So you have finally decided to get your brows done so you won't have to fuss with them every day, trying to make them look natural and even with makeup. To get the best results possible, you are going to want to start with the canvas that they will be on, which is your skin! Good skin care is key to having a smooth surface for the ink to be implanted in. Hopefully you are already taking good care of your skin, but if not it's never too late to start. In the months/weeks leading up to your appointment you'll want to be diligent to wash your face with a gentle cleanser morning and evening as well as moisturize twice daily, morning and night. Wear your spf to avoid sun damage ahead of time. Manually exfoliate the area with a gentle scrub weekly, nothing too harsh. Specialty serums are fine, but you'll want to avoid anything to harsh leading up to your appointment. Please avoid Retinol or Retin-a (Tretinoin) for at least two weeks prior. This can thin or dry out the skin, causing it to be more sensitive, painful and possibly tear easily. The same goes for Chemical peels, Microdermabrasion, and anything of the like for at least 2 weeks prior to the procedure.
Schedule any botox or filler appointments that will be affecting the forehead and eye area for 2 weeks prior or wait until after. Some clients regularly get botox to even out their brow placement, which is a good idea if you are one that has a lot of movement and it causes one brow to be higher than the other, however this should be done 2 weeks or more prior to the session so that way migration of the botox or filler will not occur.
You'll also want to avoid getting sun tanned before your appointment, this goes for tanning beds, spray tans and tans from the sun. Making the appointment ahead of time is a good idea so you can make sure to plan around the session.
Let your brow hair grow out, I will be taking care of any extra hair that is needing to be removed. If you must wax your brow area, make sure to do so at least 72 hours prior, we don't want the skin to be affected by the wax and affect your results. Plucking and threading is ok, however I like to include as much of your natural hair in the shape we create as possible so it's best to let it grow out.
We will want to avoid any excess bleeding, since this can result in poor retention, ashy tones and messy results! Here is what you should do to minimize bleeding:
-Stop any fish oil supplements 2 weeks prior
-No Ibupofen, Aspirin, or blood thinning medication 72 hours prior
-No alcohol 24 hours prior (48 hours to be on the safe side!)
-No caffeine day of your procedure, this can affect blood pressure causing increased bleeding.
-Do not work out before coming to your appointment, gentle pilates or yoga is ok
Now for AFTER the appointment. After care is extremely important! Your result is based on my skill as well as how well you follow the after care instructions.
Directly after your appointment, please blot your brows every 5 minutes until you are able to wash them at home. Besides washing the brows twice a day with a gentle soap that will be provided (or Cetaphil) you will want to avoid all water for 2 weeks after the session. It's a good idea to wash your hair the day of or night before your appointment. Dry shampoo will be your best friend! Showering and washing your hair is ok, but the hard part is not getting your brows wet in the shower, here are some tips: Tilt your head back in the shower head to wash your hair but avoid the water getting on your face, Keep a dry wash cloth outside the shower in case you get them wet accidentally, you can pop your head out and blot them dry. Brow visors are also available for sale on Amazon and can come in handy to shield your face from the water in the shower.
You'll also want to avoid sweating for 2 weeks as well, even just a little can shift the color or result in poor retention. Light yoga or gentle movement without sweating is ok.
Sun is another thing to avoid while healing, if you'll be outdoors for any length of time on a sunny day, you'll want to shield your fresh brows with a hat. If you tend to get oily throughout the day you will want to blot your brows gently with a clean tissue or gauze.
Once flakes occur, let them fall on their own, no picking or scratching! A balm will be provided to soothe the brows while they heal and minimize flaking. This will be applied 2-3x daily for 10 days. After the 2 weeks, the brows are considered initially healed, and you may get them wet and sweat again. Full healing takes about 4-6 weeks. At this point they will have faded and softened a bit and there may be patchy areas. At your Touch up we will take care of any patchy areas, and adjust the color or shape as needed.
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