Microblading healing day by day
Microblading is changing people’s lives - creating convenience, building confidence, and letting people sleep in longer in the morning - seriously. Having the opportunity to have a microblading procedure took 20 minutes off of my makeup routine every morning.
But with social media showcasing people’s airbrushed lives, artists and clients tend to showcase perfect, immediately after work, often leaving out the raw experience and the ups and downs that go along with the healing of permanent makeup.
Showing the results just immediately after a procedure is not the same as showing the entire process, and can leave client’s who get the procedure with A TON of questions about their healing process. The procedure itself is only about 10% of the true microblading experience, and the next 30-60 days after are the real deal.
So for anyone considering a procedure, and for artists who want to show their clients what they can expect during healing, below is the real experience of the healing process for the first month - the good, the bad, and the scabbing.
For a detailed look at my pre and post aftercare instructions as per Tina’s recommendation see our blog post on Prep & Aftercare and PMU Aftercare 101.
I used the Tina Davies Aftercare Healing Gel throughout my healing process for days 1-7, you can read more about this on our blog here.
Here are my natural eyebrows - pre-microblading:
DAY 1
Day 1, you're excited! You get to go into your artist’s studio with patchy uneven brows, or no brows at all and voila, you come out with legitimate hair strokes that you want to show off to the world, literal #browgoals.
Before and Immediately After
They look textured, dense albeit a little bit red, but it’s a world of a difference, you feel like a changed person. Your brows are bold in color. If you aren’t used to filling them in a lot, they will look slightly more dramatic in appearance than normal, tender, slightly swollen, and you may even experience some slight bleeding. The day you get them done you may be in awe of your fresh set of brows.
If you’re used to filling them in and are used to bolder brows, you may be in love. If not, don’t panic. The permanent makeup has been applied to compensate for fading of 20-40%, so if they look darker than you normally wear your brows, stay calm, the color will fade over the next week.
DAY 2
You will try really hard not to sneeze, because of the multiple tiny paper cut-like wounds on your face, but I had mine done during allergy season, and there’s no avoiding it. Your brows will be reddish, still quite tender, and maybe even a little bit thicker in texture than the day before. You may really notice the difference in your brows and feel like people are looking at them, but chances are you’re more self-conscious about it rather than people noticing them being darker than normal.
At this point, I really loved the way that they looked and was super happy with them. I could still see every hair stroke that was made and the redness for me had subsided a lot. They had not started to form hard thick scabs yet. Day 2 was pretty easy.
DAY 3-4
By Day 3, you shouldn’t notice a huge difference from the previous two days, if anything, the pain and tenderness will start to subside, and the brows will get slightly dark or thicker, but nothing major. At this point, you’ll probably be loving the convenience of getting up and having instant brows without the hassle of having to create them yourself. You’ll likely find yourself daydreaming about beach days with completely waterproof brows, but don’t act on this at LEAST until day 10!
DAY 5
Day 5 is when things start to change. This can be the turning point in the healing process, where your brows are getting itchy and it is advised to NOT scratch them, as the wound may still be open. A thick layer of scabbing may form, and the fine hair-strokes that were created may be hidden. You may feel like you want to start panicking. RESIST the urge to blow up your artist’s phone firing off questions and accusations alike. You have a wound on your face, therefore your body is trying to repair itself, hence the scabbing. It’s all a part of the healing process, and if you’ve had any other kind of tattoos in the past, it heals very similarly.
Just know that this is totally normal and even if it doesn’t look pretty, you shouldn’t worry, they’re going to be #browgoals again in no time.
DAY 5-7
This is the scary time period when the serious scabbing will start, and begin to peel away from the skin. If you’re anything like me - you will be extremely tempted to pick or peel the scabs. Don’t give in to this temptation, it could affect your healing very negatively. If you pick it, you could lose pigment that was deposited into the skin and could end up with a holey, patchy eyebrow. By gently rinsing the area regularly the scabs will slowly start to fall off - when they’re ready. This phase is definitely the hardest of the process. As a client looking on social media, I haven’t seen anyone talk about or show this side of the microblading healing process. All we see is perfectly fresh strokes, but scabbing? Who knew your entire eyebrow would shed and go through this transformation? It’s so important for clients to know and truly understand the whole process, and really be assured by their artist that what they experience is perfectly normal, and necessary for their eyebrows to heal properly.
At the end, they will have the brows they always wanted.
DAY 7-10
Your scabs will probably be all flaked off or flaking off on their own by this point and you’ll start to see the light at the end of the healing tunnel. But because the skin has not completely mended itself back together, there may still be some cause for concern. The color during these days may seem way too light or even grey and missing in spots. You might feel like your skin didn’t take the pigment, but that’s not the case. They’ll almost look like you’ve filled them in with a powder, so again just remain as calm as possible and begin to start enjoying the fact that your eyebrows are done for you every morning. It’s important to note that at this stage, the wounds should be closed so if you’re feeling self-conscious about the light look of them, you are able to apply some makeup to fill in for the time being.
