If you’re tired of putting on eyeliner every morning, you might be a good candidate for permanent eyeliner. With this semi-permanent makeup, you’ll have eyeliner that won’t wash off. Of course, having a treatment like this done can be intimidating, especially if you don’t know how to care for an eyeliner tattoo.
Caring for permanent eyeliner is easier than you might think. During the first few days, you’ll have to clean your eyelids throughout the day and apply a gel or ointment that will help prevent scabbing. With proper aftercare, it won’t take long for your tattoo to fully heal.
What Is Permanent Eyeliner?
Permanent eyeliner is essentially a cosmetic tattoo.
During the procedure, a trained technician will apply a pigment along your lash line that mimics the look of your daily eyeliner.
Not only is the pigment smudge-proof and waterproof, but having permanent makeup means you won’t have to apply eyeliner at the start of the day.
In spite of its name, permanent eyeliner doesn’t actually last forever.
This is a semi-permanent treatment that will gradually fade over time.
Once applied, it usually lasts between 12 and 18 months. If you want to maintain your eyeliner, you can have touch-ups done about once a year.
Why Get Permanent Eyeliner Treatment?
31% of women between the ages of 18 and 29 wear makeup every day, while 41% of women between 30 and 59 wear makeup on a daily basis.
Not only can permanent eyeliner cut down the amount of time you spend on makeup each day, but it offers plenty of other benefits as well, such as:
- You’ll save money on beauty products
- It enhances your eyes
- You can choose a look that’s right for you
- You won’t have to worry about your makeup running or smudging
- It’s a fantastic option for people with sensitive eyes
- It can boost your self-esteem
- It may encourage you to experiment and try new types of eye makeup
What Can I Expect Immediately After the Procedure?
It’s normal to have some swelling on the eyelids after the procedure.
This can cause the eyeliner to look thicker than it actually is, and it can also cause distortions. You’ll get a better sense of what your eyeliner will actually look like once your swelling starts to go down.
In addition to the swelling, you can expect bruising, redness, and bloodshot eyes in the days immediately following the procedure.
While these symptoms shouldn’t be painful or severe enough to keep you from working, you may want to take a few days off from work to recover.
That way, you won’t have to answer any questions about what happened to your eyes!
You can expect to feel some soreness or irritation, similar to how you feel after you’ve been crying.
The skin on your eyelids may feel tight or pinched, and you might experience some itching or flaking eyelids.
While it takes four to six weeks to fully recover, most symptoms should subside within the first week.
What Is Wet Healing Vs Dry Healing?
There are two main aftercare methods used for permanent eyeliner: wet healing and dry healing.
While the technician applying your makeup is most likely to recommend wet healing, it’s worthwhile to learn more about both healing methods before having this procedure done.
Wet Healing
Wet healing takes about two to three days and requires you to clean your eyelids regularly and then apply a protective gel or ointment.
It’s very effective at preventing scabbing, but it requires more effort than dry healing. If you use this method, you’ll have to make sure you have an aftercare kit on you at all times.
Dry Healing
As the name suggests, dry healing requires you to keep your eyelids completely dry for a few days after the procedure.
While you’ll have to avoid getting your face wet, you won’t have to do anything to help your eyelids heal.
It’s a convenient healing method, but it often results in scabbing, which is why it’s usually not recommended.
How To Care For Your Permanent Eyeliner
Permanent eyeliner always requires appropriate preparation.
On the day of your permanent eyeliner procedure, you’ll need to remove your contacts and wear glasses for the next 24 to 72 hours.
You’ll need to wear sunglasses whenever you go outside to protect your eyelids from UV rays. If you live in a sunny area, you may want to wear a hat for extra protection.
Make sure you stay hydrated as you heal. Elevating your head as you sleep can help to prevent swelling. If you follow this advice and the healing guidelines below, you should have a smooth healing process.
Day 1
It’s likely that your eyelids will be swollen, which means your eyeliner may look thicker and darker than it will look once it’s healed.
Your eyes may feel slightly sore or irritated.
Depending on the healing method you’re using, you may need to keep your eyelids dry or clean them throughout the day.
If you’re using the wet healing method, gently clean your eyelids with cotton pads and water before applying your healing ointment.
Day 2
When you wake up on the second day, your eyelids may be stuck together. To fix this, use a cotton swab to carefully separate your eyelids.
You may notice some swelling or puffiness around the eyes, and it’s likely that your eyelids will feel tight and dry.
If you’re using the wet healing method, you should cleanse your eyelids after 24 hours have passed. Continue to clean your eyelids with cotton pads throughout the day.
Make sure you always apply your healing ointment after cleaning.
Day 3
It’s likely that your eyelids will be much less swollen by the third day. However, it’s normal for the skin on the eyelids to exfoliate during this time. Don’t pick or pull at the dry skin; let it fall away naturally.
If any scabs start to form, gently clean the area and apply your healing ointment. Re-apply the ointment two to four times each day until the scab has completely healed.
Day 4-6
You can expect to see a lot more flaking over the next few days. This could leave your eyelids feeling tight or itchy.
Apply ointment to scabs as needed, but don’t touch or pull at the scabs or flakes.
It’s normal for your eyeliner color to look significantly lighter during this time, and it may even have a frosty tone to it.
Be aware that this isn’t permanent! As your eyes heal over the next to days, the color will start to darken, bringing you closer to your final results.
Day 7 Onwards
As the healing process continues, the final color of your eyeliner will start to stabilize.
While it typically takes between four to six weeks for your eyelids to completely heal, you’ll see fewer symptoms from this point onward.
You can usually wear makeup again after one week has passed, but you should avoid using saline eye drops for two weeks.
Monitor your eyes and reach out to the technician that applied your eyeliner if you notice anything unusual.
How Long After Permanent Eyeliner Can I Wear Makeup?
Recommendations vary, but you can usually start wearing makeup again about one week after your procedure.
You should hold off on applying products if there are still scabs on your eyelids that are healing. Don’t apply anything but water, cleanser, and healing ointment until all the scabs and flaking are gone.
This also goes for any kind of lash serums that you may be using. Products like Latisse won’t damage your eyeliner tattoo, but they shouldn’t be used straight after you’ve had the treatment done.
To prevent contamination, you should purchase a new tube of mascara to use after your eyeliner has been applied.
It’s best to avoid harsh makeup removers for at least two weeks. Instead, use a gentle makeup remover, such as micellar water, to wash your makeup away.
You should also apply makeup with clean applicators rather than your fingers. Touching your eyelids can increase your risk for infection.
You may want to avoid waterproof mascara for a few weeks so that you don’t have to rub your eyes to take your makeup off at the end of the day.
While you may be excited to see how your new eyeliner looks with makeup, it’s always best to be cautious.
If you’re not sure that your eyelids have healed enough, you should hold off on makeup for the time being. Infections are a real risk when you have permanent makeup applied, which is why it’s better to be safe than sorry.
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