There are four main steps to the permanent makeup procedure:
- Specialist search
- Initial consultation
- Pigment application
- Touch-up application
1. Specialist search
The permanent makeup specialist is the person who provides your initial consultation and performs the procedure itself. Consider your makeup specialist as you would a hairstylist, if hairstyles were permanent. You don't want to choose just anyone.
The Questions to Ask portion of this article provides a checklist to help you partner with a specialist who is trained and experienced in your chosen procedure and who adheres to safety requirements.
Avoid the equivalent of a permanent bad hair day. Spend some time finding the right specialist for you.
(Note: Your plastic surgeon, or a qualified specialist within his/her office, may perform the application of permanent makeup).
2. Initial consultation
After selecting a specialist, your next step is to meet with him or her for an initial consultation. During this meeting, you can expect to:
- Discuss your wants and needs, personal style, and general expectations.
- Review your medical history.
- Receive personal health instructions to follow before and after the procedure.
- Complete paperwork.
Depending on the specialist, you may also need to make a deposit and/or get a pre-procedure photograph taken at this time.
(Note: Specialists typically take pictures for their personal records and portfolios, and/or for insurance purposes. Unless otherwise agreed upon, your identity is kept confidential).
3. Pigment application (1-2½ hours)
Before the application procedure starts, a topical ointment is applied to your skin to help numb the pain. Other topicals may be applied during the procedure to keep you comfortable.
During the procedure, the specialist implants pigment into the skin's dermal layer (the layer between the permanent base layer and the constantly changing top layer) using disposable needles housed in one of the following instruments:
- Traditional tattoo machine, (coil machine)
- Pen machine, (rotary machine)
- Non-machine, (hand method)
Some instruments have rows of needles for shading and making dense lines; other instruments have only a single needle for making fine, delicate lines. Regardless of the instrument, each needle resides in its own tube dipped in pigment.
As the specialist guides the instrument along your skin, the needle bar moves up and down, puncturing the skin and depositing pigment along the way. The needles protrude only two millimeters from the tubes so the penetration is relatively shallow. Still, the punctures cause a small amount of bleeding. The specialist continuously removes any blood and excess pigment using absorbent tissues.
After the pigment is applied, the specialist washes the skin with mild soap and water and covers the area with an antiseptic ointment. The color appears much darker immediately following the procedure, then lightens within the first 6-10 days.
At the end of the appointment, the specialist provides aftercare information and may take post-procedure photos for your record.
4. Touch-up application
After 4-6 weeks, you return to your specialist for a pigment touch-up. This procedure perfects your makeup's color and shape. It differs from the pigment application only in that it may not take as long.
Once perfected, your specialist may want you to return one final time for a healed photograph of your makeup.
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