Microblading is steadily gaining popularity, and for a good reason. Microbladed eyebrows look natural and elegant, save you time on getting ready, and give your look a dose of chic on every occasion.
However, the result needs some maintenance after the treatment. You need to protect your brows while they heal and afterwards, to ensure they keep looking their best.
Here’s how to protect eyebrows after microblading and maintain them in perfect condition.
Note – all the rules apply to all types of eyebrow tattoos, not just microblading.
Protecting Microbladed Eyebrows While Healing
Healing after a microblading appointment takes 4-8 weeks. It depends on your age, skin type, and general health. During those weeks you will experience:
- Swelling,
- Tenderness,
- Scabbing, and
- Color change.
Your skin will be sensitive so you have to avoid additional damage. Follow your artist’s instructions on how to protect your eyebrows after microblading. You can also read more about what to expect during the healing process in our in-depth day by day guide.
These are the general aftercare rules after your microblading appointment:
- Clean your new brows
- Don’t get your eyebrows wet outside of cleaning
- Keep out of the sun
- Minimize sweating.
Let’s take a closer look at why they’re important and how to follow them.
Cleaning Your Brows
You can clean off lymph buildup with a drop or two of water on a cotton pad. Use only the prescribed cleaning products.
Keeping your brows clean keeps you safe from infections. They’re basically an open wound. Protect them from dust and dirt and don’t touch them with unwashed hands.
If you really have to touch your face, disinfect your hands before and after.
Washed does not mean soaking wet when it comes to microblading aftercare. It means using slightly wet cotton pads and to remove the lymph buildup, not splashing water, using soap, swimming, etc.
Read this detailed guide about washing your eyebrows after microblading to learn more about it.
Image source: Freepik
Keeping Them Dry Outside of Cleaning
If your microbladed eyebrows get wet, the pigment settling can get disrupted. You’ll need to make some lifestyle adjustments while your skin heals, especially in the first two weeks.
Do everything you can to protect your brows when you shower. We’ll give you specific tips for how to protect microbladed eyebrows in the shower a little further below.
When you have to wash your hair, consider going to a salon. You can also try these tips for washing your hair after microblading.
Be careful when you wash your face in the morning. Consider using a suitable face cleanser on a cotton pad instead of splashing water. Don’t go swimming until you’re done healing, either.
Sweat Protection
Sweat irritates your skin and increases risk of infection, plus it can spoil your final results. The problem is the salt in the sweat – it extracts pigments from the skin.
In fact, this effect is so strong that saline solutions for PMU removal are one of the primary ways of removing old or botched cosmetic tattoos.
When PMU artists advise you on how to protect your eyebrows after microblading, they will say you shouldn’t work out for at least 2 weeks after your appointment, especially outdoors.
In addition, try these anti-sweat tricks for how to protect your eyebrows after microblading:
- Wear an absorbent headband
- Wear a sports sweatband
- Wipe your forehead and hairline frequently.
Use the Prescribed Aftercare Cream
You should only use the skincare products your artist recommends and avoid makeup anywhere on your face for the first few days, and around your brows for at least 2 weeks. The makeup itself and your remover could irritate the sensitive skin around the eyebrows.
At worst, they could get into the tiny open wounds and complications.
Your PMU artist might recommend a wet healing regimen. This means using an aftercare ointment or cream to help your eyebrows heal better. When you let them recover on their own instead, that’s called dry healing.
Your artist will tell you how to protect your eyebrows after microblading based on your skin type. Follow their post-PMU skincare dos and don’ts to the letter to get the best results.
How to Protect Microbladed Eyebrows in the Shower
First, take shorter showers. Reduce your chances of splashing water on your eyebrows by simply spending less time in the water. Get in, wash up, get out.
Also, reduce your shower temperature. The condensing steam from hot showers can wash out your new cosmetic tattoo. Use warm or even lukewarm water. For the same reason, don’t go to saunas.
Accessories for Protecting Your Eyebrows in the Shower
If you’re at a loss for how to protect your eyebrows after microblading with minimal hassle, use a plastic shield or a protective visor.
Plastic shields look like baseball hat brims. They protect your brows from streams of water and wet hair, but not from the surrounding splashing. If you don’t feel safe with that, try a shower visor instead.
These are specially designed facial shields that you can buy online. They’re meant to protect your eye and nose area (including eyebrows). They’re disposable, so you don’t have to worry about contamination from sweat and the steam.
