The goal is to protect the skin and minimize color loss, especially during the first 7–14 days.
What to Expect During Healing
Color will appear darker and more intense initially.
Over the next 5–14 days, the color will gradually soften and lighten.
Mild flaking or light scabbing is normal.
Final color results cannot be fully evaluated until about 4 weeks.
If you have concerns during healing, you may send a photo for evaluation.
Swelling & Comfort
Use cold packs (not ice directly) for swelling for the first 24 hours.
Apply 15 minutes on / 45 minutes off for the first 4–5 hours.
Swelling usually resolves within 48 hours.
You may take ibuprofen or your preferred pain reliever if needed.
Scabbing & Peeling
Do not pick, peel, or pull scabs.
Scabs protect healing skin and usually last 7–14 days.
Picking scabs can cause color loss or scarring.
Healing varies — patience is important.
Important Aftercare Rules
- Wash hands before touching the area.
Do not apply makeup over the treated area for at least 7 days.
Avoid strenuous exercise and sweating for 7 days.
Do not sleep on your face for 7 days.
Avoid swimming or soaking (baths, pools, hot tubs, ocean, lakes) for 3–4 weeks.
Avoid Retin-A, acids, bleaching creams, or exfoliants near the area.
Avoid direct sun exposure for 30 days. Wear a hat outdoors.
Do not use tanning beds for 30 days.
Do not apply sunscreen until the area is fully healed.
Showering Guidelines
Keep showers short (5 minutes).
Avoid steam and direct water pressure on the treated area for 10–14 days.
Keep the area out of the water while washing.
Avoid long showers, baths, or soaking.
Ointment Application Process
There is a very important difference between moisturizing your tattoo and keeping it moist. Moist skin behaves the same way as skin soaked in water.
The most common mistake clients make after a permanent makeup procedure is over-applying ointment — either using it too often or using too much.
When too much ointment is applied, the healing skin becomes overly soft, almost mushy. While you sleep, that softened tissue dries and hardens into a scab.
In the morning, more ointment is added, which softens the scab again — and the cycle repeats. This causes thicker scabbing, pigment loss, and blotchy healing.
Your body heat can liquefy ointment. If your treated area looks:
- Glossy
- Shiny
- Runny
- Wet
👉 If there is excess ointment on the skin:
- Suffocates the skin
- Clogs pores
- Pushes pigment out
- Causes uneven or patchy healing
- If it looks shiny — dab more off immediately.
Note: Never put the ointment on a wet or damp tattoo. After cleaning, always let the area dry before applying the ointment. If you place ointment on the area and it is not dry, it can cause an infection.
Final Reminder
Everyone heals differently. Following these instructions carefully helps protect your results and prevent color loss.
Specifics for Eyeliner
Do not get the procedure area wet for 7 days, except for cleaning.
Do not sweat or exercise strenuously for 7 days.
Do not use mascara for 7 days, as previously used mascara can introduce bacteria to the healing area.
Do not apply makeup near the eyes until 7 days.
You must clean the procedure site to remove bacteria, dead skin and buildup of product, oils and lymph fluids. Cleaning will not remove the pigment!
Day 1–7+
Clean: 2 times a day, morning and at night. If the procedure is oozing, then additional cleaning may be necessary. Use a paper towel and wet it with water. Wet it just enough that there is no water dripping (damp). Use patting motions only! No scrubbing! No Rubbing! No wiping! No Scratching! Pat, Pat, Pat. Do not wipe.
Dry: Apply a tiny amount of A&D or Aquaphor Aftercare ointment with a cotton swab and spread it across the treated area.
Ointment application: 2–3 times a day until scabs are gone.
Specifics for Eyebrows
Do not get the procedure area wet for 7 days, except for cleaning.
Do not sweat or exercise strenuously for 7 days.
Do not thread, wax, or dye your eyebrows until completely healed.
Do not apply makeup until the scabs have all fallen off.
You must clean the procedure site to remove bacteria, dead skin and buildup of product, oils and lymph fluids. Cleaning will not remove the pigment!
During the first 48 hours, lymph fluid may surface as the skin begins healing. This fluid must be gently cleaned away to prevent excessive scabbing, which can restrict airflow and lead to pigment fading. Lymph fluid is usually yellow but may also appear clear and be difficult to see.
Day 1–7+
Clean: 2–3 times a day, morning and at night. If the procedure is oozing, then additional cleaning may be necessary. Use a paper towel and wet it with water. Wet it just enough that there is no water dripping (damp). Use patting motions only! No scrubbing! No Rubbing! No wiping! No Scratching! Pat, Pat, Pat. Do not wipe.
