5. First, Do No Harm!
How to do the procedure with less traumatization?
The saying "First, do no harm!" is a cornerstone in medical and aesthetic fields. It stresses that the safety and well-being of the patient or client should always be the priority. This principle is vital in lip pigmentation, emphasizing the need to make the procedure as safe and minimally invasive as possible.
Correct Needle Selection
To achieve this, many artists prefer using 1RL needles instead of 3RL needles. While larger needles can speed up filling in the inner lip area, they also increase the risk of damaging the skin in the Vermilion zone. Therefore, choosing a smaller needle to minimize skin trauma is better, even if the procedure takes longer.
Less Anesthetics
Be judicious with anesthetics, starting with pre-numbing. First, assess if pre-numbing is even necessary. Many beginners reflexively use it, but if a client has never undergone a lip procedure, it's often unnecessary and should be skipped.
The same caution applies to additional numbing during the procedure. Each layer of anesthetic can alter the skin's structure and trigger bodily reactions. This can make the skin harder, complicating the achievement of a flawless result with minimal damage. Experienced artists recommend moving to a new, "fresh" section of the lips in such situations. Allow the impacted area to "rest" before returning to it, rather than applying more numbing agents.
Blowouts and Migration
Over-numbing can also limit valuable client feedback, leading to issues like blowouts and migration, especially for beginners. A "blowout" is the unintended spread of pigment under the skin, often resulting from going too deep with the needle or applying too much pressure. This can lead to uneven color and blurred boundaries.
Migration refers to the pigment moving away from its original location over time. This is more likely in areas with thinner or more delicate skin, like the lips or eyes, resulting in a smudged or feathered appearance over time. These issues are more likely to occur if the artist doesn't receive feedback from the client due to excessive numbing.
Anesthetic and Actual Causes of Pain
From a dermatological perspective, anesthetics are generally needed only for skin with scarring, which is much more painful. Scarring on lips can happen for two main reasons: the client has had lip herpes, or they've had previous lip pigmentation procedures. If neither applies to your client, you can proceed with the Lipstick Style lip pigmentation without using any anesthetics.