PMU Summer Aftercare Au
Practical aftercare for your Australian summer, from brows and lips to eyeliner tattoos. We have the sun, the sweat and the healing process in hand.
One could say the Australian summer is not as lenient when it comes to semi-permanent makeup aftercare as you might think. Then there is the heat, UV, salt and chlorine, or the inclination to put in a quick ten-minute dash outside; all of these will hamper the healing, compromise pigment retention and have you in for a touch-up sooner than you would like. To ensure the area heals evenly, make the first 10–14 days as uneventful as can be: no pools or ocean water, no heavy perspiration, and keep it clean, cool and dry and well out of the sun.
I am Gideon Edwards. Australia has a way of making short work of any flimsy plans come summer. With cosmetic tattoo aftercare it is much like being on a rough back track with insufficient water: it is seldom the overt things that get people, but the small concessions. A gym session where you are drenched on day four, a hat left in the car, a brief swim at the beach. This guide includes information on natural brow and lip enhancements for anyone who has had their brows, lips or eyeliner put in and wants to safeguard the outcome and sidestep the typical errors.
The Healing Process in Summer
You need more discipline with your routine because the conditions are stacked against you. There is more time spent outdoors, the humidity is up and UV is stronger so the skin is under some irritation even as it attempts to set new pigment. It is true of feathered brows, lip blush or eyeliner alike. Put simply, fresh cosmetic tattooing is a matter of wound healing and summer throws in its share of friction in the form of surface bacteria, sweat and the urge to go for “one” swim.
What is commonly overlooked
People have a habit of putting PMU in the same category as their regular skincare. In the initial stages a new set of brows or lips is not suited to active products, make-up or a full-on social life. And do not be fooled into thinking because the area appears placid it is fully healed; more often than not it is only half done.
Sweat is another thing to be wary of. It is not merely a case of looking shiny, the salt and moisture can cause flakes to soften prematurely which is bad for retention, particularly with microblading in hot weather and oily skin.
Rules to live by for the first 14 days
Put this on the fridge if you must. These are the ground rules that most PMU aftercare advice in Australia will tell you, and they are what good habits are made of in those first 10–14 days. Of course you will follow your artist’s word, but consider this: if your summer is filled with road trips, weddings, boot camps or long days in the open, be realistic. You may be better off having the procedure in a milder fortnight instead of pitting your willpower against 34 degrees.
- Do not sweat if you can help it for 7–10 days; a walk in the cool is preferable to hard training.
- For 14 days put swimming behind you, be it in a spa, pool or the ocean.
- Let the skin surface heal before applying any make-up.
- Heed your artist as to when to put down the retinol and exfoliating acids.
- Leave the flaking skin alone.
- Apply the ointment as recommended, a thin layer if that is the instruction.
- Stay out of the direct sun.
Sun protection is non-negotiable here in Australia with semi-permanent makeup. Fresh pigment and strong UV do not mix and the light in an Australian summer will find you even if you are for the most part inside.
Mechanical barriers are the way to go in the early days. Once the area has closed and your artist gives the nod you can use SPF, but do not put sunscreen on broken skin on the strength of what the tube says about sensitive skin.
Cover Up
A wide-brimmed hat is worth more than hope for your brows. For lips, eschew the midday sun and seek shade. With eyeliner, sunglasses are fine provided they do not chafe the area. The Bureau of Meteorology and ARPANSA, in their capacity as Australia’s official UV resource, will tell you that with a UV Index of 3 or higher, it takes no more than 11 minutes for the sun to do some damage to your skin. One can see for oneself what the conditions are like from the official UV Index forecasts for Australia. It is something to be mindful of; a brief trip to the shops is sufficient to put fresh cosmetic tattoos on edge.
On the subject of SPF
Making it a practice to use an SPF 50+ on cosmetic tattoos is only sensible in the long run to stave off fading of the pigment and protect the skin, but not until the surface has healed and your artist gives the all clear. Until then, sunscreen is likely to over-moisten or irritate the area, assuming you are to dry heal.
Then there is the matter of expectations. Some would have you believe a beach umbrella is all that is required. The truth is the light reflecting off car windows, sand and water makes its own contribution. For those who have put down natural brow and lip enhancements, one does not want to understate the importance of shade and timing.
Sweat need not be a drama
In summer, heat and activity are a trap. You are along fine until you notice a damp forehead or your lip area is tacky and your sunglasses have become small sliding doors. PMU healing and sweat do not mix.
