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Micropigmentation: Cosmetics That Don't Wash Off

The art of micropigmentation (also referred to as dermagraphics, permanent make up or cosmetics, cosmetic tattooing, and dermapigmentation) is becoming quite popular. This procedure is not really new. Tattooing in general is an ancient art. Although cosmetic tattooing started in modern times in the early 1900s, it was also used by royalty in Ancient Egypt and by some women in India and Africa thousands of years ago. They created cosmetic tattoos by using fine needles, thorns, or bamboo splinters to insert plant and nut pigments or ground coal or charcoal into the skin. 

Women all over the United States are familiar with the idea of having permanent eyeliner, eyebrows, lip liner, and even full lip color. Permanent eye makeup is a special boon to women who do not have good vision or who have arthritis or problems keeping their hands stead. Micropigmentation is also helpful to those with alopecia areata or alopecia universalis (loss of hair due to an immune problem), vitiligo (patchy loss of pigment in the skin), cosmetic allergies, or chemotherapy side effects. Even women who exercise a lot or love to swim have turned to micropigmentation.

Micropigmentation is also helpful in many reconstructive situations. Women who have lost a breast due to cancer can have a nipple tattooed on either in part or completely. Tattooing can help fix a lip outline or eyebrow marred by a scar.

Permanent cosmetics can look completely natural if it is applied by a skilled technician. There is a vast array of natural pigments that can be used to suit your needs. Many technicians offer topical anesthetics before and during your procedure, so there is little or no discomfort.

Micropigmentation or Permanent Makeup

Micropigmentation or dermagraphics is the use of tattooing to apply permanent marks on the face that enhance the features or that restore color or line to areas of the face of body that have lost their normal pigmentation. The pigments used are natural nonreactive and hypoallergenic pigments usually made of iron oxide. The pigments are very natural looking and are available in colors that mimic the skin or hair of the brows and in many cosmetic colors. These pigments are implanted into the very top layers of the skin with needles, which are usually are part of a tattoo gun or pen.

Technicians who perform micropigmentation or permanent makeup procedures can be very skilled or not. Some belong to professional organizations and have studied extensively, while others have simply bought videos and kits to practice on before they receive real clients. You should investigate whether your technician is both highly skilled and properly trained.

Several areas of the face and body are amenable to micropigmentation. There are several micropigmentation procedures for the eyes. However, the skin of the eyelids is very delicate, especially along the edges of the lids. This is one of the more sensitive areas of the face.

Micropigmentation Procedures and Treatments Available

Eyelashes
Some people are unable to grow eyelashes or can grow them only sparsely. This may be due to alopecia, chemotherapy, the side effects of some medications, or even obsessive plucking. A good dermagraphic technician can create the illusion of having eyelashes. This procedure is called blepharopigmentation, and it is performed using a very small tattoo needle. The pigment is "implanted" in a dot-like matrix fashion into the lid margin at the base of the eyelashes. The pigment is placed a little deeper, in the dermis, and after healing, the look is a more translucent, very natural look.

Permanent Eyeliner
Here the tattooist applies pigment in a thin line along the lid margin, just where conventional eyeliner would be applied. This application can define the eyes, make them stand out more, or enhance the general eye area.

For eyeliner, the pigment can be applied in a continuous line, in a very faintly smudged line that looks “smokey,” or as a series of very close dots. Applying micropigmentation to the lid margin can be more painful that other applications.

Permanent Eyebrows
Eyebrows are the frame for the face, but getting sparse or pale eyebrows to look good can be difficult. If you don’t know how to draw in a realistic eyebrow, it can be hard to produce a flattering look. There are stencils you can buy  to help apply eyebrow pencils and powder,  but you still have the hassle of daily application and the inconvenience of accidentally wiping them off or smudging them. If this sounds familiar, micropigmentation or dermagraphics can help.

A good micropigmentation technician will discuss the best eyebrow shape for you and apply powders or pencil for you so that you can see the new shape. You can take a camera with you to your consultation and photos to help you decide.

Remember that your new eyebrows will be permanent. Steer clear of anything trendy or with unrealistic super-high arches. Those may be fashionable now but will look dated eventually and you are stuck with them.

The technician should determine the hair color to be used for your brows and take into account your skin tone when making a pigment selection. When tattooing the eyebrows, some technicians draw in individual hair-like strokes, which can look very natural looking, more so than a solidly colored in eyebrow shape. 

