Recovery period: what can happen after permanent makeup?

Olga Koryakina , dermatocosmetologist, mesotherapist, anti-age medicine specialist, member of associations UADV, UALDVK, MAEKM, NOM (Ukraine)

Having decided to change their appearance with the help of permanent makeup, patients must be mentally prepared not only for positive results, but also for a long period of rehabilitation. Unfortunately, quite often recovery can be accompanied by side effects and complications. First, let's remember who should refrain from permanent makeup procedures.

Absolute contraindications

• insulin-dependent form of diabetes mellitus;
• diseases associated with a significant decrease in blood clotting;
• severe somatic diseases;
• acute inflammatory diseases;
• mental disorders, epilepsy.

This also includes the presence keloid scars. Normally, permanent makeup should not lead to the appearance of seals or scarring of the skin . The depth of skin damage during the procedure remains at the level of the upper dermis (papillary layer), while the likelihood of a keloid scar is minimal. But the risk of keloid formation increases many times with the slightest non-compliance with micropigmentation technology or with improper care during the healing period (attempts to prematurely remove the crusts).

A contraindication to PM is the presence of neoplasms of unknown etiology, oncological diseases . In some cases, permanent makeup can be done to such clients, but only with the permission of the attending physician. In our practice, for example, there was such a case: permanent makeup of the eyebrows was done to a client suffering from leukemia, whose hairs thinned after a course of chemotherapy. The doctors gave permission for the procedure, seeing it as a way to deal with the oppressed state of their patient. Rehabilitation after the procedure was normal, without complications.

Relative contraindications

High blood pressure

If the client suffers from hypertension, it is recommended to measure blood pressure before the procedure and, if necessary, take a blood pressure medication.

Pregnancy and lactation period

It is not recommended to do permanent makeup in the first trimester of pregnancy. In the second and third trimesters and during lactation, the procedure can be performed with the permission of the doctor in cases where the client easily tolerates the procedure (that is, painkillers are not required).

Multiple allergic reactions

In this case, it makes sense to do an allergic test and check how the body will react to painkillers that are planned to be used during the procedure, and to the pigment.

Inflammatory skin diseases in the intended area of permanent makeup (during their exacerbation)

Acne disease of the third and fourth degree (the presence of inflammatory-purulent foci) and one-time acne (inflammatory form of the disease) in the acute stage are a contraindication to the procedure, you should undergo a course of treatment with a dermatologist.

Herpes in the acute stage: it is necessary to undergo a course of treatment with antiviral drugs. But for people suffering from frequent occurrences of herpetic eruptions on the lips, permanent makeup will even be useful. Firstly, after the procedure, there is no need for frequent use of lipstick, which is a constant source of irritation of the red border of the lips, and sometimes infection. Secondly, the skin of the lips after permanent makeup is somewhat thickened, which is an obstacle to the appearance of herpes rashes.

period of menstruation. At this time, bleeding and soreness increase significantly, so the procedure is best done in the middle of the cycle.

Relative contraindications are also considered a tendency to inflammatory diseases of the conjunctiva (mucosa of the eyes) and alcohol or drug intoxication .

Please note : there are recommendations to carry out permanent makeup of the eyelids for people suffering from frequent conjunctivitis, as this will reduce the use of decorative cosmetics and, therefore, reduce the likelihood of irritation and inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes. But before the procedure in this case, it is necessary to comply with certain conditions. In particular, if conjunctivitis is allergic, it makes sense to do a skin test - apply a small amount of anesthetic ointment and pigment to the skin behind the ear. If conjunctivitis is infectious, you need to consult an ophthalmologist and choose special eye drops. During the procedure, the mucous membrane of the eye must be healthy.

Causes of pain during the procedure:

• highly traumatic equipment is used that is not intended for the permanent makeup procedure (tattoo machine or Chinese pen);
• poor psychological contact with the master. Perhaps this is one of the most important points! The higher the degree of trust in the master, the more relaxed the person and the more comfortable the procedure will be;
• too low pain threshold. As a rule, a decrease in the threshold of pain sensitivity in women is observed on the eve of menstruation, as well as in the phase of ovulation. This phenomenon may be associated with the transferred stresses and the general tension of the nervous system;
• incorrectly selected method of anesthesia and insufficient arsenal of anesthesia.

Side effects

These are those unpleasant sensations that occur during or after the procedure and, although uncomfortable and undesirable, do not pose a real danger to the client. The most common side effect is swelling. It delivers the most inconvenience, changing facial features beyond recognition, and may even be accompanied by painful sensations. Nevertheless, it is usually not necessary to take any special measures to eliminate side effects.

Why does swelling appear?

