THE HEALING PHASE
This adorable presentation was created by an artist named Katie Dang. It totally sums up the entire process in a few cute pics!
DAYS 1-3:
COLOR WILL APPEAR TO BE TOO DARK!
Do not expect your brow tattoos to heal perfectly after the first session. is because the pigment on the surface of the skin oxidizes when exposed to air. Also, the skin underneath is red and inflammed. Both contributing to a look that can be shockingly dark, and a little like wet paint at first. Just remember that swelling and redness play into the whole picture and the picture WILL change day by day as the skin goes through the healing phase. Please be patient, as this will soften in a couple of days. Skin may feel sore if touched. Try to sleep elevated to reduce swelling. Sleep on a travel pillow to protect facial work and your nice pillowcase! Your job now, is to NOT worry, and just be patient and let the process take its course!
DAYS 3-6: SKIN EXFOLIATES
RECONSTRUCTION BEGINS!
DO NOT FREAK OUT!
SHOW THIS PARAGRAPH TO YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS AS WELL... The treated area normally looks red, puffy, swollen, and maybe even too DARK... then that gives way to flaking and your brows may look dry. DO NOT PICK your brows. Let them fall off naturally. If anything gets picked off prematurely - you CAN EXPECT patchy results! The treated area may begin to itch and the pigment may appear somewhat raised. If you leave the area alone, the color will heal more evenly. Remember once healed, everything will be calm once again. As the swelling and redness subside you will begin to notice a drastic loss of color. This is normal. Occasionally clients do not have this experience.
DAYS 7-14:
YOU MAY THINK YOUR ALL HEALED UP. YOU'RE NOT!!
The surface skin ONLY has healed. Underneath, It will take approximately 8-12 weeks for skin to fully restore itself to a normal state. Until that time, your color will change to a small degree. When you start to feel anxious, just remember that you left our office with a big smile on your face! More color will show up after the 6-8 week mark. We adjust the color accordingly on the subsequent visits. Some brows will take multiple treatments! DO NOT JUDGE UNTIL AT LEAST THE SIXTH WEEK AFTER THE DATE OF YOUR LAST PROCEDURE. AND REMEMBER COMPLETE HEALING the only way anyone would detect a difference is if you point it out - or - if someone is looking VERY CLOSELY.
NO MATTER WHAT THE OUTCOME IS...
FOLLOW UP VISITS ARE RECOMMENDED
I am aware that some artists offer free follow-up visits, however, PERMETIKA does not offer free follow-up sessions due to the length of time we dedicate to apply subsequent layers.
So it's important for clients to commit to the WHOLE process before signing up with us. Our follow-up sessions are not a touchup just to fill a few missing spots. This is the next layer in a work of art and could take as long, or longer than the initial visit in some cases. We can only implant so much color at one time before the skin becomes overworked. If it becomes overworked, it takes longer to heal, therefore less color heals in.
Most clients heal well and are extremely happy.
Many say it's the best thing they've ever done for themselves... However, you should also be aware that some clients are not happy and need more work. If a client initally states that they do not want dark color, I go even more conservatively with the caution that the color could end up healing in MUCH TOO LIGHT.
It might seem like a solution to this problem would be to just go darker on the initial session... This might work for MOST people, but since some will hold a considerable amount of color, it's not a fair gamble, because as you know by now... I cannot predict any outcome. What if YOU are the one who heals almost perfectly after just one session? You'd be glad we didn't go darker!
Brow hair stokes will heal clean and crisp on some people with drier skin. Clients with oily skin and larger pores will loose the crisp definition and will tend to heal more powdery.
Also, those who bleed more may tend to need more touchups as the blood pushes the pigment out while we tattoo. It's important to realize that a certain percentage of the art WILL slough off during the healing process, so you shouldn't be too surprised when it happens! As the areas begin to heal, two things happen... there are dead skin cells that hold a lot of colors that will begin to slough off. So, don't worry if you see a chunk of color come off. It's inevitable!
These brows healed BEAUTIFULLY . . .
Great shape and color - for a first procedure, but this is not the norm. Can you imagine how dark her brows would have been had I added more color on the initial session? The arrows indicate the few tiny spots that could be filled in to make them a little more complete.
Some people want this extra perfection while others are happy at this stage... and do prefer this more natural look.
Remember... what may "appear" perfect "to you" in 20x magnification mirror, looks different to those of us looking without the mirror.
These brows healed LESS THAN IDEAL . . .
In this client's case, she suffered from a long history of trichotillomania which over time, damaged the hair follicle, resulting in very little, to no new hair growth.
