Wound Healing

Understanding the skin and how it heals when an injury occurs is important for comprehending how Ombre Powder heals. When pigment is deposited into the skin, the needle creates small punctures in the skin. These punctures are superficial because, although they go through the basal layer, that layer stays intact. The needle does not penetrate deeper than the upper one-third of the dermis. When the basal layer stays intact and the wound is not deeper than the upper layer of the dermis, the wound regenerates completely with no scarring. 

Stage 1: Hemostasis Phase

The moment the skin is injured, and a wound occurs, the body begins restoring immediately. Once the needle creates puncture channels in the skin, bleeding will occur and lymph fluid will secrete in an attempt to flush away the foreign bodies. The first objective after an injury occurs is to stop the bleeding and close the wound. This is the hemostasis phase. During this phase the skin is already making a scab.

Stage 2: Inflammatory Phase

Inflammation is the second stage of healing. Inflammation controls the bleeding and also prevents infection. This phase can overlap with the first stage. During the inflammatory stage, repair cells migrate to the site of the wound and damaged cells, pathogens and bacteria get removed. The white blood cells, growth factors and enzymes travel to the wound to give it nutrients and oxygen and grow new blood vessels. They also create symptoms such as redness, swelling, heat and pain. These symptoms are commonly observed in wound healing. Inflammation is a natural and regular process of healing and it is only problematic if it is prolonged and excessive. 

This is why redness, swelling, and slight tenderness/discomfort are to be expected after the procedure. This is normal and it will subside within a day or two, if not in a couple of hours. During this process, the basal layer will also close completely in the first 24-48 hours and the scab continues to be built. 

Stage 3: Proliferative Phase 

During this stage, the wound should be clean and stable. This allows your body to begin rebuilding the wound site and create new tissue. As new and healthy skin is formed, the scab will begin to crack and fall off. This stage can last anywhere between 4-24 days which is why the scabbing time varies with individual to individual.

Stage 4: Maturation Phase

Last stage of rebuilding is to make the skin stronger. The epidermis regains its initial thickness only after 4 weeks. This is the reason why touch up procedures cannot be performed less than 4 weeks from the initial appointment. Although scabbing usually takes 14 days, the skin takes approximately 4 weeks to completely regenerate and strengthen. Performing a touch up procedure while the wound is still healing can result in scarring.