Microblading & Semi-Permanent Makeup Pre & Post-Care

Microblading and Semi-Permanent Makeup pre and post-care information

Fifty percent of the outcome of your microbladed brows is dependent upon proper aftercare. In order for your new brows to heal properly and look their best, the pre & post-care Instructions found below are extremely important.

Microblading and Semi-Permanent Makeup Pre-care

• Do not work out at least 6 hours before procedure.

• No alcohol or caffeine 24 hours before procedure.

• Avoid sun and tanning two weeks prior to procedure.

• Do not take Aspirin, Niacin, Vitamin E or Advil/Ibuprofen 48 hours before procedure.

• Avoid Fish Oil, Prenatal Vitamins, Nutritional Shakes (Shakeology, etc),  and "Hair, Skin, & Nail" supplements 3 days prior to procedure.

• No brow waxing, tinting, henna or threading one week prior to the appointment. The more natural hair growth you have, the better actually!

• No microdermabrasion or laser or chemical peels four weeks prior.

• Discontinue Retin-A, Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), and any chemical exfoliant or “brightening” skincare at least 2 weeks prior.

• Do not use AHA, or any chemical exfoliant or “brightening” skincare products close to the eyebrow area 2 weeks prior to and 2 weeks after your procedure as these can prematurely fade the microbladed brows.

• No Botox around the brow area 2 weeks prior.

• Please Note: You will be more sensitive during your menstrual cycle. These Pre-Care instructions are designed to limit bleeding and skin sensitivities during the service. Excessive bleeding during the procedure will dilute the pigment and can lead to poor results!

Microblading and Semi-Permanent Makeup Post-care

Treat your microbladed brows like an open wound.

• Keep the brow area clean by using a gentle fragrance-free cleanser and water with freshly washed hands morning and night (2x/day). Do not use a washcloth or sponge and clean area by moving in the direction of the hair growth.

• Allow eyebrows to air dry before applying a thin layer of aftercare ointment/gel.

• Apply a very thin layer of aftercare ointment/gel given with a Q-tip 5-7 times/day the first 3 days, 3-5 times for TWO WEEKS.

• DO NOT rub, pick or scratch the treated area. Let any scabbing or dry skin naturally exfoliate off. Picking can cause scarring and pigment loss.

• Avoid sun exposure, tanning beds, pool (chlorine is irritating), sauna, steam rooms, hot showers and/or hot baths for 2 weeks.

• Avoid physical effort, gym and any other activity that may cause excessive sweating for at least 5 and up to 14 days.

• Avoid sleeping on your face for the first 7 days.

• NO makeup or skincare products to be used on the treated area (forehead and brows) for 7-10 days or until healed.

• NO Botox around the brow area for two weeks after.

• NO facials, chemical treatments and microdermabrasion for 4 weeks.

• After 14 days, once the area has healed completely, use sunblock (at least SPF 30, if not 50) on the brows to help prevent the color from fading.

• Eyebrow tinting should not be undertaken for 2 weeks after your procedure.

• Avoid Retin-A close to brow area.

• Please note: Immediately following your procedure, the brows will appear up to 20-40%  darker and bolder in color and up to 15% thicker than they will be once they are healed.  The brow area may feel a bit like sunburn immediately afterwards, but expect minimal discomfort overall.  During the initial healing period, the brows will go through various stages, and some scabbing or flaking of the skin may occur.  If scabbing or flaking is present, do not pick the scabs or dry skin; allow the scab or dry skin to flake off on its own to avoid pulling the pigment off prematurely.

• The complete healing process takes about 4-8 weeks, at which time the true color of the tattoo is evident.  During this process, your tattoo will soften and lighten before your skin naturally exfoliates revealing the pigment that has been deposited. Wait at least 4 weeks to see the true color and shape represented. It can be a bit of a roller coaster, so just trust the process and be patient. A routine touch up, or adjustment if needed, (which is NOT INCLUDED in the initial cost) is recommended after 4-8 weeks when we will assess the healed strokes, and add any detail or make changes to color and shape at this time. I promise it is all worth it!

