Alright, so you booked your appoitment, yay! But… now what?

Click through these slides to see how to prepare, what to know, and how to keep your brows looking flawless after everything is said and done.

You should discontinue the use of any harsh skincare products such as retinal and tretinoin. You should also avoid getting any botox, filler, or abrasive facials.

You should discontinue the use of any skincare containing AHAs or BHAs. You should also avoid excessive sun exposure and taking any blood thinning supplements.

You should avoid alcohol, exercise, caffeine, and ibuprofen/aspirin.

Consultation: First, we will go over your concerns, goals, and answer any questions you have about the process before we get started. At this time, we will also remind you of the process so that you are aware of what’s happening every step of the way.

Mapping: Then, we’ll get started with the mapping process. Using the necessary tools, we will build a custom tailored to you shape. We work off each clients natural brow & bone structure to give them a shape totally customized to them & their features. Once we have completed the mapping process, we will have you take a look and approve everything before we get started.

Application: Now is the time for us to get to work! Typically, we’ll start on one brow first, doing our first “pass”, then proceed to the other to do the same. We will then go back and forth between the brows doing passes to build up the color & density until we’ve achieved our goal.

Reveal & Education: Once your brows have been completed, its time for the big reveal! Right after your appointment, your brows will appear darker, bolder, bigger due to minimal swelling, and overall more defined than what they’ll look like healed. It’s important to keep in mind at this stage, that this is a new addition to your face, and it might be a bit overwhelming at first. This is called “brow shock”, and it’s a very normal feeling to have during this process. Your brows will lighten about 50%, soften around the edges and shrink slightly once fully healed. After you see your new brows, we will go over aftercare with you & give you the necessary tools to execute it perfectly in an aftercare baggie. In your baggie, you’ll also get a few goodies, including written aftercare instructions to refer to during the healing process.

What You’ll Do: Starting the night of your appointment, you’ll cleanse your brows twice daily, in the morning and at night (outside of the shower). After you’ve cleansed them, you’ll pat them dry with a clean paper towel (avoid using a hand towels, they can harbor bacteria that could lead to infection). Once clean & dry, you’ll apply a rice size amount of your aftercare ointment to BOTH brows, not each. You want them to look hydrated, but no glossy or goopy. You’ll do this process for about ten days after your appointment.

Visual Changes: Your brows will have many phases over the course of the healing process. Like we had already talked about, right after your appointment, your brows will be darker, bolder, bigger due to swelling, and overall more defined. The days following your appointment, your brows will look darker in tone as a light film starts to build up over them. Around day 7-10, your brows will start to crack and peel, almost like a sunburn sheds or how a snake sheds their skin. At this point & when they’re totally done peeling, you might feel like your brows look patchy or overall lighter than you expected, this is called the “ghosting” phase. What’s happening is a layer of new skin is growing over the layer of skin where we placed our pigment, giving it a milky appearance. Once that skin sheds, your color will come or “bloom” back! This usually happens around week 6-8, which is why we wait that long for the touch up.

What to Avoid: Until your brows have totally shed & are flake free: NO getting them wet besides washing them, NO saunas, NO steam rooms/excessive steam, NO excessive sweating/intense workouts, NO swimming/hot tubs, NO makeup/skincare within an inch of your brows, NO picking/scratching/itching.

**Following aftercare closely is vital in achieving the best result possible.

Permanent makeup is a two step process. At your first appointment, we build the foundation of the brow. Then, at your touch up, we can tweak color, tone, and density to ensure your brows will look beautiful for the next 1-3 years. After your touch up, you’ll go through the same exact aftercare as the last slide.

Permanent makeup is low-maintenance, not no maintenance. It’s important to follow the necessary steps to ensure you brows stay looking perfect.

• The #1 fading factor when it comes to permanent makeup is sun exposure. It is crucial to protect your brows with a high SPF when outside for long periods of time.

• Retinals, acids, and other aggressive skincare that promotes cell turnover are best kept away from your brows by at least an inch. Ingredients in these products can aid in fading of your permanent makeup.

The last piece of protecting your investment is coming in for a refresh appointment every 1-3 years. While it will never go away completely, permanent makeup fades over time, and once it becomes so light that you begin to fill them in daily again or when the edges/strokes become fuzzy & less defined, its time for a COLORBOOST. At a colorboost appointment, we will adjust the color and redefine the shape to bring them back to their original glory. Then you’re all set again for another 1-3 years!