Permanent Makeup Aftercare Montreal
Your complete guide to healing beautifully after microblading, microshading, hybrid brows, lip blush and permanent eyeliner at Reimagine Clinic Montreal.
PMU Aftercare Fast Facts
- ✓ Healing on the skin surface: 7 to 14 days
- ✓ Color fully settles: 4 to 6 weeks
- ✓ Touch-up appointment: 6 to 8 weeks post session
- ✓ Pigment will look 30 to 50 percent darker at first
- ✓ No swimming, saunas or sweaty workouts for 10 to 14 days
- ✓ Daily SPF protects your pigment long term
What to Expect
- Days 1 to 2: color looks bold, mild swelling possible
- Days 3 to 5: light scabbing, tightness, slight itching
- Days 6 to 10: flaking and peeling, color fades up to 50 percent
- Weeks 2 to 4: pigment softens and returns gradually
- Weeks 4 to 6: final color reveals itself, ready for touch-up
Preparing for Your Permanent Makeup Session
Good preparation makes healing smoother and helps your pigment retain beautifully. Follow these guidelines for 48 to 72 hours before your permanent makeup appointment at our Montreal clinic.
Skip Blood Thinners
Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil, vitamin E and alcohol for 48 hours before your session. These thin the blood and can cause excess bleeding during the treatment, which dilutes pigment retention.
Hydrate Your Skin
Drink plenty of water and moisturize well in the days leading up to your appointment. Well hydrated skin accepts pigment more evenly and heals more predictably than dehydrated skin.
Avoid Sun and Tanning
No sunbathing, tanning beds or self tanner for at least two weeks prior. Sun damaged or freshly tanned skin bleeds more easily and holds pigment unevenly, especially on brows and lips.
Arrive With a Clean Face
Come to your appointment with no makeup on the treatment area. For lip blush, gently exfoliate lips the night before. For brows, skip brow products and oils on the day of.
Permanent Makeup Aftercare: The First 48 Hours
The first two days are the most important for clean healing and strong color retention. Your artist will give you a personalized protocol (dry healing versus thin balm) based on your skin type and the treatment you received, whether that is microblading, microshading, hybrid brows or lip blush.
Blot, Do Not Rub
For the first few hours, gently blot any lymph fluid with a clean, lint free cotton pad every 30 to 60 minutes. This prevents scab build up and keeps the healing process even.
Keep the Area Dry
Avoid getting the treated area wet during showers, while washing your face, or when drinking from a glass (for lip blush). Water in the first 48 hours interferes with healing and pigment uptake.
Hands Off
No touching, picking or scratching the treated area. Your fingers carry bacteria, and disturbing the surface can lift pigment or cause patchy healing and infection.
Skip Heat and Sweat
Avoid hot showers, steamy cooking, saunas, intense workouts and direct sunlight. Heat and sweat slow healing and can push pigment out of the skin before it settles.
Days 3 Through 7: Your Permanent Makeup Healing Routine
During this window the area will flake, peel and feel tight. It is completely normal. Resist the temptation to pick, and follow a consistent routine to protect the pigment.
Morning Care
- ◦ Rinse with lukewarm water and a drop of fragrance free cleanser, only if your artist approved wet healing
- ◦ Pat dry gently with a clean paper towel, never rub
- ◦ Apply a thin pinhead sized amount of recommended balm if instructed
- ◦ Avoid regular skincare products on the treated area
Evening Care
- ◦ Repeat the morning cleanse and dry routine
- ◦ Reapply a thin layer of aftercare balm if recommended
- ◦ Change your pillowcase and sleep on your back to avoid friction
- ◦ Keep hair away from brows or lips with a clean band or clip
What to Avoid During Healing
- ✗ Picking scabs or peeling skin (causes patchy color)
- ✗ Swimming pools, hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms
- ✗ Intense cardio or anything that makes the area sweat
- ✗ Direct sun exposure and tanning beds
- ✗ Facial cleansers, exfoliants, retinoids or acids on the area
- ✗ Makeup on or around the treated skin until fully healed
- ✗ Sleeping face down on the pillow
Long Term Care: Protecting Your PMU Results
Permanent makeup is semi permanent. With the right long term habits, your pigment can look fresh and defined for one to three years before needing a colour refresh.
