A topical anesthesia is used as needed to help numb the areas to be treated. This helps to alleviate any minor discomfort you may experience during the procedure. Everyone has their own unique level of pain tolerance. Some people feel that certain areas of the face are more sensitive than others, so special emphasis is put on making the client as comfortable as possible. A variety of topical anesthetics are on hand to ensure that your procedure is as pain-free as possible.

You may experience minor swelling and redness on procedure day. Some people swell more than others. The eyes can be sensitive and if you have allergies, very watery eyes or know you swell easily, it is advised that you take an over-the-counter anti-histamine such as Benadryl or similar prior to your procedure. Ice packs will help alleviate inflammation and can be used frequently for the first 24 hours. You may resume normal activities immediately except that you will be advised to wear no makeup directly on the treated area for about one week. 

At first the pigment will appear too dark. There is an exfoliative process during the healing that allows for the surface layer of color to “peel” after 4-7 days. Once completely healed, you are actually viewing the color through the skin, not on the surface as with traditional cosmetics. You can expect that it will “heal, peel and fade” after about one week. The color is usually about 30-40% lighter when healed than it appears the day of the procedure. If the color looks perfect immediately after the procedure, it would be much too light when healed.

Yes, a full-face procedure will take 3-4 hours. In fact, one advantage is that your aftercare and healing time for all the areas is consolidated into the same time frame. However, some people choose to do the procedures as individual appointments, and some will do only brows and eyeliner and return for lips later, etc.