In Defense of Clean & Moist Healing (and Your Brows)

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Written by: Michelle Rukny (November 2025)

✅Let’s talk about healing like it’s 2025, not 1825.

There’s a lingering myth that the “best” way to heal permanent makeup is to leave it alone, let it crust, and wear that tight scab like a badge of honour. In reality, the skin behaves much more like a picky VIP guest: it wants to be gently cleaned, lightly moisturized, and absolutely not suffocated in thick ointment.

Why moist healing wins

Modern wound‑care research shows that clean, lightly moist wounds heal faster and more comfortably than dry, scabbed ones. When the surface is hydrated (not soggy), skin cells can glide across the wound to close it, instead of tunneling under a hard crust. This leads to quicker re‑epithelialization and better comfort during healing.​

For PMU, that looks like:

  • A gentle, non‑stripping cleanser morning and night to remove dried lymph, sweat, and surface bacteria without irritating the area.​
  • A thin layer of a breathable salve that absorbs into the skin, leaving only a soft sheen—not a thick, greasy barrier that sits on top. This supports
  • moisture balance and protection without over‑occluding.​ And “when DRY – REAPPLY”..

The problem with “grease helmets” and dry-down

Thick, heavy ointment layers that contain petrolatum can trap excess fluid against the skin, leading to maceration (that pale, wrinkly, over‑softened look) and making the tissue more fragile. They also make it harder to see what’s really happening with the pigment and the skin—colour changes, irritation, or infection can hide under the shine.​

On the flip side, “do nothing and let it dry” encourages hard scab formation, which slows down cell migration and often feels tighter and more uncomfortable. Studies comparing moist dressings to dry care consistently show shorter healing times and better patient comfort when wounds are kept slightly moist rather than allowed to crust.​

So your approach—cleanse gently twice a day, then use a salve that sinks in instead of sitting on top—isn’t just a preference. It’s aligned with:

PMU industry best practice that advocates “rice‑grain amounts” of light, absorbable aftercare, with explicit warnings against over‑applying thick ointments.​

Evidence‑based acute wound guidelines that prioritise gentle cleansing and moist, not dry, wound environments.​

Think of this aftercare routine as a little daily ritual: cleanse, pat, a whisper of salve, and then let your skin do what it does best. Your job is simply to be consistent and gentle; ours is to give you evidence‑based instructions that let your new PMU heal as beautifully as it was designed. Consider this your official invitation to retire the crusty myths and step into smoother, softer, modern healing.

List of source links (for further reading)