Before Your PMU Procedure: A Safety Checklist
Let me lightly go over the things you should be sure to tell us before the procedure. It's not to scare you — it's to find the safest, prettiest timing together. Even if some of these apply to you, most can be handled by adjusting the timing or having a quick word with your doctor, and you'll still be able to get the procedure.
Why we ask about all this before the procedure
When you come in, before talking design there's something I ask first — the medications you're taking lately, other procedures you've had recently, any allergies. You might think "I came for brows, why ask this," but it all has a reason. PMU is delicate work placing pigment lightly in the shallow layer of skin. It's a process where a small wound forms and heals, so knowing your body's condition and other recent procedures in advance is the starting point for a result that settles "safely and prettily." So the below isn't written to scare you. It's organized so that knowing in advance lets us decide the best timing and method together. Even if some items apply, don't worry too much — most can be handled by pushing the timing back a little or having a word with your doctor. For reference, the procedure flow itself is on the service pages; here I've gathered only the "good to prepare in advance" things.
Cases where waiting a little gives a finer result
First, the cases where there's no need to rush. During pregnancy there isn't enough research on safety, so I recommend getting it done after birth, with peace of mind. If you're breastfeeding, I recommend after weaning, but if it's truly needed we can find a way together in the consultation. Also, when there's inflammation, a wound, or a breakout where the procedure would go, or when you're run down with a cold or body aches, doing it after that has settled gives a far finer result. Pushing through when your condition is poor tends to slow healing and make the color uneven. Go in with the mindset that "it doesn't have to be now." We'll find the best timing together. Putting it off a few days won't cause any disaster.
Cases needing a word with your doctor first
This part needs more care. If you have diabetes, heart disease or poorly controlled high blood pressure, an autoimmune disease, are on immunosuppressants after an organ transplant, are undergoing chemotherapy, have a bleeding disorder (such as hemophilia), or have epilepsy — please confirm your doctor's opinion before the procedure. In these cases, skin healing or bleeding can differ from usual, so proceeding with your doctor's confirmation that "it's fine to get it" is much more reassuring. Honestly, this area isn't something I can judge. I'm not someone who diagnoses — I'm someone who performs the procedure. Still, I'll kindly tell you in the consultation what's good to ask and what to say so your doctor can judge easily. You don't have to feel lost about it.
Never stop blood-related medications on your own
This is so important I'll set it apart. If you're taking "prescribed" blood-related medications (anticoagulants/antiplatelets) like warfarin or clopidogrel, don't stop them on your own for the procedure. You must talk with the doctor who prescribed them first. The reason is that stopping these on your own can lead to a far greater risk than bleeding during the procedure. Whether to stop the medication is strictly the doctor's call. It is absolutely not an area where we can tell you to "stop and come in." Conversely, over-the-counter painkillers like aspirin or ibuprofen taken without a prescription, or supplements like vitamin E, omega-3 (fish oil), and ginkgo, can help reduce bleeding if you pause them about a week before the procedure. Confusing, right? Tell us what you're taking in the consultation and we'll check together whether it's a prescription drug or not.
Recent procedures, strong skin care, allergy history
What people surprisingly often miss is "other procedures you've had recently." Some procedures need time to settle first. Roughly, it looks like this. Botox and filler need to settle in, so usually 1–3 months after (6 months if filler went into the same area); laser removal of previous PMU, about 2 months after; LASIK/LASEK or facial surgery, about 6 months after; and if you've taken acne medication (Accutane/retinoids), about 6 months after stopping. Strong exfoliating care like chemical peels or AHAs should be paused from 2 weeks before your procedure — on sensitized skin, neither the color nor the skin's response behaves as usual. And allergies. If you're prone to keloid scarring, or have ever reacted to nickel, latex, or pigments, please be sure to tell us in advance. If needed, we can prepare more safely with a small test beforehand. Even a history that makes you think "do I really need to mention this?" can genuinely make a big difference to the result and your recovery.
If you're getting lips — flag cold sores (herpes) in advance
If you're considering a lip procedure, be sure to handle this one thing. If you've ever had a blister (cold sore) on your lips or around your mouth even once, please tell us before the procedure. It's not a scary story. It's just that the stimulation of working on the lips can reawaken a dormant virus. So seeing your doctor in advance and getting a preventive prescription makes it go much more comfortably. This preventive medication is a doctor's prescription area, so we can't provide it ourselves — let me draw that line clearly. And if there's any tingling around the lips or the slightest sign of a blister on the day, let's not push it and we'll move the schedule until it has settled. It's the most common thing we handle in lip procedures, so there's nothing to be shy about — please tell us comfortably.
Three-line summary
1. Even if some of the above applies, most can be handled with timing adjustments or a word with your doctor. Don't hide it — tell us comfortably in the consultation. 2. Never stop blood-related prescription drugs on your own, and if you have a chronic condition, start with your doctor's confirmation — diagnosis and prescriptions are the doctor's area, not ours. 3. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or had another procedure recently, it's just a matter of timing. If you're getting lips, flag a herpes history — that's the one thing to handle in advance.