Meta: A look at the way UV from Australia will fade and alter the colour of your semi-permanent makeup, as well as complicate the healing process.
This is an overview of how to keep cosmetic tattoos from going patchy or losing their colour. In Australia the sun can be unforgiving regardless of what the thermometer says, making it essential to put some protection on a daily basis if one has had microblading, lip blush or permanent eyeliner done.
I am Thalia Hayes, a skin therapist and salon trainer in Melbourne. It is not uncommon for me to have a client who has been model in following aftercare only to see their pigment retention suffer after they have put in a long afternoon by the pool or at the beach with the dog, hatless. The sun is hardly being malicious, it is just very adept at making trouble in a quiet way.
The Impact Of UV On Your Makeup
Then there is the matter of premature fading and colour changes that UV exposure brings about. If you are in direct sunlight often enough, pigment particles can break down and the skin will become more inflamed and turn over faster; all of which means a shorter life for your cosmetic tattoo. Learn more about permanent eyeliner color changes.
It is a slow process. An hour in the sun at lunchtime will not do away with your brows, but leave them to the elements and the colour will become less even, or duller, warmer or cooler. How it turns out is also a function of the pigment used, the depth of the treatment, skin type and the quality of the healing.
Uneven Fading
You will not find the sun treating every part of a procedure alike. More light may be on the brow arch or the centre of the eyelid than the rest, giving an untidy, patchy result. Drier, more textured skin from too much sun can rob a tattoo of its crispness even though the pigment is still there.
Pigment And Sunlight
Ultraviolet radiation is responsible for cosmetic tattoo fading through a combination of breaking down the pigment and altering the skin about it, inducing dryness and inflammation and hastening the loss of surface cells.
Do not mistake a colour shift for a case of the technician having put in the wrong shade. Over time the body and the environment will do their work and a healed pigment can seem ashier, softer or not as saturated.
There are many reasons for colour to change in semi-permanent makeup.
Apart from UV, there is oil, retinoids, exfoliation and the pigment mix itself. You will not bleach a tattoo in a single swim in salt or chlorine, but doing so regularly will irritate and dry the skin. And while sunscreen is good at limiting further exposure, do not think it is a panacea for colour issues; it will not put back what has faded or right a shift that calls for a professional eye.
Varying Degrees of Care
One should not treat a cosmetic tattoo as if it were on any old piece of skin. The thickness of the skin, where it is situated and what products come in contact with it will determine how fast the results of a microblading or eyeliner will change.
Understanding those differences helps you choose sensible aftercare rather than treating every cosmetic tattoo as if it were on the same patch of skin.
Brows
With microblading the strokes are near enough to the surface that the sun can make them fade ahead of schedule. Add in sweat, friction from a hat and skincare and the colour softens. Some would like to think it will be the same for years to come but most need a colour boost eventually; a practitioner is best placed to say when the skin is ready for more.
Lip Blush / Eyeliner
The lips are subject to wind, eating and drinking as well as the odd lick or rub, so balm and sun protection are called for once they have healed. As for permanent eyeliner, sunglasses are a sensible form of defence when you are out and about. The line may take on a warmer, softer hue which can unbalance the eye area.
Protecting New Work
Any fresh semi-permanent makeup is at a disadvantage while the skin is mending. The barrier is not yet normal and there may be some swelling, tenderness or lymph present. Uneven healing and added discomfort are risks of direct sunlight in the course of your recovery. Then there is the matter of heat, dust, sweat and unclean hands to complicate aftercare. Put off any notions of a heroic day at the beach or a hard session on the cross-trainer for now.
Healing Comes Before Holidays
Clients are often taken aback at the inconvenience of the first few days when I put cosmetic tattoos to them. One will have made plans for a coastal weekend with new brows, then find that the itinerary has been reduced to donning a hat, some swimming and being very particular about cleansing.
Make sure to plan treatment in a way that fits with life. Put in some extra time before a wedding or holiday, an outdoor job or a protracted road trip. You would not want to be improvising aftercare on the Stuart Highway or the Gibb River Road, or at a summer festival.
Sun Avoidance After Treatment
For the initial phase of healing, say 7 to 14 days, one should generally eschew any sun exposure on purpose, though your practitioner’s protocol will dictate the specifics. Open or weeping skin is not to have sunscreen put on it unless a qualified practitioner says otherwise.
It is several weeks before things fully settle. Deeper pigment may yet be stabilising even if the surface appears to be healed, so do not see the calendar as some kind of magic switch and keep up sensible protection past the first fortnight.
A Practical Timing Guide
One day before a trip and the treatment? Rest, get quiet transport and make for the shade. Do not book a touch-up and then put in a long hike and a pool visit simply because the system will let you.
Protecting Makeup In Australia
In these parts good aftercare in the summer is largely a case of simple behaviour done consistently. The temperature is no indication of how strong the sun is; on a cool or windy day the UV in Australia can still be high.
Have a look at the Bureau of Meteorology’s UV Index before you commit to being outdoors. When it is 3 or more, particularly midday, take sun protection for granted. Additionally, practicing sun-smart habits is crucial to protect healing skin beyond just sunscreen application.
