Aftercare

Each client is given a specific, customized aftercare kit.
Please follow the instructions that were given to you at your appointment carefully and in their entirety.

Deviation from these aftercare steps may cause poor retention, pigment loss, irreversible trauma, or scarring to the area. 

Immediately After

Your brows will feel tender and look darker than anticipated. There may be some stinging, swelling, slight burning or itching - this is normal and will take a few hours to settle. ​Please be careful not to touch your beautiful new brows! Make sure your hands, glasses, and anything possible touching your face are wiped clean of bacteria.

Hyperrealism/Nano Aftercare:

For the first 72 hours ONLY: (Today, Tomorrow & Next Day) The small bottle of soap you have been given in your aftercare is already mixed with sterile water. You want to pour out a small amount onto your clean fingers and directly apply to the eyebrows. Small circular motions, making sure you are able to get between your natural brow hair, and then rinse/take it off once finished with some clean lukewarm water & cotton pad (never use hot water!) Repeat washing the eyebrows 4x a day for the 3 days (no washes on day 4) Washing the brows for the first 72 hours is crucial as the wound remains 'open' until the flakes arrive after a couple of days. In this time, the skin will automatically produce oils, sweat, and moisture, which if not cleaned away, WILL blur out the hairstrokes or reject them completely. So please do not skip washing them or not do enough washes as it can severely alter the results once healed.

Day 4 onwards: (until last flake is off):

You may start to notice some flakiness and dandruff, if you are at this stage, then it is required of you to leave them alone and do nothing whatsoever and DRY HEAL. It is essential that you resist the urge to touch, pick, or scratch the treated area, as this will pull the ink out permanently and cause scarring. Allow them to flake and fall off naturally. There are enough natural oils in your skin for it to take care of the small flakes that are there. Using the ointment at this stage can completely mess up the aftercare and can actually provoke major scabbing, as well as blurring the hairstrokes entirely or pushing all of the ink out of the skin.

Only use the ointment if/when:

If your skin forms big scabs and looks like it’s clumping into the hair, you can apply a tiny amount of the ointment 1-2x a day ONLY where you see the ‘clumping’ until the scabs have softened back up. Please don’t overdo it, as your skin probably contains enough natural oils to take care of itself.

How to apply:

Using clean fingers only, apply ointment using pressing motions rather than sweeping/brushing motions. Small amount each application, do not exceed more than 3x a day. - When the scabs soften down back to flakes STOP using the ointment.

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It’s important to avoid getting your brows wet outside of the aftercare instructions. Remember to use the protective brow shield (provided) or use a shower head only to wash your hair and blot brows dry once out of the shower.

*If you are a side sleeper, make sure to wash your pillowcase to lower risk of infection and avoid sleeping on your face while your brows are healing. This can cause them to prematurely pull off scabs and effect your retention.


Things to Avoid During Healing

Please make sure to avoid the following: ​​

  • Salt water removes pigment. Avoid increased sweating, strenuous activity for AT LEAST 10 days. If scabs are still present, try to avoid until they fall off. 

  • DO NOT use any cleansing products containing acids (glycolic, lactic, or AHA), exfoliants, and oils on the forehead. DO NOT apply any cosmetics on the brow area for at least 10 days.

  • Avoid getting your brows/forehead wet outside of instructed for the first 10-14 days (no hot showers, cautious when opening ovens, baths, pools, lake/oceans, Jacuzzis).

  • No saunas, swimming, steam, sunbathing for the first 10-14 days.

  • Do not excessively stretch your brows while they are flaking, by raising eyebrows or frowning.

  • Do not dye, wax or use hair removals for 2 weeks. After the skin has stopped flaking and scabbing, you can return to normal routine.

  • No lotion, non-gentle cleansers, or brow makeup should be applied to the brows for at least 14 days. If you choose to wear foundation, or eye makeup, completely avoid the brow area. Makeup is full of bacteria and can cause infection.

  • Avoid direct sunlight or tanning for 4 weeks after procedure while your brows are healing as natural UVB/UVA rays can pose risk of discoloration. Wear a hat when outdoors. 

