Aftercare for Permanent Makeup

What Can I Expect During the Healing Process?

This period is an emotional rollercoaster. There will be moments when you will think that the color is wrong and that you didn’t get what you wanted. It will also be hard to resist scratching and touching the scabs. You might freak out and at one moment think your brows are gone. The healing process requires a lot of patience and discipline.

It is important to know that not everyone heals the same way. Some people might recover quickly and almost without any scabs at all. On the other hand, some need as long as 6 weeks or more to cure. The pace of recovery depends on the skin type mostly.

Therefore, keep reading to find out about the stages of the healing process and what to expect every day during the recovery. Read the tips on how to treat your freshly microbladed brows.

  • The day after your permanent makeup session, gently wash your new permanent eyebrows with warm water and soap in a gentle fashion.
  • Clean your permanent eyebrows with warm water and soap at least once per day.
  • Occasionally apply a few ounces of Aloe Vera.
  • Call me directly if you have any questions or concerns.
  • Avoid places that will cause dirt or germs to your eyebrows.

The Six-Stage Healing Process

  1. swollen and dark brows
  2. exfoliation and scabbing
  3. eyebrows too light, almost disappeared
  4. the color is back, but the brows look patchy
  5. touch up
  6. full recovery

What to Expect During Healing

What to Avoid After Your Permanent Eyebrow Session

Proper permanent eyebrows aftercare is crucial to ensuring the longevity and shape of your permanent eyebrows. If you’re planning on getting your permanent eyebrows done soon, or you just had a permanent eyebrow session, make sure you take a quick look at these instructions, so you get the most out of your permanent eyebrow session!  

Specific Aftercare Information

  • Do not scratch or pick your eyebrows after the session; you may lose irreparable color.
  • Refrain from applying any skincare products for the first two weeks after your session.
  • Do not use Vaseline or any other petroleum product while your permanent eyebrows heal.
  • Do not apply bleach or dye for four weeks after your session.
  • No acne-fighting products or skin lightening creams
  • Do not use anti-aging products or facial products.
  • Do not expose your permanent eyebrows to the sun without using sunscreen.
  • No eyebrow tweezing, waxing, or other eyebrow hair removal process until two weeks after the session.
  • Refrain from touching your eyebrows with your hands.
  • Do not work out for 24 hours after your session.
  • No gardening for the first week after the session
  • No swimming pools and Jacuzzi for two weeks.
  • Do not soak your eyebrows underwater for two weeks.
  • Avoid spraying hot water directly to your eyebrows for two weeks.
  • Don’t place your face into a pillow the first few days after the session.
  • Do not use eye shadow that has sparkles in it.

An Important Consideration

Permanent eyebrows will seem intense and thick after your session. Your permanent eyebrows will also seem not to look right the first few days. But don’t stress, it will get better! Just let your eyebrows heal, and they will look beautiful!    

Microblading Aftercare

Microblading aftercare is extremely important and the success of the treatment relies on it to a great extent.

So you must get serious and follow the aftercare instructions religiously. The artist has done her part – now it’s your turn and you have a very important role.

Here is everything you need to know about the PMU aftercare routine.

These are the basic rules of microblading aftercare:

  • Wash your face gently and be especially careful around the treated area. Pat it with a clean tissue. Don’t rub your brows.
  • Use only products recommended. Don’t use skincare products on your own, because they can contain ingredients such as exfoliants and acids, which can affect the pigment.
  • Let the scabs fall off naturally. Don’t pick them because you can rip some pigment off and it is hard to fix.
  • Don’t sleep on your face and use a clean pillowcase.
  • Don’t wear makeup for at least 10 days.
  • Avoid sweating, saunas, swimming pools and long showers.
  • Avoid sun exposure and tanning.
How Long Does Microblading Aftercare Last?

The PMU healing process lasts 4-6 weeks, but the aftercare doesn’t require so much time. It is of great importance at the beginning stages of the healing process, when you have to be extra careful. The most sensitive stage is the scabbing stage, and after that, you can relax. So, let’s say that PMU aftercare lasts from 7 to 14 days.

How Long Does Eyebrow PMU Take to Heal?

Permanent eyebrows will seem intense and thick after your session. Your permanent eyebrows will also seem not to look right the first few days. But don’t stress, it will get better! Just let your eyebrows heal, and they will look beautiful!    

These are the most typical stages of the PMU recovery process. The beginning is the hardest to overcome, especially because you have to be extra careful about your brows. If you are lucky, some of the stages will not be too unbearable. For the others, they might be pretty irritating and agonizing.

What Does the PMU Healing Process Day by Day Look Like?

Your eyebrows are swollen and there is redness around them. Also, they look too dark and thick and you might feel that this was a bad idea.