In order to answer this question, we must return to understanding the very nature of the occurrence of puffiness. Permanent makeup, or tattooing, is the formation of a new contour or shape of individual parts of the face (lips, eyelids, eyebrows). This goal is achieved by introducing special coloring pigments into the surface layers of the dermis, which can remain in the skin from 1 to 4⎼5 years. The introduction is carried out with a special needle through micro-punctures of the skin to a depth of approximately 1-2 mm. Such a violation of the integrity of the skin eventually leads to the formation of an inflammatory reaction, which leads to the formation of swelling (edema).

Factors on which the severity of edema depends The client's individual tendency to edema , ⎼ in particular, thin, dry, sensitive skin, as well as skin with pronounced lymph retention, the so-called pasty skin, is considered the most prone to edema;

Method of anesthesia : for example, applications of Emla ointment and injections of dental painkillers tend to cause more pronounced swelling than the use of liquid and gel forms of painkillers. Although often the use of applications and injections is justified by the need for a higher degree of pain relief;

Depth and quality of pigment injection . With the correct introduction of the pigment (to the depth of the papillary dermis), vascular damage occurs only at the level of the superficial vascular plexus in the papillary dermis. In this case, very slight capillary bleeding is observed, as a result of which a slight edema may develop, which, with very rare exceptions related to the individual characteristics of the skin, completely disappears after 12⎼24 hours. With a deeper introduction of the pigment, the vessels of the deep vascular plexus, located on the lower border of the skin, can be damaged, which provokes the development of significant and persistent edema. That is why the equipment on which the master works is so important: tattoo machines and Chinese pens deeply injure the skin, causing significant swelling.

How long does swelling last ?

Attention! Normally, swelling should disappear within a day and should not be accompanied by severe redness, itching, or rashes. In the presence of the above symptoms, you need to notify your master and consult a doctor!

Based on the information provided, it can be concluded that the formation of a slight swelling in the area of the eyes or lips can be considered one of the variants of the normal reaction of the body. The skin of the face itself acts as a catalyst for this phenomenon, because it is characterized by maximum sensitivity to such aggressive influences.

At the same time, it should be remembered that swelling after tattooing the eyelids (or any other area) normally lasts up to one day (maximum two days) and is extremely weak, more like a slight swelling. Arising in a matter of hours after the procedure, after a few hours it should begin to decrease and slowly disappear.

Of course, there are numerous reviews that after tattooing the eyes or lips, the swelling persists for a week or even a month. However, in this case, it should be noted the abnormality of the reaction and the presence of any error: on the part of a specialist during the procedure, on the part of the client during rehabilitation or problems on the part of the patient's body.

Causes of significant swelling

What could be the reason that swelling after tattooing lasts more than a few days?

• The low quality of the pigment used for tattooing.
• Hypersensitivity of the skin, a tendency to edema after the intervention.
• Allergic reaction to the pigment or pain relief.
• Infection.

All of these prerequisites (except the very last one) form the formation of a non-dangerous, but very unpleasant, long-term swelling. If it persists for several days or weeks, it delivers a lot of unpleasant sensations, forcing us to look for ways to deal with such negative manifestations.

How to remove swelling after a tattoo?

Such a question must be discussed in advance⎼ note the possibility of edema, give qualified advice, taking into account individual characteristics, in which case home treatment will pass as quickly as possible. There are also universal tips that can be found in the public domain. Let's analyze the most popular of them.

Dry ice packs . It is necessary to carry out such manipulations for several minutes with a break of up to 1-2 hours, it is very important to first place the ice in a dry dense tissue and only then apply it to the affected area. Material in contact with the face must be clean.

The next measure is the internal intake of antihistamines (against allergies). Everyone probably has such medicines in the first-aid kit, but it would be useful to remind you of the need to re-familiarize yourself with the rules for taking them and contraindications.

Application of drops "Dexamethasone" : for swelling of the eyelids, the drug is instilled into the eyes about 1 time in 1-2 hours, with a problem in the lip area, lotions are made based on drops for 5-10 minutes (avoid getting the medicine into the oral cavity);

An alternative to eye drops can be hydrocortisone ointment . Please note: only eye ointment is suitable for treating the eyelids, a conventional drug with the same name should not fall on the mucous membranes. Apply the product in a thin layer 2-3 times a day.

The most radical method is the use of targeted tablets . It can be prednisolone (relieves swelling), furosemide (removes excess fluid from the body). Unfortunately, such drugs have a lot of contraindications and therefore are not suitable for everyone.

In addition to the above-mentioned proven recipes, quite often you can find reviews that folk methods, such as tea bags or hemorrhoid ointment, help relieve swelling. The effectiveness of such methods can be quite high, but their use can eventually lead to additional complications.

The material was first published in Permanent No. 3/2016