What are touchups and why are they recommended?
Our skin takes time to heal after a microblading treatment.
During that period, your eyebrows go through several phases. After being completely healed, it is very common for your brows will lose some of the color. Your new brow color maybe uneven and patchy, as some of the pigment could come off with the scabs or just the way your body healed. You could even lose a few strokes in the process. Everybody’s skin heals differently, and some clients might notice gaps and irregularities after the brows are healed. A touchup appointment may be necessary to get your brows to tip top shape!
Brow Touchups can be broken down into two categories, the 6–8-week touchup and the color boost. Here's all you need to know about the two.
A. The 6-8 Week Touchup
A 6–8-week touchup is what we like to call a "perfection session". This includes adding additional strokes where the pigment didn’t settle properly. Sometimes, if the artist assesses pigment strokes won’t retain even after the second implementation, they will suggest adding micro shading.
The touchup is there to correct all the possible imperfections. Its purpose is to fix what got messed up during the healing period. It’s also an opportunity to make some modifications, in case you feel the color or shape of the arches isn’t quite right yet.
A touchup is recommended 6- 8 weeks after your initial appointment but may be completed 4 weeks after depending upon your skin type. You shouldn’t book a touch up appointment before the brows are completely healed and the pigment sets in properly. The skin is at risk of scarring if further trauma is caused before it heals completely.
B. The Color Boost
A color boost is necessary as your permanent makeup will fade over time. In the same way your permanent hair color fades so does your permanent makeup. When you come back for your color boost, we will tweak your brows by adding more color and definition, so they look refreshed.
Color Boosts are recommended every 1-2 years dependent upon many different factors. Everyone's skin is different, and some people will retain color longer than others. For some clients, annual touch ups are not only unnecessary, but they can sometimes do more harm than good. Its best to send in a picture to your brow artist before you schedule your color boost to be sure it's the right time!
Permanent makeup is placed into the Stratum Basale layer of the Epidermis. This is the bottom layer of the Epidermis, right before the Dermis layer of the skin begins. Why is this important? Because this is a very small and specific layer of skin, it is like a sponge and can only hold so much pigment! If you get a touch up too soon, that layer of skin is going to tell you to take a hike and any new pigment will just come out in the scabbing! When your artist suggests waiting longer for your color boost it’s not because we don’t want to do your brows! It’s because we don’t want to charge you for a touch up, bring trauma to your skin, only to have you realize your brows don’t look any different once healed.
For most people, there’s no need to touch them up more frequently than every 12 months.
To make things a bit easier, we've provided an easy chart to help decide if it's the right time to come in for your annual.
COMMONALITIES:
Both touchup sessions take an hour to hour and a half to complete. The touch up session does not last as long as the initial treatment because only certain areas need to be fixed. The time the microblading touch up will take depends on the area that needs to be retouched, and whether only strokes need to be refilled or some shading needs to be added, too.
Healing periods also tend to be the same as the initial procedure and all after care instructions given at your first treatment should be followed again.
How Long Do Microbladed Brows Last After the Touch-Up?
Even though it is called permanent makeup, microblading does not last forever.
It is only similar to a tattoo, but the pigment is not inserted as deep, and it is gradually broken down by the body. That’s why microblading fades away after some time.
Micro bladed eyebrows generally last 12-18 months, but they may last as long as 3 years.
The factors that affect the longevity of microblading are:
skin type
skincare routine
lifestyle
and the frequency of touch-ups.
People who spend a lot of time in the sun, in the gym, or swimming will probably have to book touch-ups more frequently. Certain skincare products can also accelerate pigment fading.
NOTE: If you have oily skin, the pigment will naturally fade away faster. Drier skin makes you a perfect candidate for microblading, but it doesn’t mean that your microblading will last forever.
Take Away
Remember, permanent makeup is meant to enhance your natural appearance and will never replace makeup! That’s not what it’s meant to do. It physically cannot replace makeup because it is healed underneath your skin. Your skin will always act as a filter over healed PMU.
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