest to care for because the excessive moisture and their tendency to fade. Forty percent of inner lip tattoos completely fade because of improper care, some even within the first few days. With the proper care you can keep an inner lip tattoo clean and prevent fading.
Ask your artist what they recommend for you to use for after care. They will probably tell you to keep it as dry as possible for the next four to five days while the tattoo heals.
You can fold a piece of paper towel so that it fits in the inside of your lip. This will keep your lip from rubbing against your teeth and help the tattoo stay drier.
You shouldn't wash your tattoo with antimicrobial soaps or apply lotions. After care for an inner lip tattoo is different then other tattoos. If anything you can apply a small amount of A & D vitamin ointment to the inside of your lip.
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Leave it alone. The mouth heals faster than any other part of the body, allowing it to heal by itself is best.
You should focus on keeping the inside of your lip as dry as you can, but you can eat and drink without messing it up.
Overnight you may want to place paper towels under your tongue and in your cheeks where your salivary glands are to absorb more saliva and keep your tattoo drier while you sleep.
At the third day your tattoo will have done most of its healing, so you can stop walking around with a mouth stuffed with paper towels
Fading is inevitable, but the better you care for your tattoo the less it will fade. If your tattoo does fade you can go to the tattoo artist and they should retouch it for free. Allow yourself 2-3 weeks before a retouch to allow the swelling and bruising to go away.
Tips
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When considering whether or not to get a tattoo in your inner lip:
Do research! Make sure that the parlor you go to uses surgically sterile needles and other safe and clean practices.
Find a tattoo artists who has experience in doing inner lip tattoos. Ask him or her if they've ever done one before. Tattooing in the mouth is unlike other places, don't let an artist experiment on you, especially if you are paying. Get an artist who has experience or your tattoo will look incredibly crappy.