woman carefully touching skin

Aftercare Instructions

These cosmetic tattoo aftercare instructions could save your money and your skin.

Proper care following your enhancement from Sara Justice Cosmetic Tattoo is necessary to achieve the best results. Please review these cosmetic tattoo aftercare instructions and refer to them as necessary. You may contact us if you have further questions or concerns.

Immediately Following The Procedure

The treated area will be darker and bolder in color and more defined. This can last up to a week after the treatment while the initial healing process takes place. It may feel a bit like sunburn afterwards but there should be minimal discomfort. Redness and swelling are minimal.

Going Through The Initial Healing Period

There should be minimal scabbing or flaking of the skin. The complete healing process takes about 4-6 weeks, at which time the true color of the tattoo is evident. During this process, your tattoo will soften and lighten. You may think you have lost too much color. Be patient, your skin is still regenerating and exfoliating. Wait at least 6 weeks to see the true color, as it seems to take on new strength.

Instructions Specific to the Type of Treatment

To be followed for Original Procedure & all touch-ups. It is imperative to follow this guideline for the best results.

Today
  • Wash your eyebrows with a mild unscented face wash such as Cetaphil or Cerave at the specified time and pat dry with a clean dry paper towel.
Day 2-10
  • Wash 2 times a day with a mild unscented face wash and pat dry with a clean dry paper towel and apply a very small bit of aquaphor.
  • The ointment should be barely noticeable on the skin. Less is more. Never put the ointment on a wet or damp tattoo.
  • Use a fresh pillowcase
  • Let any scabbing or dry skin naturally exfoliate away. Picking can cause scarring or loss of color. No facials, botox, chemical treatments or microdermabrasion for 4 weeks.
  • Avoid hot, sweaty exercise for 10 days
  • Avoid direct sun exposure or tanning for 4 weeks after procedure. Wear a hat when outdoors. Avoid heavy sweating and long hot showers for the first 10 days.
  • Avoid sleeping on your face for 10 days
  • Avoid swimming, lakes, hot tubs 10 days
  • Avoid topical makeup including sunscreen on the area for 10 days.
  • DO NOT rub, pick or scratch the treated area.

After your eyebrow procedure you will be swollen, red, & can look unpleasant. Some clients will swell minimally & some will swell more. Everyone heals differently. This can cause the area(s) to appear uneven, red, thick, & irritated when healing. The area(s) will also appear much darker & thicker than the final result. This is normal for a healing tattoo. Any reddish color that is present is just your skins reaction to the procedure & is only temporary-there will be no red or warmth in the final healed result. You can expect eyebrows to fade anywhere from 10% – 50% this typically happens within 3-30 days of the first procedure. There WILL BE some shedding of skin with color in it as the area heals. DO NOT PICK. After the shedding, it can look like the work has faded & disappeared. THIS IS NORMAL. As the pigment oxidizes it will start to darken up again over the next 4-6 weeks. After the touch up, the body is used to the pigments and will retain the pigment much better and won’t fade as much as the initial procedure.

ALL PERMANENT MAKEUP RESULTS VARY FROM PERSON TO PERSON.

Skin types, such as African American, Indian, Philippine, Italian, Oily/Severely Oily skin and the like, please note that the hair strokes WILL blend more with your skin tone and may not appear as defined as on lighter skin types. Red heads, blondes & fair skin types, will experience more swelling, redness, crusting or scabbing and some areas will fade substantially. They can look more powdered or solid looking and there is a possibility of no retention.

It is standard procedure in our office to see our clients back 6-9 weeks after the original procedure for their 1st touch up. This is mandatory as the procedure is not complete until the 2nd procedure is completed. After the touch up, it is recommended to schedule a 1-1.5 yr. touch up to maintain the color. All aftercare rules apply to all subsequent appointments as well.

If you go elsewhere for any touchups after Sara Justice has done them, we may no longer do your procedures. Permanent Makeup is an art, NOT a science. Client’s results will vary & using a pencil or powder may STILL be needed. We have no control over your bodies healing process and each time a procedure is done, the pigment will have less retention due to scar tissue. Touch ups will not be done any sooner.