While these results are clearly not what we were hoping for, these brows now have a lovely shape that goes a long way when she's trying to apply brow makeup. Now she has a guide to follow which ends up saving a lot of time!
Other factors that can contribute to color loss or color changes are THYROID DISORDERS OR OTHER AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS. MEDICATIONS, BLOOD THINNERS, ALCOHOL INTAKE, IMPROPER AFTERCARE, PICKING, RUBBING, SCRATCHING THE SKIN WHILE HEALING.
Autoimmune disorders can cause this too. While we may never know the exact cause, but there are some other indicators such as oily, porous, scaley skin. This type of skin may not hold the pigment well and could take several sessions to complete.
However, even in the worst-case scenarios, there is still a faint framework for clients to follow when applying makeup and you no longer look totally blank with no makeup. This is a perfect example of "better than before" but still needs a lot more work.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE OUTCOME ONCE THE COLOR IS APPLIED. IT IS UP TO YOU TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR SKIN.
BUT YOU SHOULD REALIZE ALSO THAT SOME SKIN JUST ACCEPTS THE COLOR BETTER THAN OTHERS, EVEN IF THEY DON'T TAKE CARE. THEN OTHERS WHO DO EVERYTHING BY THE BOOK, MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME RESULTS. IT'S NOT FAIR... BUT WE DO HOPE THAT THOSE WHO NEED MORE, WILL JUST COME BACK TO COMPLETE THE WORK WE STARTED.
YOUR EXPERIENCE IS JUST AS UNIQUE AS YOU ARE!
Upon completion of each session, most clients are thrilled! When you get home, you may find tiny differences. Just remember, if we didn't see it when we finished, it's not going to be noticeable once healed.
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After treatment, your skin will turn red and inflamed to varying degrees. So instead of judging based on that image, refer back to your before and after photos and KNOW that the swelling will subside and the color will lighten!
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You may lose 30-70% of the color implanted.
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A small percentage of the people may retain most of the color... this is why I apply the color to look beautiful, the day of. EVERY PERSON HEALS DIFFERENTLY.
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Some people breeze through the healing phase with no noticeable changes.
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If your brows are under close scrutiny by family members or friends, they will be the first ones to point out a discrepancy, which could cause you unnecessary angst. Simply shrug it off or explain that THE WHOLE JOB IS NEVER COMPLETE IN JUST ONE SESSION. The more confident YOU are the faster you'll squelch their comments.
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So if everyone knows IN ADVANCE that this is a procedure that takes multiple sessions, they will most likely understand and leave you alone.
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Everyone should just relax and know that in almost every case, your brows will be BETTER than they were before.
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And if more adjustments are needed, we will take care of that on subsequent visits.
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If your skin is the type to get very red and swollen, you will have to wait for the healing phase to see the results.
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Remember, I visually measure brows rather than using measuring devices such as rulers or calipers. I feel that using devices, lends a little too much structure. Our faces are soft, so when brows are too calculated, they tend to look hard and stamped on rather than natural... I do realize that some people like this look - however, it's not the look I want to pair with my reputation.
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As the procedure draws to an end, the brows will be in various states of swelling so if I were to measure them our to the millimeter, they will be different again when the swelling subsides. So it becomes pointless to try to make them exactly the same - they will look different again when the swelling subsides... Either way, I think that brows can take on somewhat of a fake appearance if they are identical. Especially since our faces are not so rigid nor are they totally symmetrical. Slight differences are not only acceptable, it makes the brows look more realistic - less stamped on.
The first few days of the healing process is rarely a beautiful stage. . .
THE SKIN IS NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
FINAL RESULTS:
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It normally takes 8-12 weeks for the brows to stop changing COLOR & TEXTURE. From this point, they will maintain the look for a while (6 months to a few years - EVERY CLIENT IS DIFFERENT as they fully heal down to the deepest layers. Until this time, the new skin is thicker and hides the color. Each week, the skin thins out a little, bit by bit, revealing more color toward the end of the healing
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When the flaking comes off the hair strokes may seem faint this is because a fresh layer of skin has healed over the brow tattoo. Give your brows a few weeks and the hair strokes will become clearer.
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You may experience itchiness in the brows after the 10 days for up to a few months due to the healing process of the dermal layer.
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Then next thing is . . . new skin begins to form over the color that is left behind... This will give you the experience that you have no color left. But just wait...that new skin will become thinner and more transparent as the healing progress continues, and soon, more color will start to appear.