What do I need to know before my appointment? (DOS AND DONTS)
Please abstain from alcohol, Codeine, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Vitamin E supplements, and caffeine for at least at least 48 hours before the procedure. These things could cause bleeding and bruising which are unnecessary and could affect the healing process, as well as the discomfort of the procedure.
Do not tweeze, wax, or have electrolysis one week prior to your appointment to help reduce swelling.
Use basic soap and water, and no moisturizers for several days prior to your procedure.
Eat properly before your procedure.
Exfoliating a day or two before the procedure will aid in color retention and effectiveness of anesthetics.
You may take a prescribed light sedative or Benadryl before your appointment if you are anxious.
Feel free to ask questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question!
EYELINER CLIENTS – Do not wear contact lenses to your appointment, or for 72 hours after. Consider having someone accompany you to your appointment so you may be relieved of driving home after.
IF YOU SUFFER FROM: (Please notify us)
MITRIAL VALVE PROLAPSE – Lip Clients MUST obtain a prescription for prophylactic antibiotics prior to procedure.
DIABETES – You may have a harder time retaining pigment. Please notify your doctor before your procedure to get an OK.
SCLERODERMA – Please get an OK from your doctor. You may not be a good candidate for cosmetic tattoo.
HERPES – If you are having your lips done, and have ever had a cold sore, the herpes virus will never leave your system. You will need to obtain a prescription for an antiviral (Valtrex, Zovirax, Acyclovir, Lysine) and take them as prescribed for 72 hours before AND after your procedure. This procedure will almost certainly give you an outbreak, which could be severe.
BLOOD THINNERS – Please get an OK from your doctor, and ask if you can stop your pill for 24-48 hours before your procedure to prevent bleeding.
ALLERGIES TO:
Lidocaine or Epinephrine – We will need to discuss using anesthetic. We may not be able to use them on you.
Latex – We will need to avoid using any latex products during your procedure.
Antibiotic Ointment
Or
If you have had any problems at the dentist office.
What should I expect at my first appointment?
Allow 2 hours for your first procedure.
At your first visit, we will meet, and I will take a photo copy of your ID for your file, and your payment.
You will fill out some medical forms to the best of your knowledge to insure your safety and top-quality results.
You can wear your own makeup to the appointment to show your desired result. Photographs may be taken for reference point. Please avoid waterproof mascara and staining lip colors. You can also bring your pencils or lipstick for color reference.
If you are uncertain or impartial about how you want your permanent makeup to look, it’s okay! We will collaborate until we determine the shapes and colors that will best suit you and your skin tone.
At this time, we will remove any makeup, sanitize the area, and take before photographs.
Topical anesthetic will then be applied, which will stay on for approximately 20 minutes.
During this time, we will mix the perfect color to match your preference or best compliment your completion.
The topical anesthetic will be removed, and we will begin collaboration on placement and shape.
Once we have agreed on placement, shape, and color, we will begin the procedure.
You will have little feeling the first pass which will become number with each pass, as more anesthetic is constantly applied throughout the procedure. The procedure will last approximately 30-45 minutes.
Once the procedure is complete, we will again clean the area, consult over the results, and take the after photographs.
You will then be given a copy of aftercare instruction, which we will go over. We will schedule your 4-6 week follow up appointment, and you will be free to go.
What should I do for my aftercare for Permanent Makeup?
You will be provided with an aftercare packet which will include:
1 tube of Aquaphor
1 packet of Bacitracin Antibiotic Ointment (only to be used at sign of infection – CALL FIRST)
A copy of your aftercare instruction
Your follow up appointment card
Permanent Makeup is a process of carefully implanting microscopic color into the dermis of the skin. In cases of permanent makeup, corrective makeup, and scar camouflage, the goal can be best achieved through repeated applications, and refinements to the previous application after healing. It is common to lose between 15%-50% of the pigment from the first treatment, which is one of the reasons a second session is included. In the case of some scars, and/or corrective makeup, they may require more than two sessions to reach the desired results.
When your new makeup is completed, it will appear dark. This is temporary. This is because you are seeing pigment in both the epidermis (top layer), and the dermis (second layer) of the skin. The top layer of your skin sheds and renews itself every few days. This natural process will cause the pigment in the top layer to peel off. Only the color in the dermis will remain. When healed completely, the color will appear soft and gentle because the new outer skin will contain no color, and you will be seeing the color in the dermis through the top layer of skin.
It is important that you are patient and follow your aftercare instruction, and let your skin heal.
You may experience some redness, swelling, and tenderness in the area of your newly applied makeup. You may take Advil or Tylenol for discomfort and may apply a cold pack to the area for the first 24 hours.
EYELINER CLIENTS – Discard all old mascara and eyeliner. New products are a must!
LIP CLIENTS – You should continue to use Lysine or Zovirax according to your doctors’ instructions.
Prepare to apply Aquaphor with clean hands or new Q-tip several times a day for 7 days. It is important to pamper your new makeup and keep a protective and moisturizing veil over the treated area. This prevents scab formation and drying, which can lift out the newly implanted color.
You may shower the day following your procedure as usual. Clean the area by splashing water on it. Avoid excessive water to the treated area. Carefully pat the area dry with a clean towel and apply Aquaphor.
For 2 weeks, while the surface is healing, you must avoid any rubbing, scratching, scrubbing, tanning, chemical irritation, and/or exfoliation of the treated area.
NO swimming pools or saunas during this time. Stay out of tanning beds and avoid direct sunlight. If you plan to be outside, wear a hat and sunglasses, and use sun screen.
DON’T pick at or scratch peeling skin, scabs, or flakes because you will pull up pigment with it that may otherwise heal into the skin.
Once the skin is healed, daily sunblock is recommended to slow the normal fading of color due to UV exposure.
AVOID Retin-A and chemical peels over treated areas as they may remove pigment.
You may not be able to donate blood for 1 year. Notify healthcare staff of when your procedure was done.
What should I do for aftercare for Scar Revision, Dry Needling, & Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT)?
You will be provided with an aftercare packet which will include:
1 packet of Bacitracin Antibiotic Ointment (only to be used at sign of infection – CALL FIRST)
A copy of your aftercare instruction
Your follow up appointment card
Keep the area as dry as possible until the area has healed.
For 2 weeks, while the surface is healing, you must avoid any rubbing, scratching, scrubbing, tanning, chemical irritation, and/or exfoliation of the treated area.
NO swimming pools or saunas during this time. Stay out of tanning beds and avoid direct sunlight. If you plan to be outside, wear a hat and sunglasses, and use sun screen.
Once the skin is healed, daily sunblock is recommended to slow the normal fading of color due to UV exposure.
DO NOT pick at or scratch peeling skin, scabs, or flakes, because you don’t want to create scarring. Let your skin heal naturally.
Do not use bacitracin ointment unless you suspect an infection. Please call first!
You may not be able to donate blood for 1 year. Notify healthcare staff of when your procedure was done.
Downtime is quick, usually leaving client with pink and slightly inflamed skin for 24-48 hours after the procedure. If the area was treated more aggressively due to sun spots, or deep wrinkles or scars, those areas could take 1-2 weeks to normalize in appearance. These treatments may result in several months of hyperpigmentation while the area is healing.