Posted December 15, 2022 in Blog
Beauty trends come and go and one that’s having a full-circle moment is permanent makeup. This time, the popular stay-put makeup looks more natural and uses semi-permanent colors. But, if you like the look of paired-down makeup (you can also go more dramatic if you choose) and want to wake up looking that way every day—plus, save time in your get-ready routine—then consider permanent makeup a must. Some areas are popular permanent makeup target areas, and we explain them all.
The nice thing about low-maintenance permanent makeup is that you can go as light, sheer, and natural as you want, especially if the no-makeup makeup look is more your style. Or you can dial it up and have permanent makeup that’s more pigmented and dramatic. Plus, you can always add color and dimension to permanent makeup with traditional makeup products.
Today’s permanent makeup techniques are nothing like the ones of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Rather than being heavily outlined, dark in color, and boasting more of a tattooed look, modern-day permanent makeup is all about a more subtle look with invisible borders and soft colors and shapes. Our permanent makeup specialist uses only the most advanced techniques and pigments for the best results.
The Lips
Permanent makeup used on the lips is sometimes referred to as lip blushing or lip tattooing, and it’s a long-term way to achieve a perfect-looking pout. This is a popular permanent makeup target area. The additional pigments are deposited into the lips for a sheer wash of color that helps restore them to their natural color, which you can wear with or without lip glosses and lipsticks. Some patients go a shade or two darker than their natural lip color for a more intense effect. Plus, the treatment also allows the border of the lips to be more defined—think of it as a permanent lip liner—to give the illusion of added fullness and improved symmetry. Since the treatment is semi-permanent, it also results in less trauma to the delicate tissue of the lips.
For an even plumper pout, you can pair permanent lip makeup with lip filler (once you’ve fully healed) for added balance and harmony. Just remember that the results of lip blushing need to be maintained to keep the color fresh and the definition crisp. Darker pigments tend to have more staying power, and oily skin types may break down the pigments faster.
The Eyebrows
Permanent makeup on the eyebrows, also known as microblading, continually ranks at the top of many women’s beauty must-do lists. The Eyebrows are one of the most popular permanent makeup target areas. That’s because the addition of pigment creates the look of more hairs, especially if they are sparse or missing from over-waxing or overplucking. Depositing long-lasting pigment with a fine needle directly under the eyebrows (into the skin there) also allows their shape to be defined for a stronger arch and fuller, natural-looking brows.
We use two different brow techniques: micro stroke brows, which utilize strokes of pigment to mimic natural hairs, and powder brows, which create more of a shaded powdery look. Your skin type and the desired look will help determine which technique is best for you. Microstroke brows work well for normal to dry skin that wants a natural-looking brow, whereas powder brows last longer on oily skin types and are a more dramatic makeup look. On average, the results will last one to three years, depending on sun exposure, skin type, and skin care practices.
The Lash Lines
Permanent eyeliner is a godsend for women who find their eye makeup smudges, smears, streaks, and runs no matter what they use or how they apply it. Instead of relying on messy and expensive eyeliners that don’t last all day, permanent eyeliner stays put making it one of the other popular permanent makeup target areas. You can choose to go with a thin line of liner for a barely-there look or something more dramatic like a bold winged liner. You can do permanent eyeliner on the upper and lower eyelids.
The treatment adds pigment to the lash line, which helps make the lashes and the eyes pop. Like other permanent makeup, the color lasts up to three years around the eyes, and touch-ups may be necessary to keep the color dark (if that’s the look you are going for).
The Areola
Women who undergo a mastectomy often need to restore their areolas, and the best way of doing that is with areola tattooing. The safe and effective treatment creates realistic results that help patients regain self-confidence and rediscover their femininity.
Areola tattooing can be done on one or both areolas depending on the details of the mastectomy. By using natural-looking skin-hued pigments, adding color to the skin can create a more symmetrical-looking areola to help restore a natural, realistic look to the breasts. Like other types of permanent makeup, areola tattoos are done the same way and rely on deposited ink under the skin. However, the precision of blending and feathering is key to creating natural-looking areolas. Remember, the procedure only uses pigmented ink to produce the look and semblance of an areola without any grafts or implants.
But it’s not just cancer survivors and breast reconstruction patients who can benefit from areola tattoos. Patients who experience surgery mishaps that leave behind misshapen or asymmetrical areolas can also benefit from the treatment since adding color to the area can even out their shape and size.
The Scalp
Thinning hair and hair loss can be problematic and affect your self-esteem. While supplements and medications can help, sometimes all it takes is creating the illusion of more hair to boost your confidence and fill in those sparse, patchy areas. Since most women do not experience full-blown hair loss but rather areas of thinning hair or small spots where the hair doesn’t grow like it used to, scalp micropigmentation is a surefire way to optically restore what’s been lost.
Scalp micro pigmentation uses a special tattoo device to create individual minute spots of pigment that mimics the appearance of hair follicles covering up exposed areas of the scalp. The ink is deposited between the thinning hairs and can reduce the contrast between the scalp and hairs for the illusion of thicker hair. Filling in thin areas makes the hair appear denser. The results can last up to 18 months, if not longer, depending on your skin type, sun exposure, and how often you wash your hair.