It is not a case of being statue still for a fortnight, but you should temper your activities. A hard training session, a bike commute or outdoor work calls for a rethinking of your routine prior to the appointment if nothing else.
A workable approach to exercise
Especially in the first week, the general rule is to keep the sweating to a minimum. There is all the difference between a cool, unassuming walk at daybreak and a spin class in what amounts to a damp esky. Should you have just a day to get ready for your appointment, put in some meal prep and run your errands, and let the gym be.
For tradies, guides and others who work outdoors, this is where you are put to the test. Healing is harder when you are out in the heat doing physical labour. Book the procedure for a cooler month or before you are due for annual leave and you will be better off.
To cool down properly
Make use of air-conditioning and a clean fan as you can. Do not put cold packs right on the area unless advised by your artist. Heat is part of it but so is friction; a rough towel and you have done more harm with the wiping than the sweat.
Water early on is to be avoided
Swimming post microblading is a popular query and for good reason. Water may appear innocuous but there is chlorine, salt and microbes in it, not to mention the moisture. Your new PMU has no call for any of it.
The simplest precept in the guide is to forego swimming for 14 days if you are of a mind to keep things simple. Be it the pool or the surf, or even the resort spa that was so tempting in the photos.
Showering and the like
A shower is fine, provided it is lukewarm and you do not make it an event. Do not stand under the pressure or have a steam up the bathroom like it is build-up season in the Top End. With face washing, be circumspect about the area and do as your artist says.
What of wetting the brows three days on from microblading? Prolonged soaking is ill-advised then, short of a particular method of cleansing from your artist. You may be instructed to give them a light clean but do not go splashing about.
Hot tubs, ocean and pools
Salt and chlorine will get in the way of healing and the latter will bleach the colour. Add to that the heat and the fact you are sharing the water in a hot tub and your fresh skin is put to it. When you are away, hotel habits can be your undoing: the pool is right there and the weather is fine and your aftercare is in jeopardy.
| Water Exposure | Early Healing Risk | Practical Advice |
| Quick Shower | Low to Moderate | Where you can, keep the area dry, shun the steam and pressure |
| Pool | High | Chlorine and the like will impact retention; 14 days is the minimum |
| Ocean | High | Sun, salt and bacteria are an irritant; 14 days |
| Hot Tub Or Spa | High | A poor combination of heat and soaking; avoid for 14 days |
| Sauna Or Steam Room | High | Let the scabbing be; the heat and moisture will interfere |
Choose Products With Restraint
There is a tendency for one’s summer skincare to become an affair of SPF, vitamin C, retinol and acids, not to mention bronzing drops, setting sprays and a “just in case” collection from the back of the pharmacy cabinet. Fresh PMU does not require all that. In many cases it requires far less.
After permanent makeup there are things you should not do. For instance, do not put your entire routine to work on it, nor self-prescribe some balm from the bathroom drawer. Heed the artist’s recommendation and let the rest be.
What To Avoid Nearby
While the area is healing, keep active acne products, scrubs, retinol and AHAs or BHAs at a distance. The same with anything fragranced if your skin is apt to be offended. And if you are in the habit of wearing makeup every day, make time for tinted sunglasses and a bit of strategic scheduling over the next fortnight; the treated area should be left without makeup until it has healed.
What To Use In Lieu Of
A gentle cleanser if the situation calls for it and the aftercare ointment as prescribed, but in the most economical amount. An excess will over-soften the spot; too little when a protective layer is called for by your artist will leave the skin tight and uncooperative. There are those who like a dry heal for some brow work. Then you follow the method put before you, not what someone on social media would have you believe.
You will find the broad theme is much the same whether you go by Cosmetic Tattoo Academy, Lash and Brow Central, Australian Beauty School or Tina Davies and her ilk at Sydney Cosmetic Tattoo or Eye Art Studio: a conservative approach will see better healing than an overzealous one. As for brand-specific advice, that is variable, so the word of your own artist is what counts.
Tailor Care By Area
One cannot treat brows, lips and eyeliner in the same way. The skin is not the same, neither are the sources of daily irritation or the odd surprises they bring. A one-size-fits-all is how one loses ground. All the more so in summer with its sand and dust and sticky weather when you are juggling work and family and the outdoors.
Brow Recovery
Sweat and sun and fringe products are not friends to brows. Put away the styling creams and hair spray. With microblading in the heat of summer, oily skin can cut the life of a good stroke, so be careful not to over-cleans or perspire too freely.
