Powder Brows Healing Process: Day by Day
The powder brows healing process can last between 4 and 6 weeks. Find out what to expect at different stages and how to cope physically, mentally, and emotionally – first-hand from a powder brows client!
Image source: Instagram @beautyairstudio
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Powder brows healing time can vary depending on your skin type, condition, and lifestyle. The skin recovery phase is essential for the success of the treatment, so aftercare is a must. After that, you can relax, but it will be a few weeks before you can admire the final results.
To help you prep, here’s a powder brows healing schedule with different stages of the process.
Healing Timeline
DAY 1: The immediate aftermath of the treatment. You’re in love with your new brows, but they are red & swollen. No worries, this is only temporary.
DAY 2: Your brows look carved out, like a block of color. Don’t panic, it’s a process and the pigment will start settling soon.
DAYS 3–4: Your skin is starting to heal. Your eyebrows are itchy and red. The shade seems a tone or two lighter, but still too intense.
DAYS 5–7: The annoying scabbing stage. Your brows are itchy, but scratching isn’t allowed… unless you want patchy results!
DAYS 8–10: Your brows look too light and the color is uneven. It’s normal, the pigment will resurface when your skin heals.
DAYS 11–28: No more awkward scabbing and flaking. The pigment is finally settling. You can slowly go back to your usual skincare/makeup routine.
DAYS 28–42: Your powder brows are completely healed. The true color has finally appeared.
TOUCH UP: Color & shape fine-tuning! After the touch-up, your brows should heal more quickly than the first time.
EXTRA Q&A: Find the answers to common questions & concerns about powder brows healing.
Click on the day stamps for more info, or scroll down for the whole guide.
Healing Process Day by Day
The powder brows healing process is a bit of a roller coaster. So, it’s important to remember this — the way your brows are looking immediately after the treatment is not the final result.
Also, powder brows treatment is a 2-step procedure. The first, mandatory touch-up is there to fix any gaps, patches, and imperfections that may have appeared over time.
That said, here’s what to expect from the beginning to the end of the healing process.
Day 1
You have just had your powder brows done, and you’re head over heels in love with your new babies. We know the feeling. Our friend Nev told us all about it in her post-procedure Q&A:
“I was thrilled! I loved them instantly. It was a huge relief knowing I wouldn’t have to draw them on anymore – that became such a bore.”
If only they weren’t so red and swollen… Don’t worry! As Dr. Andrea Bassi, MD explains in his study, this is a normal tattoo-associated skin reaction. After all, your brows have just been pierced over and over again to implement the pigment into the skin.
So, calm down and stop checking your brows every five minutes. You mustn’t touch or wash them because you might affect the intensity of the pigments. If your esthetician advises, just blot your eyebrows with a clean, dry cloth.
Image Source: Instagram @keisha_and_co
Day 2
Your brows now look like a block of color, the pigment is totally off your natural palette, and it’s making you regret your decision. But, don’t rush to conclusions, this is just a phase.
As PMU artist _______ explains: “You need to give your brows some time to process the whole situation, so they can start to heal.” Only then can you expect the pigment to settle and show its true color.
The redness and itchiness might stick around for a few more days, but the swelling should go down in a couple of hours.
Remember to keep your brows clean.
Days 3-4
At this stage, the color is a bit lighter, but it is still far from the final look. The shade will fade over the next week, getting closer to your perfect match.
Your eyebrows have now started to heal. They will continue to be red and itchy, but if you feel anxious about it, contact your artist and send them pictures so they can check if everything is okay.
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Days 5-7
The annoying powder brows scabbing stage starts. Some people’s powder brows will scab more than others, which is normal because everybody heals differently.
The scabs will start to fall off when they’re ready and you’ll lose some of the original pigment. This means that the color of your eyebrows is about to become much lighter in the next couple of days.
Some itchiness is also normal but you’re not allowed to scratch your brows. You might ruin the results of the treatment. Let the scabs fall off on their own.
Original image by PMUHub
PMUHub’s Tip
Some scabbing is normal, but if you experience extensive scabbing, contact your powder brows artist. They’ll evaluate the situation and give you further instructions.
Days 8-10
The scabbing stage is over.
