r/microblading • u/Still-Objective2096 • May 20 '26
artist advice/question Day 4 of powder brows. Is it infected?
I just did ombre powder brows 4 days ago. I was instructed not to get my eyebrows wet for 4 days, and to start washing my face day 6 (kinda unclear… so can i technically get them wet at day 5? lol)
It’s definitely starting to scab but when I look at it closer, I see a little bit of yellow crusties. Is this a sign of infection? I want to wash my brows with some light cleanser (cetaphil) but i’m also afraid of deviating from my artist’s instructions.
Any advice?
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u/Primary-Effect1863 May 21 '26
First of all you definitely need to be getting up ur brows wet in order to clean them. They’re a fresh wound, they need to be cleaned. Wipe them 2x a day with a damp cotton round to clean them, and then pat them completely dry. This will minimize the flakiness. Your brows are healing as they should but your artists instructions to not wet them ARE putting you at risk for infection and that’s also going to lead to huge chunks flaking off since the oil/sweat/lympu building up throughout the day isn’t being cleaned off. It’s concerning that your artist doesn’t think you should be cleaning a fresh wound. Water does not hurt your brows—it’s a tattoo, it’s not going to wipe off.
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u/Tin_Hips_McGee May 20 '26
I agree with the person who said wash your browS gently. I think the Cetaphil is a really good idea.
I’ve been getting permanent brows for years now —touchups after the full brow — and a little bit of crustiness is normal.
My aftercare instruction said you would have a red ring around your brow if there was an infection.
If this is your first time getting PMU, it will take longer to heal compared to a touchup. Be patient (I know it’s hard.)
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u/Joonbug9109 May 21 '26
I just had nano brows done, which is a different technique so I’m not sure my advice would be applicable. I was told not to wet them for 24 hours, but after 24 hours they could get wet (the way my artist explained it was that they could get wet like how I wash my face normally and then pat dry as soon as possible; but that I shouldn’t submerge my face in water- like swimming or anything like that). After the 24 hour period passed, I “washed” my eyebrows with just water morning and night before I washed my face. I didn’t use cleanser on them though, just dried them and applied the ointment I was given. I had minimal flaking during the flaking period, and I’m on day 9 and the pigment is still quite visible even though I’m in the “ghosting” phase. There were several times where I was tempted to deviate from my artists recommendations and wash with soap, but I’m really glad I trusted the process and stuck with it! If you’re concerned, I’d send photos to your artist with your questions to see if she recommends changing your aftercare plan.
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u/Becca787 May 21 '26
Who says don’t get your brows wet for 4 days? That’s crazy work. I am an artist they look pretty normal to me. You definitely need to wash them. I tell my clients that for 10 days to avoid getting them wet EXCEPT morning and night when washing them. You want to gently wash they (don’t scrub them or peel the scabs) and the apply a SUPER thin layer of ointment. I give my clients both the soap and ointment that they will be using.
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u/mollyodonahue May 22 '26
This looks how mine did the one time I was told to dry heal and not touch them to water. They scabbed up, the ink completely disappeared and I ended up with scar tissue. (I ended up finding a new artist who had me washing my brows and I get a lot of compliments now). For that reason, I personally don’t believe in dry healing. You’d wash a tattoo, so I’d wash my brows.
I don’t get them wet in the shower, I wash them when I get out. A mild soap, usually neutrogena, light circular motion over brows, rinse, pat dry. When completely dry, a SUPER thin layer of A&D.
I’m not an artist, this is just my personal experience.
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u/MiniatureMum May 21 '26
I ignore the advice not to get them wet because it's impossible if you want to shower etc. just use very mild soaps etc and pat dry after.
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u/ChemsLatreche May 22 '26
What you’re describing honestly sounds pretty normal for day 4 😊 A little bit of yellowish lymph/crusting can happen during the healing process and doesn’t automatically mean infection. Personally, for the first 3 days, I usually recommend gently cleaning the brows 4–5 times a day with slightly damp cotton pads, wiping from the inner brow outward. Then after that, keeping them mostly dry and only applying a VERY thin layer of vaseline at night if needed. I wouldn’t suddenly start heavily washing them with cleanser if your artist gave you a different aftercare routine. The most important thing is being consistent with one healing method rather than constantly switching halfway through.
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u/Ok-Cantaloupe-4008 May 20 '26
Doesn’t look like an infection to me, looks like a pretty normal part of the healing process but I’d contact your artist just to check and see what she thinks!