Before & after
Care guide
How your skin is prepared going in, and how you look after the work coming out. Permanent makeup especially — how well it heals depends as much on the two weeks around it as on the appointment itself.
Before your appointment
Pre-care
This applies to permanent makeup — brows and eyeliner. Please read it before you book.
Two weeks before
- No Botox, fillers, facials, microdermabrasion, chemical peels or laser treatments.
One week before
- Avoid heavy sun exposure, and sunburn especially — your skin shouldn't already be healing when you arrive.
- No plucking, waxing, threading or any other hair removal on the area.
- Avoid supplements and medications with a blood-thinning effect.
- No warfarin or NSAIDs.
48 hours before
- No NSAIDs — Advil, Motrin, ibuprofen, Aleve, naproxen, aspirin or niacin.
- Skip alcohol and caffeine on the day itself where you can. Both increase bleeding and sensitivity.
For eyeliner appointments
- Don't wear contact lenses to your appointment, and bring glasses for afterwards.
When permanent makeup isn't suitable
- If you're taking blood thinners, permanent makeup is contraindicated.
- If you're on insulin, these treatments are not recommended.
- Not recommended alongside serious health concerns such as heart conditions or heart medication.
- Not suitable while pregnant or nursing.
This page is general guidance, not medical advice. If any of the above applies to you, or you're unsure whether a medication or condition affects your appointment, please check with your doctor before booking — and tell us in advance.
After your appointment
After-care
How long the work lasts is mostly decided in the first two weeks.
Permanent brows & eyeliner
- Keep the area dry for the first 7–10 days — no swimming, saunas, steam rooms or long hot showers.
- Blot gently if the area weeps in the first day or two. Don't rub.
- Apply the aftercare balm you're given, thinly and only as directed. More is not better.
- Let any flaking come away on its own. Picking or scratching pulls pigment out with the scab and causes patchiness.
- No makeup on the area until it has fully healed.
- Keep it out of direct sun while healing, and use SPF on healed permanent makeup — sun is what fades it fastest.
- Expect the colour to look dark and sharp at first, then lighten and soften over four to six weeks. Judge the result only after that.
Lash extensions
- Keep them dry for the first 24 hours while the adhesive fully cures — no steam, swimming or hot showers.
- Brush them through with the spoolie you're given, gently and daily.
- Avoid oil-based cleansers, makeup removers and heavy creams around the eyes. Oil dissolves the bond.
- Don't use an eyelash curler, and skip waterproof mascara.
- Try not to sleep face-down — it flattens one side.
- Never pull an extension off. It takes the natural lash with it. Book a professional removal instead.
- Book refills every two to three weeks, while about half the set is still on.
Not sure about something?
If you're on a medication you're unsure about, or something on this page doesn't seem to fit your situation, ask before you book rather than after.