Habiba MedJust out of your session and want to get everything right? Permanent makeup aftercare is simple, but it plays a big part in the result. Here are the instructions area by area, the right cream, and how long to wait before water, exercise, sun and makeup.
Key takeaways
- The instructions from your artist always come first.
- For about 10 days: no sauna, no pool, no intense workouts, and don't touch the scabs.
- For 1 month: no sun, and no acids or retinol on the area.
- After that: SPF to make the result last.
Why permanent makeup aftercare matters so much
While your skin heals, the pigment is still fragile. Water, steam, sweat, sun or a scab you pick off can take some of the pigment with them. Following the instructions carefully means keeping a cleaner, more even result.
Aftercare instructions, area by area
Brows
💧 No water: 7 days minimum, ideally 10
🧴 Nothing: dry healing
💄 No makeup on the area
🏋️ Exercise, sauna, pool: 7 to 10 days
☀️ Sun: 1 month, then SPF 50
Lips
💧 No water for 5 days (except when brushing your teeth)
🧴 Vaseline from a jar, all day long
💄 Lipstick and gloss: 2 weeks
🏋️ Exercise, sauna, pool: 10 days
☀️ Sun: 1 month, then an SPF 50 stick
Freckles
💧 No water for 24 hours, then thermal water spray
🧴 A basic moisturizer, no active ingredients
💄 Makeup: 1 week (2 with brushes)
🏋️ Exercise, sauna, pool: 10 days
☀️ Sun: 1 month, then SPF
The details: eyebrow tattoo aftercare, lip blush aftercare, freckle tattoo healing and aftercare.
What cream should you use after permanent makeup?
Brows
Dry healing: nothing at all. On very dry, itchy skin, a tiny amount of Vaseline, the size of a grain of rice.
Lips
Vaseline, in a thin layer all day long. Always from a jar, never a stick.
Freckles
A basic moisturizer, no active ingredients. Definitely no acids.
No sticks to moisturize your lips
A stick contains a lot of wax: it leaves a dry film and can rub on peeling skin. Always choose a jar.
Water, showers, pools and saunas
Water softens the scabs and makes them fall off too early. Wash your face while avoiding the area. For freckles, during the first 24 hours, clean with a thermal water spray, without rubbing, and pat dry. Steam rooms, saunas and pools can wait about ten days.
Exercise and sweat
The problem is sweat. No intense workouts for 10 days, lips included. A gentle walk is no problem at all.
Sunscreen for permanent makeup: which SPF to buy?
No sun for 1 month: it can change the color of the pigment and make it fade. After that, protect your permanent makeup with SPF: it's the best way to make it last.
The SPF to buy
You'll find it at the drugstore. The brand doesn't matter: they all work, as long as it's SPF 50+.
Everyday habits
- Don't touch the area, and never pick the scabs: they fall off on their own.
- Don't scratch, even if it itches.
- No acids, retinol, scrubs or peels on the area for 1 month.
- Take a photo of your artist's aftercare instructions so you always have them on hand.
When to call your artist or a doctor
Normal: slight redness, a little swelling in the first few hours, itching, peeling skin.
See a doctor if
You have pus, warmth, fever, or redness that gets worse after a few days. It's very rare.
What you'll see day by day: the PMU healing process.
Frequently asked questions
Nothing for brows (dry healing), Vaseline from a jar for lips, a basic moisturizer for freckles.
After 7 days minimum, ideally 10, for brows; 5 days for lips (except when brushing your teeth); 24 hours for freckles.
After 10 days, for every area: sweat is the problem.
After 1 month, and then always with SPF.
Once it's healed: 1 to 2 weeks depending on the area.
Not before 10 days, for every area.
Written by
Habiba Med
Permanent makeup artist since 2019 and trainer, I share what I see every day in my studio to help you make the right choices.
