A letter from Pui · Lead Artist, N&Beauty
How Long Does Permanent Makeup Last? Healing, Touch-Ups & Why It Varies
Hi — I'm Pui, the artist at N&Beauty in Bangkok. Two questions come up together so often that I'd like to answer them properly here: ‘How long is the healing?’ and ‘How long will my permanent makeup actually last?’ Here's the honest version.
Chat on WhatsAppHealing takes about a week
The downtime is usually about a week. During that time, the most important thing is to keep the treated area from getting wet — and I especially ask my clients to protect it from water for the first three days. On the day of your treatment, we walk you through exactly how to care for it at home, step by step, so you never have to guess.
It's a gentle, simple routine, but following it really does help your colour settle the way we designed it together.
- Plan for roughly a week of healing
- Keep the area dry — especially the first three days
- We explain your full aftercare on the day of the treatment
Why touch-ups matter — building to about two years
People often hope permanent makeup will be perfect after one session, but honestly, a single session tends to fade more easily. With two or three touch-ups, we build up your favourite shape and colour so that it holds beautifully for around two years. That isn't a sign something went wrong — it's simply how the treatment is designed to work, and it's also what lets us refine the shape until it's truly yours.
After that, many people come back every couple of years to freshen or gently update their look, which I think is one of the nicest things about it.
- One session alone tends to fade — that's completely normal
- Two or three touch-ups build a result that holds for around two years
- Refreshing every couple of years lets you update your look as you change
Why it lasts differently for everyone
I always want to be truthful with you: how well it lasts really does vary from person to person. These are general tendencies, not promises —
- Skin type — drier skin tends to hold colour better than oily skin
- The area — places with less fat under the skin, like the brows, tend to keep colour a little better
- Lifestyle — if you sweat a lot, with plenty of sport or regular saunas, colour tends to fade faster
Questions
A few questions I'm often asked
With two or three touch-ups, we aim for a result that holds for around two years. It's designed to fade gently rather than stay forever, so many people refresh it every couple of years.
Usually about a week. Keep the area dry, especially for the first three days, and we explain your full aftercare on the day of your treatment.
Longevity varies with your skin type, the area treated, and your lifestyle — drier skin and less sweating tend to hold colour longer. That's why I plan your touch-ups around you rather than a fixed rule.
Usually not — a single session tends to fade more easily. Two or three touch-ups let us build the shape and colour so it lasts and truly suits you.
So the short answer is: about a week to heal, and around two years to enjoy — with a little care and a couple of touch-ups along the way. I plan all of this around your skin and your life, never a rigid rulebook. If you'd like to know what that might look like for you, just ask me. — Pui, N&Beauty
About the author
Pui — Lead Artist at N&Beauty
Pui is a PhiBrows-certified permanent makeup artist and the lead artist at N&Beauty in Asoke, Bangkok. She has completed 5,000+ procedures since 2022, and personally answers client questions on WhatsApp and LINE.
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Keep reading
Browse Pui's other honest guides — choosing an artist, the techniques, safety, cover-ups, and getting PMU while travelling.
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Have a question first?
If you'd like to talk anything through first — no pressure at all — I'm always happy to answer your questions on WhatsApp.