Please follow these instructions to improve and prolong the results of micropigmentation. Even when following these aftercare instructions, fading, blurring or poor retention may still happen depending on your skin and lifestyle. Everyone heals and accepts the pigment differently. How your body heals is out of our control. Healed results will vary between each individual client, based on their skin type, their skin condition, immune system, metabolism, overall health, and lifestyle. Our aftercare instructions are meant to help you achieve the best results and reduce the chances of getting an infection.

​

These instructions are not a guarantee that your results will last for any certain period of time, nor is it guaranteed problems will not arise.

​

What to do after the procedure?

• Wipe away lymphatic fluid with a cotton round every 15 minutes for the 1st hour to reduce the formation of thick scabs. 

• Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and cool water temperature to maintain the pores closed. Warm water will open the pores and may cause pigment migration.

• Keep your face clean and dry especially around the eye area - an oily face typically makes the eyelids and eye-line oily too, which may cause pigment migration.

• Twice a day for the next 3-7 days, starting the night of the procedure. Wash your entire face, including your eyes with mild soap using cool water temperature. Dab lightly and carefully to dry. 

• Using clean cotton rounds soaked in cold water or ice in a clean ziploc bag with a paper towel barrier may be applied as needed to reduce swelling.

• Use a fresh pillowcase. Sleeping with a slightly elevated head helps alleviate eye swelling. Avoid sleeping on your face for up to 10 days.

• Important note about showering (during the first 10 days):

  1. No long hot showers and avoid steam.

  2. Your face should only be getting wet only at the end of the shower. Avoid excessive rinsing and hot water on the treated area. 

 

After the eyeliner procedure note the following:

• Do not wear contact lenses for 3 days or until the swelling has subsided.

• Do not use any old tubes of mascara. 

• Do not wear eye-makeup for 10 days to reduce your chances of getting an eye infection.

• Do not use saline eye drops. Saline removes or lightens the pigment.

• Remember that tattooed eyes will be more sensitive to pet dander, dust, gardening, cooking (frying), and dirty hands. 

• Do not perform heavy household cleaning such as garage or storage cleaning where there is a lot of airborne debris. Care must be taken to keep the eyes clean and free of bacteria.

​

Things to Avoid After an Eyeliner Tattoo Procedure

• Using eyelash curlers for 2 weeks. Clean eyelash curler with alcohol wipes prior to using it to remove dirt and bacteria.

• Wait until after the tattoos are completely healed at 6-8 weeks after the second session to apply lash lift or lash perm and apply false lashes or lash extensions.

• Mascara should be brand new and applied after 2 weeks of the procedure. Do not apply any eye make-up that can migrate to the eyeliner for 2 weeks.

• Retin-A, Glycolic Acids, Alpha Hydroxy Acid ( AHA) near eyes to avoid premature fading.

• Direct sun exposure and tanning beds for a minimum of 4 weeks after your procedure. Direct sunlight can cause the pigment to change color while it is healing and can also cause hyperpigmentation and scarring. Wear sunglasses.

• Swimming and bathing for 4 weeks to avoid bacterial infection.

• Pools, sauna, steam rooms, steamy showers, and hot baths for 10 days.

• Sweating especially on your face for 10 days. Sweating expels pigment from the dermis producing poor and patchy results.

• Alcohol slows healing and slows proper pigment retention - avoid excessive alcohol drinking for 10 days.

• Driving in open air vehicles such as convertibles, boats, bicycles, or motorcycles for 10 days.

• Certain skincare products and services will cause premature fading of your cosmetic tattoo and may also alter the pigment color. 

​

General healing timeline  after an eyeliner tattoo:

​

Day 1

• After leaving the eyeliner will look rich, bright, and dark. 

• Your eyes might be puffy and red, it is a normal reaction of the skin and the swelling will go down after a few hours. However, everyone heals differently and the swelling might last up to 3 days. 

• The most important part is to remove lymphatic fluid from the tattooed area with clean cotton rounds, every 15 minutes, during the first hour post procedure to reduce thickened scab formation.

• You may experience discomfort, mild pain/sensitivity, swelling, and redness immediately following the procedure. Your eyes may feel like you have been crying for several hours. These initial symptoms should subside within 3 days.

​

Day 2

• Continue to wash your face including your eyes twice daily. The pigment might look even darker - this is normal.

• Keep the area clean by blotting with clean wet cotton rounds or gently washing eyes with cold water. Do not rub your eyes, only dabbing and pat with a clean tissue or towel, air dry or dab eyes dry lightly.

