Make it stick
Hand over a printed sheet and read the highlights together before they leave: clean hands, thin balm (or dry heal) as instructed, blot don't rub, no picking, no soaking (pools/sauna/long hot showers) for two weeks, no sun or sunbeds, no sweaty workouts for a week, no lip products, straws for a day or two, finish any antiviral course.
Explain why
Clients follow rules they understand. 'Picking pulls the pigment out and can scar'; 'soaking over-hydrates the wound and floats colour away'; 'sun fades it and causes dark patches while it is healing'. The 'ghost' stage especially needs pre-warning or they will panic and over-apply product.
Stay in contact
A same-day 'you did great, here's what to expect tonight' message and an easy way to send a photo if something looks off heads off both complications and bad reviews. Tell them exactly which symptoms (spreading redness, pus, fever, cold sore, worsening pain) mean 'contact me / see a doctor today'.
