What is permanent makeup?
Sounds pretty straight forward right? Well, there is a lot more to know and understand about this exciting, time saving beauty treatment!
Sometimes called cosmetic tattoo or semi-permanent makeup, the treatment covers microblading, powder brows, nano brows, ombre brows, eyeliner, lip tattoo and lip blush. Additionally, some artists trademark specialized permanent makeup techniques with names like feather brows, Wow Brows, aquarelle lips, stardust eyeliner, foxy eyeliner and more.
At our spa we offer permanent makeup treatments for eyebrows, eyeliner and lips. What your results look like will entirely depend on what you and your artist decide works well with your facial features, while meeting your specific needs. Permanent makeup is an amazing treatment for people who love their cosmetics but are tired of the hassle of daily application and removal. For example, people with poor eyesight and/or shaky hands find that permanent makeup is the perfect solution. Clients with busy lifestyles and little time also turn to permanent makeup treatments.
Before explaining the intricacies of each treatment, let’s first address some important details.
- Microblading is a tattoo, just as all other permanent makeup treatments are. The only thing that makes it different is that it is performed with a specialized hand tool that creates detailed individual eyebrow hairs in the skin. Microblading is ONLY for eyebrows.
- Cosmetic tattooing is the same as all other tattooing for the body EXCEPT that because it is done on the face, there are some important considerations. Firstly, the face is a very different canvas than the body is. Because of this, permanent makeup treatments have a tendency to fade over time and need routine maintenance to continuously look fresh and vibrant. This is why it sometimes gets the name “semi-permanent makeup”. We prefer the term permanent makeup because it is impossible to know or say when or even if the treatment will fade.
- Cosmetic tattooing involves three areas of the face: the eyebrows, the eyes, for eyeliner, and the lips.
- The reason eyebrows can fade faster than an eyeliner or a lip tattoo is because artists use various shades of the colour brown, and this colour is a combination of reds, oranges, yellows, greens and black. These various components will fade faster than primary colours such as reds for the lips or blacks, blues or greens for eyeliner. Eyebrows require annual or semi-annual maintenance and we always discount these retouches for our own clients.
- It is critical to choose an artist with quality training and experience. Sadly, there are even online courses in permanent makeup that some people take hoping to enter this industry and these courses simply do not equip someone to tattoo the skin of the face. A great deal of scientific knowledge of each treatment area is required, and a deep understanding of skin, skin conditions, and healing is demanded in order for clients to receive the best possible results.
EYEBROW TREATMENTS
Microblading involves the use of a specialized set of needles that are fused together to allow the artist to create intricate individual eyebrow hairs through a pre-drawn shape delivering the appearance of a natural looking eyebrow. It cannot be done on all skin types and this is the reason you need to research your artist.
Microblading involves the use of a specialized set of needles that are fused together to allow the artist to create intricate individual eyebrow hairs through a pre-drawn shape delivering the appearance of a natural looking eyebrow. It cannot be done on all skin types and this is the reason you need to research your artist.
Nano brows deliver the same look but it is accomplished with a tattoo machine. The same limitations apply. For example, a client with very oily or very inflamed skin should not opt for nano brows.
Powder and Ombre Brows can be done on all skin types provided there are no medical contraindications and heal soft and beautiful. It is a go-to treatment.
Combination brows involve tattooing a beautiful powder brow and adding in some hairstrokes for optimal realism.
EYELINER TREAMENTS
Eyelash enhancement involves a very thin, subtle line nestled in the lashes which delivers amplification to the eyes without being apparent as a tattoo.
Classic eyeliner is a thicker line and the thickness is decided between you and your artist. It can have a winged tip or a wedge finish. It is important to note that eyeliner treatments shrink as they heal and so this must be considered when designing the shape.
Smudged eyeliner is an option for clients that like the look of a pencil over the look of a liquid eyeliner. The eyelids must be in good condition for this treatment to be possible.
LIP TREATMENTS
A lip liner can be tattooed around the perimeter of the vermillion border to restore contour of the lips and to guide the application of lipstick.
Lip blush tattoo involves tattooing colour within the lip liner which will heal to a soft muted blush. The more intense the colour selected, the more intense the lips will heal but it is important to note that the healed result is at least 40 to 50 percent lighter than that of the day of treatment.
Does it hurt?
Everyone’s discomfort threshold is different but we do recognize that some areas are more sensitive than others and for this reason we use topical anaesthetic before and during treatment to keep you comfortable.