Instructions for aftercare and avoiding color loss for your Permanent Makeup procedure.
Proper aftercare is 50% of the process for beautiful Permanent Makeup. The skin is full of holes and AVOIDING color loss is the objective for the next 7-14 days. While results and experiences will vary when it comes to tattoo aftercare products, all of them are designed to help heal your tattoo while preventing dryness and peeling, as well as to provide immediate relief from itching. The wet method of daily washing to reduce the buildup of bacteria and dead skin coupled with the application of an aftercare product allows the skin to heal the fastest.
Color Oxidation
The color will appear very exact, dark and intense. It will continue to lighten up for the next 5 to 14 days. As the healing progresses, the color will soften. You can expect scabbing and flaking on the area for the next 28 days until total skin rejuvenation takes place. It might appear that there is color loss while the skin is healing over the tattooed area, it will be hard to judge just how much color has been retained until the 4th week. I know it can be stressful but you must have patience. If you have any concerns, please send me a picture and I can help evaluate your procedure if anything is out of the ordinary.
Reduce Swelling
Cooling a skin wound is beneficial; freezing it is not. Use cold packs. Immediately after your procedure, apply an ice pack for about 15 minutes on the procedure area to reduce swelling. The area should be iced for 15 minutes on, and 45 minutes off for at least 4-5 hours after your procedure. Icing after 24 hours will not help as much. Swelling usually lasts no longer than 48 hours.
Take ibuprofen or your favorite pain reliever to reduce swelling and discomfort.
Scabbing Process
By making sure you continue to pat away any lymph fluids (clear oozy liquid) within these first few days, you are preventing any large buildups of dried secretions which could otherwise eventually forms into thick scab. Lymph fluids are a primary component in the scabbing process. To prevent any thick, ugly scabs from forming, you will want to remove as much of these fluids as possible for the first few days. Preventing thick scabs from forming is vital to good healed results.
All tattoos scab. Special blood cells called platelets spring into action and stick together like glue, forming a clot at the procedure site. The clot is like a protective bandage over your cut that keeps blood, lymph fluids and ink from flowing out. As the clot starts to get hard and dries out, a scab forms. Scabs are usually crusty and dark red or brown. Their job is to protect the cut by keeping germs and other stuff out and giving the skin cells underneath a chance to heal. New skin cells are being made and vessels are being repaired.
Scabs can last for as long as 7 to 14 days depending on how a person heals. Even though it may be tough not to pick at a scab, try to leave it alone. If you pick or pull at the scab, you can lose ink and cause scarring.
Heavy scabbing may form no matter what you do. Individuals heal in so many different ways, it’s hard to tell (especially for first-timers) exactly what will happen, whether the tattoo will scab, peel or flake. A tattoo in one spot may heal completely different from a tattoo in another spot. There is no way to tell exactly how every tattoo is going to heal. If you lose too much ink during the scabbing process, then you can expect you will require an additional session to continue to layer in the ink into the skin.
All Procedures
Do Not touch the area with unclean fingers or hands. Wash hands often throughout the week.
Do Not sleep on your face for the first 10 days, because you can unintentionally rip your scabs off the procedure site and cause scarring. Do use a fresh pillow case.
Do Not apply topical cosmetics over the procedure area while healing for 7 days minimum. Eye shadows and other makeup contain bacteria which can cause an infection. The area must be kept CLEAN.
Do Not do any strenuous activity for a minimum of 7 days. Swelling and sweat fades ink! Avoid hot, sweaty exercise for 10 days. You want to avoid swelling at all costs. Increased blood pressure and dilated blood vessels increases swelling and oozing. Sweat will expand your pores, swelling up the tissues and allows the body to absorb more of the ink pigment. If you exercise or sweat you can expect your results to fade significantly.
Do Not peel or pick at the scabs. The scabs should fall off by themselves. Do not wet the scab to help it come off. Picking and pulling off skin that is not ready to be removed or come off will cause pigment loss and can pull out deeper tissue. It will result in an uneven splotchy line or an indented scar, (like messing with a pimple).
Do Not swim in fresh, salt, or chlorinated water for 4 weeks. Avoid submerging the tattoo in water (bath, hot tubs, swimming pools, ocean or lakes) for at least 3 weeks.
Do Not expose your procedure to Retin-A, bleaching creams, glycolic acids, fruit acids or AHA acids. They will lighten or change the color of the permanent makeup. These products are excellent for your skin, but be careful not to overlap them onto your permanent makeup.
Do Not use soaps containing alcohol, cleansing creams, makeup or chemicals over the procedure area for the first 10 days.
Do Not go in direct sun for minimum 30 days. Wear a hat when outdoors. A sunburn on a new tattoo can cause a lot of problems. It will dry out your tattoo and cause it to form a horrendous scab, much of the time causing the tattoo to fade before it is even healed. It will take much longer to heal completely. It promotes scarring in a new tattoo. The tattoo is under your skin, and your tan will form above it.