  • Avoid sunscreen on the area while healing. When brows are FULLY HEALED, wearing an SPF will prevent discoloration and fading. This will help them stay true to color, crisp, and vibrant. Protect your investment!
    I like this non-toxic sunscreen stick Badger Mineral Sunscreen

  • No facials, Botox, chemical treatment or microdermabrasion for 4-6 weeks. 

  • Avoid Retin-A, retinol, tretinoin, vitamin A, or oils on forehead at any point after having brows done.


    Skincare For the next 10 days:
    You will need to strip your normal skincare routine back to basics.
    DO: Use toners to clean around your brows (do not go over brows). Once or twice a day. Because you will not be able to wash your face properly, your skin will more than likely purge. In this time frame, it is important that you use a cleanser and/or toner on your forehead and around your brows to make sure that you keep any natural oils at bay. A simple toner that contains tea-tree or witch hazel - anything that has more of an alcohol-base rather than something that is oily (for example micellar water). This is highly RECOMMENDED if you have OILY skin.
    DON’T: Use moisturizers or serums near your brows. As we know, hairstrokes and oils/moisture do NOT go hand in hand. So please refrain from adding any extra moisture to your skin. You may want to consider drinking more water to compensate for dehydration if your skin becomes drier in this time frame. You can use everything as normal from your eyes down.


    What To Expect

    Be patient during healing process as your brows will change and appear different from day to day.

    STAGE 1 - GORGEOUS
    So you have just had your brows done, for the next couple days they will look perfect, and no flakes will be present. It is normal the next day for them look a little darker and thicker. It is also normal if the brows look a little warm - don’t panic... this is just blood stimulation... your brows are not turning ginger. It is normal to go through waves of loving them and hating them. Most people will love them, but if this is your first time having ANYTHING done, it is completely normal to be unsure... promise you will love them once healed.


    STAGE 2 - SHEDDING
    From around day 4 you will start getting some flakes. As mentioned, they will look like tiny pieces of dandruff, they will not bother you until they start coming off one by one. Persevere with it, they will be gone in a couple days - do not force them off! If you have reached day 14 and there are STILL flakes present, the chances are, the flakes will have come loose from the skin and is now just trapped in the natural brow hair. If you are 100% confident that this is the case, you may go back to normal with washing your face properly and moisturizing your skin, and the flakes should just drop off.

    STAGE 3 - GHOSTING
    The stage where everyone loses their minds! When all the flakes come off, you will go through a stage which is very heartbreaking - don't worry... its only temporary. While your skin has been shedding for the last week, there has been a fresh new layer of skin renewing underneath. This new layer of skin is very dry, dusty and milky (think of it how baby powder looks on skin). This milky layer of skin will completely overpower the hair strokes that are lying underneath and have you thinking that the process has not worked and that everything has vanished. THIS IS NORMAL! THE INK WILL COME BACK! If you message me in this time frame, I’m only going to tell you read over your aftercare for reassurance... there is literally nothing both you and I can do to make it reappear other than WAIT. Be patient even if you think too much color has been lost. It is all part of the expected healing process and true color will show up after 4-6 weeks.

    STAGE 4 - PHEW!
    A few days later, the milky layer of skin will lose the opaqueness and become more-like translucent skin again - revealing the tattoo! At this point you will start to put your trust back in me and realize that I wasn't lying to you ;-)

    STAGE 5 - READY TO DO IT ALL AGAIN
    The color will darken over the next couple of weeks. How you will see it at 4 weeks is totally different than how it looks by 8 weeks - and this is why I do not do any touch-ups before 8 weeks as it does progressively get darker.

    WHAT IS A NORMAL HEALED RESULT AFTER 1 SESSION?

