Your Guide to PMU Aftercare
Tyler Kolbe
The right PMU aftercare makes a real difference in how your work heals. Making the right aftercare choices impacts pigment retention, healed color, and your client's comfort along the way.
And not every procedure heals the same. Brows, lips, eyeliner, and areola work each come with their own considerations, so aftercare isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Here’s what you need to know about PMU healing, numbing, and aftercare.
Comfort Starts Before Aftercare
PMU can mean working on some seriously sensitive areas, from lips and eyelids to brows and areolas. The right anesthetic helps keep clients comfortable while you work, but what you use—and when you use it—matters.
Primary vs. secondary numbing: Primary anesthetics are applied to intact skin before the procedure begins, while secondary anesthetics are used as directed once the skin has been opened. Some products can be used for both.
PMU Numbing Options at UTS
There are a variety of numbing options available depending on the PMU procedure, including when you need to apply them, and the type of numbing solution you prefer.
For an all-in-one option, Tina Davies IceCream combines primary and secondary numbing in one product with 5% lidocaine and 0.25% phenylephrine.
If you’re looking specifically for secondary numbing, TAG #45 Gel is a popular gel option. Zensa Numbing Cream, meanwhile, offers 5% lidocaine without epinephrine.
Many tattoo + PMU artists prefer the convenience of a spray-on solution. Consequently, Recovery Numbing Spray comes in a convenient 4 oz. format for easy application during longer sessions. Bactine MAX, with 4% lidocaine, is another accessible option artists may keep on hand.
Whatever you use, always follow the product’s labeling and directions for use.
PMU Healing: Remember AWM
When it’s time to explain PMU aftercare instructions to a client, keep it simple: Absorb. Wash. Moisturize.
1. Absorb
Immediately after a procedure, excess lymph fluid may collect around the treated area. Clients should gently blot the area as directed with a clean tissue rather than rubbing, scrubbing, or picking.
2. Wash
During the initial healing period, keep the area clean according to the instructions for that specific procedure. When cleansing is appropriate, use a gentle, unscented cleanser, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry.
3. Moisturize
When an aftercare product is recommended, a little goes a long way. Apply only a thin layer rather than coating the area.
Too much product can keep the skin excessively moist, which can soften healing tissue and scabs and cause them to lift prematurely. That can disrupt the healing process and potentially affect pigment retention. A thin layer is generally all you need.
Clients should also keep retinoids, acids, AHAs, and other exfoliating ingredients away from fresh PMU, since they can irritate healing skin.
What Should Clients Avoid After PMU?
The exact timeline will depend on the procedure and client, so give everyone specific instructions before they leave your chair.
As a general PMU healing checklist, clients may need to avoid:
- Picking, scratching, or peeling healing skin
- Makeup, retinoids, acids, and exfoliants around the area
- Pools, saunas, hot tubs, and excessive sweating
- Prolonged sun exposure and tanning
- Direct or prolonged water exposure
- Sleeping directly on the treated area
And one rule deserves repeating: let flakes and scabs come off naturally. Picking at healing skin can interfere with both healing and pigment retention.
Build a Better PMU Aftercare Kit
Giving clients professional PMU aftercare products takes some of the guesswork out of what they should use at home. And because aftercare needs can change throughout the healing process, it helps to have options for everything from cleansing and moisturizing to protecting fresh PMU.
You’ll find plenty of options at Ultimate Tattoo Supply. For cleansing, Recovery Aftercare Soap and Recovery CBD Foaming Soap can be used during the wash stage of healing. Once it’s time to moisturize, After Inked Tattoo Moisturizer is another non-petroleum option that works across tattoo and PMU applications.
There are more specialized options, too. Recovery Areola Shield is designed specifically for areola PMU, while Recovery Derm Shield provides a breathable adhesive barrier when appropriate for the procedure.
These are just a few of the PMU aftercare products available at UTS, with more options to help you build an aftercare routine around the procedure and your client’s needs.
Better Aftercare Can Mean Better Business
Your reputation comes down to your healed results, so educating clients on the right aftercare is super important.
Providing clear permanent makeup aftercare instructions and professional products ensures your work heals the best that i can.
It can also help you:
- Cut down on avoidable aftercare questions
- Support better healed results
- Build client confidence and trust
- Add retail aftercare to your PMU services
Treat aftercare like part of the procedure. Give clients a clear plan, send them home prepared, and set your work up for a better healing process.
