Eyeliner by Impressive Brows

Aftercare Overview:  For best results, be sure to follow our aftercare instructions.  Here are the key dos and don'ts for aftercare following permanent makeup eyeliner.  Healing fully usually takes 6 weeks, with the first 7–10 days being the most critical for visible changes like swelling, darkening, flaking, and lightening.  

Dos (Follow These for Best Results)

• Manage Swelling & Redness - Some swelling and redness is normal post-procedure.  Apply a cold compress (like a clean cloth soaked in cold water) gently for 10 minutes to reduce swelling, but avoid putting pressure. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen can be helpful.
• Avoid Touching - Do not touch, rub, or pick at the eyeliner area. Your hands carry bacteria, and touching the area can lead to infections.
• Keep the Area Clean - Twice a day (morning and evening), gently dab the area with a cotton pad soaked in distilled water. Avoid using any harsh cleansers. Pat dry softly; never rub.  You can clean more the twice if needed to keep clean.
• Moisturizing - Apply a thin layer of the recommended Cetaphil using a clean cotton swab. This helps to keep the area moist and promotes healing. Avoid over-applying so that oxygen can pass through.
• Protect Your Eyes - Wear sunglasses outdoors for the first few days to weeks to shield from sun, wind, dust, and light sensitivity. Use lubricating eye drops if eyes feel dry/irritated (as approved by your artist).
• Stay Hydrated and Rest - Drink plenty of water and get good sleep to support overall healing.
• Sleep Carefully — Sleep on your back the first night or so to minimize pressure/swelling.
• Attend Touch-Up — Schedule and attend your follow-up appointment (usually 6–8 weeks later) for perfecting color and retention.
• Be Patient — The color will look very dark/bold initially, then lighten/fade during flaking (normal "ghosting" phase), and settle into the final shade after full healing.

Don'ts (Avoid These to Prevent Issues)

• Don't Touch, Rub, Pick, or Scratch — Hands carry bacteria; picking at flakes/scabs can pull out pigment, cause uneven color, scarring, or infection.
• Don't Scrub: Avoid any scrubbing or exfoliating in the eyeliner area until it’s fully healed.
• Don't Apply Makeup — No mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, or other eye products for at least 7–10 days. Use fresh makeup post-healing to avoid contamination.
• Don't Get The Area Wet Excessively — Avoid swimming, hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, or prolonged water exposure (e.g., no face-soaking baths) for 1–2 weeks. Limit showers to gentle face washing without direct stream on eyes.
• Don't Sweat Heavily — Skip intense workouts, saunas, or anything causing heavy perspiration for 3–7 days (sweat can fade pigment or introduce bacteria).
• Don't Use Harsh Products — No soaps, makeup removers, oils, Vaseline (unless specified), retinoids, acids, or exfoliants near the area for at least 1–2 weeks.
• Don't Wear Contacts — Avoid for 3–7 days (or as advised) to prevent irritation/infection.
• Don't Expose To Sun/Tanning — Avoid direct sun, tanning beds, or prolonged UV exposure for weeks; use high SPF sunglasses or hats when outside.
• Don't Dye/Perms/Lash services — Skip eyelash tinting, perming, curlers, or extensions for 2+ weeks.
• Avoid Alcohol & Blood Thinners: For 24 hours post-procedure, avoid consuming alcohol and large amounts of caffeine as they can increase swelling.
• Don't Ignore Signs Of Trouble — Contact us immediately if you notice excessive pain, pus, prolonged swelling/redness, fever, or anything unusual (infection is rare but possible with poor care). 727-213-8811 Call or Text.

Following these instructions closely minimizes risks like patchy fading, infection, or poor retention. Permanent eyeliner often heals faster and easier than brows or lips due to the area's thin skin, but consistency is everything.  Keep mind that even if you follow the aftercare instructions perfectly, results can vary greatly.  Permanent makeup is a process and typically requires 2 or 3 sessions to achieve desired results. 

Disclaimer: There are no guarantees in permanent makeup.  Although most clients achieve good  final results, in rare cases, permanent makeup doesn't work for clients.  For example, if client's skin has difficulty retaining pigment.

Clients often have concerns about their eyeliner during the healing process or after it has healed, especially if it is their first time.  Some of the most common concerns are:

• Swelling and redness - Right after the procedure and for the first 1–3 days, eyes can look puffy (like you've been crying) or red. This is very common due to the thin eyelid skin and usually subsides quickly, but clients often worry it will last longer or look unnatural.
• Dark or intense initial color — The eyeliner appears much darker, bolder, and sometimes uneven immediately after and during early healing (due to oxidation and surface pigment). Many clients panic thinking it's too dark or permanent like that, but it lightens significantly as it heals.
• Peeling, scabbing, flaking - The outer layer of skin normally peels and causes the eyeliner to look light and/or patchy within the first week or two of healing. Don't worry. The color usually comes back some over the 6-weeks of healing.  Expect the first session to heal light, very light, or like it didn't take.  We will darken it at the 6-week touch-up.  Note:  Picking or scratching at it is a big no—no, as it can pull out color, cause uneven results, or lead to scarring.
• Itching and dryness — As the skin heals (especially mid-process), intense itching or tightness can occur. This drives many clients crazy, but it's normal—scratching risks damaging the pigment placement.
• Sensitivity, irritation, or discomfort — Mild soreness, tenderness, or a burning/itchy feeling around the eyes is expected. Concerns arise if it feels excessive or persists.
• Risk of infection or complications — Though rare with proper aftercare and a skilled artist, clients worry about signs like pus, severe pain, prolonged swelling, or eye irritation (e.g., conjunctivitis-like symptoms). Keeping the area clean, avoiding water exposure initially, makeup, and rubbing eyes helps prevent this.  If you have signs of infection, please let us know.
• Disappeared/ Ghosted - After the outer lay of skin peel, your eyeliner can  look really light or like it disappeared. This is called ghosting and is normal. Let it go through the healing process.  The color usually comes back some as it heals.  We can make darkening adjustments at the 6-week touch-up.
• Healed Light, very light, or like they didn't take - Yes. Many clients are surprised by how light their eyeliner healed after the first session.  Skin is a complex organ and results can vary widely from person to person.  You should expect the first session to heal light, very light, or almost like it didn't take.  Don't worry.  That is common.  The 6-week touch-up usually gives better results.  Everybody's skin is different and we can make adjustments at the touch-up once we see how it healed.
• Too Thin - We have found that clients often have a hard time judging thickness during the procedure. It ends up being too thick after it heals.  For best practices reasons, we normally apply the first session eyeliner thinner than desired.  We do this to be conservative since It is hard to go thinner at the 6-week touch-up. We will thicken it at the 6-week touch-up.
• Too Thick - Unfortunately, eyeliner being too thick is not easy to change, which is why  we usually try to be conservative on the thickness on the first session then make it thicker at the touch-up.
• Turned blue, blue-gray, or grayish-blue - This is usually cause by the warmer colors in the pigment breaking down faster than the blue undertones.  The blue wavelengths are more persistent in the dermis.  Other factors might be excessive sun exposure, skin type, pigment composition, or pigment depth.  The fix is usually to do a color correction by adding more of the warmer colors to neutralize the blue.
• Impact on daily life — Avoiding contacts (for some), no eye makeup for 7–10 days, sensitivity to light, or restrictions on swimming/saunas can feel inconvenient, leading to anxiety about the process.

Most of these are normal and temporary when following good aftercare (gentle cleaning, prescribed ointments, no picking, etc.). The eyeliner area often heals faster and easier than brows or lips, but communication with your artist is key—if something feels off (e.g., worsening symptoms), reach out promptly.