Semi-Permanent Makeup: What Is It And Is It Here To Stay?
The makeup world has transformed in recent years, with everything from the launch of the revolutionary Beauty Blender to colour correcting concealers, the makeup world is currently at the best and most groundbreaking that it has ever been. But another ‘trend’ that seems to be having a spotlight moment is cosmetic tattoos, or, semi-permanent makeup. You may be thinking, what on earth are cosmetic tattoos? Well, beauty experts have realised that women are leading an increasingly demanding and busy life, and that people don’t want to be spending more than 5 to 10 minutes applying makeup everyday and then spend more time removing it in the evenings.
There’s also the fact that traditional makeup can only look so natural and will probably be dripping off your face after 5 hours. So, latching onto the unbelievable success of micro blading have emerged treatments such as micro feathering, fake freckle procedures and lip blushes which are offering the women the choice to have semi-permanent makeup, also known as micropigmentation. But what actually is semi-permanent makeup and is it here to stay? Here we will give you a complete guide to beauty’s latest baffling trend and our opinion on whether it is short-lived.
What Is It?
Semi-permanent makeup is exactly what it says on the tin. It allows you to have long lasting makeup that you don’t have to slave over taking off every evening. It is done by placing tiny particles of pigment beneath the skin’s surface using a micro-needle, similar to a tattoo procedure. The pigment will stay in the skin for a number of years and will gradually break down, causing it’s appearance to fade overtime without going strange colours or looking abnormal which is great because it allows the clients to alter the colour or shape every 12 to 18 months. Below we have given you a list of what types of semi-permanent makeup procedures are available and what exactly they achieve.
Lashes: To achieve the appearance of thicker and more filled-out lashed, you can get micro-droplets of pigment injected in between each lash, which is done using a tattoo machine. This will add more definition to the eye and help you gain the appearance of fluttery, bambi lashes.
Brows: Microblading is used to enhance the appearance of brows and can fill in the sparse areas, make the brows appear more full and give them a better shape. Microfeathering comes under microblading, a specific brow procedure which mimics hair strokes to fill in the sparse areas of the brow and ombré techniques to fade the brow more towards the front and make it sharper at the arch to give them a better shape.
Lips: Cosmetic tattoos are a great way to mimic the appearance of fuller and plumper lips through lip blush procedures. Full-lip blushes replace the outline of the lips to give a more youthful appearance and fuller pout. They also tint the main body of the lip to give a better hue, eliminating the need (and added expense!) of lipstick.
Beauty spots: Beauty spots and natural freckles have gained so much popularity in recent years, which is why the tattoo cosmetic industry has come up with a way to replicate these artificially, for those of us who aren’t naturally blessed. Fake spots can be created with micropigmentation to mimic freckles, which has become extremely popular in recent months after the Royal Wedding with people wanting to mimic Megan Markle’s natural sparkle and, like her, appear more youthful.
However, it is important to note that micropigmentation isn’t suitable for everyone. Those who have an active skin disease or infection, pregnant or breast-feeding woman, insulin dependent diabetics or people with heart conditions should not have the treatment as it can be quite dangerous.
Why Is It So Popular?
Micropigmentation has become extremely popular in recent years and is even used frequently by stars such as Niomi Campbell and Angelina Jolie. This is mainly because the techniques have been refined in recent years and a huge selection of organic pigment colours has been developed which allows for a more natural look. The treatment is also incredibly realistic due to the amazing skillset of the artists and the organic pigments used which fade naturally over time.
The technique is also extremely popular because it can help people who suffer from medical conditions or have had damage caused to their bodies in accidents or surgeries. For example, it can help people suffering from vitiligo, a chronic disorder that causes depigmentation in patches of skin. It can also provide eyebrow reconstruction for alopecia patients or people who have lost hair through burns or accidents.
What Are The Risks?
There are few risks associated with micropigmentation, but like with any procedure, the risks do still exist. The biggest risk is that the results could end up looking too dramatic or not exactly how they were anticipated due to the wrong pigment being used. However, this can be easily avoided by ensuring that your practitioner is highly skilled and explaining exactly what you want before the procedure takes place. This also isn’t a serious issue as the mistakes can usually be easily corrected.
With these procedures, there is also a risk of developing an allergic reaction, but this can be avoided by having a skin sensitivity test beforehand to see if the procedure is right for your skin type. There is also a small risk of scarring if a mistake is made during the treatment but this is very rare and easily avoidable if you do your research and ensure that your practitioner is fully skilled and highly qualified. Another small risk is infection, which could occur as a result of improper sterilization. To lessen the chances of this happening, it is important not to touch or rub the area after treatment.
Personally, I think that micropigmentation is an amazing procedure if it is able to help people who suffer from medical conditions that cause damage or loss to the body by helping them to feel more confident. I also think that it is great for cosmetic purposes, for example to fill in your brows or add a bit more colour to your lips, if it will allow you to gain confidence and feel happier within yourself.
I also think that if you are someone who spend a lot of money on a particular product, for example brow pencils or wear eyeliner everyday, it could be a great way to save money and time in the long run. However I do think that with cosmetic tattooing, just like regular tattooing, that once you start, it is difficult to stop and know where to draw the line. Personally, I think that cosmetic tattoos are a personal preference and if they’ll make you feel good, then go for it.
