Before your appointment
The week leading up to your session matters as much as the session itself.
Good preparation is most of the difference between a result that heals crisply and one that patches. None of this is optional — if any of it has been missed, the appointment may need to be rescheduled.
One week before
- Stop retinol, tretinoin, AHAs, BHAs and any exfoliating acids on the area.
- No chemical peels, microdermabrasion, laser or IPL on or near the area.
- Book any botox or filler for at least two weeks before, or four weeks after.
- Do not tint, wax, thread or tweeze brows — leave every hair where it is.
48 hours before
- No fish oil, vitamin E, ibuprofen or aspirin unless prescribed to you.
- No sunbeds, and no coming in with a fresh tan or sunburn.
24 hours before
- No alcohol.
- No caffeine on the morning of your appointment — it thins the blood and makes the skin harder to work with.
On the day
- Eat a proper meal beforehand. Low blood sugar makes for a long appointment.
- Come with clean skin and no makeup on the treatment area.
- Wear something you don't mind getting pigment on.
- Please come alone — the studio is small and there's no waiting area for guests or children.
Please tell me before booking if you
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Are diabetic, or take blood thinners.
- Have keloid scarring, active eczema or psoriasis on the area.
- Are undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
- Have had a cold sore outbreak in the past — lip treatments need antiviral cover.
Aftercare
Ten days of discipline for a result that lasts years.
Your colour will look darker, sharper and more defined for the first week. This is normal and it will soften by 30–40% as it heals. Do not judge the result until week six.
First 24 hours
- Blot gently with a clean tissue every hour if the area feels damp.
- Keep it completely dry — no water, no steam, no sweat.
- Sleep on your back if you can.
Days 2 to 10
- Cleanse morning and night with lukewarm water and a clean fingertip, then pat dry.
- Apply a rice-grain amount of the balm provided, twice a day. More is not better.
- Do not pick, scratch or peel any flaking, however tempting. Pulling a scab pulls the pigment out with it.
- No makeup on the area at all.
- No swimming, saunas, steam rooms, sunbeds or heavy workouts.
- Keep hair, pets and dirty pillowcases off the area.
Weeks 2 to 6
- The colour will look faint and patchy around week two or three. This is the pigment settling, not fading — it comes back.
- Wear SPF on the area once it has fully healed. Sun is the single biggest cause of premature fading.
Your perfecting session
Every first session includes a top-up at 6–8 weeks. This is where the shape is refined and any spots that healed lighter are filled in. The result isn't finished until that second session is done — please book it before you leave.
Message me if
- The area is hot, swollen or painful after day two.
- You see yellow discharge, or the redness spreads outwards.
- You develop a rash or itching that doesn't settle.
Something not healing right?
Message me rather than waiting for your next appointment. Almost everything is fixable if I hear about it early.