Pros and Cons of Inner Lip Tattoos

Inner lip tattoos have been a huge trend in tattoos since Miley Cyrus debuted her tiger emoji in 2014. To this day people are choosing to get spur of the moment, quirky tattoos inked on their inner lip, and there are actually some good reasons why the inner lip is a good choice.

There are even more reasons, however, why this particular area is not the best suited for ink. We lay out all the pros and cons for you right here.

Inner Lip Tattoo Pros:

Regardless of what your stance is on inner lip tattoos, there are some definite pros to choosing to get inked in that spot. These are a few of the most prevalent pros to getting a tattoo on your inner lip.

They’re Super Trendy

Inner lip tattoos are very trendy, even if they aren’t the tattoo fad of the moment. Celebrities flaunt them on Instagram, and most people get them as a novelty knowing they won’t be permanent. They aren’t always as painful as some people think, either. KT Schuyler says that hers “didn’t hurt anywhere near as much as I was expecting. [The] only spot that was really painful was by where I’ve had it pierced in the past”.

They Can Be Easily Hidden

The inside of your lip is the best spot to get a tattoo if you want to keep on the down low from certain people. These tattoos are completely invisible unless you fold down your lip to show someone.

"Where were you?" – "I got caught!" – "Bullshit! Let me see the inside of your lip."

— Not Mitch Hedberg (@HedbergQuotes) October 26, 2011

They’re Temporary

If you want to get a tattoo, but aren’t sure about making the commitment to having one forever, then an inner lip tattoo might be perfect for you! They don’t last nearly as long as other tattoos simply because of where they’re inked. Your mouth is full of friction and saliva, which makes the ink fade when it wouldn’t normally on another area of your body.

It’s also a great spot for getting obnoxious or otherwise inappropriate tattoos, because they’re easily hidden and are guaranteed to fade.

Cons of Inner Lip Tattoos:

There are quite a few cons to getting tattooed on your inner lip.

To be completely honest, I’ve never done nor seen with my own eyes an inner lip tattoo, so outside of speculation, I’ve got nothing on this one. They just seem like a terrible idea that I wouldn’t entertain – Jenny Fur

They Fade Quickly

If you were hoping for a permanent tattoo, then getting inked on your inner lip is going to cause some disappointment. These tattoos don’t usually last any longer than 5 years at the most, with the average length of time being a few weeks to months.

The inside of your lip is an area that’s always moist, encounters a lot of acidic foods, and rubs against your teeth throughout the day. These factors do not make for a tattoo that’s going to last.

Designs Need To Be Simple

An inner lip tattoo can’t be super intricate and detailed for a few of reasons. One, the area itself is way too small to fit bigger designs, so it’s nearly impossible to add much detail. You have to get a simple micro tattoo design here. Two, the ink will just bleed and turn into a blob. Three, they’re hard to do. Even if you want words, you don’t always have a choice of font when you’re getting it on your inner lip.

They Can Be Painful As Hell

Which makes complete sense when you think about it. Pain is extremely subjective and depends on an individual’s tolerance level, but this is one spot where you’re guaranteed to feel pain on some level. There are tons of nerve endings, and let’s face it, we aren’t used to pain in that particular area, so most people tend to be more sensitive to pain in the inner lip region.

Specialized Aftercare Instructions

Inner lip tattoos require a lot more attention and care than a tattoo in any other spot would. You can’t have any food or drinks whatsoever after your tattoo appointment, at least for a good few hours, so you better make sure you fill up beforehand.

Eating while you have a healing inner lip tattoo can be tricky too. You’ll want to avoid foods that are high in vinegar and acids, because they’ll cause a lot of discomfort for the first few days. You also need to rinse your mouth with an antibacterial rinse after every time you eat – this is something that you’ll need to do the entire time it’s healing, so every day, multiple times a day, for 3-4 weeks. That’s commitment.

An Increased Risk Of Infection

There’s an ugly side to inner lip infections, and that’s just the nature of the chosen spot. The human mouth is a disgusting place, full of all kinds of bacteria, so putting a tattoo there calls for big time aftercare attention. Keep a close eye on your fresh inner lip tattoo, and never skip any aftercare steps. You’ll have quite a bit of swelling and inflammation when it’s freshly done, but once that goes down, it’s just as important to keep up with aftercare until the tattoo is completely healed to minimize any risk of infection.

Inner lip tattoos may seem like a good idea, and there are pros to back that up, but the cons that come with them don’t seem worth it. You don’t get a permanent tattoo, there’s very little creativity involved, and the area itself is just plain risky.