The honest version
What Actually Happens While This Heals
The honest version, not the highlight reel. Most of the panic people feel during healing is just not knowing this part is normal.
Day 1
Color looks bold, sometimes darker or sharper than you were expecting. That's normal. This is the fresh phase, not the finished look.
Days 2-7
Skin may feel tight or look slightly swollen, and can flake at the edges. Don't pick at it. Let it flake off on its own.
Week 2-4
Color starts to soften. This is usually the part that worries people most, because it can look patchy or uneven while it settles. It gets better.
Week 4-8
Color settles into its true, healed shade, usually 30 to 40 percent lighter than it looked on day one.
Week 6-8
The usual window for a follow-up session to perfect color and shape. It is a separate appointment, priced on the touch-up ladder rather than included in the first session.
Months and years later
This is the part most permanent makeup sites never show you.
See real healed work, not just day one, on the Healed Years page
Permanent makeup aftercare
- Keep the area dry for the first several days
- No makeup directly on the treated area until fully healed
- No sun, pools, or saunas during healing
- Don't pick or scratch at any flaking skin
- Follow the specific aftercare instructions given at your appointment
Lash aftercare
Keep extensions dry for the first 24 hours, avoid oil-based products near the lash line, and use a clean spoolie daily. Ask about the take-home lash aftercare kit at your appointment.
This page covers what happens after. What she asks of you before the appointment, including the 14-day list, the conditions that rule a procedure out and the 72-hour doctor’s-note rule, is on Know Before Booking.
Ready to book?
Start with a session, or start with a conversation. Either way works.
Before you book
Had permanent makeup done somewhere else before?
Send a photo before you book. It takes Jessie two minutes to look, and it means she walks into your appointment with a real plan, whether that's fresh work or a correction.
There is also a real list of conditions, medications and waiting periods that affect whether you can book at all. Read Know Before Booking.
No charge
Free 15-Minute Consult
Not sure which service is right, or getting PMU done for the first time and want to talk it through first? Sit down with Jessie for 15 minutes. She'll listen to what you want, answer every question, and there's no pressure to book anything. Bring your questions and any reference photos; leave with an actual plan.