A plastic surgeon weighed in on a 2023 video shared by a TikToker who flew to Colombia to get her lips blushed. His response came as a result of the growing trend of permanent lip enhancements.
@kaylendoesstuff first shared the video on May 19, 2023, and has amassed 22.9 million views as of publication. However, NYC’s top plastic surgeon, Dr. Gary Linkov, commented on her procedure.
@kaylendoesstuff #liptattoofail Whose ? Jules ? #lipblush #liptattoo
♬ original sound - Kaylen
For context, the influencer flew all the way to Colombia to get her lips blushed, but initially had some reservations. She recalled thinking that her lips were fine and perhaps didn’t need any coloring. But went ahead with the procedure anyway.
She got almost the entire process on record, from the numbing to applying the pigment itself. However, with each step, her lips appeared more swollen than when they first began. This was exactly what the renowned plastic surgeon was concerned about.
First, the expert mentioned that ‘Lip Blushing’ is generally a permanent type of makeup. Next, he explained each step of the procedure. Shortly after her lips were numbed, he pointed out that her lips were already quite swollen.
@kaylendoesstuff Replying to @Dalya Scott my day by day and current day results are on my youtube @kaylendoesstuff@Kaylen :) ive pretty much finished healing. I explain everything and respond to the virality there ? sorry im late i havent had wifi im ofc on a random island near Nicaragua lmaoo
♬ original sound - Kaylen
He also explained that this was completely normal and would happen anytime lips are cosmetically manipulated. When the video got to the point where the technician applied color to her lips, he noted that the red applied was highly pigmented.
But he knew that it would probably fade in time; until that happened, it would look “very red.” He further expressed that sometimes it's better to stick with lipstick. But respected people's choice to have their lips permanently pigmented.
He claimed not to know how far along she was in terms of the procedure, and assumed it was pretty fresh. But claimed that only “time will tell” if things settle down with the swelling. Well, it most certainly did settle down.
The Plastic Surgeon Was Right—It Did Settle Down
Shortly after the woman’s experience went viral across social media, she addressed concerns, comments, and criticism in another video that same year. She explained that it had only been a day since she first posted that video on TikTok.
In one video, she advised followers against getting the procedure because the swelling truly hurt. In another, she shared the results, looking far better than when she had swollen red lips. Like the cosmetic expert predicted, the swelling did come down and was no longer red.
@kaylendoesstuff Replying to @Dalya Scott full video showing my results with no lip gloss, if it was worth it, and what i learned from the experience on my YouTube. Thank you guys for all the love and funny comments ??@Kaylen
♬ original sound - Kaylen
She told viewers that she and her friend got it done from the same place for about $50 at the time. But, according to her, the individual who did the procedure apparently did not understand color theory.
The content creator claimed her friend’s results were far more “cuter” than hers. The influencer continues to share her life on TikTok, living in Colombia. She remains transparent about her cosmetic enhancements with her followers.
Editor's Note: The details above solely reflect the updates and claims shared by @kaylendoesstuff on TikTok and @drgarylinkov on YouTube. The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify these claims. Readers are advised to seek medical and professional expertise before undergoing permanent cosmetic enhancements like lip blushing.
