Aftercare Guidelines For All Permanent Makeup

Proper aftercare is very important for retention and to prevent infection and other issues. Review these general guidelines and then review YOUR specific aftercare service section for Browse or Lips & Eyeliner.

General Guidelines

• Avoid for 1 week: Facial cleansers, water on pigmented areas, Chlorine pools, Retin-A on pigmented areas, hot & steamy showers, jacuzzi or saunas, terry cloth/fabric on pigmented areas or sun/tanning beds.
• Shower with your back to the water to avoid water, shampoo and conditioner from getting into the pigmented areas. 
• Do not rub skin when washing your face for at least 10 days. 
• Do not pick or scratch tattooed areas. 
• Do not wear contacts after eyeliner procedure. 
• Do not wear makeup on the tattooed area until the area has healed (around 7-10 days). 
• Use a heavy sun screen and avoid the direct sun. 
• Do not put anything at all on the tattooed area except what your artist provides.
• Do not use antibiotic ointment or anything else during healing.

Note:  Consult a health care professional at the first sign of infection.

Day 1: Bold and beautiful! I love them. 

• Your new tattoo might be a little uncomfortable, dark and big. 

Day 3-5: What happened?! My brows are so dark. 

• Your pigment has oxidized and now appears much darker under the skin. The tattooed area may seem rigid, darker, the shape might look thick and color to warm,  especially with fare skinned and light hair clients. Some clients skin doesn’t get red and they enjoy the dark bold look. 

Day 7-10 : Gross! Do I have dandruff in my eyebrow! 

• Skin is lightly flaking. Depending on technique performed, you may shed chunks or little hair strokes pieces. Some people don’t shed at all. Itching is normal. 

Day 10-14: Where’d my brow go? It’s so light and patchy, I can’t even see my hair strokes?

• This can be an emotional roller coaster. The tattooed areas are done peeling/flaking. Your healing skin can hide the pigment giving it almost a milky look.  As your skin continues to regenerate, pigment will start to resurface. Some clients don’t go through this phase at all. 

Week 4-6 Weeks: The pigment starts resurfacing and they are lookin' good!

• Your skin continues to regenerate, pigment settles in your skin, the milky color is gone and your healed results are revealed. The tattooed area may seem patchy or lighter in some areas. 

Touchup 6 to 8 weeks: Your artist evaluates the tattoo and adjusts to the desired look & color. 

Brows Aftercare Instructions: While healing, the tattoo will look spotty. Do not be alarmed by fading after the first application. If there is any swelling immediately after the procedure an ice pack should be applied for no more than 15 minutes at a time.  

• First Day: Gently blot the treated area 2-3 times with the provided wipes. Apply a small amount of ointment after blotting.
• Second & Third Day:  Gently cleanse the treated area 1-2 times a day with antibacterial soap (i.e Dial) and rinse with water to prevent infection and scabbing. Otherwise keep the treated area dry. Too much water will exfoliate the skin and affect the color retention. Apply a small amount of healing ointment 2-3 times/day or as needed to keep the treated area moist. If you have oily skin you can skip the ointment or consult with your artist for proper instructions.

 Lips & Eyeliner Aftercare Information

• Remember, place nothing on the treated area until healed. This means no makeup, creams, water (except for cleansing as detailed below), etc. 
• After your procedure, your skin will start forming a protective scab. You may see fluid or ooze on the skin from lymph secretion. The fluid should be dabbed and blotted off with a sterile gauze pad. It can crust the skin over and prevent it from breathing and healing.
• After 24 hours, clean the treated area daily with mild warm water and non-alcohol soap. Apply soapy solution on a sterile gauze and blot 4 to 5 times to clean. Then blot completely dry. Use patting motions only. No Scrubbing. No rubbing. No wiping. No scratching. Make sure the area is completely dry because germs love moisture! 
• Lips will ooze for a couple days and peel for a week or so. After sleeping, a crust will have dried on the lips. Blot with water. Clean and apply the aftercare product as directed. Try not to disturb the crust when cleaning and let it fall off by itself. Picking and pulling off skin that is not ready to come off will cause pigment loss and can pull out deeper tissue. The edges or lip liner will be the last to fall off. Pulling this off will result in an uneven splotchy line or an indented scar. 
• Apply aftercare products on the clean and dry treated area. Place the ointment on the scabs that are beginning to form. If you place ointment on the area and it is not dry, this may cause irritation or an infection and could lead to color loss. 
• Keep your lips moist at all times with the aftercare product. After approximately 3 weeks after the procedure when no more scabs are present, discontinue the aftercare product. Begin to apply sunblock appropriate for lips to protect the pigment and a good lip balm. 
• Lips will be tender at first after the procedure. Drink only through a straw. Choose to only eat foods you can place in your mouth with a fork without touching the lips. 
• Do not eat spicy foods or hot liquids for 48 hours after your procedure. It’s a good idea not to eat oily foods, salty foods, acidic foods or alcohol while healing. 
• Do not get toothpaste on your lips. It’s a good idea to brush your teeth with just water for 72 hours post-treatment. 
• Do not bleach your teeth until your lips are healed. 
• Do not excessively stretch lips while they are healing with big smiles or pucker lips. Those motions push and pull against the lip edges, applying tension and friction between the strong normal skin surrounding the mouth and the broken inflamed lip edges. Lip skin is a continuation of the delicate mucous membrane of the mouth.