Investing in semi permanent makeup is a great way to ensure you look your best, all the time, without the hassle and expense of daily makeup applications. However, to get the most out of your treatment, it is crucial that you follow the aftercare advice you are given when your treatment is done to ensure healing takes place effectively. Poor aftercare can cause treatments to fade more quickly or to become infected, so take your aftercare seriously for best results.
Straight after treatment
After you’ve left the clinic, you may feel a little uncomfortable where you’ve had the treatment. For the first few hours you can gently blot the treated area with a damp, warm cotton wool pad to give your skin some relief. You can also take a mild painkiller if you wish.
Within a few hours, you’ll be feeling much better and can get back to life as normal. However, there are some things you should definitely avoid if you want to give your treatment the best chance of healing quickly.
* Don’t expose the area to extremes of temperature until it is fully healed. This means stay off the sunbeds for a few days, and if you’ve had a lip treatment, keep away from those ice creams!
* Don’t use any makeup products for around three days. If you have had an eye treatment, it can be a good idea to buy a brand new mascara to avoid infecting the area with the old one.
* Try not to pick, scratch or itch the area, even if it’s driving you mad! Aggravating the area could cause a nasty infection, and will risk the colour healing unevenly.
* Don’t use Vaseline during the seven day healing period as it will cause your skin to sweat and slow down healing. After the area is fully healed, you can use Vaseline or another barrier cream to protect your treated areas from chemicals like pool chlorine.
Once the area has healed
In general, once your treatment has fully healed, you can continue living life as you normally do. However, you should pay some mind to taking care of your makeup if you want it to last as long as possible.
If you are going sunbathing or using a tanning bed, apply a strong sunblock to your makeup to protect it from fade. If you decide to go for a chemical peel or need an MRI scan, inform the practitioner that you have had a semi permanent make up treatment. Similarly, if you are going to have laser hair removal it can cause fading, so advise the technician before the procedure begins.
Good general skin care is highly recommended. Treat the area with a good moisturiser or rejuvenating cream on a regular basis, and stay away from any harsh cleansers or chemicals while you are wearing semi permanent makeup. Remember that treatments like Collagen and Botox have the potential to change the shape of your eyebrows and lips, so it might affect the appearance of your makeup if you go ahead.
Don’t forget to come back for a retouch every year or two, and enjoy the freedom of no longer having to worry about your makeup every day.