​

Days 3-7

• Continue to wash your face including your eyes twice daily.

• These days you will start forming crust, scabbing.

• A thin string-like film of pigment may come off while eyes are being washed, this is normal.

• The pigment is settling into the skin even though it looks like it is not visible.

• Some itching is normal, you can apply a cooled cotton round for relief. Use a clean q-tip to hold pressure on the itchy part of your eye.

• Do not pick, peel, or scratch the treated area or your color may heal unevenly, patchy areas, and you risk scarring and infection.

• Some scabs might get stuck on the lashes or vice versa, this is normal. 

• Let the scab fall by itself, you may remove it if it is resting on eyelashes with a lash comb. Patchy areas will be adjusted at touch up.

• After day 7, wash your face nightly. 

​

Day 10- 13

• The skin is usually healed, but still remains thin and susceptible to trauma. Scabbing gradually disappears. The itching has gone, the pigment has become lighter.

• It is not recommended to do cosmetic procedures such as lash extensions, do not dye your eyelashes, do not go to the sauna or swimming pool.

​

Day 14

• During this period, the pigment is still settling and getting absorbed.

• The color may change to a light faded look or it could appear saturated from regenerated skin. 

• There could be some gaps in the eyeliner. All these imperfections will be adjusted at the touch-up session, which must be done 6 to 8 weeks after the first procedure.

 

Day 28

• The skin is considered restored around 28 days after the permanent tattoo procedure. The first 7-14 days is when the top layer of the skin (dermis) heals, but the pigment continues settling into the skin for the next 4 to 6 weeks. 

• Altered skin conditions due to poor health not limited to the following, such as having diabetes, renal disease, and liver disease as well as having excessive wrinkles, excessive dryness, excessive oiliness are some of the reasons that slow down skin turnover cycle, slow down healing time, and decrease pigment retention. 

​

How often do Eyeliner Tattoos Need to be Touched Up?

Keep in mind that in many cases, some unevenness of color is to be expected or fading of the pigment. One side may appear darker than the other over a period of time. 

​

Permanent makeup changes over time for several reasons. Fading can occur due to sun exposure, tanning, skin care products/makeup remover, and your skin’s natural exfoliation process. The purpose of the touch-up visit is to correct any color or shape issues. 

​

Before a touch up is scheduled, a skin integrity and color assessment must first be completed in order to verify that the skin remains intact for the procedure as well as the color is no longer over saturated (still dark appearing) and has faded enough for a touch up.

​

Eyeliner tattoos, like other types of tattoo fade at about 50% when healed; therefore, a second session for touch up is helpful to boost the color and adjust any areas that are patchy. The size of the tattoo will also shrink up to 50% when completely healed.

​

We recommend the initial touch-up sessions six to eight weeks immediately following the first session, to allow the eyeliner tattoo pigment to last longer. The first touch up is industry standard and we recommend doing this after six to eight weeks.  

​

Clients who do not go to their first touch-up session may need to return for their first touch up sooner than 1 year.

​

Clients who followed through their six to eight week touch-up sessions may not need to be back up to 2 years or later. The color boost or annual touchup is recommended to maintain the result and it is usually done no sooner than 1 year anniversary mark.

​

Eyeliner pigment migration is a risk; therefore, an iron oxide type of pigment, which is non-carbon based, is used to minimize pigment migration. 

​

For maintenance, practice and maintain healthy skin by washing your face regularly to reduce oil build up that can promote pigment migration around the eyes.

​

Sometimes an eyeliner touch up cannot be done, see some of the reasons below:  

• Your skin condition has changed and has become too thin, too oily, or too dry.

• The eyelid developed tiny blood vessels which could lead to excessive bleeding. 

 

When to report signs and symptoms of infection? 

Notify your aesthetic provider and primary care provider if you have any of the following:

​

• Any allergic reaction or infection. 

• Signs and symptoms of infection are as follows:

  • Fever or chills, and the affected area is red, thick weepy fluid, burning, and hot to touch.

  • Redness – prolonged redness and swelling.

  • Oozing yellow or green fluid in color.

  • Swollen (puffy) skin surrounding the tattoo for more than a few days.

  • Prolonged itching or hives days or weeks after pigment implantation can be a sign of a delayed allergic reaction.

• If you are having an MRI scan, please inform your doctor that you have had cosmetic micropigmentation (a cosmetic tattoo).

 

Please call your artist at 847-421-7400 (do not text), if you have signs and symptoms of infection to help monitor the situation.