Microblading is one of the most popular brow enhancement techniques in the permanent beauty industry. It involves using a handheld tool to create tiny, hair-like strokes in the skin beneath the eyebrows, resulting in a your-brows-but-better look.
But, to ensure the best possible outcome of the treatment, it’s essential to follow the correct pre- and post-treatment care. On that note, one of the most common concerns that clients express to their artists is Can I drink alcohol after microblading?
In this article, we explore why alcohol isn’t a good idea before or after the microblading procedure and how it can affect the results.
A Quick Word on Microblading Pre & Post Care
Eyebrow microblading is a treatment that requires some time and patience to be effective. When people focus only on aftercare, some important steps get overlooked before the procedure.
So before booking your appointment, it’s important to know that alcohol before microblading isn’t a good idea. In fact, even non-alcoholic, caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, soda, and so on, can also result in complications: more bleeding and uneven results.
Learn more about microblading pre-care here.
When it comes to microblading aftercare, the instructions typically include avoiding getting the brows wet, excessive sweating, direct sunlight, and certain skincare products for a specified period.
It is also advisable to refrain from consuming alcohol after the procedure and during the healing phase. We’ll explain that in more detail below.
Image source: Instagram @pmuhub
So, Can I Drink Alcohol Before Microblading?
Yes and no. It depends mostly on the time of consumption.
You can drink alcohol as close as 24 hours before your microblading appointment. However, you should refrain from drinking at least a day before your procedure to minimize the possible risks involved.
Alcohol is a blood thinner that can significantly increase bleeding during the procedure.
Plus, alcohol dehydrates the skin, and dehydrated skin is more difficult to work with. It’s more sensitive to pain, and it doesn’t retain pigments well, which can lead to poor results.
- Here’s a simple checklist of things to avoid before your microblading procedure.
- And here’s an explanation why you can’t drink caffeinated drinks before your microblading appointment.
Image source: Freepik
Can I Drink Alcohol After Microblading?
Best to avoid it, at least for a couple of days.
Since the microblading process implies breaking the skin and implementing cosmetic pigments into tiny incisions, it requires some healing time.
In the first few days after microblading, the cosmetic pigments used during the procedure settle into the skin, and alcohol can cause increased extraction. This can affect the end result, causing unevenness in color.
Alcohol consumption will impact the healing process, in a way that keeps the broken skin open for a longer period of time, increasing the risk of infection.
Regardless of alcohol consumption, you need to follow the correct aftercare routine religiously and ensure that the area is kept clean.
If you do notice any redness or severe irritation and itching, you’ll need to seek the immediate advice of your physician. Learn more about microblading infections and how to recognize them here.
How Does Alcohol Affect Microblading?
Drinking alcohol before microblading and afterwards can lead to several different issues.
Here’s a detailed look into the effects of alcohol on the microblading procedure:
Blood Thinning
Alcohol has blood thinning properties, which can lead to a whole lot of complications during and after microblading.
Thinner blood and excess bleeding make it more difficult for cosmetic ink to sink into the skin. This will require your technician to go over the treated area more often than recommended to achieve the desired look and risk overworking the skin.
You should also avoid drinking alcohol for at least 24-48 hours after your appointment, as it can interfere with the natural healing process.
Alcohol reduces the platelets in your blood that are responsible for blood clotting, which is essential when you’ve experienced an injury or any kind of incision that requires healing.
Other substances like blood-thinning medications, aspirin or ibuprofen can also cause blood thinning, so it’s best to consult with your physician prior to microblading or getting any kind of permanent makeup.
Excessive Bleeding
Alcohol consumption can lead to increased blood flow and dilation of blood vessels. This can both affect the microblading procedure and the healing process.
The microblading procedure creates small incisions, and any excessive bleeding can cause the pigment to be pushed out, resulting in patchy or faded results.
Plus, it can create quite a messy environment for the artist and impede their vision. When they’re not able to see the treated area clearly, there’s a risk of poor quality results.
Some bleeding is normal and to be expected, but you need to do what you can to minimize it.
Image source: Instagram @bb.guru
Increased Skin Sensitivity
Alcohol consumption causes the skin to become more sensitive and prone to irritation. This can make the procedure quite uncomfortable for you and make it more difficult for your artist to achieve symmetrical results.
Pigment Fading and Discoloration
Alcohol acts as a vasodilator, causing blood vessels to expand. This expansion can affect pigment retention in the skin.
Consuming alcohol after microblading may result in color fading, discoloration, or even the complete loss of pigment. This can significantly impact the longevity and overall appearance of microblading and other PMU procedures.
Prolonged Healing and Recovery
Alcohol consumption can dehydrate the body, which can impede the healing process.
Proper hydration is crucial for optimal healing and helps maintain the suppleness and elasticity of the skin. By consuming alcohol, you’re essentially depleting your body of the hydration it needs to recover efficiently.
This can lead to a longer and more painful recovery period.
A slow healing rate also means that the incisions made during the microblading procedure take more time to close up, increasing your chance of developing an infection.
I Drank Alcohol Before Microblading – What Now?
If you consumed alcohol 24 hours prior to your microblading appointment, it is essential to inform your microblading artist so they can assess the situation.
The best thing to do is to try and reschedule your appointment, as the 24 hour period is the minimum amount of time needed for your body to extract the alcohol.
Being aware of the risks and side effects of drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages like coffee before your appointment, is helpful for both you and your artist – you’ll get the results you’ve wanted, you’ll heal properly, and your artist will have a good canvas to work with.
When Can I Drink Alcohol After Microblading?
The exact time you need to wait before drinking alcohol after microblading depends mainly on the healing process. We made it clear that drinking alcohol in the first 24 hours after the procedure can have a great impact in retention and healing.
In general, it is best to wait until the scabs have naturally fallen off, which can take about 7 days on average.
It is essential to follow the microblading aftercare guidelines provided to you by your artist to ensure the best possible healed results.
Image source: Instagram @pmuhub
What About Other PMU Treatments?
The same guidelines apply for all PMU treatments in regards to alcohol consumption before or after the procedure.
Alcohol can affect healed results as well as the pigment implementation process, so whether you opted for lip tattoo, eyeliner tattoo, or any kind of brow tattoo treatment, it’s crucial to refrain from alcohol consumption 24 hours before and after your procedure.
In Conclusion
To provide the best possible answer to the question Can I drink alcohol after microblading, we have to look at the effects of alcohol consumption on the body first, and then discuss how they translate to the microblading procedure.
Alcohol can impair healing, cause skin irritation, lead to color fading, and prolong recovery time. That’s why it’s best to refrain from drinking 24 hours prior and 24 hours after microblading. It is also advisable to wait until scabbing is done to start drinking alcohol again.
Cover image source: Freepik
