Preparing for your Procedure

We are so pleased you have chosen Vicki’s Making Faces to do your permanent Makeup or paramedical tattoo procedures. We have a few guidelines and helpful tips that will make your experience successful.
If possible, please bring your desired color with you. Rather you are receiving an eyeliner, eyebrow or lip color, it’s nice to have something physical to see. Please be open-minded with regards to shaping and color. We might have suggestions for a more “youthful” look.
REMEMBER: colors ON the skin look very different than colors IN the skin.
NO NEED TO SHOP! We will provide you with your after-care products. Please read the aftercare and healing schedule so you will be familiar with it before you come in. We will cover your instructions again to avoid any confusion.
10 DAYS BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE: If you currently take prescription medications that thin your blood, please contact your physician to see if you can adjust your medication before your procedure. Often it’s not possible so we may need to make creative choices based on your over health.
LIFESTYLE CONCERNS: If you are vegan or an avid juicer, please refrain from excessive greens a week before your procedure. Avoid vitamin E and niacin a few days before. (Although these things are wonderful choices and we want all our clients feeling fabulous, they often cause bleeding.) We can’t get much color in if the skin is pushing pigment out with excessive blood. Don’t worry, you can regain your extra healthy lifestyle 24 hours after your procedure.

EXTRA CARE FOR LIPS: If you have EVER had a cold sore, you need to pre-medicate to prevent any cold sore outbreak. Your Dentist or Physician should prescribe Valtrex or Acyclovir to be taken 1 day before and for 5 days following your procedure. (If you prefer to not take this prescription, you can choose to take L-Lysine, 1000mg daily for 3 weeks prior to your lips procedure.) If you have a history of consistent cold sore breakouts, you may combine both methods or consider avoiding this procedure all-together.

THE MORNING OF YOUR PROCEDURE: avoid activities (cardio), beverages (caffeine or alcohol) or over-the-counter medications (NSAIDs, i.e.: Advil, Aleve, Ibuprofen) that will cause extra bleeding. Although the skin is a formidable barrier against infections, we will be crossing into the skin to add color. Once we breach that barrier, we want to ensure the skin will heal beautifully. (We have also included a list of medications and vitamins to avoid, if possible.)

AFTER YOUR PROCEDURE: is a great time to rest, ice pack & recoup. Don’t plan a hot date or photo shoot. Most clients resume work on the same day or the following day. It will take a few days to get back to normal. Often clients will have “eyebrow shock”, “First Wives Club” lips or “freshly cried eyes”. This is normal and to be expected.

FOLLOW-UP: appointments are referred to as your “perfection appointment”. We will schedule your appointment before you leave (if you have your calendar with you) or you may schedule both appointments at the same time. The perfection appointment is part of the process but not always necessary. If you heal beautifully and don’t need a perfection appointment, please contact us to cancel. Although the perfections appointment is included, a $75 supply fee is charged to cover the cost of anesthetics, needles, and sterile supplies.

WARRANTY: Permanent make up never comes with a warranty but we do consider our clients part of our posse. When you need a color boost or refresh, you pay “color refresh” pricing. Currently, it is $175-$300 if done within 5 years. If it has been over 5 years or if someone else has color refreshed your work, you are subject to new pricing. We cannot guarantee the quality of products used by other artists. For consistency with the aging process of permanent makeup, we will be redoing the entire procedure with our top quality pigments.

ADDITIONAL COSTS: We gladly take MasterCard, Visa, American Express & Discover card. All transactions are subject to a convenience fee of 3.5%. If you prefer a saving, we offer a cash discount of 3.5% when paying with cash or check (ATM cards are not considered cash.)

HEALING: We are on Call! If you have questions, we want you to text or email us for the fastest response. You will receive a hard copy of the healing schedule to check first but if there is anything of concern, we want to hear from you. We want to be close-at-hand during your healing process.

THIS IS A PROCESS, NOT JUST A PROCEDURE. It is not a haircut, manicure, etc. You will not walk out the door looking like you are when you are healed. IN THE SKIN and ON THE SKIN are 2 different things. We work in an insured and licensed facility. We consider both cosmetic and paramedical procedures a layering process. As with any procedure, you keep the skin clean, follow the aftercare and know that sometimes we just need to layer more color.