Please read this form before reaching out with any questions or concerns as most likely it is answered above.

Day of Lip Tattoo Procedure
  • Wash hands thoroughly.
  • Dab lips with a clean, damp cotton 2-3 times.
Day After Lip Tattoo Procedure
  • Keep lips completely dry from everything.
From the Third Day until Lips Heal
  • Continue to keep lips dry and clean.
  • Use a tiny amount of Aquaphor if needed (not more than once or twice a day).
  • Drink through a straw for the first few days.
  • Eat clean, dry foods with cutlery to avoid getting the lips dirty.
  • Avoid spicy and salty foods.
  • No kissing until the scabs are all gone.
Day of Eyeliner Tattoo Procedure
  • Wash hands thoroughly and give the eyes a rinse with water by gently dabbing for a few seconds.
  • Pat dry with a clean paper towel.
From the Second Day until Lips Heal
  • No makeup on the eyes for 7 days.
Day of Lash Enhancement Tattoo Procedure
  • Wash hands thoroughly and give the eyes a rinse with water by gently dabbing for a few seconds.
  • Pat dry with a clean paper towel.
From the Second Day until Lips Heal
  • No makeup on the eyes for 7 days.

What Not To Do During This Time

  • Get soap, shampoo or other cleansers on the treated area during the first five days.
  • Pick or scratch at the dry skin/flakiness; let the skin fall off naturally. Picking can cause scarring and premature loss of pigment.
  • Apply makeup to the tattooed area for the first 2 weeks. Cosmetics of any kind may interfere with the healing and color of your tattoo.
  • Use Vaseline, Neosporin or other petroleum-based products while healing.
  • Bleach, tint or dye the tattooed area for one month following the procedure.
  • Apply any anti-acne products (e.g. Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid, Proactiv, etc.) or lightening creams (skin bleaching creams) such as hydroquinone to the treated area while healing.
  • Use anti-aging products or facial products containing Alpha Hydroxyls (AHAs), Retin-A, Lactic or Glycolic Acids.
  • Thread, wax, or use hair removal products on the treated area while healing.
  • Exercise and/or break a sweat for a few days prior to getting tattooed and for one week after.
  • Enter swimming pools, jacuzzis or other bodies of water for two weeks.
  • Soak your face underwater in a bathtub or allow the shower to spray directly in your face for two weeks.

Once Healed: After 4-6 Weeks

Going Back for Reassessment and Touch-ups

Most clients need more than one treatment. New procedures take at least two appointments to complete. We check how your skin has taken the color and make necessary adjustments. Older clients or those with previous cosmetic tattoos may need to come back more than once. Most of our clients’ cosmetic tattoos stay true to color as they lighten. If ever this does not happen, we have a special formula to fix the problem.

Keeping the Tattoo’s Color From Fading

Permanent eyebrows last anywhere from one to three years. How long depends on different factors affecting the procedure. Many clients get a touch up once every 12-18 months to maintain the shape and saturation of pigment. As with any tattoo, sun exposure will make the color soften faster. Wearing sunscreen will keep it from happening so fast. But, you should not wear it before everything is completely healed. Apply it carefully to avoid affecting the tattooed area. Skin type, lifestyle, color choice, capillary health and chemical peels are also factors.

IMPORTANT: Once the flakes have fallen off, a shiny layer of healing skin will completely cover the treated area. It may appear as though the tattooed area has completely disappeared. Within 1-2 weeks, the pigment will slowly reappear at a lighter shade as your skin regenerates.

Top Tips To Protect The Color of Your Permanent Makeup

  • Wear sunscreen
  • Wear large sunglasses and a hat
  • Rinse and dry the area thoroughly when in contact with chlorine
  • Keep glycolic acid, microdermabrasion, and chemical face peel products away from the tattooed area

If you are having laser resurfacing or laser hair removal after your tattoo has healed, please inform the laser technician. Continue at your own discretion. Laser procedures may darken, lighten, or discolor the tattooed area.

If you deliberately violate any of our terms and conditions, including our aftercare suggestions, we will be excluded from liability and we have the right to cancel any complementary treatment in the future.

This information acts as a guideline only. Each client’s skin responds differently to these treatments.