Lip Healing
It can be awkward with all the eating and drinking and being in the sun. If the artist says so, use a straw, and steer clear of spicy food if it stings. Lips should be shielded from direct sun. Those subject to cold sores would do well to observe any medical direction prior to the appointment.
Eyeliner
The rule of thumb for eyeliner tattoo aftercare in summer is no false lashes, no rubbing and no eye makeup till it is done. Wind or hay fever will make watery eyes of you and this part of the face can be more of a nuisance than you think. Sunglasses are fine for going out, just pick ones that will not chafe.
On The Healing Timeline
Do not be put off by cosmetic tattoos looking a shade darker or sharper or even a bit peculiar before they come to terms with you. It is the ugly-duckling phase, hardly something to put in an advertisement. But there are limits to normal healing and it is worth knowing the difference between what is to be expected and a warning sign to get in touch with your artist.
In the opening days the colour will seem more pronounced, followed by some flaking or scabbing. By the second week it may be patchy or faint. Retention is a matter of technique and skin type so a touch-up is par for the course.
Should you experience pain that is mounting, hot swelling, redness that spreads, a fever or an atypical discharge, or simply a strong reaction to a product, contact your artist. There is no shortage of product talk and trends to be found on the internet from Lisa Millington, Smudge Proof Inc, Irresistible Me or Le Kitsuné that might put ideas in one’s head. But for aftercare advice there is no substitute for what the professional who has been treating you puts forward.
Pack Smarter For Summer
You do not need to stock up at the chemist to have a proper aftercare kit; having the right few items will save you from some fiddling and bad choices when you are out for the day, hot or otherwise.
Consider it as you would a plan for a short road trip if you are travelling. You would not go up a dusty track without water, so do not face an Australian summer with fresh PMU and no hat. Make sure you have a wide-brimmed hat, some clean sunglasses and the aftercare product your artist has put his stamp of approval on.
In the first few days put off any indoor errands and steer clear of long periods in the midday sun. Put aside the pools, the ocean, saunas and hot tubs for 14 days and trade in the hard training for something that does not make you sweat until the area is stable. And only put on SPF 50+ once the artist has said the area has healed sufficiently for sunscreen.
Know If It Suits You
It is the plain truth that this kind of treatment is for those who can abide by instructions. If your summer holiday is all about beach cricket, hot yoga and hiking, healing fresh PMU is going to be an ordeal. The same holds true if you have a tropical getaway coming up or are put to work outdoors in physically demanding conditions, or have skin irritation to contend with. With semi-permanent makeup the drawback is not the procedure but the fact you have to see through the sun care, touch-ups and healing.
Final Takeaway
One will find the least exciting aftercare instructions in Australia are also the best: let the skin get on with it, keep it cool and dry and out of the sun. You can get through the summer but you have to have some respect for the rules in the first fortnight and not hagggle over them.
Then again, your appointment and the aftercare are equal partners in determining the result. A simple life for 10–14 days is the smart thing to do in these parts during summer. Dull? Perhaps. But it will serve retention well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Not To Do After Permanent Makeup?
Resist the urge to pick scabs, apply makeup on a new treatment or use active skincare in the vicinity. No sunbaking, no heavy sweating or swimming and do not make things up with products. Your artist’s word is law for the initial 10–14 days.
Can I Wet My Brows 3 Days After Microblading?
Soaking is to be avoided. While a few artists are amenable to a gentle cleanse by day three, others take a drier approach to healing. Stick to what was told to you. A long shower or any splashing of water on the brows is generally not on the cards that early.
What Are The Downsides Of Semi-Permanent Makeup?
The healing process is an inconvenience and touch-ups are a regularity. Poor aftercare means uneven colour fade and hot weather complicates matters. Oily skin and a lot of UV exposure or time in the pool will cut down on longevity, as will your lifestyle.
What Are The Best Tattoo Aftercare Instructions In Australia?
Especially in summer: no swimming or sweating, stay out of the direct sun and for 14 days use nothing but the aftercare you have been given. Hold off on the SPF until you are fully healed or the artist has given leave. Over the longer term a habit of using SPF 50+ and being sun-smart is good for the pigment.
How Long Before I Can Exercise, Swim Or Go Back To The Beach?
Your artist may countenance some light activity that does not induce much sweat but hold off on anything strenuous in the early stages. Give at least 14 days before you put yourself in a spa or have an ocean dip. A trip to the beach is fraught with risk from the wind and sand alone in the beginning, never mind the water.