Dry: Apply a tiny amount of A&D or Aquaphor Aftercare ointment with a cotton swab and spread it across the treated area.
Ointment application: 3–5 times a day until scabs are gone.
Specifics for Lips
Do not get the procedure area wet for 7 days, except for cleaning.
Do not eat spicy foods or drink hot liquids for 48 hours. You will feel an intense burning sensation if you do!
Do not exercise strenuously for 7 days.
Do not get toothpaste on your lips for 7 days.
Do not bleach your teeth for 30 days.
Do not use Blistex, Carmex or Chapstick for 30 days.
Do not excessively stretch the lips while they are healing with big smiles, or pucker the lips with smoking. 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 in the mouth. It is not strong like normal skin.
Day 1–7+
Clean: every morning, night, and after all meals. If the procedure is oozing, then additional cleaning may be necessary. Use a paper towel and wet it with water. Wet it just enough that there is no water dripping (damp). Use patting motions only! No scrubbing! No Rubbing! No wiping! No Scratching! Pat, Pat, Pat. Do not wipe. Do keep moist with A&D or Aquaphor ointment for 5+ days. Apply with a cotton swab. Lips will ooze a couple of days. Try not to disturb the crust when cleaning and let it fall off by itself.
Lips will be tender at first. When you eat or drink, try not to stretch your lips. After eating, blot your lips clean with a wet paper towel, and reapply ointment.
Lips will peel for a week. 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 (like messing with a pimple).
Fluorescent Stage
During the peeling process it may look like there is not much color there because skin swelling and dead skin gives the illusion of light ink. Color becomes more apparent by the 2nd and 3rd week.
Color Bloom Stage
The ink is making its way back to the surface of the lip and will continue to darken and clarify in the 4th and 5th week. At this time, you will you be able to tell the true color of the pigment.
Permanent Makeup Healing Process
The true color can be masked by 3–4 microscopic layers of dead skin. This is why it takes a minimum of 4–6 weeks to fully evaluate your results, and why follow-up procedures must wait until healing is complete.
As the skin repairs itself and new cells form, pigment may temporarily appear ashy, red, opaque, or silvery. During this phase, the body recognizes the pigment as a foreign substance and may attempt to move pigment particles toward the lymphatic system, causing the color to appear faded. Over time, the body accepts the pigment, and the color gradually resurfaces, clarifies, and blooms.
During healing, pigment will often appear much darker at first, then much lighter, and sometimes uneven. This is normal and occurs because the pigment is temporarily trapped beneath regenerating layers of skin. Until the skin naturally sheds and renews itself, true results cannot be accurately judged.
A helpful way to think about this process is like looking through a steamed or frosted window — colors and details are obscured until the glass clears.
Lastly, it is common for eyebrows to heal at different rates. One side may scab or flake more than the other. This is not a cause for concern. Healing requires patience, and you are always welcome to send photos if you would like feedback on how your procedure is progressing.
Permanent Makeup Has 3 Healing Stages
1) Inflammation stage
2) Recovery stage
3) Epithelialization
Inflammation Stage
During the inflammation stage, you may experience lymphatic fluid coming to the tissue injury surface, which forms a protective scab within the first 24 hours.
Recovery Stage
The recovery stage usually begins on the 2nd or 3rd day post-procedure, as intensive cell division and vessel recovery occur at the site of the permanent makeup, leading to active healing and regeneration. From approximately the 4th day onward, healthy fibroblasts begin to migrate into the healing site from surrounding tissues to assist with collagen production and new tissue formation.
Epithelialization Stage
The epithelialization stage, also referred to as the new skin growth stage, begins immediately after the procedure. Around the 5th day, this process reaches its peak.
At this stage, the skin may flake more intensely as a scaly structure forms, leading to the gradual breakdown of the scab created during the initial inflammatory response. Tissue healing beneath the scab occurs simultaneously as inflammation diminishes, which typically resolves between the 9th and 10th day after the procedure.
Soon after tissue recovery, pigment may appear lighter, cloudy, dull, grayish, reddish, or uneven. This occurs due to the masking effect of newly formed collagen fibers surrounding the pigment particles. These collagen fibers encase each pigment particle in a thin capsule, temporarily making them less visible to the immune system. The final color is expected to clarify and bloom after approximately 28 days.
It takes about 4–6 weeks after the procedure for the epidermis to be fully renewed. At this point, a touch-up procedure may be performed. Performing a touch-up too early can increase the risk of scarring and may prevent proper pigment retention.
Thank you again for letting me be your Permanent Makeup Technician.
Karen L. Cunningham