Permanent Eye Shadow
This is a specialty application and it requires a great deal of skill to do correctly. as well. The color needs to be applied so that it looks translucent, which takes skilled blending and a placement deep in the dermis to produce that effect. Just remember to choose flattery colors rather than trendier styles.

Permanent Lip Liner
Permanent makeup can create a lip line that evens out any asymmetries in your natural lips or give the appearance of a more defined lip. You can even get the lip line tattooed outside of what is called the vermillion border (the natural edge to your lips. This can give the appearance of larger, fuller lips. A lip liner procedure can also be made to look even more natural by applying a "blended” look. A really good technician is able to do this quite well.

As with eyebrows, remember that fashions change. Do not pick a lip color that is in fashion today and will be out of fashion next year or even 10 years from now. It is better to pick a shade that is close to your normal lip color.

Full Lip Color
This procedure is a combination of lip liner and a fill in. Essentially, you are having color tattooed on your whole lips. Again, make sure you don’t pick a color that you will regret in years to come, especially as your skin tone changes somewhat with aging.

Tattoo Beauty Mark
Think about Cindy Crawford or Marilyn Monroe and a beauty mark just under the eyes, or off to the outer corner, or above the lip comes to mind. If you would like something like that, think about having a beauty mark tattooed on, if that is your heart’s desire.

Cleft Lip Asymmetries
People who were born with a cleft lip are often left with an asymmetrical upper lip. As with any lip asymmetry or an interruption of the vermillion border of the lip, this can be corrected with micropigmentation. Adding permanent pigment can camouflage the area and create a sense of "normalcy". However, the pigment may need to be applied to scar tissue, which makes it an advanced technique and a specialist should be sought.

Blush
Tattooing on blush or cheek color is the exact same concept as tattooing on eye shadow. The advantage is that you can have permanent color on your face, but the downsides are splotchiness from incorrect application and splotchiness from your own face's pattern of natural exfoliation. Seek out a specialist for this type of application. 

Are You a Candidate for Micropigmentation?

Cosmetic tattoo is a good choice for you if you are very active, if you do not wish to reapply your makeup every day, or if you engage in activities like swimming. It can also be a very good choice if poor vision or poor hand control mean that you cannot apply makeup well.

There are few contraindications to micropigmentation. However, if you are prone to scarring problems such as hypertrophic scarring or keloid formation, micropigmentation or any other form of tattooing might not be a good idea. Although the pigments used in micropigmentation and dermagraphics are nonreactive and nonallergenic for most people, if you have extensive allergies, you might want to reconsider or have a test done on an inconspicuous spot.

Checking a Technician's Training and Background

Be careful when choosing your technician. Just as with any cosmetic surgery or cosmetic procedure, you have to check out the person who is going to be working on you. How long have they been performing micropigmentation or offering permanent cosmetics? How many procedures have they performed? Ask them where they trained and ask to see any certificates of training. Some states require license for tattoo artists and cosmetologists. Ask to see these. Also ask if they have kept up with training by taking refresher courses or attending seminars.

There are a few professional organizations for permanent makeup and dermagraphics, including the American Institute of Permanent Color Technology, the American Academy Of Micropigmentation, and the Society of Permanent Cosmetics Professionals. Ask if your technician is a member of any of these.  

As with cosmetic surgery, this field is continually advancing as newer techniques are developed. If the technician is new ask how many hours of training he or she has had. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard. A technician can learn from a video course and practice on a manikin and then go straight to working on you. Some attend only a 1 or 2 day course. The average course is 5 days (or 40 hours of training), but there are longer courses.

Look through the technician's portfolio of recent photos of their work. Make sure that it is that technician’s work, since you might be looking at generic pictures of what micropigmentation can do. Ask if you can speak to past clients personally.

Look to see if this technician's work reflects your own cosmetic style. Does the permanent makeup look natural? Is he or she open to your wishes? Do you like the colors the technician has to offer? Does she offer topical anesthetics? If you are being offered an injected local anesthetic - ask who will be administering it. An injection should only be administered by a nurse, not by a micropigmentation technician.

Try to find a technician who specializes in the type of permanent cosmetic you want. For instance, pigment application to the lip area is more advanced than eyeliner or eyebrows. Only after you have seen an extensive portfolio of photos and have spoken with past clients should you consider a technician for lip dermagraphics.

The same is true for cheek color (blush) and eye shadow. Blush and eye shadow are the most difficult applications because the results can come out splotchy and uneven. Even seasoned pictorial tattoo artists practice for years to be able to perfect shading and blending techniques. You should choose a technician that has been in the dermagraphics industry for many years if you want well-done blush and eye shadow.

