Is Permanent Makeup Safe?
I received the e-mail below and as you will read this person, who will remain
anonymous, has asked that I share her story with you so what happened to her
may not happen to you... I told her I would. Further below you will find how
to best protect yourself, if, indeed, you decide to have it done anyway.
Dear Oleda:
Would you considering warning your readers about the horrible hazards of permanent
makeup? I had it done and it is nothing but a nightmare. I had a slight reaction
(I was lucky), which cleared up with my doctor's help, but the color and shape
of the eyebrows are horrible. I have too different shapes. For a month I wore
panstick makeup on them with powder. I have purchased some tattoo fade cream
which I pray will help. Right now I put lots and lots of powder on them to
hide them but they still look bad. I am praying they will fade with the cream
and I will not have to resort to laser treatment to remove the color, as it
could destroy the eyebrow follicles. I went to someone that had nice photos
of eyebrows but in retrospect I see that she only had photos of brunettes and
I am a fair blond. Please warn your readers about permanent makeup.
Let me say that I have seen some successful, permanent makeup work that looks
good and without problems. When this is the case, people are very happy with
it.
The best way to ensure this is to understand the risks of the procedure, research
the process and find the most capable, safe person to do the art work. It is
very important to make sure you understand and use proper care to reduce the
risks after the procedure too... sometimes this is not even enough to prevent
problems.
Another problem is that many permanent makeup "artists"; although
they may be technically proficient, are not really artists. I have seen very
dark "lines" for eyebrows…not feathered at all and some that
did not match the shape of the eyes or face... just dreadful art. Another example
could be lips that are obviously done by an inept artist, possibly in a color
that is unbecoming. These things and others have to be considered as potential
dangers.
If you decide you want permanent makeup, look for a practitioner (in a cosmetic
surgeon's office) that has done the procedure for several years. These practitioners,
who are often registered nurses, must work under the direction of the doctor
for safety. Ask to talk with and, better yet, meet one or two of their patients,
and also study the portfolio of their work. If there is no portfolio, look
elsewhere.
Here are some things to consider before taking the step:
Blood-born diseases. If the equipment used is contaminated it is possible to
contract diseases like hepatitis C, hepatitis B, tetanus and tuberculosis.
Because of the possibility of hepatitis, or other blood disease, blood banks
require a 12 month waiting period after the procedure, before donating blood...that
says a lot!
Allergic reaction. Injected dyes can cause allergic skin reactions, resulting
in an itchy rash, which may occur even years after the procedure has been
performed.
Scaring. If you are prone to developing keloids your chance are greater that
you could develop keloids. (Scars that grow beyond normal boundries)
Redness and swelling. It is also possible that the permanent makeup procedure
can lead to local bacterial infections producing redness and swelling.
Removal of permanent makeup. Removing permanent makeup is a painstaking process.
It usually takes several treatments and is expensive and complete removal without
scaring may be impossible.
Caution
In brief, I do not disown permanent makeup, if done under the proper circumstances—I
even considered having my eyebrows done at one time, but discarded the idea
in favor of performing the artwork myself every day (see the Tip topic “Youthful
Beautiful Eyebrows”)—I urge you to take the steps necessary to
ensure safety before ever going forward.
Just do your homework first…
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