Deciding whether or not to get permanent makeup done is a HUGE decision. You’re going to read so many scary stories online (and plenty of great ones). Let us help ease your fears by showing you how we address the top concerns in the permanent makeup industry.
ALLERGIC REACTION
Have you ever tried a new food and then suddenly felt itchy and then had your eyes water? You likely had an allergic reaction to the food, and something similar is possible with permanent makeup. Ink is made up of numerous ingredients and everyone has different reactions to those ingredients. There are two ways for you to help mitigate any potential reactions which could adversely affect your PMU. The first way is to ask for a list of ingredients in the inks so you can check with your dermatologist to see if there’s anything likely to cause a reaction. You can also always ask us for a patch test. In accordance with the PhiBrow standard, the patch test is a way of identifying whether a substance that comes into contact with the skin (a product used during the treatment) causes any kind or inflammation or allergic reaction. Results from the test appear at least after one hour, and will let you and the artist know if you are allergic or intolerant to any of the products planned to be used. If someone doesn’t offer some variation of this type of test, I suggest selecting a new artist/studio.
INFECTION
A significant risk is taken when you decide to walk into a studio and let an artist pierce your skin with a needle. Sounds scary, right? You don’t know if the needles are safe, and if they’re not sterilized, they can introduce bacteria and viruses under your skin. Even your own bacteria that live on your skin can be a problem if the skin isn’t cleaned properly. There is always a risk of infection when needles are involved. This is especially true if non-sterile needles are used. Unsterile tattooing equipment and needles can transmit infectious diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis, and skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (“staph”) and other bacteria. Infections also have resulted from contaminated tattoo inks, even when the tattoo artist has followed hygienic procedures. All that scary stuff aside, here’s how we reduce those risks:
The needles we use (along with basically all of our tools) are disposable! We open something new for every service.
We use nothing but the highest quality inks. When we are going to perform a procedure, the ink is poured into an individual sterile cup to be used only during YOUR service. We only use organic and cruelty free pigments by PhiBrows and Permablend.
After every service, we provide you with as detailed instructions as possible. Following these instructions goes a long way in infection prevention.
DISSATISFACTION
It makes us so sad when clients reach out to us with truly terrible PMU. Hopefully the information here will help mitigate that! The first point we want to make is that there is almost always a “fix” for bad PMU, so all hope is not lost on that front! We really want to stress that YOU are your biggest advocate. If something looks even remotely off, SPEAK UP. Before we even begin the procedure, we take as much as is needed to listen to your concerns and ultimate look. Then we draw the look you want on, in the exact place we plan to tattoo. If you don’t give the go ahead, we’ll work with you until you find the look you feel comfortable with and fall in love with. We truly want you to be happy, and if we can’t make that happen, you are under no obligation to stick with us! A side note: Beauty trends change! Pencil thin 90s brows (**inward shudder**) are GONE, and thick brows are currently in. As a result, we suggest starting with a minimalistic approach to look natural because less is more.
GRANULOMAS AND KELOID FORMATION
These are nodules that may form around material that the body perceives as foreign, such as particles of tattoo pigment. If you are prone to developing keloids — scars that grow beyond normal boundaries — you are at risk of keloid formation from a tattoo. Keloids may form any time you injure or traumatize your skin. HONESTY IS KEY. Yes, we know you want to do the service, but if you have EVER had anything like this, LET US KNOW. Before we start any service, we ask that you to sign certain release forms and on these forms we ask for information regarding your medical history. Every questions we ask is for a reason. If you enter a studio where you don’t ever sign anything, or are given brief information release that does not question your medical history, then RUN. Absolutely nothing good will come of that!
FDA takes the following actions to promote consumer safety:
FDA monitors problems from tattoos and permanent make-up.
FDA alerts the public at http://www.fda.gov/ cosmetics when they become aware of a problem.