Semi-permanent makeup information sheet

Before the procedure

A patch test and consultation will need to take place a minimum of 48 hours before your appointment. If you have had tattoo treatment previously, please let us know in advance.

​Treatment cannot be done if any of the following apply:

• You are pregnant
• You are breastfeeding
• You are diabetic (doctors approval needed)
• You have rosacea
• You have impetigo
• You are on/have taken Accutane (acne medication) in the last year
• You are having treatment for cancer
• You are under 18
• You have a tan/sunburn on your face. The tan will exfoliate, taking colour with it as it fades and will also heal the pigment darker than expected. If you show up to your appointment with a tan/sunburn, you will be required to reschedule and your deposit will be lost. The determination if you are too tanned will be up to our discretion.

Please note the following for different skin types:

• You may not be a good candidate if you have severely oily skin. Your results may appear softer (eyebrows can look more powdered instead of hair strokes).
• For people with darker skin tones, semi-permanent make-up will not appear as bold as lighter skin types, i.e. Indian, African American, Filipino, etc. It will look more solid/powdered.

Please do not take/do any of the following 48-72 hours prior to your appointment unless medically necessary:

• Aspirin
• Fish oil
• Coumadin
• Vitamin E
• Ibuprofen
• Have your eyebrows waxed or tinted

Avoid the following 24 hours prior to your appointment as this will minimise any bleeding or swelling after the procedure:

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Working out as body heat expands pores

The following is fine to do before your appointment:

• Take paracetamol
• Arrive with your eyebrows pencilled the way you like them

Getting this procedure while on your menstrual cycle can make you hyper-sensitive during the procedure.
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Please note it may take 1-3 treatments to achieve the desired result based on your skin and how well it holds the ink. A free top-up is included which is to be booked 6-8 weeks after your first treatment, but additional treatments after that will be charged at the colour boost price.

Aftercare

It is just as important as the treatment to follow the aftercare advice given to you to achieve the best results. The better you take care of the treated area and follow the provided aftercare instructions, the longer it will last. Healing is specific to each client.

Avoid the following immediately after the procedure:

• Direct shower water on the treated area

Avoid the following for at least 14 days:

• Exercise, sweating (heavily) or exertion of any kind. As the body heats, the pores expand. Sweat is salt and will prematurely fade, blur or cause the pigment not to take at all
• Water, make-up, lotions, pencil, etc on the treated area
• Sleeping on your face
• Waxing your eyebrows

Avoid the following for at least 30 days:

• Eyebrow tinting
• Sun exposure (including sunbeds)
• Scrubbing the treated area

Avoid the following during the entire healing process (6-8 weeks):

• Please do not pick the scabs!
• No swimming until the area is completely healed, as salt water/ chlorine will cause the pigments to fade or change in colour
• Only touch the treated areas with clean hands during the healing process.
• Makeup on the forehead or treated area

As the treated area heals, it is normal to have the following symptoms. These symptoms will change each day and vary on an individual basis:

• Some residual swelling is normal for all procedures. Some clients may have no swelling, some may have a lot. This is specific to each individual. This normally goes down within 24 hours.
• The area may appear uneven, dry, itchy, tender, red and irritated. Please do not rub, scratch or pick the treated area. Let any scabbing, flaking or dry skin naturally exfoliate off. Picking can cause scarring or infection and prevent the ink from holding.
• The area will shed taking colour with it. The area will begin to oxidise and darken over the first month.
• The eyebrows will appear bolder immediately after the procedure. This is common in all semi-permanent make-up applications; it will soften up. Hair strokes will appear crisp and bold at first, but will soften up in appearance as the tissue heals.
• It is very common to have areas fade a lot/go patchy more so than others. This is part of the healing process and will be treated at the recommended touch-up appointment.
• Remember, no two sides of the face are the same. Perfection is our goal, but note that nothing is perfect. Sisters, not twins, is the word used universally in this field.

Please do your own research regarding microblading, as how well it lasts comes down to your skin, lifestyle and following the aftercare advice. We can only advise you on aftercare and cannot be held responsible for skin that may reject the majority of the ink or completely.

The healing process - step by step

Immediately after
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Your brows will look great once they are first done, beautifully shaped, each hair stroke perfectly placed in line with your real hairs, sharp, full and fresh.
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Most people love this look at this stage, whilst others who have had a slightly more drastic change may take a little more time getting used to them. Everyone finds themselves looking in the mirror every five minutes, checking out their eyebrows!

Over the next few days – Darkness!
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Don’t panic - they start to darken during the first few days looking stronger and more blocked. This is perfectly normal and is part of the healing process.

The main reason this happens is that as your skin begins to heal, tiny scabs are formed where the pigment was used and rubbed in to create the hair strokes.
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If you are a little self-conscious, it's probably best to avoid any big events during the 4-5 days following the treatment, whilst the healing process continues. The healing process varies for each person based on their skin type.
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They're really scabby!
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“My eyebrows are super patchy!”, “My eyebrows are crusty!”, “Is this normal?”
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The good news is yes! Over the next few days, the scabs will begin to flake away. This unfortunately doesn’t happen evenly and the area will look slightly patchy and uneven.

At this time, it is crucial that you do not pick them, or use any makeup on the area, as tempting as that may be. Doing so will affect how well your skin holds the pigment, can interfere with the process of healing and may cause an infection. Be patient with this process and allow it to heal naturally.
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They’ve disappeared!
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“My brows have disappeared? Help me!”
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As the scabbing falls off, you will often find that the majority of the ink has also disappeared. This is absolutely fine. Again, this is all a part of the healing process.

For some people it will be more apparent than others while your skin is processing the ink.

Over the next two weeks you will begin to notice the ink resurface as your skin begins healing. This will give us an indication of how well your skin holds onto the ink. It will be softer and lighter than the day you had your treatment.

Any areas that have not held quite as well can be touched up in your top-up appointment.
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Remember - the initial session is only half the treatment and you are recommended to have your top-up treatment 6-8 weeks after for full results.

6-8 week top-up
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This treatment is the same as the first, but takes less time.
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This is to reinforce any gaps or areas that haven't held the ink so well. At this stage we can also further darken your eyebrows should you prefer. Remember, it's always better to begin lighter and build on the colour.

Depending on the individual, some returning to this appointment may find their eyebrows have held well and very little will need to be done, whilst others may need slightly more work.

Results and top-ups

Plan on scheduling your top-up session within the first 6-8 weeks. You are responsible for maintaining your top-up and colour boost appointments.

Colour will fade/soften anywhere from 10% to 50% or more. At the top-up session, we will finetune any area that has faded too much.

Please note it may take more than the two treatments (initial procedure + top-up) to achieve your desired result. This will be down to your discretion.
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Unfortunately we are unable to say how well your skin will hold the ink. Please understand if your eyebrows fade more than you like after the top-up treatment, this can be because your skin may reject the ink. It would be your choice if you then wish to have them topped up again.

It is important to realise that you may need a colour boost from six months onwards. This helps to maintain its fresh, natural appearance.

As we age, our skin changes and the make-up will eventually look more powdered. This is universal with all semi-permanent make-up procedures.

Smoking will cause the pigment to fade prematurely and anaesthetics will not last as long.
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If you are out in the sun a lot; have oily skin; use anti-ageing creams, retina/ retinol products, acidic cleansers or natural elements; have regular chemical peels; or exercise frequently, your make-up will fade prematurely.