The Healing Process of Permanent Make-Up: What Can You Expect?
Permanent make-up, also known as micropigmentation and semi-permanent make-up, offers a long-lasting solution for an always well-groomed look. But as with any cosmetic procedure, your skin needs time to heal after the treatment. In this blog, The healing process of permanent make-up, we take you step by step through the healing process of PMU, so you know exactly what to expect and how best to care for the treated area with aftercare.
What to Expect
The skin has, as it were, sustained a wound and needs to recover. If you do not treat the wound in the right way, recovery will be difficult or you may run into complications. Fortunately, if you have done your research into finding a suitable salon, with lots of reviews, lots of healed results, lots of treatment photos and lots of information, the chance that you will run into complications at all is small. We also strongly advise you to look for a salon that has passed a GGD inspection. You can find all salons with a GGD inspection in the 'veilig tatoeëren en piercen' (safe tattooing and piercing) database.
Immediately after the treatment
The treated area may be red and sensitive and in some cases even swollen. This is normal and will decrease within a few hours to days. Swelling of the eyebrows is something we do not come across often; the skin here is much tighter and it mainly causes more redness rather than real swelling. Do you have lip fillers, for example, and are you having lip blush or lip pigmentation done? Then you can expect swelling more quickly, because the skin has already been made fragile by the fillers.
The colour of the pigment will initially be much darker than the final result. This is because the pigments are still in the upper layer of the skin, and this layer still has to heal and flake. The body sees everything that is applied into the skin as a foreign substance, so it wants to remove and reject as much of the permanent make-up as possible. You often lose around 40-60% of the colour within the first week after the treatment. Warmth in the colour is what the body rejects the most. Easily 60% of this disappears within the first week. If a fairly cool colour has already been applied, the colour will therefore turn out even cooler and ashy. Is your permanent make-up too ashy or greyed? Then read more about colour correction for permanent make-up in our blog: How can you correct PMU?
What to do if you experience a lot of discomfort during the first two days after a permanent make-up treatment?
Unfortunately, there are only a limited number of things you can do to reduce the discomfort. In any case, it is important to give it time and not to irritate it further or create risks by applying make-up to the treated area. Your specialist should have offered or recommended an aftercare ointment. Not yet aware of the best aftercare? Then take a look here at the no. 1 aftercare ointment for permanent make-up: without white colour, without a thick texture, soft and restorative for the skin.
As well as applying the right aftercare ointment for permanent make-up, you can also soothe the skin by dabbing it with ice. Make sure you do not put ice directly on the skin, but place something clean, such as a clean tea towel, in between. This may reduce discomfort.
The first 24-48 hours after the permanent make-up treatment: what can you expect?
In the first 24 to 48 hours you will immediately notice the small wound that has been made hardening, which gives a kind of tight feeling. As if you have a graze that keeps getting drier and drier. It may also start to itch; the difficult part is then not touching it, since you must not pull scabs off the skin after a permanent make-up treatment. You would simply pull the pigment out with them, and in the end you will see gaps in the colour.
The skin may feel slightly burning or have a tingling sensation. It should never be the case that the skin is really very painful and sensitive and you experience an enormous amount of discomfort. In that case we advise you to see a GP as soon as possible and have it checked what is going on. You may, after all, also have an allergy to a certain type of pigment.
Redness and any swelling will decrease quickly.
What to do as aftercare after a permanent make-up treatment?
Keep the area clean and hydrated. This is very important, as the RIVM and the GGD have drawn up an official aftercare form for after permanent make-up. Every salon must adhere to this properly, although unfortunately it still often happens that salons secretly recommend a 'dry healing' method, but this is strictly forbidden. Want to read more about the dry healing method versus the official aftercare for permanent make-up? Read it in the blog here.
Avoid direct sunlight, heavy physical exertion and activities that make you sweat, such as sport.
During these days the treated area will start to flake and scabs or flakes of skin may form. This is a normal part of the healing process. With lip pigmentation or lip blush, however, flaking often starts as early as day 2 and is completely finished by day 4.
The colour of the pigments may look uneven and light patches may appear.
Important during this phase:
Do not touch the scabs and do not pull them off. Let them come off naturally to prevent scarring and pigment loss.
Keep using mild, unscented soap to wash the skin and apply the recommended aftercare ointment straight afterwards. Always make sure you apply the aftercare ointment with a cotton bud.
Week 2-4: Recovery and Stabilisation
In this phase the scabs have usually disappeared and the skin starts to look normal again. The colour of the pigments can still change and will gradually become lighter and more natural. With lip pigmentation we always say that the colour can also look completely different in different light during this process. Simply because the skin is still really healing.
Month 2-3: Final result of the permanent make-up
The final result of your PMU now becomes visible. The colour and shape of the pigments have now stabilised. Perhaps the colour or shape is not yet quite what you had in mind. Permanent make-up is always offered in two treatments: a first new treatment and a touch-up treatment after 6-8 weeks. This means that a touch-up treatment is needed to put the finishing touches in place and make the permanent make-up exactly as you wish. Any unevenness or colour differences can be corrected during a touch-up appointment. Do you wonder whether your permanent make-up was applied properly after the first treatment? Then you can always contact us so we can advise you further.
How do you keep your permanent make-up looking its best for a long-lasting result?
Of course, the specialist deals with all kinds of different skin types and healing. Everyone reacts differently to a certain pigment or a certain technique. Your body breaks down the pigment itself, but you can help the skin and the body to do this as little as possible, for example:
Keep protecting your PMU from the sun. UV radiation can make the pigments fade faster
Hydrate your skin regularly to keep it healthy
Schedule touch-up appointments every year or every two years to keep the colour and shape fresh
Make sure peels do not get onto the PMU
Make sure microneedling is done around the PMU
You must stay out of the sun or sunbed for 7 days. The wound can burn, and this can cause a very serious infection. As well as the Laliqa aftercare cream we recommend, we also advise you to apply factor 50 over this aftercare ointment so that the skin is given extra protection.
Unfortunately, permanent make-up is not healed within 1 week. Even when the skin has visibly gone through the whole process within a week — first getting darker, then flaking, then getting lighter — the underlying skin continues to heal for about 30 to 40 days after that. This cannot be seen with the naked eye, but it is definitely happening. That is why permanent make-up specialists are absolutely not allowed to treat again before 5-6 weeks.
After 7 days you may care for the treated permanent make-up area normally again. By this we mean: applying make-up, going in the sun, sauna, swimming pool, etc. Normal activities may resume. There is, however, 1 condition: if your skin is still sensitive, flaking or very fragile, continue applying the aftercare ointment for another week and still try to avoid the points above. You may simply have somewhat slower healing (often in people over the age of about 50).
Conclusion of this blog
Permanent make-up can save you a lot of time every day and give your self-confidence a boost. By preparing well and knowing what to expect, you can take the step towards PMU with confidence.
My name is Isabella Levels, and with years of experience in the industry I love sharing my permanent make-up knowledge and techniques. My passion lies in accentuating natural beauty, and I hope to inspire others with tips and insights that can help both beginners and professionals in their careers!
The healing process of permanent make-up runs through several phases and it can take up to a few months before you see the final result. By following the right aftercare and being patient, you can make sure your PMU looks its best and lasts a long time. Do you have questions or concerns during the healing process? Contact your PMU specialist for advice and support. Can't work it out with your specialist? We are also happy to give you advice if you send us a clear photo via WhatsApp or by email, so that we have a better idea of what has been applied.