You also need a very seasoned technician for repigmentation or scar camouflaging techniques. Most scars are quite thicker that unblemished skin and the pigment can look entirely different than what is desired. Thicker skin takes pigment differently.

Although some tattoos can be removed, you must considered micropigmentation to be permanent. If you get a poorly done lip line or eyebrows in the wrong color, you are stuck with them.

What to Expect at Your Consultation

The consultation is your time to ask questions. You need to look at the technician’s portfolio and ask for the names of past clients whom you can speak with. You will also discuss your skin tone because certain pigments appear differently through certain skin tones. A mauve color will look different when implanted in an olive-toned skin then it does with implanted into skin with a yellow or peach tone.

You will discuss the different techniques and anesthetics as well as possible brow shapes and lip shapes with the technician. You should be able to ask any question.

Preparing for Your Procedure

There really is no preparation for micropigmentation because it is no more invasive than a regular tattoo. And people walk in off the street on a whim to get regular tattoos. You just have to make sure that this is what you want. Although tattoos can be removed, removal is not an easy or a quick process.

How Permanent Makeup Is Performed

Any type of tattoo is applied by using a needle to implant colored pigments into the skin. Modern tattooists use a gun or pen that holds from one to 14 needles that move up and down rapidly rather like a miniature sewing machine. The needle bar moves up and down very fast, forcing the needles into the top one or two layers of the skin, the epidermis and dermis, implanting whatever pigment the technician has dipped the needle tips into. The technician holds the machine with a steady hand while guiding it along the skin. The speed and power is controlled by a foot switch or pedal, again, much like a sewing machine.

The needles penetrate the skin only a couple of millimeters. A single needle (sometimes a micro-needle) is for making a very fine, delicate line. A row of needles (from 4 on up) is used for shading and denser filling in of color.  From experience with traditional tattoos, I'd like to add that although it would seem that the shading would hurt worse because of the multiple needles, it is quite the opposite. Outlining is by far the most painful.

The end of the needle tube is dipped in a small individual vial of ink. The technician guides the machine over the skin and the needle(s) move up and down, penetrating the skin, implanting the pigment. Excess pigment and blood, or other bodily fluids, ooze out from the puncture wounds and the technician wipes them off with an absorbent disposable towel, repeatedly so that he or she can see their work.

Before starting, the technician puts on a pair of surgical gloves and inspects your skin to make sure you have no cuts, scrapes or other types of broken skin. The area is either swabbed with alcohol or sprayed with an antiseptic solution (or both).

The level of pain in micropigmentation really depends on the individual. Some people's pain threshold (or tolerance) is high while others are quite low. The level of pain also depends on the tattoo site.

Cosmetic tattooing can be finished in about an hour and a half. If you are having more than one area done, it may take a few hours or you can do it in two sessions.

When the technician has finished, the tattoo is sprayed with water and antiseptic and wiped off. A layer of antibiotic ointment is applied and you will be instructed to wash the area no more than twice a day with mild soap and water and apply antibiotic ointment as needed.

The Road to Recovery

You can wash the area with a mild soap and water. Apply an antibiotic ointment or follow the technicians’ care instructions. Leave the treated area exposed so that it can begin to heal. It takes 7 to 10 days for a tattoo to heal. Until then, you should not apply cosmetics over the area and do not apply peroxide, which would ruin the tattoo. Do not pick at any scabbing. If it flakes, let it flake. If you pick at it, you could cause splotchiness.

Do not expose your tattoo to direct sunlight for at least 2 weeks. If you do, you may get changes in pigment or color fade. Use lots of sunscreen. Do not go swimming—fresh, salt, or chlorinated water—for at least two weeks because this can cause pigment fade as well. Indoor tanning machines will fade your tattoo as well.

The treated area will feel tender and you may be a little sore. This can be relieved with Tylenol. Your eyes may be puffy and red if you had eyeliner applied. Please do not peel any flaking skin.

Risks and Complications of Micropigmentation

Allergic reactions to permanent cosmetics are quite rare, but they can happen. If you are prone to allergies, you can ask for a skin patch test in an inconspicuous area before having micropigmentation done. Some technicians are routine about patch testing and perform them on everyone.

If you are prone to keloids or hypertrophic scarring, you may develop scar tissue at the treatment site.

You may not be happy with the results. Your dissatisfaction may be an issue no matter how carefully you choose your technician. You may simply not like how the work came out or you may have a change of heart.