Microblading Oily Skin: How Different Skin Types Affect Microblading
Why Your Skin Type Matters For Micro-blading
Your skin type is an important factor when it comes to micro-blading and cosmetics tattoos. It is one of the main contributing factors as to how your microblading will heal and how quickly they will fade. By skin type we mean how dry / oily your eyebrow area is and the size of your pores. There are four common skin types that you can have: normal, dry, oily, or combination. Your skin’s sensitivity is also an important factor, although it is technically not a “skin type”.
In this blog we will give most attention to oily skin as the most common question as asked is “can I get microblading done if I have oily skin?” Before we go in to more detail on oily skin lets look at the different skin types.
How Each Skin Type Heals
Normal Skin
You will likely have normal skin type if you are not prone to breakouts and if your T-Zone generally stays hydrated. Your T-Zone is the area across your brows, and down the centre of your face. The normal skin type will heal evenly and the colour will last an average length of time. Normal skin types will go 1 to 1.5 years before needing a touch up.
Dry Skin
You will likely have dry skin if your pores are invisible and your skin often feels tight throughout the day. From time to time you may also get flaking.
All permanent makeup done on dry skin will heal very clean, especially for microblading. Tattoo hair strokes will heal very crisp and will retain colour for the longest amount of time out of all the different skin types and won’t need a touch up until after 1.5+ years. Fewer oils come through dry skin so the pigment is not diluted and doesn’t fade nearly as quickly as the other skin types.
Combination Skin
If you have Combination skin, your T-Zone will feel hydrated however your cheek area will feel drier and you might experience flaking.
Combination skin will often heal like normal or slightly oily skin as the eyebrow area can be on the oilier side. For all other semi-permanent makeup such as lips and eyeliner, your skin will heal like the Normal skin type.
Sensitive Skin
If you have sensitive skin you will know. If you are unsure whether your skin is sensitive or not, then it’s probably not.
Sensitive skin heals differently than other skin types. If you have sensitive skin you might experience pinkness that can last several days or longer. You may also experience some swelling on the day of the procedure which is not typical for other skin types.
Oily Skin
Oily skin is naturally more hydrated and supple than the other skin types and tends to age nicely. However, excess oil can clog pores more quickly and very oily skin is also prone to larger pores.
Oily skin will heal the most soft. Micro-bladed hair strokes will heal more powdery than the Dry skin type. The oiliness of your skin will make a difference. Slight oiliness will heal more like normal skin, while very oily skin will heal much softer and the colour will be more spread out. A well-trained semi-permanent makeup artist will know to place the strokes farther apart with oily skin to minimise how much the hair strokes spread once healed.
Can I Have Microblading Done With Oily Skin?
The answer is yes, you can. However, you should keep in mind that the pigment will fade quicker in your skin due to the oils that constantly come through and the colour becomes diluted by the oils.
If you have oily skin and are a new client having your first microblading procedure done, it is likely that you will need to return sooner than the recommended 1-year touch up. If your skin is oily or very oily then the permanent powder brow, also known as ombre brow, shaded brow, or eyebrow tattoo, is a much better option as the colour will last longer.
Aftercare
Microblading Aftercare For All Skin Types
No matter what your skin type, you should follow these steps…
Day 1
Use a water dampened cotton pad to wipe your tattooed area every 15 minutes beginning immediately after your procedure. This will prevent scabbing and colour loss.
Days 2-7
Use a permanent makeup approved, gentle cleanser with no additives to cleanse your tattooed area in the morning and the evening. Then apply a permanent makeup healing gel to stop your skin drying out.
Additional Aftercare Tips for Oily Skin Types
If your skin is oily, your aftercare will require some additional steps. Your aftercare for oily and combination skin will differ in a few ways. Combination skin should be treated as oily skin if you have an oily T-Zone.
Instead of wiping your tattooed area with a damped cloth and water ever 15 minutes for 1 day, do this for up to 3 days. The extra oils coming through your skin need to be wiped away before they dry into a scab which would result in loss of colour.
You may not be asked to use a gel at all as a gel is given to ensure skin doesn’t become too dry. If you have oily skin you aren’t at risk of your skin drying out since your skin does this naturally.
You may be given a light cream in place of heavy cream or gel. There are aftercare creams that are specifically for oily skin however these are not usually needed.
Use blotting paper on your microbladed area for two weeks. Blotting paper is soft and absorbent paper that is pressed against the skin to remove oil. Blotting away excess oils is going to make your microblading heal as best as possible. The more oils you leave on your skin, the more blurry your microblading will heal.
Here Are The Eyebrow Blotting Procedures That Should Be Followed For Each Skin Type
| Skin Type | How Often | Number of Days |
|---|---|---|
| Oily Skin | Every 15 min | Minimum of first 2-3 days. Recommend 2 full weeks |
| Combination Skin | Every 15 Minutes | First 2-3days |
| Sensitive Skin | Every 15-30 minutes if Oily or Combination, Every 30-60 if Normal or Dry | For the first day if normal or dry, For 2-3 days if combination or oily |
| Dry Skin | Every 30-60 minutes | For the first day |
| Normal Skin | Every 60 minutes | For the first day |
How Do I Determine My Skin Type?
When you schedule your appointment for your cosmetic tattoo you do not need to know your skin type. Your permanent makeup artist will determine your skin type for you. The information is useful though if you are interested in how your eyebrow microblading will heal ahead of time.