Daily Sunscreen
UV exposure is the fastest way to fade permanent makeup. Apply a broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher to the healed area every single day, including cloudy days and while driving.
Avoid Actives on the Area
Keep glycolic acid, retinol, vitamin C serums and AHA/BHA products away from your brows or lips. These exfoliating actives pull pigment and shorten the life of your PMU.
Book Your Touch-Up
Schedule your 6 to 8 week perfecting session. This is when we balance color, fill gaps from natural healing variance, and lock in your final beautiful result.
Moisturize the Skin Around It
Hydrated, healthy skin holds pigment longer. Keep a consistent routine of gentle cleansers and moisturizers around the brow and lip area to support color retention.
Complementary Treatments
Once fully healed (after 6 weeks), your pigment loves being paired with full face treatments that enhance the overall look. Consider a classic facial that avoids the pigmented area, a lash lift and tint to frame your new brows, or dermaplaning on the rest of the face for a flawless base. For lip blush clients, our hydro jelly mask is a beautiful way to hydrate lips long term.
Permanent Makeup Aftercare Questions
Your most common questions about healing permanent makeup at our Montreal clinic, answered.
You can wash your face normally after about 10 to 14 days, once the flaking has finished. During healing, avoid direct water and regular cleansers on the treated area. Gently clean the rest of your face while keeping brows or lips dry.
Fresh pigment always appears 30 to 50 percent darker and bolder than the final result. This is normal. The top layer of pigment sheds with flaking, and the color underneath softens as it settles over 4 to 6 weeks.
Yes, light flaking and peeling between days 3 and 10 are a natural part of healing. Never pick, scratch or pull the flakes. Letting them come off on their own is essential for even color and avoiding patches.
Schedule your touch-up 6 to 8 weeks after the first session. This is when your artist perfects the shape, fills any light spots from natural variance, and locks in the final result. Most PMU treatments are a two step process.
Avoid sweaty workouts, hot yoga and swimming for 10 to 14 days. Sweat and chlorine interfere with healing and can lift pigment. Gentle walking and light stretching are fine from day one.
Wait at least 14 days before pools, hot tubs, saunas or steam rooms. These expose the healing pigment to chemicals, bacteria and extreme heat that can cause uneven fading or infection.
Apply broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher on healed pigment daily. Once the flaking stage is complete (usually after day 10), sunscreen becomes your most important long term tool for keeping color vibrant.
Do not apply any makeup on or directly over the treated area for 10 to 14 days. You can continue to wear makeup on the rest of your face as long as application does not touch the healing pigment.
Most clients enjoy their results for 1 to 3 years before needing a color refresh. Longevity depends on skin type, lifestyle, sun exposure, skincare routine and the specific technique used.
Yes, uneven color and patchiness during healing is completely normal. The skin heals in stages, and pigment can flake at different rates. Trust the process and wait until your touch-up to judge the final result.
Keep retinol, glycolic acid, vitamin C, AHA/BHA exfoliants and chemical peels away from the PMU area. These actives break down pigment and will cause premature fading even years after healing.
Yes, but keep direct water off the brows for the first week. Wash your hair tilting your head back, avoid hot steamy showers, and pat the forehead dry carefully so water does not run over the healing area.
Wait 4 to 6 weeks after your PMU is fully healed. Always tell your esthetician about your permanent makeup so they can protect the pigment during any facial or microneedling session.
Many clients with sensitive skin or rosacea are good candidates, but we recommend a patch test and an in person consultation. Healing may take slightly longer, and retention can vary with skin type.
Most clients feel mild tightness, itching or tenderness during the first week. Discomfort is usually minimal. Do not apply anything not approved by your artist, and contact us if you notice redness, swelling or pain that worsens.
Touch-up pricing is set per treatment and artist. Book a free consultation to get exact pricing for your first session plus the 6 to 8 week perfecting session. View our current packages on the permanent makeup page.
Ready for Flawless Brows or Lips?
Book a free consultation with our certified PMU artists in Montreal and get a personalized plan for your brows, lips or eyeliner.
Drop us your questions
If you have questions? Let us know and we will get back to you as soon as we can
Email Us
info@reimagineclinic.ca
Call Us
438-686-8460