Improv Tip
You can also improvise with swimming goggles. They cover your eyebrows perfectly. However, some models also cover your nose, which might be uncomfortable.
Moreover, our own editor, Lucy, tried this trick after her microblading and wasn’t satisfied: Umm, not a good idea. I really struggled to keep the goggles on and I think some water came in because I [felt] a slight tingling.
How to Protect Brows from Sunlight
Staying out of the sun is important because the pigment reacts to the UV rays.
Generally, sun exposure can affect your PMU color in two ways in the long term:
- Make it fade more
- Make the color turn weird
Microblading naturally fades over 2-3 years. Lots of sun can make that process faster. But if your pigment has more carbon in it, you may notice your eyebrows getting tinged with gray, looking ashy and overall darker.
It happens because the sun pulls the warmth from the pigment. So if your brows are carbon-heavy or very saturated, you might end up with a rather unattractive result. If you want your microbladed eyebrows to look their best for a long time, minimize sun exposure.
Wear a hat with a wide brim. Baseball caps are also an option if they fit your style better. Just have some kind of shade above your eyebrows. Use appropriate sunscreen and reapply it frequently.
Image source: Freepik
Choosing the Right SPF for Microbladed Eyebrows
You must be very careful until the surface layer of your eyebrows heal. That’s usually around the 4 weeks mark, in the scabbing phase.
Regular SPF products aren’t suitable in the early healing stages. They contain minerals and other substances that can irritate your skin. Remember that microbladed brows are open wounds!
There are specialized sun protection creams for tattooed and microbladed skin, like the PhiTattoo Sun protection Cream, which you can use as soon as 7 days after your microblading appointment.
This cream specifically protects the vibrancy of the color of PMU pigments. It’s also waterproof, sweat-proof, hypoallergenic, and helps your healing process.
After your skin heals, the specific brand of sunscreen doesn’t matter as much. Just make sure to choose one with strong SPF. Many PMU artists recommend Disaar, so you can check them out as a starting point.
Generally, oil-free sun protection is better. Oily substances provoke faster fading. Choose sunscreen that moisturizes your skin. Nourished, flexible skin is better at retaining pigments!
How to Protect Eyebrows After Microblading Healing
Now that you know how to protect your eyebrows right after microblading, you should know how to protect them after healing, too. Remember that your PMU is still vulnerable to fading and blurring. You’re just not dealing with open wounds anymore.
There are three keys to post-healing maintenance:
- Microblading touch-ups,
- General skincare, and
- Sunlight protection.
Here are a few notes on each.
Microblading Touch-Ups
You’ll have an initial touch-up appointment with your PMU artist after your eyebrows heal. It serves to correct any little imperfections and give your new brows their final form. After that you’ll need occasional touch up sessions.
All the advice about how to protect your eyebrows after microblading applies to protecting them after touch-ups too. Healing after touch-ups usually only takes a few days.
After the initial appointment you should be set for about 9-15 months before you need a refresher. It depends on your overall lifestyle and how you treat your brows.
Get additional appointments when you feel the need to. Maintenance will prolong your PMU and keep it looking its best for years.
General Skincare
Tailor your routine to your lifestyle and skin type. Focus on cleansing and hydration, especially if you sweat a lot or have naturally oily skin.
Feel free to ask your PMU artist on how to protect eyebrows after microblading in the long run. They can recommend good skincare products that won’t interfere with your new pigments.
Generally speaking, avoid using creams and lotions with retinol around your brows. Look for glycerin- and panthenol-based alternatives, because retinol fades your microblading faster.
Virgin oils are also popular choices – they keep the skin flexible and youthful, and some have antibacterial properties.
Sunlight Protection
After the pigment is set, it’s still sensitive to sun exposure. The strategies for how to protect brows from sunlight stay relevant even after your skin has completely healed, so scroll back up!
Also, don’t neglect sunscreen in the winter. Sun exposure is still a problem if it’s cold outside. In fact, if it snows, the reflected sunlight is stronger than in the summer. Don’t let it spoil your brows and keep up with your winter skincare routine.
Final Notes
Keeping your brows pristine is a long-term commitment. Listen to your artist’s advice on how to protect your eyebrows after microblading. This includes learning how to protect microbladed eyebrows in the shower, how to protect brows from sunlight, and how to give your skin the best care after it’s done healing.
PMUHub is here to support you throughout your journey with our comprehensive up-to-date microblading guide. Pick the right products, learn all the tricks, and enjoy your fabulous new brows for a long time to come.
Cover image source: Freepik
