Wake up looking all made up and go to sleep without the hassles of cleansing chemical cosmetics –many beauty-conscious Indians are taking to permanent makeup these days. Our experts say, go under the needle with a little more care.
There’s something about Michelle in her wedding photos, posted on FB recently, which seems so very unusual from her college-day looks. Her dimpled smile is same as ever. So is the light brown colour of her eyes. Oh, wait a minute, it’s her eyebrows! Yes! Her once straight-lined brows now appear prominently arched. And that’s when you get the point. It’s all about cosmetic tattooing or micro pigmentation. Michelle, like many others, has gone under the needle for permanent makeup, especially for the big day of her life!
Whether it’s for a perfectly curated look or correcting / concealing patches, scars and other skin ailments, cosmetic tattooing is a hassle-free solution for many of your aesthetic needs. Who wouldn’t want to wake up looking all made up or going about your sweaty workouts and swimming with not a thing out of place? Having said so, permanent makeup is not a quick-fix that you can simply jump at without understanding the procedure. Besides, things may go horribly wrong if attempted by inexperienced and uncertified practitioners. Some ill-informed beauty-obsessed ones are moved to tears, post procedure. And mind you, these aren’t tears of joy but of disappointment! Moral of the story: Go for it but with due care and caution. Plan Your Wedding takes a lowdown.
Selfie or Hassle Free?!
Self clicked close up images of oneself tend to exaggerate even the tiniest of facial flaws and imperfections. The very thought of un-groomed looks, especially in wedding outfits and party wear, is enough for many to decide they want to go for ‘corrections’. However, selfie is perhaps not the only reason for growing interest in cosmetic tattooing say experts.
Dr Anna Sharma, Micropigmentoligist at Kosmoderma Skin, Hair & Laser Clinics, feels being selfie ready, anytime, anywhere is a contributing factor for the rise in permanent makeup, but is not the primary reason behind this trend. “From improving the colour of their lips, to defining their eyebrows people opt for permanent makeup solutions to avoid the daily hassle of applying makeup and to maintain their perfect features. Traditional cosmetic makeup, if left overnight, clogs your pores and causes skin damage. However, permanent makeup allows your skin to breathe as the pigments are placed deep within your skin,” she explains.
What’s Cosmetic Tattooing All About?
Cosmetic tattooing or permanent makeup is a micro pigmentation procedure wherein a needle is used to implant pigmented granules under the upper layer of the skin, using traditional coil machine, rotary or pen machine. One or more touch-up procedures are required after initial application. While the colours cannot be washed off like chemical cosmetics, do remember, permanent makeup does fade over a period of time!
“Most procedures are done after applying anaesthesia to the skin. After the initial procedure, touch-up might be required but no sooner than one month. Practitioners include dermatologists, cosmetologists, aestheticians, nurses and tattooists,” explains Pooja Goel, Owner of Khoobsurat Salon Spa & Academy.
Dr Shuba Dharmana, Cosmetic Dermatologist, Hair Transplant Surgeon and Founder/Chief Evangelist LeJeune Group of Medspas, Bangalore and Hyderabad observes, “Permanent makeup is all the rage in India these days but in western countries, it’s a very common treatment at salons and cosmetic clinics and has been in existence for several years now. The technology and machines are now available in India and people in India are already seeking such treatments. We have lots of women correcting their over plucked thin eyebrows and men seeking to correct gaps in the scalp with this cosmetic tattooing.”
“For brides in particular, the beauty of permanent makeup is that it subtly enhances and defines their features. It also gives them the liberty to apply traditional makeup as desired to suit any occasion. For grooms, cosmetic tattooing is a way to camouflage adverse pigmentation and broken eyebrows amongst other things. In general, people are accepting it as a powerful tool to correct their features without undergoing expensive cosmetic surgeries,” informs Dr Anna.
Facelift Fads of the Season
Perfectly shaped eyebrows, flattering eyeliner and lovely red lips are the biggest fads in India. Dr Aman Dua, Director and Co-Founder AK Clinics opines, “Permanent Eyeliner is a craze these days. Women are also opting for permanent lip colouring or lipstick.” He adds, “Making of beauty spot is a relatively easy technique that involves tattooing of the area with black dye. Another new modality is Scalp Micro Pigmentation (SMP).”