Build A Physical Barrier
There will be times in the early stages of healing when a physical barrier is better than sunscreen. A wide-brimmed hat to cover the brow and forehead, sunglasses to keep the light and any urge to rub at the eyes at bay.
- Opt for shade in the height of the day and no tanning.
- After a brow procedure a loose, clean hat is in order, but be careful of the area.
- For eyeliner, sunglasses are for comfort as well as protection.
- Towels, pillowcases and hands should be kept clean while the skin is mending.
- Let the practitioner give you the all clear before you get in a saltwater or chlorine pool.
For sport or travel of any kind, physical coverage is to be preferred over the memory of reapplying a product and it will not sting newly treated skin.
Using Sunscreen Correctly
Once the skin has closed and is properly healed, an SPF is of use for semi-permanent makeup. Go with a broad-spectrum 50+ and apply as the product dictates, minding the eyes and any irritated patches.
But an SPF is no licence for time outside. Fifty plus does not block every sort of UV nor mean you can remain in the elements fifty times as long with impunity. Add clothes and shade to your routine and reapply once you have been in the water or dried off with a towel.
What Most People Get Wrong
You will see people put sunscreen on their nose and cheeks and leave it below the brows. Some reach for an old tube in the glovebox, skimp on the amount or miss the hairline and upper lip. It matters in the case of cosmetic tattoos which are apt to get incidental sun.
Do not be scrubbing a fresh treatment with it. During the healing process put it to your practitioner as to what is safe. Afterward be gentle with application and do not exfoliate aggressively over the pigment.
Planning Touch-Ups Wisely
One should let the state of the pigment dictate when a cosmetic tattoo is in need of a touch-up, not some arbitrary calendar date. For certain individuals an annual colour boost is all that is required; for others it is better to allow more time between sessions or to see that the skin has put any prior work behind it.
Lifestyle, the type of skin one has and how it is looked after will have a bearing on the timing as much as sun exposure does. A person with an outdoor occupation in the Pilbara will be on a different maintenance schedule than his counterpart in Melbourne who is indoors most of the day.
When To Have An Assessment
If the colour is patchy, has taken on a life of its own or is no longer in keeping with your natural colouring, put in for a professional review. The practitioner ought to examine the skin before applying any further pigment, especially where there is sensitivity or inflammation. There is no point in booking a touch-up on recently exfoliated or sunburnt skin; compromised skin makes for less predictable healing and can be more uncomfortable under the needle.
Those Who Require More Attention
A more considered protection routine is called for by those with a history of strong sun exposure, who are in the habit of swimming or making frequent beach visits, or whose job or holidays are active. It is also true of anyone whose use of retinoids or exfoliating acids leaves the skin sensitive.
Then again, semi-permanent makeup is not for everybody. Professional advice is in order first for anyone with a medical condition, active infection or a propensity for scarring, or for those on particular medication. And if you are under the impression a cosmetic tattoo will not change, a consultation would put things in perspective. Semi-permanent is just that, involving some maintenance and fading from time to time. You will not find permanent perfection anywhere but in an advert.
Frequently Asked Questions
Clients come to me wanting a straight answer and none of the usual salon jargon, so here are the ones I get asked.
Semi-Permanent Makeup: What Are The Drawbacks?
There is a risk of infection with poor hygiene, of an allergic response, or of being left with a shape or colour you do not like. Fading, unevenness and colour shift are possibilities, as is the prospect of having to go back for correction or removal down the track. All of this, and the fact that results will alter with age and exposure, should be part of a good consultation along with the risks and aftercare.
Is It Necessary To Shun The Sun Post-Microblading?
You should, at least while the skin is in the early stages of healing. Heed what the practitioner says. Seven to 14 days is the norm though it can take the skin longer to settle. Put on a clean hat and stay in the shade instead of putting sunscreen on unhealed skin.
The Duration Of Semi-Permanent Makeup
That depends on the pigment used, the treatment, UV exposure and the way you live and care for your skin. With eyeliner, lip blush or microblading the effect will tend to soften rather than vanish on cue. Some opt for a colour boost in a year’s time, some bide their time. Let the practitioner make the call on whether to add pigment.
Who Should Steer Clear Of Permanent Makeup?
Postpone it and get the right counsel if you have open skin, an active infection or anything medically speaking that could impede healing. Those with allergies to cosmetic ingredients or a record of abnormal scarring should have a word before they book. Be open with the practitioner about any medication or health matters.
Will Sunscreen Put A Stop To Fading?
Not entirely. While SPF 50+ and a broad-spectrum formula will cut down on UV exposure, they are no substitute for a hat and sunglasses and they will not put right pigment that has already been affected. Consider it a means of slowing things down.
Evening Out The Colour
In Australia the sensible approach to looking after semi-permanent makeup is a mix of proper healing and long-term sun protection. Once the skin has recovered apply your broad-spectrum sunscreen and keep out of the direct sun. Only have a touch-up done when the skin warrants it.
I would advise you to regard UV protection as integral to the treatment and not something optional. Take a few minutes to check the Australian UV Index and don your hat; it is a simple matter of preserving the result and the pigment for as long as possible.
The post A Guide to UV Exposure and Semi-Permanent Makeup in Australia appeared first on blu-indigo.