The area around your brows is red and sensitive. It is also prone to infections. Some bleeding might appear.

What to do? Don’t panic! The color will change into the desired one. They will become almost 50% lighter once they are healed. Follow the aftercare instructions religiously. Don’t wash your face, don’t sleep on your stomach and avoid extensive sweating, swimming pools and saunas.

Your brows will look better and you will be satisfied. You are getting used to the fact that you don’t have to draw or fill them with a pencil every morning. They are still too dark, but slowly starting to fade.

What to do? Keep taking special care of the PMU area. Don’t be worried about your brows being still too dark – it is perfectly normal.

This is a scabbing stage. The microbladed area is itchy. You might feel irritated but scratching is strictly forbidden. The area is still pretty sensitive and scratching can cause complications. The pigment is inserted only two layers under your skin. It does not go as deep as with traditional tattoo. Because of this, scratching can take it off.

The exfoliation starts and the scabs show up. If you are not familiar with the stages of the healing process, you might freak out. Bear in mind that this is quite normal and almost everybody has to deal with the scabs after the microblading process. Some people exfoliate extensively, while others barely have any scabs.

What to do? Calm down and patiently wait for the exfoliation stage to finish. You can now wash your face gently but be careful with the PMU area. Do not scratch the area around your brows because you might pull the pigment out. If you accidentally scratch and take off the pigment, it can be fixed at the touch up.

Your brows are much lighter than they should be. You might think that your skin rejects the pigment, but this is usually not the case. After all the scabbing and peeling, your brows keep recovering. Now they are light and patchy.

What to do? Again, don’t freak out. Don’t run to the PMU artist asking for a money refund thinking that the whole treatment was unsuccessful. This happens almost to everyone who had their brows PMU. If you are really unhappy with them, you can wear makeup, but only if the scabbing is over. Otherwise, relax and wait for the color to come back.

The hardest period is behind you. Your PMU brows are taking its final shape. They might look patchy at the beginning, but some PMU strokes will reappear. This is still not the end, and you need to be patient just a little more. You might feel excited because the final look of your brows is just around the corner. You are also relieved because all the scabbing is over. The skin of the treated area is not so sensitive anymore, so you can slowly start behaving normally.

At the end of the third week, you will see what the brows look like and how the skin has taken the pigment. If it is still patchy, don’t worry, there is a touch up for correction.

What to do? Schedule a touch up. It is supposed to be done at the end of the healing process, i.e. 4-6 weeks after the treatment. The touchup is there to correct all the imperfections. For example, if the brows look uneven or if they are patchy, a couple of more strokes are added.

The healing period is finally over. Some brows heal faster, some take more time. It depends on the skin type and daily routine and lifestyle. After a touch up your brows will take its final shape and color. If you followed the aftercare tips and if the microblading artist has done a good job, you will probably be head over heels for your new brows. It will positively affect your self-esteem.

As you can see, the basic aftercare rules are very strict. You are not allowed to wear makeup and cosmetic products. For this reason, book your PMU appointment carefully. Bear in mind that your brows need some time to heal. Therefore, it is best to have the treatment at least 1 month before the important event or a holiday.

Tips To Endure The Healing Period

Before even booking a PMU appointment, make sure you don’t have an important event at least a month after that. If an unexpected celebration pops up in the middle of your healing process, you will probably have to go with scabbing and swollen brows. So, plan the date of your microblading treatment carefully, bearing in mind that your brows will not look its best for a few days after that.

Try to spend less time in front of a mirror. If you are obsessed with your brows you might check them every couple of minutes. The color does not change that fast. The redness goes away naturally. Do something else instead. Read a book, watch tv, try not to think about them.

Don’t let scabbing freak you out. The fear that you will tear off scabs, in your sleep or by accident, might bother you, but don’t worry. If something like this happens, and you are worried, contact your PMU artist.

If you feel desperate when you see how dark and swollen your brows are after the treatment, go online and search for the pictures of the PMU brows immediately after the treatment and after the first touch up. You will see that some time needs to past and they will be perfect.

Some people take more time to heal, and if you are one of them, don’t be devastated. Don’t compare yourself to other friends whose brows took less time to heal. Think about the future and how pretty you will be with your brand new brows.

How Do I Maintain My PMU Once It’s Healed?

The longevity of your PMU will depend on your lifestyle and habits. If you sweat a lot, swim or expose to the sun, it is unlikely that your microblading will survive as long as 3 years. If you want to prolong it, you have to schedule regular touch ups. Your skin type and lifestyle will dictate the frequency of touch ups. Don’t wait for too long. If your PMU fades away, you will have to do the whole treatment all over again. Also, if you want your PMU to last longer, protect your brows with sunscreen lotion and avoid using products that contain retinol,  because it speeds up the fading process.