Do Not apply sunblock while the tattoo is healing. Wait until it is fully healed to go back in the sun or a tanning bed and make sure you put on a quality Sunblock (not sunscreen). Over time, exposure to excessive sunlight will cause your tattoo to fade no matter what colors are used.
Do Not use tanning beds for 30 days.
All Procedures For Showering
Limit your showers to 5 minutes so that you do not create too much steam. Keep your procedure area out of the water while you wash your body for at least 7 to 10 days. Long showers or baths must be avoided. Prolonged soaking can and will loosen scabs if any have formed, or will soak through the soft tissue turning it into a soggy mess and cause your ink to flow down the drain.
Tip: Here is a good tip to keeping your permanent makeup procedure dry when washing your hair. Try washing your hair by standing or kneeling under the bath tub faucet, then step into the shower. It takes a while to wash your hair in the shower and too much steam can swell the pores and allow the loss of ink. Many clients have tried the kitchen sink and the feedback is that too much water runs down the face. Just do your best to keep water from saturating your permanent makeup when washing your hair.
Do Not expose the area to full pressure of the shower for 10 to 14 days. You do not want the water to beat on the pigmented area. The water will cause swelling and moisture.
Specifics For Eyeliner
Do Not get the procedure area wet for 7 to 10 days. You will wash your ink right out of your skin!
Do Not sweat or exercise strenuously for 7 days.
Do Not use saline eye drops or wash.
Do Not wear contact lens after the procedure for 24 hours.
Do Not use old tubes of mascara, they are loaded with bacteria which can cause an infection by getting into the open lash follicles. You may wear the new mascara after 7 days.
You must clean the procedure site to remove the bacteria, dead skin and the buildup of product, oils and lymph fluids. Cleaning will not remove the pigment!
In the first 48 hours, the lymph secretion is active and you may see lymph fluids on the skin. This is normal. The skin is in the process of forming a protective scab, but the secretions must be cleaned off well to prevent too much scabbing from forming and block the skin from breathing. If the skin cannot breathe the ink will fade, therefore it is vital to clean the procedure site well. Usually the lymph secretion is yellow but it sometimes can be a clear color making it difficult to see.
Day 1-5+
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 here 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 to 3 times a day until scabs are gone.
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 the ink to heal blotchy or cause an infection.
Please read the “Ointment Process” below and understand exactly how you should apply the ointment. This is the part of the process that makes all the difference on how your Permanent Makeup will heal.
Specifics For Eyebrows
Do Not get the procedure area wet for 7-10 days. You will wash your ink right out of your skin!
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 the bacteria, dead skin and the buildup of product, oils and lymph fluids. Cleaning will not remove the pigment!
In the first 48 hours, the lymph secretion is active and you may see lymph fluids on the skin. This is normal. The skin is in the process of forming a protective scab, but the secretions must be cleaned off well to prevent too much scabbing from forming and block the skin from breathing. If the skin cannot breathe the ink will fade, therefore it is vital to clean the procedure site well. Usually the lymph secretion is yellow, but it sometimes can be a clear color making it 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 here 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 to 5 times a day until scabs are gone.
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 the ink to heal blotchy or cause an infection.
Please read the “Ointment Process” below and understand exactly how you should apply the ointment. This is the part of the process that makes all the difference on how your Permanent Makeup will heal.
Specifics For Lips
Do Not get the procedure area wet for 7 to 10 days, you will wash your ink right out of your skin!
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 tooth paste on your lips for 10 days.
Do Not bleach your teeth for 30 days.
Do Not use Blistex, Carmex or Chapstick for 30 days.
Do Not get hot liquids on your lips.
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.
You must clean the procedure site to remove the bacteria, dead skin and the buildup of product, oils and lymph fluids. Cleaning will not remove the pigment!
In the first 48 hours, the lymph secretion is active and you may see lymph fluids on the skin. This is normal. The skin is in the process of forming a protective scab, but the secretions must be cleaned off well to prevent too much scabbing from forming and block the skin from breathing. If the skin cannot breathe the ink will fade, therefore it is vital to clean the procedure site well. Usually the lymph secretion is yellow, but it sometimes can be a clear color making it difficult to see.
Day 1-7
Clean: 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 here 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 7+ days.
Apply a tiny of A&D or Aquaphor aftercare ointment with a cotton swab and spread it across the treated area. Use Patting motions only! No Scrubbing! No rubbing! No wiping! No scratching!
Lips will be tender at first. Drink through a straw. Choose foods you can place in your mouth with a fork without touching lips. After eating, blot your lips clean with a wet paper towel, and reapply ointment.