    It should look around 30% lighter than what it was when you first left. Some strokes will be lovely and prominent, others may not be as visible - This is all NORMAL. If you are worried about how they have healed - think about what happens during your healing process as it will put things into perspective a little better: We have placed very delicate fine lines of ink superficially in the skin. If you are wondering why I don’t tattoo deeper for the sake of the ink holding better - when I tattoo deeper into the skin, yes it will hold better after the 1st session, but the lines become thick and blurry and no longer look like fine strands of hair. During the ‘shedding phase’ some flakes will be accidentally removed too soon due to sleeping on them, or accidentally itching them... when that happens, the flake will pull the top layer of skin, removing the ink with it - hence why some strokes aren’t as visible as others. You skin then has to grow back ON TOP of the tattoo, which automatically filters/washes out the color.

    A few things to remember…

    • Do not expect your brows to heal perfectly after the first session. This is a 2-step process. The first session is used to build shape, volume, create dimension and establish balance. The second session (perfecting session) is used to perfect the brows and add additional density for realism.

    • Results and retention vary from client to client. Some client’s skin type may have a harder time retaining pigment and may require additional sessions to achieve desired results; especially if you have had your brows previously tattooed elsewhere or it is over scar tissues.

    • Not everyone’s hyper-realism hairstrokes can heal clean and crisp. Hairstrokes for oilier skin types tend to heal more solid and powdery while drier skin types tend to heal crisper and more defined.

    Long-term Care

    So your brows are all finished healing and you are simply loving life. But remember, while your brows are low maintenance they are not ‘no maintenance’. To ensure you get the longest time out of your brows there are a few things to consider:

  • Continue to minimize sun exposure and protect your brows with SPF.

  • Clean and dry the area thoroughly when in contact with chlorine or salt water.

  • Always avoid laser treatments over the treated area (fraxel laser, IPL), because they can destroy the pigment and cause burns.

  • Exfoliating and skin lightening products (chemical peels, fruit acids, alpha & beta hydroxy acids) promote ink loss, these products should be avoided on the treated area. Any form of topical Vitamin A should be avoided on the forehead altogether.

  • Facial oils and natural skin oils on the forehead will result in blurred hair strokes over time. Always let your esthetician know of any permanent makeup procedures before receiving peels, microneedling, microdermabrasion, light therapies, or lasering services.

  • Tanning bed use or excessive UV ray exposure at any point after having eyebrows tattooed will result in discoloration and fading.

  • There is NO guarantee of perfect healed results as everyone’s results will vary due to skin type, lifestyle, and properly following the aftercare and long-term care of your brows.

  • Yearly touch-ups are recommended every 1-3 years to keep them refreshed and vibrant in color.

    • You should only come for a yearly color boost if you are having to draw your brows in or filling in gaps with pencil/powder. Do NOT come for a colour boost if you’re still happy with your brows. Having too much ink put into brows will result in them looked over-saturated and you will lose the realism effect.

*ONLY READ THIS SECTION IF YOU HAVE OILY SKIN*

Aftercare for oily skin: If you have very oily skin or your skin is quite sensitive, it is common for your brows to start flaking over but STILL potentially ‘weep’ throughout this stage. Unfortunately this means that the brows still need to be cleaned and you can’t just dry heal and leave them be as normal. Cleaning them cannot be done in the same manner as before, as it will disturb the flaking process and you will pull out the color.

Instead you can: Take a damp cotton pad and gently compress it into your brows. Blot thoroughly throughout. Make sure it isn’t too warm and there is no steam. Make sure the cotton pad isn’t soaking wet so that you’re not drenching the flakes. Do not rub, only gentle compressions. This only needs to be done DAY 4 onwards. (DAY 1 - 3 you will be cleaning your brows with the soap as normal). You only need to blot your brows once or twice a day til day 6/7. After that, you can resume ‘dry healing’.

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Signs and symptoms that indicate the need to seek medical care: Excessive redness, swelling, tenderness of the procedure site, red streaks going from the procedure site towards the heart, elevated body temperature, or purulent drainage from the procedure site. Please contact your physician at first sign of an infection or adverse reaction and report to your artist and DSHS at (512) 834-6711. Apply an antibiotic cream and use sterile bandage(s) when necessary.

 Please email info@earthsignbeauty.com with any questions or concerns.