SUBTLE RETURN
Hairline & Visual Density Practice

Client Care

Preparing for Your Treatment

Proper preparation and aftercare help protect your scalp, support healthy healing, and give your pigment the best opportunity to settle naturally and evenly.

Please review before your first treatment session

Before Your Appointment

Pre-Care Instructions

A clean, healthy scalp gives your practitioner the best surface to work with.

Clean Scalp

Wash your hair and scalp the evening before or morning of your appointment. Arrive clean, completely dry, and free of styling products, fibers, powders, oils, sprays, or dry shampoo.

Protect Your Scalp

Avoid sunburn and tanning before treatment. We cannot treat skin that is sunburned, broken, inflamed, infected, or otherwise irritated.

Hair Color

Schedule hair coloring, bleaching, highlighting, or other chemical scalp treatments at least 7 days before your appointment.

Medications

Tell us about medications or supplements that may affect bleeding, treatment, or healing. Never stop or change a prescribed medication without guidance from your prescribing healthcare professional.

Topical Minoxidil

Stop applying topical minoxidil to the treatment area 48 hours before your appointment and wait 7 days after treatment before resuming, unless your healthcare provider has instructed you otherwise.

Before You Arrive

Avoid alcohol for 24 hours, stay well hydrated, and limit excessive caffeine on the day of your appointment. Eat a normal meal before arriving.

Session Comfort

Treatment sessions may take several hours. You are welcome to bring a snack and non-alcoholic beverage, and we will take short breaks as needed.

After Your Appointment

Aftercare Summary

Follow these instructions carefully during the initial healing period. Your printed aftercare card provides the same quick-reference guidance.

Days 1–5 Protect & Heal
Keep your scalp dry
Avoid sweating & exercise
Avoid direct sunlight
Do not scratch or pick
Day 5+ Gentle Care
Begin gentle rinsing
Begin moisturizing regularly
Normal What You May Notice
Redness
Mild itching
Small scabs
Light flaking

When to Seek Help

Contact your practitioner or seek medical care if symptoms become more severe or do not appear to be healing normally.

Mild redness, tenderness, itching, and flaking can be normal during healing.

Increasing redness or swelling
Strong burning or throbbing pain
Increasing tenderness
Yellow or green discharge
Unpleasant odor
Signs of an allergic reaction

Protect Your Results

Longer-Term Care

Even after the initial healing period, continue treating your scalp gently while the skin completes its recovery.

Sun Exposure

Avoid direct sun exposure for 21 days. After that, protect your scalp with SPF 30–50 whenever it will be exposed to sunlight.

Pools, Saunas & Steam

Avoid swimming pools, saunas, and steam rooms for 28 days following your final treatment session.

Haircuts & Grooming

Keep haircuts and grooming gentle at first. Avoid scraping, scratching, or otherwise irritating the healing treatment area.