What is Permanent Makeup and How is It Different From Tattooing

What is Permanent Makeup and How is It Different From Tattooing
permanent makeup, microshading

What is Permanent Makeup and How is It Different From Tattooing

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Feb 12, 2023

The point of permanent makeup is that natural pigments are introduced into the surface layers of the skin. Depending on the technique, you get a long-lasting and resistant to external influences result. Permanent makeup is not a tattoo, but a makeup lasting for several years. 

Tattoos are forever: it is really hard to remove them. In the process of creating tattoos, special chemical pigments on alcohol basis are used and they penetrate deep into the skin  at a depth of 1-1. 5 mm, forming a kind of capsule with color. During permanent makeup, micropigmentation is performed at a level of approximately 0.5 mm from the skin surface. This is the reason why permanent makeup is less painful than a tattoo. The basis of permanent makeup pigments is glycerin. Due to this, the procedure is less traumatic because glycerin is dissolved in the tissues. 

Eyebrows, lips and eyelids are the main areas in the application of permanent makeup. The procedure itself is quite popular among both young girls and older women. 

How the procedure is usually performed 

The session of applying permanent makeup is divided into several stages:

  1. Before starting the procedure, the technician will find out if there are any contraindications of performing the permanent makeup. You should inform the technician about your chronic diseases or allergic reactions to any medications.
  2. Please make sure to tell the technician what result you want to get and any additional requests. This can be a natural look using natural tones, or on the contrary very bold using bright shades.
  3. After the skin is treated with an antiseptic, the master draws a sketch of the future look. Until you feel happy with the look the master will adjust it as many times as necessary.
  4. A special cream with an anesthetic is applied to the necessary areas of the skin before starting permanent makeup. 
  5. Following the approved sketch, a pigment is introduced into the upper layers of the skin.
  6. After the procedure, the permanent makeup will look bright, but after a few days such unnatural brightness will disappear and it will look more natural. 

Touch up after the first session 

Touch up is basically the same procedure that is performed in 30-45 days by the same master. The goal of the touch up is to fix the result and remove possible defects. This period allows the skin to fully recover after the procedure.  

Pros and cons of the permanent makeup 

Lately more and more of women decide on getting the permanent makeup done. This helps them out a lot in their daily life. The procedure has its obvious advantages.  

  1. It’s practical. Thanks to permanent makeup, you can stop using many types of cosmetics and no longer spend half the morning drawing an eyeliner or applying a lipstick on your lips. You don't have to wash it off and it saves you even more time. 
  2. It’s long-lasting. The finished result remains up to 2 years and sometimes more. You will only need a few trips to the salon for a touch up. 
  3. It’s beautiful. Well-made permanent makeup enhances the natural beauty: the eyebrows appear thicker, the lips-more juicy, the eye contour is clearer. 

But there is also some risk of getting a low-quality permanent makeup. The final result mostly depends on the master — you need to do a research and look for recommendations, examples of work, and study the information about their education. Another downside is that permanent makeup is not a procedure for everyone, it has some contraindications. It can not be performed for people with some existing diseases, diabetes, problems with blood clotting. Pregnancy and lactation, and the recovery period after a surgery (less than 7 months) can also be an obstacle to getting this procedure done. If in the area where you plan to get the permanent makeup there are any scars, moles, warts or papillomas, it is also not recommended to perform the procedure. 

The permanent makeup will last you from 6 months to 2 years. Over time, as the skin is renewed, it will fade, but this will happen very slowly, it depends on the individual characteristics of the body and the chosen technique. Permanent makeup is a service for which you should contact a certified master with experience and reviews.