Q&A: All You Need to Know About Permanent Makeup

The idea of a tattoo can be a bit scary. It’s especially scary when that tattoo is on your face.

There are many names for permanent makeup, but it is ultimately a tattoo and you are going to have a very hard time covering up a facial tattoo, no matter how creative you are.

The drawbacks and risks are obvious but the results of permanent makeup can be amazing. Forget about your makeup smearing in the rain. Don’t worry about waking up with missing eyebrows. You can hop out of the shower and look fantastic without a stitch of makeup if you permanently tattoo it on.

If you have a flaw on your face, you are probably very aware of it every single day. If your eyebrows are sparse, you likely spend a lot of time trying to make them look plusher. You always need to keep a stock of makeup and tools to draw them on every morning and then touch them up every few hours.

Imagine tossing away your cosmetics and never buying them again. Seem too good to be true? Well, it is. You are probably still going to want some makeup. Getting a full face of permanent makeup isn’t a great idea, but you can cover whatever you consider to be a problem area.

How long will it really last?

Fading can be prevented with sunscreen but it definitely can’t be stopped all together. How fast your permanent makeup fades is going to depend on your skin and your lifestyle.

It is also going to vary with the specific type of makeup that you choose. If you go for something light and natural looking, it is going to fade a bit faster.

You can probably expect to do a bit of touch-up but that is not necessarily such a bad thing. Touch-ups are infrequent, especially when you compare them to how often you need to reapply regular makeup.

Touch-ups will also give you a chance to change your lookup a little bit. Most people start with very minimal lines and light shades so you can go a bit bolder next time after you seen the results.

Accentuating the positive & hiding the not-so-great

One super common reason for having it done is to simply hide an imperfection. If your eyebrows are a bit sparse or your lips look uneven, permanent makeup is a great solution.

Scars are one of the common reasons for getting colored added, especially over the lips and eyebrows. It is nowhere near as invasive as cosmetic surgery, but it will last far longer than any ordinary makeup ever could.

Who is it good for?

Obviously the great thing about permanent makeup is that it doesn’t budge. It doesn’t wash off, smear, or run. You will look great after a hot shower or a long workout.

Permanent makeup is also great for anybody who just generally has trouble with regular makeup. If you have cosmetic allergies, this can make your life way easier. You don’t have to worry about searching for special products or doing any painful trial and error.

If you have some other condition that makes actually applying makeup difficult, this can be ideal for you. If your hands shake or you just can’t see what you are doing without your glasses, this can make your morning routine so much better.

Weighing the costs

Saving money is a good thing but you definitely don’t want to go for absolute rock bottom prices here. Look around for a reputable place. Check out reviews and get recommendations. You need to go somewhere where you feel 100% comfortable.

The actual cost is going to vary a lot depending on where you live and what you want done. Be sure to check out a wide range of places online so you have a picture of what to expect.

If you find something a little too cheap, consider it a red flag. You want a professional but you don’t need to necessarily pay for a high end salon either so just look for the middle ground. Remember, you will have this for a very long time.

The cost of permanent makeup on your eyebrows might be ten times the cost of even a high-end eyebrow pencil but don’t go into sticker shock. You might actually wind up saving money after making the investment.

What is the procedure going to be like?

Getting permanent makeup isn’t exactly like going to the spa for a message but it isn’t all that bad either. If you have ever gotten a tattoo, you pretty much know what you are in for. It might be a bit irritating but it is also a super small tattoo.

After the procedure, you will have a bit of swelling but nothing that will keep you trapped in the house. You can plan to use a cool compress for the first day but things will go back to normally pretty quickly.

You will have to be careful about which types of creams and washes you use during the first month but you won’t need to change anything too dramatically. Sunscreen will help the makeup last but you’re already using that, right?

Is it safe?

The first thing that you need to look for when you are choosing a place to get the procedure done is a business license and a health inspection certificate. Consider that the bare minimum that you need you to find.

Don’t rely just on photos in a portfolio or reviews on a website. Talk with someone who has actually gotten the procedure done at the place you are considering going to.

Sure, it might be a hassle to track down someone but it is well worth it. Remember, you are going to have this forever, so don’t rush into it.

When you are there, make sure that they are always using fresh needles from a sealed package and are opening up fresh pigments bottles every time.

Don’t trust every safety label that they have. If they say that something is certified by a part of the government, ask them questions. Follow up online. You need to do a bit a homework rather than just taking their word for it.

Don’t rush into things

Obviously you shouldn’t just wake up on day and decide to get a tattoo on a whim. You really need to give this some thought. If you get a horrible tattoo on your leg, you can cover it up. This is going to be a tattoo on your face! Really think it over before you jump into it.

Makeup trends change. You definitely don’t want to have something that will look dated in a few years. You might wear cat eye makeup everyday but you don’t want it as a tattoo. Keep it natural. You can still build it up with regular makeup for a more dramatic look.

Get online and look for inspiration. There are tons of reviews out there with photos. Talk to someone who has done it then go look at the results in person. Look at bad reviews as well to get an idea of potential problems.

A good permanent makeup artist will do a test piece. Get it done then wait on the results. Check out your skin’s reaction. Your tattooist should be looking for allergies and you should be getting an idea of how suitable the color is.

Keep it natural!

If you have seen bad eyebrow tattoos, you know exactly what a bad permanent makeup looks like. Your tattoo should look absolutely nothing like a stencil and it definitely shouldn’t resemble anything that you could do with a permanent marker.

If you are thinking about getting your brows done, you will want individual hairs to be drawn on. You will want something close to the shade of your natural brow hair.

Be very wary of any bright colors. Even the best tattoo will fade no matter how careful you are, so think about how the color you choose will fade.

The most important thing is that it doesn’t look like a tattoo on your face! Accentuate what you have and cover flaws. Don’t create a full makeup look. You will be way better off to have too little than too much.

You can always go back and darken the shades or add a bit more but removing it is extremely difficult and it will never be 100% gone.

Still not sure about permanent makeup? No worries! Read more on makeup trends for fall 2013 and get inspired.

Cover photo: baltic-bliss.com