Lips will ooze a couple of days. Try not to disturb the crust when cleaning and let it fall off by itself.
Lips will peel for a week. Allow it to flake off on its own. 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).
Please read the “Ointment Process” below and understand exactly how you should apply the ointment. This is the part of the process that makes all the difference on how your permanent makeup will heal.
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 will you be able to tell the true color of the pigment.
Ointment Process Application
There’s a difference between “moisturizing your tattoo” and “keeping it moist.” Moist implies wet, which is bad. It’s the same as soaking it in water. The most common mistake clients do after getting tattooed, is over applying ointment, too frequently or just too much of it. Keeping it too moist, to the point that it’s nearly turning any repairing tissue to mush. Then, while they sleep the mush hardens, turning into a scab. Morning comes and on goes more goo… that then absorbs into the scab turning it to mush again… and later, dries out to form a thicker scab.
Your body heat can liquefy the ointment. So do not let your tattoo become glossy looking or runny. This means there’s still too much on there. Dab more off. Too much ointment will only suffocate the tattoo, clog pores and liquefy any scabs that may have formed causing the ink to fall out and look blotchy.
It is perfectly normal to see small flakes of colored skin falling off during this stage of healing. During this stage of healing, it’s common for the new skin beneath to look milky, causing the tattoo to look lighter. This will adjust within the next week or two.
Stop using ointment in the areas where the scabs have already fallen off. For example, if the scab came off in the bulbs then just put ointment on the arches and tails.
Remember follow these steps!
Wash your hands often and never directly touch the procedure until you are healed!
Clean the tattoo with very little water using damp cotton pads or paper towels.
Take care to remove all traces of blood to decrease your chances of scabbing.
Always gently pat the tattoo dry with a clean soft cloth, blow dry or just let it air dry.
Apply a thin coat of ointment on the tattoo only if it’s dry with a q-tip.
Apply just enough to make it shine, a little goes a long way… less is more.) Work it in well.
Dab off all the excess with a paper towel. You should barely be able to tell that it’s there… This is just enough to moisturize the tattoo and to keep it from scabbing.
Permanent Makeup Healing Process
The true color can be masked by 3 to 4 layers of dead skin on a microscopic level. This is why it takes a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks to consider your tattooed healed and must wait for your any follow up procedures.
As the skin is repairing itself and new cells are forming, they can make the pigment color look very ashy, red, opaque or silvery. When the body realizes the molecules are too big to go through the skin, the body carries these molecules toward the lymph nodes which can cause the color to appear faded. Eventually, the body gives up and accepts the foreign pigment. The body then pushes the pigment color back to the skin where it clarifies and blooms.
So please remember as you are healing, the pigment color will appear much darker at first, and then appear much lighter. In addition, the pigment color can appear odd or uneven because it is trapped under the layers of skin. Until your skin sloughs off and regenerates you will not be able to see true results. It all sounds very hard to believe, but just think of the healing process as the same as taking a shower. When you are looking out through the frosted or steamed windows, you are unable to see colors or objects clearly.
Last, you will find that sometimes both eyebrows do not heal at the same rate. One might scab more than the other. This is not cause for concern. This process definitely requires patience, but please feel free to send me pics to get some feedback of what you are experiencing with your procedure.
Permanent Makeup Has 3 Healing Stages
1) Inflammation stage
2) Recovery stage
3) Epithelialization
In the Inflammation stage you can experience some lymphatic fluid coming to the tissue injury surface and forms a protective scab in the first 24 hours.
The Recovery stage usually begins on the 2nd or 3rd day post procedure as intensive cells division in vessel recovery occurs at the site of the permanent makeup leading to active healing and regeneration processes. From the 4th day onward healthy fibroblasts start to migrate into the healing site from the joint tissues to help with collagen production and new tissue formation.
In the Epithelialization stage, also referred to as the growth of new skin stage begins right after the procedure, however on the 5th day after the initial procedure this reaches the highest point in the healing process.
At this stage the skin begins to flake intensely as a scaly structure forms leading to a decaying of the scab which is formed after the initial inflammatory response. Tissue healing under the scab occurs in parallel to the diminishing inflammation process which usually ends with between the 9th or 10th day after the procedure.
Soon after tissue recovery any pigment looks lighter, cloudy and dull. It is also possible to look grayish, too reddish or other strange shades because of the masking effect of the newly-formed collagen fibers around the crystals. The collagen fibers braid each pigment particle encasing it into a thin capsule which makes the crystals inaccessible to the immune system. You expect the final color to clarify and bloom after 28 days.
It takes about 4 to 6 weeks after the procedure for the epidermis is be totally renewed. The touch up procedure can now be completed. Performing a touch up too early can cause scarring, and may not retain the new pigment application.
Thank you again for letting me be your Permanent Makeup Technician.
Karen L. Cunningham