Perfect eyebrows, luscious lips, smooth skin, and great eyeliner are what all beautiful women share in common. However, working all day, going to the gym, dancing the night away, or partying like crazy can result in that perfect look turning all iky.
With permanent makeup, however, you no longer have to worry about your makeup staying on the way it should. This non-invasive cosmetic procedure allows you to wake up with the same perfect full-face makeup day in and day out. This is the magic of permanent makeup.
Procedures such as micropigmentation and microblading are a form of permanent makeup (PMU). In these processes, tiny dots of pigments are placed beneath the upper layers of the skin. Most of these procedures are performed using a topical anesthetic to ensure a painless and comfortable experience.
Are There Any Possible Risks Associated With PMU?
Generally, these procedures are harmless and considered safe. However, any type of cosmetic alteration can have some instances where minor issues arise. This is why ensuring cleanliness and safety should be prioritized, and you should weigh all the pros and cons before going under the needle.
Some rare occurrences that can occur, and how to ensure the best outcomes:
Light Scarring
Permanent makeup procedures, like Microshading (Powder Brows), require a needle to puncture the outer layers of skin which causes light temporary trauma. The needle punctures the skin in order to implant pigment and of course, this takes a few days to fully heal. Usually 10 days on average.
Procedures such as powder brows are also perfectly safe for patients that have a keloid scar. Microblading is not advised in such a case.
Minor injuries can also occur in cases where an artist isn’t qualified and has bad technique.
Infection
In most permanent makeup procedures, needles are used to make tiny abrasions on the skin, and as a result, there is always a chance of a few prickles of blood. With that said, most of my clients do not bleed at all, some clients with very oily skin and sensitivity could experience a small amount of bleeding. To lessen any sensitivity to the needle please make sure to follow pre-care instructions provided by your artist.
According to NCBI, infections of any kind are super rare when it comes to these treatments (only around .02% of patients).
To avoid any infections, it is important that the client follows post-care and keeps the area clean and moisturized.
Your PMU artist should give you specific instructions on proper after-care to follow and ensure you’re on the right path to perfectly healed brows!
Possible Allergic Reactions
People with sensitive skin types are more prone to develop allergic reactions from after-care products such as soap and lotion. Ink allergies are extremely rare but you can get allergic reactions from after-care products. In such cases, let your artist know right away. Stop using the after-care products immediately and if worsened please talk to your doctor. This usually resolves itself in just a few days.
Possible allergic reactions can include rashes, itching, a hint of swelling, redness, and inflammation, in the treated area of the skin.
Cross Contamination
The biggest risk when it comes to permanent makeup procedures is having them done from sources that aren’t licensed and contracting a blood-borne disease like hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to cross-contamination.
Always choose an artist and studio that is licensed by their local health department and has an already established reputation and good safety track record.
How To Avoid These Risks?
If you are worried about some of these health risks due to PMU, take a deep breath. Any cosmetic procedure no matter how small or big requires careful evaluation. Do your due diligence.
Always research extensively before opting for any type of cosmetic procedure. Contact the artist and set up a phone or in-person consultation to discuss any concerns, questions, and expectations. Pick your artist wisely!
The good part about all of this is that most of the health risks associated with PMU are easily avoidable if you and your artist work as a team and follow pre-care, post-care, and safety guidelines correctly.
Here is what you need to ensure:
The artist performing the procedure should follow safety protocols. They should be wearing protective gear such as disposable gloves, facemasks, etc, which should be changed as needed and before and after every procedure.
Every single tool needs to be wrapped properly for health safety and needles should come sterilized. Needles, needle covers, and needle chambers must be factory sterilized and packaged individually. You need to ensure that the artist opens the needle in front of you before it is used on your face.
Everything that has touched you during the entirety of the procedure needs to be disposed of once the treatment session ends. And everything else is to be cleaned with a hospital-grade cleaner to ensure no cross-contamination.
There is no excuse for not using chemical sterilization as it is the only way to ensure there are no bacteria, viruses, or microorganisms on the equipment or any surfaces.
Choosing The Right Permanent Makeup Artist
Do you think a correspondence course is enough for someone to be trained to inject pigment into your skin? If your answer is no, you need to make deliberate efforts to ensure you don’t let any such PMU artist lure you into getting a procedure done from them.
However, there is a criterion that you can follow to ensure nothing like this happens to you. Always make sure that they have a business license and a certificate that shows they are allowed to perform these procedures and abide by the local board of health.
How long the artist has been doing this and how many procedures they have performed are essential questions that need to be asked. Looking at before and after pictures of their work for previous clients is also a must when considering who to go with.
Is Permanent Makeup Safe? Where Should I Go To Learn More?
If you have chosen your artist wisely and you two have sat down and talked about the safety in detail, there shouldn’t be any complications with the procedure.
These procedures are extremely safe when performed by a well-trained artist, and not as painful as invasive surgery. Margins of error are also higher but that doesn’t mean anyone can do it. The more skilled and experienced your artist is, the safer and better the results will be.
As such, if you live in Alameda, CA, or close by, reach out to Powder Brows by Claudia. We specialize in Ombre Powder Brows! Book an appointment with us today and let our experts take the best care of you for all your beauty needs.