Shaping up Eyebrows: Overzealous tweezing or waxing of eyebrows over a period of time can lead to thin eyebrows. Besides, hair loss may result from years of medical conditions (e.g. Scars or Alopecia), or medications (e.g. Chemotherapy). Traditional eyebrow threading is too much of a hassle in fast-paced lifestyles and does not help people whose eyebrow hair is lightly coloured, thin in places, sparse overall, or non-existent. Eyebrow tattoos eliminate the daily use of pencils or powders to fill-in, reshape, or recolour brows.
“Eyebrow tattoo deposits a combination of brown and black pigment to resemble natural hair. This can fill in scant areas or reshape to give the illusion of thicker eyebrows. You still need to do traditional shaping of eyebrows like threading to remove stray hair from underneath or above,” informs Dr Shuba.
Defining Eyeliners: Wake up in the morning; sweat it out at gym; go through tiring day at workplace and drive home back… The eyeliner still intact and sparkling! That’s exactly what permanent eyeliner is.
The procedure of permanent eyeliners is much similar to ordinary tattooing. “The procedure can be done manually, with a coil machineorrotary machine. Commonly, most of them are made from iron oxide pigments because it is long lasting, non-toxic and does not irritate the skin,” says Pooja.
Lip Augments for the Perfect Pout: From Anjelina Jolie to Jessica Alba, the list of the most desirable Ms Luscious Lips is only too long for many brides-to-be. Dermal filler is the answer for these wannabes. Dr Shuba explains how a pout can be created using dermal filler which contain Hyaluronic acid. This when injected into the lips absorbs 3 times its weight of water and plumps up the lips. “A skilled dermatologist can inject it well enough to create a very good pout but it should be custom designed for you and to fit your face. One ‘Angelina Jolie’ look will not suit everyone and one should work within the boundaries of what may be possible to achieve. Cosmetic mistakes happen when these boundaries are crossed.”
Scale up the Scalp: Although balding has been traditionally a male thing, it is not uncommon these days to sight women with scanty scalps. A Scalp Micro Pigmentation involves covering of thinned out areas of scalp with tattooing. “Again the tattoo lasts maximum for 2 years. “Best for those who style their hair short and have only thinning, rather than complete baldness,” observes Dr Aman.
Take Care
- Bride and grooms-to-be should opt for procedures several months before the wedding. No last minute quick fixes, please!
- If suffering from any allergy or ailment, take medical opinion. Also if you have had any surgeries done, inform your doctor and get their advice.
- Have realistic expectations and ensure all your queries are satisfactorily answered.
- Get yourself tested for sugar level, hepatitis, herpes or any kind of infection.
- If you are using Botox or fillers, wait for at least 2 months before getting any permanent makeup done.
- Avoid peels and de-pigmenting creams at least for a month before and a month after the permanent makeup procedure.
- Go for a clinic-based treatment, done under the supervision of a doctor. Observe if the best practices of hygiene are being followed.
- Avoid alcohol and painkillers 2 days prior to procedure.
- Get the post op instructions spelt out loud and clear!
Risky Expectations
No unrealistic expectations here! The ‘risk’ of disappointment is perhaps one of the biggest risk factors! Going under the needle with unreasonable expectations will only cause discontent. Remember, no correction procedure can exactly replicate natural aesthetics.
Dr Aman explains, “Eyeliner, done usually with tattooing inks, last for 1-1/2 years. Colours tend to wash off after that or migrate. Sometimes the hues can also change over time or turn blotchy. Lip colouring is again not permanent and lasts maximum upto 2 years. Loss of colour over time or reaction to dye can occur in this area.”
“The lasting duration depends on the depth of the needle used, the area of the face and the skill of the technician. On the scalp, the tattooing of hairs lasts 2 years and has to be redone every 2 years because the pigment fades,” informs Dr Shuba.
Beware & Behold
Most experts believe these are relatively safe procedures to do but only in skilled hands! Aesthetics also matter to a large extent because these procedures need to be performed artistically.
“Permanent makeup done in the right environment, by a trained and experienced professional is safe. It is important that the instruments and pigments used are certified and well tested and disposable components/accessories are not reused,” cautions Dr Anna.
“State regulatory agencies haven’t kept pace with the growth of the permanent makeup industry, and there are lots of unqualified people wielding needles,” cautions Pooja.
Are you thinking of ever-lasting makeup for your wedding, well, get going with your homework right now!
The article was originally published in Plan Your Wedding magazine.
