Aftercare guide from Lashious Studio, Saskatoon. Updated October 2026.
To heal new permanent brows or lip blush in a Saskatoon winter, keep the area moisturized through dry indoor heat, keep water, steam and sweat off it in the first week, shield it from wind, and don't pick or rub it. Brows look healed in about 10 days and settle into their true color at 3 to 4 weeks. Lip blush peels quickly but takes 4 to 8 weeks to fully settle.
Most aftercare advice online is written for a climate that isn't ours. Furnaces dry out the air indoors, cold snaps hit minus thirty with the windchill, and wind chaps lips in minutes. Winter is still the best time to get it done. This guide takes our standard aftercare and shows how it applies here. The full instructions are on our aftercare page.
How Long Does Permanent Makeup Take to Heal?
Brows take 3 to 4 weeks to show their true color. Lip blush takes 4 to 8 weeks, the longest of the services we offer. This is what you'll see along the way.
| Stage | Brows | Lip blush |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Swollen and red for up to 24 hours. Dark and sharp. | Tender and swollen for 24 to 48 hours. Bright and saturated. |
| Days 2 to 4 | Color looks more intense. Brows can look uneven while scabbing. | Even darker as scabs form. Peeling starts and lips look very outlined. |
| Days 5 to 8 | Peeling. Color can look faded or gone. | Color tones down and can seem to fade out completely. |
| Days 9 to 30 | Looks healed by day 10. | Color returns and settles into a darker but softer shade. |
| Fully healed | 3 to 4 weeks | 4 to 8 weeks |
How Does Dry Indoor Heat Affect Healing Brows and Lips?
Dry air makes healing skin tighter, itchier and flakier, and that makes it harder to leave it alone. Picking or rubbing crusts before they fall off on their own can pull pigment out with them, so the itchy phase is where most color gets lost.
For brows, apply a very small amount of aftercare balm with a clean finger once a day in the morning for 5 to 10 days, or any time the area feels dry or itchy. After the peeling is done, keep using the balm for about 2 to 3 weeks while the area stays dry and itchy. A humidifier in the room where you sleep helps too.
For lips, keep them moisturized constantly for the first 3 days, until they peel. Continue using the aftercare balm for another 3 to 5 days, then switch to a mild lip balm (no makeup for 4 weeks).
Can I Use Hot Tubs, Saunas and Steam Rooms While My Brows Heal?
No, not in the first week. Avoid swimming, soaking, steam baths, facials and heavy sweating for the first week after brows, and for the first 3 days after lip blush. A hot tub or a sauna is the winter version of soaking and steam, so it waits.
In the shower, put Vaseline over the area as a barrier and keep water from hitting it directly. Gently wipe the Vaseline off with a tissue afterward and reapply your aftercare balm. Don't wash the area itself until it has finished peeling, which takes 5 to 10 days. Wash around it with no soap or cleanser on the pigment, and pat dry with a clean towel.
Does Shovelling Snow Count as Sweating?
Yes. Heavy sweating in the first week can affect your healing, and shovelling is a workout with a toque on. If you can, hand the shovel to someone else for the first week after brows and the first 3 days after lips.
Can I Wear a Toque, Scarf or Hood?
Yes, but keep the fabric off the healing area. A toque pulled down over your brows or a scarf pressed against your lips rubs the area, and rubbing can lift scabs early. Wear your toque higher on your forehead while your brows are scabbing and keep scarves below your lips. A loose hood is better than a tight one.
How Do I Protect Healing Lips From Cold and Wind?
Keep them covered in balm. Cold wind chaps lips, and chapped, healing lips are uncomfortable and harder to leave alone. Use a straw for the first couple of days, and skip spicy and salty foods that touch your lips for 3 to 6 days.
If you have ever had a cold sore, even once, tell us when you book. Lip blush can bring one on, and a flare-up during healing can leave gaps in your color. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you when to start a preventive antiviral and how long to take it. More on that in Medications and Permanent Makeup: What Saskatchewan Clients Should Know Before Booking.
Do I Still Need to Avoid the Sun in Winter?
Yes. Avoid sun exposure on the area for about 3 to 4 weeks after brows and 4 to 6 weeks after lips, and that includes tanning beds. Winter sun reflecting off snow still counts, and a tanning bed is not a way around it. Once you're healed, wear SPF 30 or higher on the area in the sun, or the color will fade faster.
Can I Wear Makeup or Winter Skincare on My Brows and Lips?
Not on the pigmented area for 2 to 3 weeks. Skip exfoliants on the area for at least 2 weeks, and avoid AHAs, glycolic acid and retinoids, which many people lean on more in winter. They speed up fading.
What Is Normal While Healing, and What Isn't?
All of this is normal: brows that look patchy or uneven while scabbing, color that looks faded or gone around days 5 to 8, dry or itchy skin, and a tight feeling in dry air. The true color comes back. Wait until you've fully peeled before judging the shape.
Contact a doctor or healthcare professional for extreme redness, swelling, pain or pus. If anything else worries you, get in touch with us and we'll look at it.
Is the Touch-Up Included?
Yes. Your first price includes one touch-up, at 6 to 8 weeks for brows and 8 to 10 weeks for lip blush. After a touch-up, the healing process starts over, so follow the same aftercare again. If you are planning around a holiday date, the timing guide is here: The Healing Calendar: Your Last Safe Booking Date Before the Holidays.
Ready to Book?
If you're ready, book your session. If you have questions first, book a free consultation and we'll go through your timing and your aftercare plan together.
Lashious Studio, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Microblading, Nano Brows, 3D Brows, Lip Blush and Areola Tattooing.