Microblading is a permanent makeup technique similar to eyebrow tattooing, but far more advanced.
It is done manually, with a microblading tool, which is used to make thin incisions on the skin that look like natural brow hairs. They imitate the length, color, thickness, and shape of the actual hairs.
But just like any other PMU treatment, it does have its side effects, as well as aftercare that needs to be followed properly.
So can you do microblading in the summer? Keep reading to find out!
What Are the Potential Side Effects?
It’s important to know what side effects may happen if you do your microblading treatment in the summer.
During the summer, there is a higher risk of your healing process being interrupted – there is a higher risk of infection during summertime due to fun summer activities like swimming, hanging out on the beach, plus all the sweating.
Since your brows are essentially an open wound in the first days after the treatment, they need to be protected from dust, dirt and bacteria, which is harder to do if you get microblading in summer.
An infection due to these factors can mess up your final result.
If you do accidentally mess up your brows, contact your artist and they will guide you on what to do next. Most likely you will be able to fix it at the next mandatory touch-up appointment.
And if an infection happens, it would be best to visit your dermatologist and receive the right care.
Tanning After Microblading
The general rule is to avoid any kind of UV exposure, including tanning, for a minimum of 14 days. And even after that, only the surface of the brows is healed, so it’s not safe to expose them directly to the sun until internal healing is over.
Most artists will advise you against tanning after microblading for a full 4-6 weeks, to make sure that the healing is 100% complete.
Then there’s usually a touch-up appointment, so you should wait for the brows to heal from that as well. Only after they are completely healed, it’s safe to actually go tanning.
But beware: sun exposure can accelerate the fading of your microblading.
Microblading naturally fades over 2-3 years. Lots of sun can make that process faster. Also, if your pigment has more carbon in it, you may notice your eyebrows getting tinged with gray, looking ashy and overall darker.
Learn more about why tanning and microblading don’t mix well in this article.
Image source: Instagram @pmuhub
How to Prevent These Side Effects
If you want your microbladed eyebrows to look their best for a long time, minimize sun exposure.
You can wear a hat with a wide rim or a baseball cap to have some kind of shade above your eyebrows.
It’s important to use appropriate sunscreen as 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 – ask your artist for a recommendation. It should be waterproof, sweat-proof, hypoallergenic, and help 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 a sunscreen that moisturizes your skin. Nourished, flexible skin is better at retaining pigments!
Swimming After Microblading in Summer
Going to the pool should be avoided after microblading, for two reasons:
- Infection from the bacteria in the water
- Chlorine interacting with the pigment and fading your brows or causing a color change
The risk of getting an infection and your brows fading too soon or turning are both high so it’s best to skip going to the pool entirely during this time.
Swimming in the ocean or sea should be avoided as well, and the reason for that is fading of brows due to the salt in the water, which extracts pigments from the skin.
Image source: Freepik
Sweating After Microblading in the Summer
Sweat irritates your skin and increases risk of infection, plus it can spoil your final results. The problem is again the salt in the sweat.
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.
For this reason, it’s best to not 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
Wetting Your Eyebrows After Microblading in Summer
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.
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.
When showering, reduce your chances of splashing water on your eyebrows by simply cutting it short. 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.
What You Can Do
A great and easy way to protect your eyebrows after microblading with minimal hassle, is to 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 steam.
You can also improvise with swimming goggles. They cover your eyebrows perfectly and will do the job!
But If I Avoid All This, Can I Get Microblading in the Summer?
The good news is, if you pay attention to all of the things we listed here, and make sure to follow up with proper aftercare (learn more about microblading aftercare here) you can do your microblading treatment in the summer.
You will need to be more careful with how you care for your brows, but if all of these steps seem doable to you, then feel free to book your microblading appointment in summer!
And another piece of advice, plan out your treatment at least two months before going on vacation, that way it will be easier to follow these steps.
Cover image source: Freepik