POST PROCEDURE CARE

EYELINER INSTRUCTIONS:
Immediately following your eyeliner:

• If desired, apply ice to the eye for 10-30 mins. Ice reduces swelling & aids in healing.
• Apply the included petroleum only before ice packing. Blot ointment off after you remove the ice packs. DO NOT OVER LUBRICATE YOUR EYELINER.
• Clean eyelashes each morning with baby shampoo. You may apply After inked, NPJ product or Aquafor
• After 72 hours, you may use a brand-new mascara on the tips of your eyelashes ONLY. If you choose to resume use of your old mascara, you must wait 2 weeks.
• Do not expose eyes pool water or hot tub or to the full pressure of shower water
• ABSOLUTELY NO: picking, scrubbing, exfoliating your eyeliner.

EYEBROW INSTRUCTIONS:
Immediately following your eyebrow procedure

• BLOT…. BLOT…. BLOT **(For MICROBLADE or hair stroke eyebrows, use a dry tissue or facial oil blotting papers) **(For POWDER STYLE eyebrows, use cold, slightly-damp cotton round and gently blot.) This gentle blotting/wiping should be done several times a day for 48 hours
• Apply the White Petroleum (given to you in your post care kit) before showering or washing your face. BLOT OFF when finished.
• After 48 hours, you may lightly wash your eyebrows each morning with the baby shampoo (included in your kit). Pat dry then apply a “grain of rice” size of After- Inked to help minimize the crusting effect
• DO NOT expose the eyebrows to the full pressure of shower water, pools, hot tubs, etc.
• Avoid sun exposure or tanning beds for 30 days

LIP AFTERCARE INSTRUCTIONS:

• If desired, apply ice to lips for 10-30 mins. Ice helps swelling and aids in healing
• Apply was warm (almost hot) compress each morning after waking and then apply a cold compress (5-6 times daily) then apply LIP PROTECT OR HERPACIN-L (INCLUDED in your aftercare kit)
• Use the petroleum to lips prior to eating, brushing teeth or when applying ice packs
• Avoid hot spicy, salty or acidic foods for 2 weeks
• Keep lips moist with the included lip protector or with a quality lip balm the first week. (After the initial peeling, you should continue to lubricate lips with a good quality lip balm)
• DO NOT expose lips to the full pressure of shower water
• DO NOT pick, scrub or exfoliate your lips. ALLOW it to flake off on its own.

**ABSOLUTELY NO: Cleansing creams, chemicals, anti-aging, anti-acne, skin brightening, skin-lightening products. ADDITIONALLY: These products can fade your tattoo

** If you show signs of infection or allergic reaction, you need to contact a healthcare practitioner and Vicki’s Making Faces.

HEALING SCHEDULE

EYELINER:
Day 1) Slightly swollen. Looks like you’ve been crying
Day 2) Swollen but only for 1-2 hrs. after waking. Usually looks better by lunchtime
Day 3-4) Swelling decreased but a tight feeling. The upper layer of pigment is beginning to lift away from the skin. This is normal as the skin begins to flake Day 5-8) The last of the epithelial crust is sloughing. It is normal to feel a little itchy. Color is a little dull and will take a few more days to clarify to full color.

BROWS:
Day 1 & 2) The eyebrows are approximately 25% bolder and darker than when healed. This phase I refer to as “brow shock”. There is slight swelling. Your skin is red under the pigment which causes the color to appear darker and warmer toned. BE PATIENT! This will resolve.
Day 3) Eyebrows will start to itch and appear a bit thicker in texture. Natural exfoliation begins. DO NOT EXFOLIATE YOUR EYEBROWS!!!
Day 4) The skin begins to flake/peel from the outer edges first
Day 5-8) Color finished flaking off and new skin will heal over the pigmented area resulting in a softer appearance of your eyebrows. Color may appear “dull” for a few days until the color clarifies.

LIPS:
Day 1) Swelling, tender, heavy-thick lipstick appearance with a vibrant look
Day 2) Slight selling, reddish and tender with a slight metallic flavor
Day 3) Less swelling, sore, hot feeling before exfoliation with an orange color effect
Day 4-5) Exfoliation begins ……. Very chapped lips
Day 6) A soft rich color begins to appear but often look a little spotty
Day 7-13) Lip color disappears ad the frosty chapping stage begins as a whitish/grey haze appears on the lips.
Day 14) Color begins to bloom and continues to blossom and change until day 21
Day 21) Healing complete: the color you see IS YOUR NEW COLOR! Your lips will remain a bit dry for a month or two. Use a quality lip balm and they will return to normal but with a nice, full color.