Following proper aftercare is a very important aspect of the long term outcome, effectiveness, health and overall satisfaction with your new eyebrow tattoos. Immediately after your eyebrow tattoo procedure, you will feel tingling and tenderness and probably a bit of swelling in the tattoo area. This is due to the fact that the numbing agent is not wearing off and your newly tattooed skin is starting the process of healing.
Are you likely to experience some skin sensitivity, redness and swelling for about 1-2 days. During the initial healing period make sure you give the eyebrows approximately two weeks to heal. Limit any physical activities like swimming or saunas or exposure to direct sunlight that might cause premature fading. All tattoos carry the inherent risk of infect and/or allergic reaction. If pain or tenderness persists for longer than a few days, consult your doctor and myself immediately.
You will be given a packet of Aquaphor and during the first evening, you will apply a very THIN layer of the antibiotic ointment at night when you go to bed while your tattoo is healing. It is not recommended that you use it during the day as your brows may appear greasy and it can also melt into your eyes on a hot day.
Swelling and/or Bruising
Swelling, redness, skin sensitivity, and some minor bruising are all normal side effects to the eyebrow tattoo procedure but they shouldn’t last longer than a day or two. How easily a person swells and bruises depends on their age, skin type, and blood circulation. Swelling and bruising may sometimes disperse into a larger surface area of the face, like the forehead or eyes. If swelling or bruising persists for more than a few days it may be a sign of infection and you will want to contact your physician and myself right away.
Appearance
Be aware that the brand new ink from a fresh tattoo will most likely appear extremely dark and much thicker than expected while other might seen exceedingly bright. Do not be alarmed as the ink will fade about 10-20% and the tattoo size will shrink about 5-10%. Usually after about a week or so the area and top layer starts to scab and slough off. Some sections may appear extremely light next to non shed areas but don’t worry, this pigment will eventually soften and settle into the desired shade when shedding is complete. It should take about two weeks for your new eyebrow tattoo to shed completely and heal.
During the first two weeks of healing
The days following the procedure as your swollen skin heals, it may feel itchy. This is normal part of the process and a good sign that your are healing properly. You might feel tempted to pick at the scabs or scratch them but you must resist. This will result in loss of pigmentation. Never apply pressure to your new tattoo, and be very careful not the rub scratch scrub or exfoliate the tattoo area.
Healing time
Healing time will vary from person to person and will depend on several factors that include age, skin type, circulation, hormone cycles. Generally as with any type of skin trauma, older looser skin tends to take bit longer than younger skin. Other factors that may affect healing time include diet, excessive physical activity, exposure to direct sunlight, and any medications you might be taking.
Touch up procedure
After approximately 2 weeks, your eyebrows will have mostly healed during the shedding or scabbing process. As a result the initial intensity and thickness will fade and the desired color shade will start appearing. At about the 4-6 week mark, you should schedule a touch up session. During this touch up procedure I will go over your eyebrows again exactly repeating the initial session. This helps the tattoo last longer an encourage the ink to embed more permanently into the skin.
For the next few weeks after your touch up session make sure you follow the same aftercare instructions as your initital visit.