You probably already know that sun exposure is not a friend of your permanent makeup results. From fading rate to pigment retention, it can seriously affect your final look. But you can’t stay indoors forever either, and who wants to miss out on all the summer fun?
PMUHub brings you this handy guide on the relationship between tanning and microblading. Learn how to protect your brows from natural sunlight and sunbed lamps, and get your perfect tan without sacrificing your perfect eyebrows.
Is Tanning Before Microblading a Bad Idea?
Yes, it is. Your artist will advise you to avoid tanning and sun exposure in general for around 2 weeks (at least 10 days, but different artists may give different recommendations).
There are two reasons for this:
- To prevent sunburn
- To accurately estimate the pigment color
If your skin is burned, either by natural sunlight or by a tanning bed/ tanning lamp, it’ll be too damaged for microblading and you will have to postpone your appointment until you fully recover.
Moreover, if you tan even slightly, the artist won’t be able to see your actual skin color. That means they won’t be able to choose the best microblading pigment for your unique skin color/ hair color/ eye color combination.
Note
Avoid sunlight after your appointment too. UV exposure will affect pigment retention, so stay out of the sun while your brows heal.
After the microwounds close up (around 14 days post-microblading), you can start going out in the sun if you protect your brows with suitable SPF. It is also recommended to wear a hat.
How Long After Microblading Can I Tan?
The general rule of thumb 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.
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 if you want your microbladed eyebrows to look great for as long as possible, limit your tanning and general time in the sun as much as you can, because it can speed up the fading process.
Image source: Freepik
How to Cover Eyebrows While Tanning
After your microbladed eyebrows are fully healed, you can go back to enjoying your summertime activities, including tanning. But you should take some precautions.
Keep in mind that UV radiation has a negative effect on the pigments, even after the healing process is complete. Exposing your eyebrows to sunlight makes them fade sooner.
They might also discolor and end up looking a weird, unattractive shade, like ashy gray or even turning blue. In order to avoid this, you should properly protect your eyebrows after microblading.
Here are some tips:
- Always wear a high-quality SPF product on your brows when you’re outside.
- Reapply the sunscreen frequently.
- Wear large sunglasses
- Wear a wide-brimmed summer hat or a baseball cap.
- If you’ll be at a beach or such, set up a nice parasol.
- Make sure your microbladed eyebrows stay in the shade even when the rest of you is out in the sun.
@pmuhub.com As the warmer weather is approaching, you should be more careful about protecting your tattooed eyebrows - especially if they're fresh! #eyebrowtattoo #microblading #pmubrows #beautytok #aftercare ♬ Lazy Sunday - Official Sound Studio
How to Cover Microbladed Eyebrows on a Sunbed
First of all, wait until your brows are fully healed. The same basic rules apply for sunbed tanning with microbladed eyebrows as for going out into natural sunlight. Don’t expose your brows to either until they’re healed completely and the pigments have settled.
When you do go for a tanning session, wear a good sunscreen that’s specifically formulated for the face. Apply a protective product with a factor of at least 30-50 and keep it on your brows for at least 10 minutes before you enter the sunbed.
You could also opt to completely cover your eyebrows with an item of clothing or a piece of cloth. After your tanning session, wear a wide-brimmed hat and large sunglasses if you’ll be stepping out into daylight.
It’s also advisable to reapply the SPF to your brows before you exit the salon/ tanning studio.
Image source: Freepik
When Can I Spray Tan After Microblading?
Wait until your eyebrows have fully healed before you apply spray tan or any other self-tanner. This takes around 14 days on average but could go up to a full month.
Be patient: it’s better to wait a little longer than the strict minimum, than to tan early and ruin your microblading.
Remember that tanning too soon can do more than mess up your pigment retention. If your brows are not healed completely, applying any kind of tanning product could cause an infection.
I Ruined My Microblading. Now What?
Depends on the specific nature and scope of the problem.
If your microbladed eyebrows faded too much, too soon, your artist can add more pigment at your touch-up session. If the color of your brows changed with UV exposure, you can book a color correction appointment.
If you used a tanning product before your brows healed completely and developed an infection, take close-up pictures from several angles and send them to your artist immediately. They will assess the damage, advise you on some immediate relief measures, and direct you to your GP or dermatologist for further treatment.
Why Are Microblading and Tanning Not Compatible?
Tanning before microblading is not a good idea, because you risk sun burning and the microblading artist can’t really see the true color of your tan, to find the perfect pigment for you.
Tanning during the microblading healing process is forbidden since the skin is still sensitive and it can lead to complications and poor results.
Only after the eyebrows are completely healed, you are allowed to go tanning, but it is still advisable to protect your eyebrows, to avoid premature fading or pigment color turning weird.