If your eyebrows look patchy or too light, don’t freak out! The pigment hasn’t gone anywhere. Your brow tattoo is just hiding under the newly formed, brighter layers of your skin. Good news! The color will resurface and the touch-up will fix the potential patches.
Here’s what Nev experienced during this phase:
“My brows look a little uneven right now. When the scabs came off, my tails turned out really light. It seems to me that my left brow is slightly lighter than the right one. It’s a little annoying, but I know all of that will be corrected at the touch-up. I can’t wait for that!” ne anywhere. Your brow tattoo is just hiding under the newly formed, brighter layers of your skin. Good news! The color will resurface and the touch-up will fix the potential patches.
Here’s what Nev experienced during this phase:
“My brows look a little uneven right now. When the scabs came off, my tails turned out really light. It seems to me that my left brow is slightly lighter than the right one. It’s a little annoying, but I know all of that will be corrected at the touch-up. I can’t wait for that!”
Days 11-28
The hardest part of the powder brows healing process is behind you. Now, you can relax even though your eyebrows haven’t taken their final shape yet.
You can start wearing makeup in the area and go back to your everyday routine. Still, try to avoid intense workouts, spas, saunas, and sweating in general.
And remember, at this healing stage, your powder brows are not friends with the sun!
Days 28-42
Your powder brows are completely healed. They did disappear for a little while, but they came back looking great. And although you may love how the color and shape turned out, you still need to get the first touch-up.
The first touch-up is mandatory. Its purpose is to help maintain the desired look, enhance the longevity of the treatment, and fix any imperfections that may have occurred during the healing process.
Image Source: Instagram @mysticbeautytati
After the Touch-Up
At the touch-up, your artist will add more pigment where necessary. Your skin will be broken again, so you’ll have to go through another healing cycle.
However, the healing process after the touch-up is typically much less intense. You will most likely experience all the healing stages, but they will come and go without much drama.
Of course, everything depends on the work done at the touch-up. If your artist has to go over the whole brows again, the healing will be the same as it was post-procedure.
Image Source: Instagram @ibrowsby.mandy
Extra Q&A
Wet Vs Dry Powder Brows Healing — What’s the Difference?
To moisturize or not? That is the question!
- Wet healing implies using an ointment to moisturize the area. You should apply the product after you clean your powder brows to speed up the healing process.
- Dry healing means just cleaning your brows with a cotton pad and a little bit of sterile water and then leaving them to heal, without applying any additional products.
Your artist will prescribe the healing aftercare that works best for your skin type and give you detailed instructions. Do your best to follow them closely to ensure your healing process goes smoothly and your results turn out as fabulous as possible.
When Can I Wash My Face After Powder Brows?
Obviously, you can’t stop washing your face altogether for 6 weeks just because you got powder brows. But, you have to be extremely careful not to damage the results while doing it.
In the first 2 weeks after the treatment, or until the scabbing is over, you should avoid washing the brow area (you can clean it as prescribed by your PMU artist). This also means no makeup in the area.
After the scabbing stage is over, go ahead and wash your face as you normally would, but don’t rub your eyebrows. Also, choose your skincare carefully, as certain anti-aging ingredients can fade your tattoo.
Especially avoid retinol because it has a proven skin-lightening effect, as dermatologist Dr. Malwina Zasada concludes in her comparative study of retinol serums.
How Do Ombre Powder Brows Heal?
Ombre powder brows are done the same way as powder brows, only by following a specific pigment saturation pattern to achieve the ombre effect. Therefore, the ombre powder brows healing process is the same as the powder brows healing process.
@roosspanx Powder brows done by @lawofbrows ♬ Celebrate the Good Times – Mason
Within 4-6 weeks, your skin will go through the same stages described above, but you might notice the heads of the brows, or the part towards the center of your face, healing quicker.
This is because less trauma is caused to the skin where the shadow is lighter.
WHY TRUST THIS GUIDE
This guide is a result of 5+ years of studying and researching the permanent makeup industry.
The information comes from reliable sources: a number of permanent eyeliner technicians, and a wide variety of medical references, including an in-depth review of the scientific studies by Dr. Andrea Bassi and Dr. Malwina Zasada.
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