The Microblading healing process 2022; What to expect after your session

I find that most people are super excited to get their eyebrows microbladed but they don’t always take the time to fully learn about the process. An informed consumer should do their research and be fully aware of the service they are undertaking. I always take the time to make sure clients are aware of the procedure we are about to undertake but I do find myself explaining the healing process quite often to people that have “researched” microblading. Yes it is a process! In fact I think the best microblading results are achieved after 2 sessions, if not 3. I will address this in a later part of this post but first let's look at what to expect immediately after your session and throughout the healing phases.

Microblading Stages

Probably the most misunderstood part of our process is the healing.  After your first session is complete your eyebrows will go through a multi phase healing process lasting about 4 weeks. Generally this will result in some pigment loss and a softening of the color. Though clients may be told or read about this process, it often is forgotten in the excitement of new brows. As a result they can be surprised at best, disappointed at worst as they go through the phases of healing. I always do a one week follow up with clients to see how their healing has been. I send them an illustrated PhiBrows image that gently reminds them of the phases to let them know that what they are experiencing is normal. Lets break it down...

Days 1-3

When a client has a microblading treatment it should initially (days 1-3) look darker and bolder than what the healed brow desired shade is. This is because it is fresh.  Also the color may appear to dark or warm because of underlying pinkness/sensitivity of the skin from the procedure. This and any puffiness of the skin should subside in the first 48 hours or so. It's crazy to see your brows overly dark but this is when you must trust the process!  When the skin heals it can shed up to ⅓ of the color. For this reason your technician should factor healing in to your pigment choice. If you desire to walk out of the salon looking ‘just right’ it is my experience that the brow will heal out to light, and none or few strokes will still be visible. So lesson one, when going to have microblading be prepared for your brows to look big, bold and beautiful for the first few days.

Days 5-7

The main healing happens within the first 5-7 days after your microblading. This is when the skin, which has been cut, heals over the pigment that has been implanted, essentially sealing it in.  It's worth saying….Please care for your brows diligently during this time to prevent unnecessary pigment loss or infection! And a word to the wise…...plan when you have your session to allow appropriate healing. Don't plan to be headed off to the beach, hiking or on to other activities that could interfere with the skins healing or cause infection.  Please look at my websites 'Discover,  page under Forms, for pre and post care information forms to make sure you can comply with the healing requirements.

Days 8-10

As you progress to days 8-10 you will go into the second phase of healing. This week can be tricky. Scabbing can occur now and it will feel like your brows are falling off. Unfortunately as the flakiness begins the brows can look patchy and uneven. The color will be softer and they will seem to be fading away.  At this point you may resume using makeup on them to even them out. You may also experience some itching as the ‘molting’ happens. Young healthy skins hardly scab and heal in a only a few days, where a more mature skin can bleed more during service creating a more difficult healing period. Please care well for your investment for the best results.  

What is going on? Why does this happen? As the old skin is shed and the new epithelial cells grow back over the pigment the new cell growth ‘clouds’ the appearance of the newly drawn hair strokes . But soon, in the last 2 weeks of healing, clarity will be restored and the strokes will reappear. At this time you will become aware of what, if any, pigment has actually fallen out and what will need to be refreshed. This is why a second touch up visit is always a good practice in approximately 4-6 weeks after the original appointment. I include this visit in my treatment cost and will schedule your follow up for you upon completing your initial session.

SO you made it through the healing month and it's time for your touch up. Ideally this is a much quicker session. If all heals well then we just refresh what is needed. I would say that we always need to account for pigment loss or to add/ darken the shading.  Again this visit is covered in the cost of your session so no worries!

As you  progress to days 8-10 you will go into the second phase of healing. This week can be tricky. Scabbing can occur now and it will feel like your brows are falling off. Unfortunately as the flakiness begins the brows can look patchy and uneven. The color will be softer and they will seem to be fading away.  At this point you may resume using makeup on them to even them out. You may also experience some itching as the ‘molting’ happens. Young healthy skins hardly scab and heal in a only a few days, where a more mature skin can bleed more during service creating a more difficult healing period. Please care well for your investment for the best results.  

Weeks 2-4

What is going on? Why does this happen? As the epithelial cells grow back over the pigment the new cell growth ‘clouds’ the appearance of the newly drawn hair strokes . But soon, in the last 2 weeks of healing, clarity will be restored and the strokes will reappear. At this time you will become aware of what, if any, pigment has fallen out and what will need to be refreshed. This is why a second touch up visit is always a good practice in approximately 4-6 weeks after the original appointment .

Weeks 4-6

SO you made it through the healing month and it's time for your touch up. YAY! Ideally this is a much quicker session. If all heals well then we just refresh what is needed. I would say that we always need to account for pigment loss. At a minimum there will be a need to touch up on an area or two even if they were perfect for you at the get go. There is also the factor that some clients simply do not heal as well as others. As I alluded to earlier the age of skin, medications, after care diligence will all play a role in how it heals and what pigment is left.

After the touch up visit healing will be similar to the first round but most clients report it is much easier. Generally it is a shorter easier session. Less fresh work equals easier healing. So baby those brows during the healing month so the touch up will be easy for you.

But what if there are other issues after healing such as with the shape or color? Can it be changed?  

In a word, yes. The touch up is also our perfection visit. Beyond the lost pigment, you've been able to live and wear your new eyebrows for month and will know what, if anything, needs to be tweaked.  At your touch up your artist can make adjustments to deal with any shape issues. This can be caused by a loss of pigment resulting in a lost peak or tail that throws off the symmetry. Or a client may desire a slight longer or fuller shape. These corrections may be performed at the touch up by adding in new strokes and shading.

Even under the best conditions things happen BUT that said it is always important to communicate at the beginning of the session with your artist so that you are getting the shape and color you desire. Even though this is a semi permanent service don't assume that it is anything but permanent. I spend the first part of our session mapping and drawing on the shape or your approval. Don't sign off on brows until the shape is perfect for you.

Similarly if the color is too light it can be darkened. Color that is too warm can be cooled. Remember that darkening can always be achieved but you cannot go lighter. Overly cool tones are much harder to ‘warm’ retroactively.  While the healing factor must be considered a prudent artist will err on the side of too conservative to avoid an unfortunately undo-able result.
 

Why would I need more than 2 touch up visits?

Some clients prefer a more gradual brow metamorphosis. They are self conscience or don't want to have a huge dramatic change in a short period of time. Going from 0 to full brows can be alot! Even for those of us who really want it! So for that reason I might suggest microblading only for the first session, for a most natural look, then add in some microshading at your touchup visit. This may require one extra touch up depending on client needs and healing.  This determination will be made on a customer- by- customer basis.

In closing microblading is a very personal service. A client's actions before, during and after treatment can affect the end result. There are many variables to the service that will make it different for you versus another person's service experience. Take time to learn about the process and plan your session when you know you can be devoted to the after care regime needed to heal properly. Finally have trust in your artist and in the process as it unfolds.