Confused about Permanent Makeup? A Beginners Guide.

Getting permanent makeup (PMU) can be a big decision for some people. It is after all, a tattoo on your face. OK, maybe it won't last forever (for everyone), but it should still be thought about with seriousness and the benefits should be weighed out with the risks involved.

For most people, getting PMU is a life changer. I've heard clients tell me that it was literally the best thing that they ever bought. PMU can restore confidence in people, it can fix flaws and it can be a big convenience to some. Whatever the reason, PMU is not such a taboo subject anymore. And it's come a long way from your grandmother's big square, blue eyebrows.

Eyebrow treatments are by far the most popular treatments I do (and most likely every other artist right now), so I want to focus on just brows in this article. Unfortunately, the world of PMU does not have a standard system of terminology and most artists can use any terminology they like to market their treatments . I've put together a handy little guide to help guide you in the right direction on your brow quest and to make sure you understand the confusing jargon of the industry.

1. Do your homework.
With anything that you're going to invest in, you should know as much as you can.

The first that you probably noticed is there are a few terms that are used to describe the treatment that you're after. Words like 'permanent makeup' and 'semi permanent makeup', 'cosmetic' or 'makeup tattooing' are all used and are essentially the same thing.

They all describe the process of micropigmentation (another word for ya). In super simple terms, this just means that pigments are put into the skin to produce a different colour.

What results can you get from it? It's important to have realistic expectations. You don't need to be an expert, but you should have a good idea of what you want.

2. Pick a style of brow that you like.
This is probably where it gets most confusing. There are actually very many words that essentially describe the same things.

Microblading
This technique is when a manual tool is used to make small lines that mimic your own hairs in your brows. This treatment is great for people who want a really natural looking brow. This is the treatment that has put permanent makeup in the spot light for several years now, but it's not the only treatment to get you perfect brows. And it's not really suitable for everyone. You will see that some brands will have their own style of this completely. Sometimes the hair strokes are long and elegant whilst some are short and packed in. What pattern do you like best?

Pros: Totally natural look, can fill in gaps in brows and add fullness
Cons: Not suitable for those with oily skin, deep set wrinkles or very dark skin.
Other names for this treatment: nanoblading, 3D, 4D (or any other number with a D indicating dimension), feathering, hair strokes, Phi Brows, eyebrow embroidery


Powder & Ombre Brows
This is two different techniques, but it's usually grouped into one as it's the same method of application. These techniques are done with a machine. The machine is similar to, or can be a tattoo machine.

Rather than creating lines like microblading does, these techniques create shading or a series of dots that get layered up, resulting in a powdery look.

Powder brows are usually the same colour saturation throughout, whilst an ombre brow is shaded lighter at the head of the brow and darker at the back. The great thing about these techniques is that they can be customised. You can get light and airy, dark and bold or anything in between.

Please note: these techniques are not always done by someone who does microblading.

Pros: Brows have more shape, definition. It tends to last a bit longer than microblading and is suitable for all skin types, including older skin or darker skin.
Cons: If you haven't had eyebrows for awhile, this treatment can look great, but sometimes can be a bit of a shock when you're not used to it.
Other names for these treatments: Shading, manual shading, Phi Sombre, solid brow

Combination Brow
This treatment is literally a combination of microblading and powder/ ombre. There are several ways it can be done: hair strokes in the front and shading at the tail or hair strokes throughout with a lighter shade over top.

This is my most popular treatment as it allows you to have a natural look, but a bit more defined than just microblading on it's own.

Pros: Natural but defined look.
Cons: Not suitable for oily skin.
Other names for this treatment: blade and shade, combo brow, hybrid brow

3. Pick your artist.
As microblading takes off, many people are jumping on the 'get rich quick' idea and are starting to preform the treatments at rock bottom prices. Be wary of this as they may have minimal training and/ or inferior method and equipment being used. This can lead to dangerous consequences. Not only can you walk out with messed up brows, but this can lead to scarring and/ or infection (bacterial and/ or viral).

This is not something that you should be shopping around for the cheapest price. This is your face. Why spend all that money to only have to spend more to fix your brows? It doesn't make sense.

To give you a bit of context, I once contacted Groupon as a means to build my portfolio. I thought it would be a good way of getting a high volume of clients. I'm sure that Groupon works for many other businesses, but in this business, equipment and supplies are not that cheap. I decided against going with them as they wanted me to charge so little that I literally would have not made enough to cover my supplies. This means in order to make even a small profit, I would have to get cheaper supplies. As a cosmetic tattoo artist, this is something that I was not prepared to do.

There are allot of microblading artists that use the service and ones like this, and unfortunately, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Don't risk your face or your health to save a bit of money. Don't get me wrong, there are good artists using discount services, but again, make sure you do your homework and ask questions.

When you are looking for an artist, you should be looking for someone that is awesome at doing that style that you chose before. A good artist will give you a recommendation if that is not suitable for you.

Make sure you check out photos of before and after as well as healed photos of their work. Feel free to ask them about their qualifications and experience. Make sure that you will feel comfortable in their establishment. Personally, I don't feel comfortable in a beauty salon, so I would look to booking in a tattoo shop.

4. Listen to your artist.
When you find that awesome artist to do the work you want, listen to their suggestions. They go through pretty thorough training (usually) to give you the best shape and colour. So even if you've been drawing your brows on the same way for years, you may need to come to a compromise.

If you think about it, a PMU artist's business is your face. The work that they put on your face will be their billboard. You will almost be wearing their business card.

They will draw a shape on that flatters your face using some measurements and by going off natural features of your face. Sometimes it's hard to change, but let them know what you have in mind if you don't like the shape they draw. If you can't come to an agreement, then the procedure shouldn't be done.

5. Follow the Aftercare.
Yes! You did it! You have amazing eyebrows that are going to last allot longer than that pencil! You just spent a good chunk of money on them... take care of them! After the treatment, your artist will give you instructions on how to take care of you new investment. Make sure you follow it.

If your friend got different instructions, make sure you follow your artist's. Aftercare can differ from artist to artist. Sometimes, if you don't follow their aftercare, they may not do the touch up that is usually included. This part is so important as the wrong aftercare can lead to scarring, premature fading and/ or infection.

I hope this has been helpful to you and has cleared up any confusion.