There is a lot of controversy when it comes to the correct and most beneficial healing process for microblading. Some artists swear by not allowing their clients wet their brows for up to 2 weeks (talk about an emotional experience), to artists having their clients use ointment, cleanser, and aftercare wipes. Let’s be honest, its all about the end results, and after making such an investment you want your microblading to last as long as possible and 50% of that has to do with the healing process. Here is what I know and researched… hope this clears things up!
How do cuts heal?
After getting a cut, your skin may start bleeding, although when staying in the correct depth bleeding should be minimal. This happens because the injury breaks or tears the tiny blood vessels, which are right under the skin’s surface. You might see some clear fluid on or around the brows along with some slight bleeding. This clear fluid is called lymph fluid and is made of salt, water, and protein. Lymph fluid takes on the role of wound protector by cleaning the wound, fighting infection and overseeing the repair process. These fluids cause clotting which works like a plug to keep blood and other fluids from leaking out. Nevertheless, this clear fluid is to be blotted off with a clean tissue for the first couple of hours to prevent a thick scab from forming (the goal). A scab is a hardened and dried clot which forms a hard protective crust over the wound. This protects the area so the skin cells underneath can have time to heal and multiply in order to repair the wound. If the scab grows too thick we run the risk of it adhering to the pigment and having it take the pigment with it when it falls off. The less scabbing there is, the better the pigment retention will be. Under the scab, a new layer of skin is forming. When the new skin is ready, the scabs will fall off usually within a week or two. If the client picks at a scab, the new skin underneath can be ripped off with the scab taking the pigment with it. This causes the wound to take longer to heal and may leave a scar.
Wet or Dry Heal?
When browsing the web, unfortunately there is a lot of opposing and confusing information regarding the “wet” and “dry” method. I personally have had my clients do both methods as I wanted to see which method worked best. I have also picked my sisters brain (a nurse practitioner) numerous times about wound healing in general. I have read numerous times the wound healing provides 50% faster healing than dry healing with less scarring and better results.
Here’s my method:
Step 1: Gently wash your eyebrows in circular movements with a q-tip 2 times the day of your procedure with green soap and distilled water. (1st time- 3 hours after your procedure / 2nd time- before bed)
Step 2: Gently dry eyebrows with cotton pad. (Do not wipe or rub, pat dry only.)
Step 3: Apply ointment on eyebrows with q-tip.
Step 4: Apply the PhiPatches overnight.
Step 5: In the morning, gently wipe eyebrows using PhiWipes.
Step 6: Continue to use ointment only for 4 days applying morning and evening.
Our “Aftercare” goodie bag for our clients include:
The trick to using ointment on the brows is to apply a tiny amount, no bigger than a grain of rice, so as to keep the wound from drying and cracking without suffocating it. Understand the wound is unprotected and in a sensitive state so we want to be as gentle as possible with the eyebrows during the healing phase.
Here is how the healing of the brows will develop:
Day 1: The brows are fresh and perfect.
Day 2-4: The brows will become darker but will lighten again.
Day 5-8: The brows may scab and flake off, but not always. The area may be itchy. Not picking or removing the scabs is imperative to retaining the pigment. If scabsAfter the scabs fall off the strokes may look red and shiny.
Day 9-10: The brows will appear like they are completely gone during this time, but don’t worry, most strokes will re-appear soon.
Days 11-28: Brows are coming back but the brows may appear patchy and incomplete during this part of the healing process. Most of these patches will fill in over time, but if for some reason not everything comes back the touch up will fix any issues.
Day 42 (after touch-up): Brows are back to the way they looked on the first day.
The touch up (4 weeks after the initial session) is where the brows are perfected
Microblading is a 2 session process. Some people may retain the pigment better then others, but the microblading retouch session is crucial.