DAY 14-21
Healing is almost complete! YAY! You’re almost there.
The color and definition of the hair-strokes will return at this point. The color is beginning to even out and look more natural and brow-like. People you tell about the procedure won’t even believe that it’s a tattoo. It’s truly amazing. You’ll be settling into your new shortened makeup routine - oh and those waterproof brow beach days? AMAZING!
DAY 30
Guess what? Your healing process is complete! Your skin is completely healed and color is looking great. They should look soft and natural. This is the point where you’ll be able to tell if there is anything you want to add or change, there could be a couple spots from loss of pigment, which is all dependent on how well your skin took the pigment, but this is OKAY because your follow-up appointment should be just around the corner!
Healed Results:
All in all my experience with microblading was amazing! Through the ups and downs of the healing process, I was always assured that everything happening was normal, and was guided on how to take proper care to ensure the best results!
Hopefully, this guide to a typical healing experience is helpful to artists looking to give client's an in-depth look at what they can expect!
You can watch my full experience below:
Touch Up: Tina recommends that a client does not come back for a follow-up microblading procedure until the skin is fully healed, and suggests 3 months after their initial procedure as the optimal time to come back for their follow-up!
Are you waiting for your touch-up appointment and need something to give you a bit more definition until then? Check out how you can use the Pro-Pencil or Skinny Pencil to touch up your brows in the meantime, here.
Fast forward 2 years and here are my results. Flawless!
Loved what you read and want to see more Healing Day by Day experiences?
Check out our other blog posts below:
Combo Brow Healing Day by Day
Lip Blush Healing Day by Day
Microblading: My Healing Journey
Healed Results:
108 comments
Just had it done today. They’re a bit dark so I don’t know if I’ll ask for recolor when I go back. I really hope they lighten a bit. But I guess I’ll see. My artist said they will absolutely lighten so I trust her judgement. Everyone says they look great but I’m still getting used to them. I don’t wear makeup, but was tired of not having full eyebrows.
This was a great guide for me! I’m on Day and have mild itching and visible scabs poking through and detaching! It’s kinda crusty but only really noticeable to me. Seems I’m right on track! My artist warned me but you never really know until it happens!
I’m on day 12 and havent really had any issues. No noticeable scabbing, very mild itching and a little fading for a few days. The procedure didn’t hurt very much bc she put lidocaine on multiple times throughout. My brows have looked great since day one. Moral of the story, pay for the very best in town, it’s worth it.
WOW! Thankyou so much for such an open and honest healing process. I just had mine done three days ago. Day 3 and I’m starting to see scabs form. This has been such a breath of fresh air. Literally NO one tells you the aftermath of having what is essentially an eyebrow operation! Healing is so important, and thankyou for sharing your journey with the world. Love from the UK London!!! xxx
OMG!!! So glad I came across this. I had my combo brows done on Monday-so day 3. I can relate to everything these ladies are posting except the pain part. I never felt any pain just heard the sound, it sounds like velcro. I’m pretty embarrassed to go out in public. Waiting for day 10 so I can wear a cap at least. I love the shape of my brows just hope I don’t come out of this looking like an angry bird! Ha 😂
nice article and awesome blog
Dental clinic in kochi
I had mine done on 1/29/2020 and I’m still in the Bold stage. Yes, I’m trying to remain calm and true the process but I wish I had researched and planned this instead of going not knowing the entire stages of healing. Hoping this works out.
Thank you for posting this. I can’t wait until mine heal 😊❤️
Hi. I am on day 2 and my brows are dark and scary. Had I known the process and done enough research- I would not have done them. I have been panicking and I feel so embarassed. I look like an angry bird and I refuse to leave my house. Your brows look sooo pretty. I can’t wait until the process is over. I pray that I can look normal again.
I’m on day 2 and feel like someone took a sharpie to my eyebrows! Thank god I found your post today! It stopped me from driving back to my salon. I’m going to trust the process or get bangs!
So happy I found this article! Just got my brows done 2 days ago and I was scared! Lol. They’re so dark and thick! I was so planning to call the technician on Monday to share my concerns. This article and all the comments helped calm me waaaay down! Including your pics throughout the process was also
very helpful. Your final brows look amazing! Thanks
for sharing !!
So it is safe to say you are god sent lol. I am officially on day 4 of microblading and my eyebrows are so itchy !! They appear dark but Im glad to hear that they will lighten. Thanks for this helpful post and for the people commenting because it was the laugh of the day lol. I really needed it.
Thank you for this! I had my brows done 4 days ago and they look so dark and bold. They start to be itchy as of today(day 4). Reading your story makes my calmer and hopeful for a beautiful brows.
This article is a blessing lol my eyebrows look pretty pathetic right now it’s hilarious! I’m on day 7…..I’m so ready to peel this sh*t off but I won’t. It was expensive & I don’t have a choice. The Picture from “7-10 days” is exactly how I look right now. The not washing your face is definitely difficult, but LADIES, we will be waking up & saving 20-30mins just drawing this in! Be patient, as I am trying as well! THANK YOU TO ALL THE LADIES SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCE, this community is amazing.
