Aftercare For Permanent Eyebrows
Permanent makeup aftercare: Helping your permanent eyebrows last longer
When you’ve made the investment and have your beautiful brand new permanent eyebrows, you’ll want them to stay looking their best. For most of my clients their treatment will last between 1 and 3 years before they need a touch up appointment. Lots of factors determine how long your new brows will last including, the type of ink used, the intensity of your selected colour pigment, the kind of procedure you have chosen and of course your commitment to aftercare. Most of these factor are out of your, but the one thing that is key in the longevity of your cosmetic tattoo is your level of commitment to aftercare.
The best ways to care for your permanent eyebrows to give them longevity are…
Immediately After Your Treatment
Immediately after your treatment you may experience, tingling, tenderness, swelling, redness, flaking, itchiness. This is all very normal as your skin begins its healing process right away. These symptoms can last up to 72 hours and can be easily relieved with over the counter pain relief.
It’s really important during the first few days of healing to resist the urge to itch your eyebrows.
Ensure you don’t apply any kind of ointment or cream except the comfort balm you will have received.
The First Week
The first week following your cosmetic tattoo treatment is crucial to ensure effective healing and great results. During the first ten days I recommend:
Use your comfort balm
You will have been given a comfort balm to use. This should be applied lightly max 2-3 times daily as instructed. Only a very thin veil of comfort balm is needed. Be sure to use clean hands and a clean cotton bud for each application and remove any excess with a clean tissue. apply sparingly as your skin needs to breathe to heal effectively.
2. Resist the urge to scratch
Itching is normal and to be expected especially from day 5-10 when the top layer of old skin and pigment start to flake. Don’t worry at this stage it is a good sign that your skin is starting to heal. Do not pick or scratch as this could cause scarring or infection and a can cause a poor colour result. Eyebrow tattoos can flake and look a little patchy and this is also perfectly normal. You should leave it to heal naturally.
3. Avoid makeup and products
You should only apply the comfort balm to your tattooed area. Please do not be tempted to use any other creams, serums, moisturises and lotions as they may cause infection or a reaction which will be detrimental to the healing process and therefore the final results.
4. Wash only around your treated area.
You should use a cleanser to clean your face and take care to not touch the tattooed area. If you do happen to get your eyebrow tattoo wet, you should gently pat it dry with a clean kitchen roll or tissue. Don’t rub the treated area.
5. Pin your fringe
If you have a fringe or if your hair hangs across your face be sure to clip it back for the five days at least. If hair gets into your tattooed eyebrows it can cause infection which will adversely affect the way colour sets.
6. Avoid the sun and sun beds
Protect your eyebrow tattoos from the sun using large sunglasses or a hat. It’s very important to avoid sun beds and any activity that would cause your to sweat excessively such as sports or saunas. Salt purges pigment. This type of activity in the first 10 days could lead to an uneven healed result.
Taking good care of your tattoo at this early stage can mean the difference between having a long lasting cosmetic tattoo or a disappointing one. It’s important to remember that the colour of your eyebrows will be darker at this stage than when they are fully healed. It’s easy to think the colour is wrong but give it the time it needs to heal and you will see it soften to perfection.
The First Few Weeks
Most eyebrow tattoos will heal within two weeks and during these two weeks, you should continue to take care to avoid sun beds, sunshine, swimming pools, salt water and direct spray from a shower. You can be more relaxed about washing your face at this stage as long as the water is cool. You can also stop clipping your fringe back without worrying about possible infection.
You will have been given a follow up appointment for 4-8 weeks after your initial treatment. This is a great opportunity to evaluate the colour and shape of your brows once they have fully healed. Your semi permanent makeup artist will reapply more pigment and address any patchiness and uneven shape.
In the same way that you cared for your first makeup tattoo, you should take care of your eyebrows for the first seven days following your touch up. It’s still important to avoid rubbing or scratching your eyebrows for several weeks, as this could cause ink removal and your tattoo may fade.
Long Term Aftercare for Your Permanent Eyebrows
Helping your eyebrow tattoos to stay sharp and nicely coloured requires a small amount of care. I recommend:
Always use sunscreen - sunlight will fade your eyebrow tattoo.
Avoid using anti-aging creams in the tattooed areas so to not adversely affect your tattoo.
Avoid certain skin treatments in the tattooed area, such as chemical peels, facial scrubs, laser rejuvenation, microdermabrasion etc.
If you are planning a skin treatment be sure to tell your beautician about your permanent eyebrow tattoo.
If you are having a MRI scan or any other medical procedure be sure to inform your doctor about your tattooed eyebrows.
Although at first glance all of these permanent makeup aftercare instructions may seem a little much, they are mostly common sense. Your permanent makeup artist is always available to answer questions and concerns that you may have.
Everyone’s body is different and semi permanent brows can vary in how long they will last, however with a little care you’ll get great results that will last as long as possible. If you have any further questions about aftercare or treatments, get in touch with Rebecca Green Permanent Makeup Artist for advice.