Healing Time

• Permanent makeup will appear extremely intense and thick immediately after the procedure. The color will not even look right the first few days. Other factors are added to the permanent makeup pigment bottles to counteract the undertones of facial skin. Browns can look orangish-brown, blonde brows may look too yellow, lip colors are shocking! Some colors initially look too bright and others look too dark. But don't worry - it changes. Excess pigment sheds off over the next 2-3 days, and then the skin starts healing over. A layer of healed skin on top of the pigment masks and tones it down considerably. As swelling goes down the lines will be thinner. On about day fourth you are close to looking normal. Colors will continue to soften over the next few weeks. It will look very natural in 2-3 months. It looks even softer and lighter in 7-9 month time period. OUTER HEALING completes in about 3-7 days for eyes, 7-10 days for lips. INNER HEALING completes in 1-2 months.

• Swelling and bruising may be affected by age, food and meds consumed, and hormonal cycles. It could be everything from no noticeable swelling to bruising. Brows have minimal swelling. Eyes have moderate swelling, but can be easily hidden with sunglasses. Generally speaking, younger women’s eyes swell less and the swelling goes down faster after eyeliner procedures. Older women have loose skin that provides a greater water holding pocket. Additionally, circulation and cellular turnover slows with aging. Lips can swell four times their normal size, and there is no hiding them. Use surgical masks if you are making a trip to the store. After three or four days when the area is healed enough that you don’t have to worry about infection, you can go back to your daily makeup routine.

• How quickly a client returns to work depends on which permanent makeup procedure she had performed, and what type of occupation she has (greets the public, or works more privately in office). Eyes and brows are a breeze. Clients have eyes and brows done on Friday or Saturday and return to work Monday. Lips are a bigger ordeal. Clients usually have lips done on Thursday or Friday and return to work on Monday or Tuesday.

How long does permanent makeup last?

• Semi - Permanent makeup will fade off over the years. While this may be disappointing to some people, others may be more comfortable with this knowledge. Touchups is recommended between 1 -2 years to keep them in a perfect condition of shape and color. Touchup after two years will be considered as a new service due to the required time of measurement and adding the details to the loss of shape and color.

• Semi-Permanent makeup is faded by UV rays, pigment removal by the body via ducts in eyelash and eyebrow hair follicles, possibly body chemistry, exfoliating skin care products applied to the face, cellular turnover - rejuvenation, etc. Lighter colors fade faster than darker colors. It lasts longer on older women because they aren’t out playing in the sun as much, and their cellular turnover rate is slower. The bright side to "permanent" makeup fading off is that it makes it easier to change color, shape, and placement over the years.

Permanent Makeup Touchups

• Touchups are not done any sooner than a month to for brow, two month for lip and eyeliner after the last procedure because the area has to be completely healed.

• Eyebrows may need a touchup for a variety of reasons. The brows may need additional strokes to fill it in more, or maybe an area didn’t take pigment well. Color may need an adjustment to be lightened or darkened, including things like one tail looks longer, one looks like it is in closer to the nose, one looks thinner, etc. These are all minor imperfections that are easily fixed on a touchup visit.

• Eyeliner almost never needs a touchup. Touchups are limited to reasons like if an area didn't take well, or there is some imperfection for a small products fee. Otherwise, too many clients would request a touchup because they like it and want more of it - thicker and darker than originally asked for. Sometimes it is because a client requested defined, then wanted smudgy, or wants to add a color. A permanent eyeliner touchup within 1 year to add or change from the original request is charged a 50% touchup fee. Years later, when it is time to redo it, it is full price.

• Lips usually do not need a touchup. After two months, you see any faint areas, imperfections, color adjustments needed, or if it looks like a second procedure would be beneficial to increase the pigment concentration for longevity, a touchup should be scheduled. Years later, when it is time to redo it, it is full price.

Removal (Pigment Lightening)

• Removal is a non invasive- magnetic method to eliminate implanted pigment in the skin.

• When a pigment is implanted in the skin, damage is produced and the skin defends itself creating collagen and elastin. The collagen creates capsules that trap the pigment and allow it to stay in the skin.

• Removal produces a biochemical reaction in which these capsules are destroyed or fragmented so the pigment can leave the skin.

• Once the collagen capsules are fragmented, the Removal composition and the pigments under the skin mix. The pigment then comes out in two ways:

  • It is attracted to the skin surface like a magnet and leaves the body.

  • The rest is removed through the lymphatic system.

• If the look of your old PMU (brows/lips/eyeliner) is outmoded, was performed incorrectly, is too dark, has uneven depth, or you are simply not satisfied with the current shape, you should consider getting a pigment lightening procedure before getting it covered with layers of pigments.

• 'The healing process and Pre - Post care information are applied the same as Brow procedure.