Permanent Makeup

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Permanent makeup is a cosmetic technique which employs tattoos (permanent pigmentation of the dermis) as a means of producing designs that resemble makeup, such as eyelining and other permanent enhancing colors to the skin of the face, lips and eyelids. It is also used to produce artificial eyebrows, particularly in people who have lost them as a consequence of old age, disease, such as alopecia, chemotherapy or a genetic disturbance, and to disguise scars and white spots in the skin such as in vitiligo. It is also used to restore or enhance the breast's areola, such as after breast surgery.

Most appropriately called Cosmetic Tattooing, other names include dermapigmentation, micropigmentation, and permanent cosmetics. These procedures are regulated in many countries and states, some of them requiring a registered professional, such as an esthetician, dermatologist or plastic surgeon to perform it. In the United States and other countries, the inks used in permanent makeup and the pigments in these inks are subject to FDA regulation as cosmetics and color additives.

History

Cosmetic Tattooing dates back at least to the start of the 20th century, though its nature was often concealed in its early days. The tattooist Mollie Forster, a major developer of the technique when it become fashionable in the 1910s and 1920s, described in his memoirs how beauty salons tattooed many women without their knowledge, offering it as a "complexion treatment ... of injecting vegetable dyes under the top layer of the skin (the dermis)".

Results

Results are usually good, and often mimic topically applied cosmetics, such as in complete alopecia of the eyebrows. The skill and the experience of the tattoo artist are fundamental. Before committing to cosmetic tattooing, particularly if for convenience only, clients should be aware of the potential problems of later removal and complications that may ensue. As with tattooing, cosmetic tattooing may take several sessions and may present some minor discomfort (although many technicians will use a topical anesthetic to help reduce any discomfort)

Result looks "harsh" just after application, but become somewhat more natural (as natural as makeup can be) after a few weeks.

Cosmetic Tattooing can be useful for women who wish to wear makeup, but cannot apply it easily because they have allergic reactions to makeup materials, have vision deficits, tremors or restrictions of precise movements of the fingers and hands (such as in arthritis, stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, or other conditions). Cosmetic Tattooing may also be used to camouflage scarring on the face or other parts of the body.

The pigmentation of cosmetic tattooing may fade over time, particularly under the effects of sunlight. In some instances it can last for a decade or more before fading significantly. Touching up the makeup may be required to restore the original color. Hence the term "Permanent Makeup" is increasingly being seen as an inappropriate term because the coloring is not permanent but rather long lasting (3-5 years) before touchups are required to keep the tattoo looking at its best. Action was taken in Australia recently by the ACCC, the consumer watchdog stated that the term "Permanent" was inappropriate for a procedure that lasted only 3-5 years on average, Cosmetic Tattooing is widely accepted as the most accurate term for the procedure.

Removal

As with tattoos, cosmetic tattooing can be difficult to remove. Common techniques used for this are laser resurfacing, dermabrasion (physical or chemical peeling), and surgical removal. Camouflaging-- adding a new pigment which counteracts the tattoo color and attempts to emulates normal skin color is considered a poor choice by professionals. Removal is often even more painful and laborious than the tattooing itself and cannot be used on the lips or eyelids.

Adverse effects and complications

As with tattoos, cosmetic tattoo's may have complications, such as allergies to the pigments, formation of scars, granulomas and keloids, skin cracking, peeling, blistering and local infection. The use of unsterilized tattooing instruments may infect the patient with serious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Removal problems may also ensue, due to patient dissatisfaction or regret, and they may be particularly difficult to remove in places such as eyelids and lips without leaving permanent sequelae.

On very rare occasion, people with tattoo's have reported swelling or burning in the affected areas when they underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), though as yet this has not been attributed to cosmetic tattooing.

This site was last updated 7/15/08