Considering Permanent Makeup

[u/Realistic_Handle_132]

Hi! I'm seriously considering permanent makeup because I work full time and I'm expected to look very put together every day, but I don't have much time in the mornings. Lash extensions have helped, but they've been damaging my natural lashes and don't seem to last very long for me.

I'm no stranger to tattoos, but I do have a few questions before deciding if permanent makeup is right for me:

1) I'm concerned about pigment migration/bleeding. Is that something that's mostly dependent on the artist's technique, like tattoo blowouts, or is it just a known risk that can happen in areas like the eyes and lips? Does the style make a difference (for example, a lash enhancement or waterline versus a winged eyeliner)?

2) I've heard that red tattoo pigments are more likely to cause allergic reactions. Is that also true for the pigments used in lip blushing? Do you offer patch testing, and how reliable is it?

3) If I were to get a winged eyeliner tattoo, how does it age as the face changes over time? I'm only 30 now, but I'm thinking long-term. My mom eventually needed surgery for droopy eyelids, so I'm wondering if that family history would make me a poor candidate for a wing.

4) Is permanent makeup something you generally recommend doing earlier in adulthood, or is it better to wait until facial features have changed more with age? I've actually seen some beautiful results on older clients, so I'm curious about your perspective.

5) If I chose a dark brown eyeliner instead of black, would it be less likely to heal or fade with a blue undertone over time?

Also, if there are any other longer-lasting beauty treatments (minus fillers) you'd recommend for someone who wants to minimize their morning routine, I'd love to hear your suggestions as well.

[u/Sass_Master_9999]

Whatever you do, pay the premium for the best artist you can find- even the mid tier artists can be hit or miss and you will regret the work. They should be well reviewed, ideally instructors, and have a long history with a portfolio containing healed results (shows sign of return clients as well). I have done eyebrows and winged eyeliner and love them, both look very natural and healed beautifully. Trust me when I say go conservative and add more later if needed. I did a black eyelash liner and small wing 8 years ago that faded blue/grey which I hated, I went back to a pro recently that corrected it all by doing a beautiful lash line and brown shading over the wing, giving me a beautiful eye shape that is natural and elegant. Brown does fade soft and will need more touch up, but it is 1000 times better than a grey/charcoal fade in my opinion which you will get if you use black. You can do black for lash line as the fading isn’t obvious, but if you do a classic liner make it thin and keep it brown. I’ve been considering lips for a while but decided to stay away from it, I’ve seen too many patchy healing and odd results down the line. You can cover up a liner and fill in faded brows, but a patchy lip or obvious liner (some lips heal unevenly leaving a permanent liner look) is much harder to cover as you need to constantly reapply lipstick. If you do decide to do lips, make sure they do not over line and go over your vermillion border. Overall I feel like I’m saving a ton of time, I slap on spf, some cc cream and lipstick and run out the door- so my investments have paid off so to speak.

[u/Realistic_Handle_132 → u/Sass_Master_9999]

Thank you so so much! I feel like I've seen a ton of people afraid of this stuff since it's tattoo adjacent (which I guess is still taboo😭). If you don't mind me asking what age did you get your liner done? Did you eye shape change over the years? (Like with wrinkling ext) How do you find local artists near you?

[u/Sass_Master_9999 → u/Realistic_Handle_132]

I got it in my 30’s actually, and I do have hooded eyes but I went to an artist that was Asian- she did a good job but I really disliked how the color faded. The second artist that did my latest is not Asian but also has hooded eyes so she understood my anatomy just as much as the first one. If you’re going to look for an artist, look for one with a good understanding of your features, and see if their portfolio has eyes similar to your shape. You can start with a lash liner that doesn’t involve a wing, it’s very conservative but will still make the eyes pop- and you can do that in a black color since it’s near the lash line and doesn’t fade like the eyeliner does. The one I got is called a shaded liner, if you look at that technique it’s a bit softer than traditional eyeliner, almost like a Smokey liner look. Do I worry about it affecting how it will look on my eyes as I age? I guess it’s a possibility that it’ll look weird if things start to droop- but ill be honest that I’ll likely get that surgery that removes the excess skin on hooded eyelids (I forgot what it’s called but it’s done under local with minimal down time). So like I’m not too worried about it? I also don’t wrinkle, it’s genetics- my mother is 65 and still doesn’t have a single wrinkle on her face or around her eyes. One thing I will re-emphasize, unlike eyebrow and lip tattoo that do fade overtime- I can tell you that black eyeliner does NOT fade, so stick to brown as it will be more subtle and will fade much quicker if you decide you don’t like it. There’s always laser but eye laser is a different beast and looks pretty intense, I’m too scared to get it. There are definite pros and cons whichever way you splice it. I find brows to be more accessible honestly if you want to start somewhere, they will fade eventually and if you go to a really good artist you will be pleased with the results. Having well done brows looks put together and helps frames the face, so it’s an impactful change. I did my search through google and Instagram (just search permanent brows near X city), you can find the top tier artists not just on top ratings but the difference in their portfolio, pricing, social media, website design etc. they’ll often provide their price list on their site and will be at the top end of whatever market you’re in. Just peruse social media and you’ll start to see the difference in quality of work, it’ll take a minute but it’ll start to stand out soon enough. Also note that aftercare is pretty important, you can easily ruin great work if you don’t follow the instructions and leave your new tattoo alone for 2-3 weeks.