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Microshading Aftercare Instructions: Day by Day
A detailed overview of the most common microshading aftercare routine. Find out what you need to do to get the best microshading results
Image source: Pexels
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2020. Updated October 2021.
The success of microshading treatment does not depend only on the expertise of your PMU artist. Once you leave the salon, you take over and it’s your responsibility to make sure your brows heal properly.
After the procedure, you will be given strict aftercare rules to follow. You must take them seriously if you want perfectly microshaded eyebrows. The routine enables your brows to heal evenly, without too much scabbing, and prevents contamination of the treated area.
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the microshading aftercare routine.
Click on the link to go directly to a specific step:
How Long Does Microshading Aftercare Last?
You need to follow the prescribed microshading after care for about 14 days.
After the procedure, your brows take 6-8 weeks to heal completely, but the aftercare routine is necessary only in the days right after the treatment, until the brows stop peeling. At that point, the wounds close up and there’s no risk of infection or pigments being pulled out mechanically anymore.
Want to find out more about microshading? Follow the links:
Microshading – The Ultimate Guide
Image source: Instagram @permanent_master_zulya
What Are the Basic Rules of Microshading Aftercare?
There are some general rules you need to follow until the peeling stage of the healing process ends.
The rules are very strict but not that hard to follow. Breaking any of them can ruin your microshading and put you at risk of infection. So, here they are:
- Wash your face very carefully. Avoid getting chemicals on the treated area. Clean the area with a damp cotton pad, then dry it gently, with a clean tissue. Blot, don’t rub.
- You will probably be given an aftercare ointment. Apply it after cleaning your brows, or more often if advised.
- Avoid getting your usual skincare on the brow area. Certain skincare ingredients accelerate PMU fading.
- No makeup in the area for at least 14 days. It can cause irritation or infection.
- Don’t touch your brows.
- Don’t pick the scabs.
- Don’t sleep on your face.
- Avoid activities that cause excessive sweating.
- Avoid long showers, saunas and swimming.
- Avoid sun exposure and tanning.
- Avoid facial treatments until the brows are completely healed.
Microshading Aftercare Day by Day
The microshading aftercare follows the stages of the healing process. Here’s how you should treat your brows in the days after the procedure.
Days 1 & 2 – Clean Your Brows as Instructed
After the treatment, the treated skin will ooze lymph. You need to clean it off to prevent infection and minimize scabbing.
Gently blot the lymph off with a cotton pad dampened with sterile water, 3-4 times a day.
Days 3-5 – Moisturize Your Brows Often
You should start washing your brows once or twice a day with a mild antibacterial soap. Don’t rub and pat them dry very gently.
You should start using your aftercare ointment. Apply it every few hours, whenever you feel the area is itchy, and after each wash.
The ointment minimizes the scabbing and it protects the area from outside contamination. Make sure you apply a very thin layer – the area needs to breathe and you don’t want to clog the pores.
Days 5-10 – Keep Up the Aftercare Routine
Your brows are peeling and they’re probably very itchy. Be extra careful not to touch the scabs and let the area peel off on its own.
Keep applying the aftercare ointment and washing your brows as instructed.
Days 10-14 – You Can Relax Once the Peeling Stops
Some clients go through a second peeling cycle which is less intense.
Once all peeling stops, you can stop following the microshading aftercare instructions. You can go back to your normal routine, but you may want to adjust it a bit. Ingredients like retinol and acids speed up the fading of pigments, so you shouldn’t get them on your brows.
Extra Tip: Exposing PMU pigments to sunlight in long stretches of time causes a chemical reaction that fades them. Wear SPF when you go outside, no matter how old your microshading is.
Dry Healing Microshading Aftercare
The microshading aftercare instructions described above are the so-called wet healing, which implies moisturizing the area. There’s also an alternative aftercare for microshading called dry healing. This routine excludes the moisturizer, and it’s sometimes prescribed to clients with particularly oily skin.
Listen to your artist and follow the microshading aftercare instructions they give you, even if they deviate from the routine we described.
How Long After Microshading Can I Wash My Face?
You can wash your face the same day, but wait at least 3 hours after the procedure and avoid the brow area. Wash the lower half of your face the way you usually do, and clean the rest with a wet cotton pad, avoiding the brows.
From day 3, you can get the brow area wet. In fact, washing is part of the microshading eyebrows aftercare. Still, you mustn’t let harsh chemicals come into contact with your brows. Use a mild antibacterial soap, or baby soap.
Once the peeling stage ends, you can wash your face without tiptoeing around your brows. Still, avoid products that contain exfoliants.
Image source: Instagram @microblading_remon_sawirs
How Do I Maintain My Microshading Once It’s Healed?
Once you get the mandatory microshading touch up 6-8 weeks after your initial session, you’ll go through another healing cycle, but it will be less intense. You’ll have to repeat the microshading aftercare routine, but after that, you’re set for up to 2 years.
Since it is semi-permanent, your microshading will start fading after about 9 months, but you don’t have to get it touched up until you feel the need to. Most clients like to get touch ups annually.
The pace at which your microshading fades depends on factors like:
- Your body chemistry
- Sunlight exposure
- Frequent exposure to salt or pool water
- Frequent excessive sweating
- Smoking
- Skincare products
Some of these you can control, so make sure you do everything in your power to prevent premature fading if you want to make the most of your microshading. Part of this is following the microshading eyebrows aftercare which enables pigments to settle properly.
When you notice your brows have faded significantly, book a touch up as soon as possible. The more you wait and the more they fade, the more work the artist will have to do, so they’ll charge more – up to the full price.
What If I Mess Up My Microshading?
If you don’t touch them, you can’t mess them up. They can be itchy but don’t scratch them. The pigment is injected shallow into the skin and you can pull it out if you pick the scabs.
If you happen to do that, contact your artist. It can probably be corrected at the first touch up.
In case of infection (which is unlikely to happen if you are careful), visit a dermatologist. They might prescribe some antibiotics to cure the infection.
Image source: Instagram @thebarasourcils
Microshading Aftercare – Main Takeaways
Following the microshading aftercare instructions your artist prescribes is the only way to ensure your brows heal properly and you avoid an infection. The no.1 thing to remember is not to touch your brows, no matter how annoying or itchy the scabbing stage gets. Muscle through 2 weeks of aftercare and you’ll get fabulous results.