Permanent makeup aftercare

Immediately After the Procedure (Day 1): Gently blot the area with a clean tissue every 15–30 minutes for the first few hours to absorb any lymph fluid. This helps prevent scabbing. Do not wash the area or apply ointment yet.

Days 1–7: Cleanse & Moisturize: Clean the area morning and night with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser (like Cetaphil or baby shampoo). Use fingertips or a lint-free cloth. Pat dry with a clean tissue. Apply a thin layer of aftercare ointment (provided or recommended by your artist) using a clean cotton swab. Keep the area slightly moisturized—do not over-apply.

Things to Avoid for 7–14 Days: No touching, picking, scratching, or rubbing the area. Let any flaking or scabbing fall off naturally. Avoid makeup on or around the treated area. No heavy sweating, gym workouts, saunas, or steam rooms. Avoid sun exposure, tanning beds, and swimming (pools, oceans, lakes). No facial treatments (peels, exfoliants, lasers) until fully healed.

Additional Notes by Area:

Brows: Expect light scabbing and mild itching. Color will appear darker at first and fade 30–40% as it heals.

Eyeliner: Swelling is normal for the first 24–48 hours. Use a clean, cold compress to soothe (not ice directly on skin). Avoid mascara until fully healed.

Lips: Expect swelling, tightness, and peeling. Stay hydrated. Use a straw and avoid spicy or salty foods. Apply a gentle, healing balm as instructed.

Long-Term Care: Once healed, always apply sunscreen (SPF 30+) on the area to preserve pigment. Avoid skincare with acids or retinoids near the treated area. Touch-ups may be needed every 1–3 years to maintain results.

Tattoo Aftercare

1. Leave the bandage alone! Your new tattoo was covered up to keep air-born bacteria from invading your wound. Open flesh is a breeding ground for bacteria and infection. Leave the bandage on for a maximum of 2 hours. Make sure your hands have been washed thoroughly with antibacterial soap and warm water before you remove the bandage and every time after throughout the healing process.

2. Wash and treat your new tattoo after you remove the bandage. Use lukewarm water and a mild antibacterial or antimicrobial soap to gently wash away any ointment, blood and/or plasma and to completely clean the area. Do not use a washcloth or any abrasive. Your hand is the best tool in this case. If your tattoo is slimy and slippery, you have probably been oozing plasma. Try to remove as much of this as possible. When plasma dries on the skin surface, it creates scabs. Pat DO NOT RUB the area firmly with a clean towel or paper towel to get it completely dry. Use clean bed linens and bath/shower towels throughout the healing process.

3. Follow with a very light application of your choice of ointment. Hustle Butter would be our first choice, but if you don't have any, Aquaphor or other similar products of the same type are acceptable. Petroleum based ointments can clog pores if applied too heavily, which can cause complications during the healing process. (DO NOT USE NEOSPORIN: this is a wonderful product for cuts and scrapes, but not for tattoos. Some people can have an allergic reaction to the Neosporin, which causes red bumps. When the bumps go away, so does the ink in your tattoo.) After your tattoo begins to peel, you can switch from the ointment to an unscented lotion for the healing period.

4. You can shower with a new tattoo. It's okay to get your new tattoo wet, just don't soak it. Submerging your tattoo in a bath, hot tub or pool can cause serious damage, so you'll want to avoid these for 2-3 weeks. If you get soap or shampoo on your tattoo, just remove it quickly with water. Swimming, regardless of the water should be avoided for at least 2 weeks.

5. After a few days you will notice some peeling, and possibly a little scabbing. Excessive scabbing could indicate a poorly maintained tattoo, but a little is normal and there is no need to panic. Apply warm, moist compresses to the scabs for 5 minutes 2-3 times a day to soften them, and eventually they will come off on their own. (Do not apply lotion to a wet scab, wait for it to dry) You will also start to itch, just like a healing sunburn. Do not pick or scratch it. If the skin is peeling, put lotion on it, but if it's scabbing, leave it alone. Your tattoo is almost fully healed and now is not the time to ruin it!

6. After your tattoo is healed and from now on, you will always want to protect it from the Sun's ultraviolet rays. These can fade and damage a brilliant tattoo pretty quickly. Before spending a lot of time in excessive sunlight, protect your tattoo with a minimum of 30 SPF sunblock. This will keep your tattoo vibrant for many years.