Permanent Cosmetics

What are Permanent Cosmetics?

Permanent cosmetics are tattoos that have been developed for the sensitive skin on a person’s face or breasts. A small amount of colored pigment is injected under the surface of the skin using a pen-like needle or a traditional tattoo gun. The ink then becomes a permanent feature, enhancing or replacing the patient’s original pigment. In some cases, additional procedures may be needed to reach the desired look.

Currently, these procedures are being used to enhance, replace, or create:

• Eyeliner
• Lipliner
• Eyebrows
• Beauty marks
• All-over lip color
• Restoring areolas
• Scar cover-up

Enhancing Your Natural Features

The day-in and day-out repetition of applying makeup can get dull and uninspiring, especially if you find yourself always redoing the same problem areas, like adding dark eyeliner to sparce lashes or using lipstick and liners to conceal thin, colorless lips. Permanent cosmetics can be a huge time saver for busy people who do not want the hassle of a daily makeup routine or who are too busy for afternoon touch-ups. Both men and women have been using these techniques as a way to enhance the natural features they currently improve using traditional cosmetics like lipstick and eyebrow pencils.

Restoring Skin After a Medical Condition

For many people, permanent cosmetics can replace the loss of natural pigments or facial hair that may occur during a medical condition such as alopecia or as a side effect to treatments like chemotherapy. Permanent makeup can also make wearing cosmetics easier for people with motor-impairments like arthritis or Parkinson’s disease who may lack the coordination to put on their own makeup.

Choosing a Professional

Once you’ve made the decision to have some work done, it’s important to choose a professional with a solid reputation and experience who can deliver the results you expect. Not all states require licensing, so you may need to do some homework to find a safe technician.

Before making an appointment for a procedure, ask to have a consultation with your potential provider. During your meeting, you should talk about your plans for permanent cosmetics and find out more about the technician.

Throughout your interview, be sure to ask about the provider’s:

• Training. Although you’ll need to decide for yourself how much training you feel comfortable with, the provider should have some formal education specifically in the procedure you want. Some organizations, like the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals, offer membership only to qualified individuals who pass a test and review of their work.

• Experience. Everyone needs to start somewhere, but you probably don’t want to be the test subject for a first-timer. Find out how long, and how often, the technician has been performing your procedure.

• References. Before going under the needle, talk to other professionals or clients of the technician.

• Portfolio. The best judge of the technician’s ability can probably be found in the before and after photos of their portfolio. You should look specifically at the photos from the same procedure you’re going to have. Look for work that appears natural and flawless.

• Sterilization Policy. As with any medical procedure, your provider needs to provide a sterile environment. Talk to the technician about their equipment and what type of sterilization process they use. It’s important that they wear gloves during the procedure and use new needles for each patient. The entire office area should convey cleanliness and appear to be well-kept as an indicator for the overall practice.

Safety Issues of Permanent Cosmetics

All medical procedures carry at least a small amount of risk, but with proper use of tools and safety guidelines, permanent cosmetics are a relatively safe practice.

The most common problem associated with permanent makeup is infection. This can often be avoided by having your skin tested for an allergic reaction prior to having the procedure.

Serious, but rare, side effects also include blisters and cracking skin. In some cases, scars may form over the area.

Financial Costs

Financial figures vary widely among practitioners, but the average procedure costs about $500. The initial consultation and touch-up work may cost extra, so make sure you get a full estimate before committing to the process.