WHAT TO AVOID PRIOR TO YOUR BROW APPOINTMENT
- Do not work out for 48 hours prior to your appointment as the body heat expands the pores, making it more challenging for pigment to retain
- Come to your appointment with a clean face or wear your normal brow makeup (Pro Tip: Wash your hair prior to your brow appointment because brows must stay dry for 7-10 days after your procedure)
- Discontinue Retin-A, chemical and laser peels, microdermabrasion treatments, Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), and any chemical exfoliant or “brightening” skincare at least 4 weeks prior (once your brows have healed, you must avoid use of these products on forehead area to prevent premature fading)
- If you use Accutane, you must be off for 1 year prior to procedure
- Do NOT tan or have a sun burned face. If you are sun burnt in the treatment area, your appointment will need to be rescheduled
- Avoid Aspirin, Niacin or Ibuprofen 48 hours before procedure. These medications will thin the blood and will cause more bleeding
- Avoid fish oil, prenatal vitamins, nutritional shakes (Shakeology, etc), and “Hair, Skin, Nail” supplements 2 weeks prior to procedure
- NO alcohol or caffeine 48 hours before procedure to minimize bleeding (and yes, my dear clients, unfortunately, there is caffeine in decaf coffee and tea!)
- NO waxing or tinting at least 3 days prior to procedure
- Please do NOT apply your own numbing creams prior to your appointment!
- Botox and fillers on the forehead, temple, and eye area should be avoided 1 month prior to procedure for those who do not regularly receive injectables. It is recommended to wait 1 month after your touchup appointment to resume receiving botox and fillers in the brow/eye area
- Avoid the following herbs and spices 48 hours before procedure: ginger, cinnamon, garlic, black and cayenne pepper
- Your makeup will be wiped off during the procedure. Please bring your makeup bag to touchup for before and after photos if you would like
Please Note: You will be more sensitive during your menstrual cycle.
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR BROWS AFTER YOUR APPOINTMENT
SAME DAY FOLLOWING THE PROCEDURE
- Alway wash or sanitize your hands before touching or applying any product to the treated area
- 60 minutes after your treatment, gently blot the eyebrow area with the provided “PhiWipe” to absorb any lymph fluid
- Gently wipe brows every 60 minutes for a minimum of 5 hours or until lymph production has stopped
- Removing the lymph fluid prevents hardening of the lymph, and thus, minimizes scab formation, resulting in more pigment retention
- After your final wipe, apply the provided aftercare balm (Skin Candy). Use only a very small amount (size of a grain of rice for both brows)
DAY 1-7
- Each morning and evening, wipe brows using a cotton pad dampened with clean water and gently wipe away any remaining aftercare ointment, lymphatic fluid, dust, sweat, pollution from the air, etc. Pat brows dry with a tissue and use a fresh cotton-tip applicator to apply a very thin layer of healing ointment to your brows. DO NOT use any cleansing products containing acids ,such as glycolic, lactic, or AHA or any type of exfoliant on or near the freshly treated brow area
- For dry skin types: Use aftercare ointment twice daily for 7 days post treatment as needed
- For oilier skin types: Use aftercare ointment twice daily for 3-5 days post treatment as needed
- Avoid applying too much aftercare ointment as to not suffocate your skin and delay healing, nor, apply it beyond 7 days
Pro Tip: Do not toss Skin Candy aftercare ointment – keep it for your touch up appointment!
THINGS TO AVOID DURING THE HEALING PROCESS
- Do NOT apply any facial products (serums, moisturizers, SPF, etc.) and makeup to brows until all scabs have naturally fallen off (this usually happens around day 10-14)
- RESIST the urge to scratch or pick your brows!
- Avoid sleeping on your stomach or side for the first few days following the brow procedure
- NO direct sun exposure for 4 weeks! Direct UV light can alter the pigment color during the healing process
- NO swimming/sauna/facial steamers until the treated area is completely healed. Salt water and chlorine can cause the pigment to fade or change in color. Please schedule your appointment accordingly if you plan to be in the sun or water.
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING THE HEALING PROCESS
Immediately following the procedure, your new brows will look vibrant and bold. You may experience minor redness and/or swelling (this is temporary and will subside).
You will go through several healing stages where your permanent makeup will start to look noticeably darker in color, slightly uneven in appearance, followed by scabbing/flaking and itchiness (DO NOT pick or scratch your brows). And if all of this wasn’t enough, your permanent makeup will seem to fade and disappear (this is also known as the ghosting stage) at around day 15-30.
COLOR FADING AND LOSS OF HAIR STROKES DURING THE HEALING PROCESS IS NORMAL AND WILL VARY WITH SKIN TYPE
Once the healing process is complete, apply an SPF 45+ to your face and eyebrows daily. Sun exposure will cause premature fading of your permanent makeup; however, SPF application will keep your brows looking beautiful and vibrant longer.
Once your skin has gone through a complete cycle of skin regeneration (approximately 4 weeks), the color will start to resurface. Most, but not all of the pigment will remain, and color may look patchy. Your touch up session between 6 to 12 weeks is usually required to complete the look. At your perfecting touch up appointment, we will assess what areas need to be filled in to achieve the desired results. The procedure area will need to be fully healed before we can address any concerns.