I got mine done today. My stylist gave me a cool emoji healing sheet with a timeline, like a shocked face for day 10 and “where did my brows go?” I have several tattoos so I understand the healing process of scabbing. I think what makes this harder is that it’s on our face. I see many people say don’t get them wet. Here are the care instructions I received:
1st day, dab with dry cotton ball every 5-10 minutes to absorb any seeping; wash after 4 hours. She gave me a solution. I use 3 cotton balls. 1st I soak with the solution and dab my brows. Then the 2nd with plain water to dab off the cleaning solution. The 3rd I dab them dry.
Tomorrow I will begin to use a gel she gave me. I put it on a q-tip and spread a light coating over them to keep the scabbing process soft. I’ll do this 3x per day for 7-10 days.
I see a trend in the comments that it seems the ones who scabbed the worst are the ones who dry healed without any ointment.
It is a bit shocking at first, especially since my eyebrows are majorly thin and graying. But I have glasses and I’ll be patient with the process. I have always found a bit of ointment on my tattoos helped with the scabbing not ripping out color, so I am hoping this to be the key.
I also hope all the ladies now have beautiful eyebrows!
Honey you are the real MVP!! I got mine done 5 days ago. I was super panicked immediately afterwards because they were so dark and thick. Everyone assured me they looked good, but I hated them. Now I’m at the holy shit where did they go, I’m sorry what I said about you brows Phase. Lol. I’m hoping that they magically reappear as you said. My follow up is in October, so looks like I might have to fill them in for a while. Thankful for your blog and the reassurance that it’s all normal.
I had my brows done yesterday. It really looks soooo thick and dark. Thank god I’ve seen this post as i started to get worried. They really look awful right now. I’ll always be reading this everyday to remind myseld that these brows will get better. Guess im not gonna go out for the next few weeks or so. I meed my brows lighter. Lol
Hello, I got my eyebrows done 7 days ago, I was given an ointment and told to apply twice a day. For the past 2 days my eyebrows have been very itchy, but I have not seen any scabbing, peeling not discoloration. I have not gotten my eyebrows wet at all, this has been the hardest part for me. The day I got them done, I looked as if I was going to come out in the angry bird movie lol, I accompanied my son to his doctor appointment and went out to lunch afterwards, people probably thought I needed a tutorial on penciling in my eyebrows lol.
Hi! You saved me from the eyebrow ledge! LOL. I am on day 7. I have seen scans for a week and just now got to wash my hair. This morning the scans you talk about are starting to flake off ever so slightly and to my dismay it looks like I did nothing on the tiny area that is finally showing through. I was horrified. You are right. My skin looks faded as grey on the tiny patch of scab that flakes off. Thank you for giving me hope that the color of the procedure “espresso mixed with dark blonde” will ultimately show through after the skin regeneration. I am counting the days till this is over. I will be happy to show you pictures as I too am taking photos day by day. Thank you! Absolutely the best article out there and you are beautiful by the way.
Thank you for this read, wish I had read before my freak out/meltdown around day 5 & thought my flakey eyebrows were completely falling off my face. I agree the photos that follow the procedure gave me a false sense of what I thought my brows would look like and wish there were more photos or stories of what the brows look like in the weeks that follow. Appreciate this article!
So I am a guy with half brows so decided to have them Microbladed. It was pretty painful but absolutely worth it. Looked like a cartoon character for a few days but now on day 18 and they look so natural. My advice is get someone who really knows what they are doing. Your face is your fortune – don’t settle for second best.
Plan the process in advance so that you don’t have appointments for at least a week thereafter.Don’t pick, don’t scratch or get them wet – buy a cap lol
I’m so glad I found this article. I had my microblading done 1 week ago. They are scabbing at this point and this morning I completely freaked when I washed them with a cotton pad and a bunch of the hair stroke came off. I legit thought I messed them up. I text my artist and she said it was normal and part of the process. I trust her but it is so reassuring to read this and see all the pictures. As for the procedure itself it was not painful at all. But after the numbing cream wears off after the procedure they feel like a bunch of tiny paper cuts and it stings but nothing really painful just uncomfortable.
So appreciate all the feedback from everyone! Excellent forum. I did my pre-research, but reality speaks a louder volume. I’m on day 8 and look a tad scary! I’m a Retail Manager so i’ve Had to be front and center and I say- thank goodness for my glasses and bangs!
I had mine done yesterday. My tech numbed my brows before each pass. She told me what to expect. She stressed leaving the scabs to heal on their own. This process is exactly how she described. I got the hairlike strokes with out the shading also.
I just got my brows done 2 days ago (microblade and shade) and I was so shocked at how dark and thick they were- I almost cried at the salon!! I’m so glad I read your blog and all the other comments saying they felt the same!! Just have to get through the next 2 weeks and it’ll be OK ( keep telling myself that!!) The shape is beautiful- just so so so dark and waxy I feel like someone sharpied my face LOL the things we do for beauty!!
