Despite vowing she’d never get a tattoo, in a recent episode of The Kardashians, Kim revealed she’d had the infinity symbol tattooed on the inside of her bottom lip by tattoo artist Jon Boy. A trend that’s become known as ‘hidden ink’ she’s not the first celeb to stick her lip out for a permanent marker - Miley Cyrus, Kendall Jenner, Kesha and Madison Beer are have all braved the tattoo parlour for some inner pout work.

From symbols to words to abstract designs, there’s a multitude of options to choose from when it comes to inner lip tattoos but with rumours that it’s high up on the pain scale and can fade faster than other areas, there’s definitely some considerations to take before you take the plunge.

Here we ask the top tattoo experts for their advice on inner lip tattoos and if they’re for or against them.

Do inner lip tattoos last?

One of the appealing parts of this kind of tat is that they’re said to fade faster than on other areas of the body and have a shelf life of around five years. Let’s not forget that there’s constant friction against your gums and teeth, saliva, food…our mouths are pretty busy. The skin cells on the inside of your mouth also shed quicker so it’s a bit like a constant exfoliation which could cause it to dwindle over time.

That said, A-list tattoo artist, Mike Love, says that if it’s done correctly, a lip tattoo should last forever. “The ink in this placement does tend to fade and it can spread in places as it can be a little unpredictable as to how it will heal but it’s a permanent tattoo just like anywhere else on your body. If a tattoo artist hasn’t worked on this placement before, they may go too lightly though which could also cause it to fade.”

How painful is an inner lip tattoo?

Despite Kim saying, ‘it was nothing’, inner lip tattoos are said to be one of the most painful as there are so many nerve endings in that area. “Everyone’s pain threshold is different however this is typically a very sensitive spot – I’d rate it a 7/10 on a scale with 0 being no pain at all and 10 breaking a bone. The most common comment is that it feels like a long paper cut on your lip,” explains Mike. Ouch!

You should also consider the fact that you have to hold your inner lip out while it’s tattooed on so that’s an extra level of discomfort to factor in. “My clients find that holding the lip down for the tattoo is actually more uncomfortable than the tattoo itself,” admits tattoo artist, Adam Claridge. On the upside, they usually don’t take very long to administer.