Makeup: it’s beautiful, it’s fun, and it’s just another stunning way we can express our femininity and artistry. But anyone who’s ever woken up sporting raccoon eyes can attest—makeup can be a real drag sometimes. If you’re over having to scrub layers of foundation off you every night or you need something with a little more “oomph” to fill out some seriously sparse eyebrows, then you’ve probably already considered getting permanent makeup. This remarkable cosmetic treatment has been getting some serious buzz lately, but to be honest, the treatment is only as good as the esthetician performing it. Want to make sure the right person is performing your permanent makeup? For your peace of mind, Renew MediSpa’s gathered a few questions you can ask the esthetician performing your procedure.

What’s Your Training and Experience?

This is probably the most important question you’ll have to ask your esthetician. Performing permanent makeup or a similar procedure, microblading, requires a great amount of skill and artistry. That’s why it’s so important that you choose an esthetician that’s certified and highly trained—you want someone who has the experience to give you natural-looking results and a safe treatment.

How Permanent Is It, Really?

Because permanent makeup eventually fades, it’s really more accurate to say it’s “semi-permanent makeup.” The pigment implanted with permanent makeup is usually absorbed or sloughed off over time, which is why it’s crucial for people to maintain their results with a visit every 6 to 12 months. With microblading, you might need to get touch ups more frequently than that.

What’s the Difference Between Microblading and Permanent Makeup?

This question is a must because, while permanent makeup and microblading are sometimes used interchangeably, they’re really two different treatments.

Permanent makeup is performed using an automatic needling device to tattoo pigment into the skin. To create its natural, realistic results, your esthetician will use a technique called “hair strokes” to create the appearance of individual hairs. But it’s also not just for the brows—permanent makeup can be used for eyeliner, the brows, lining the lips, filling the lips, creating a beauty mark, and more.

Microblading is used to define the eyebrows. It uses a manual, blade-like tool to draw fine hairs on the eyebrows. Because it implants pigment much closer to the surface than permanent makeup, microblading lasts for a lesser amount of time.

You can have both techniques combined, so if you’re still not sure what you want, no worries—your esthetician will explain it to you.

So, How Many Times Do I Need to Get This Done?

Short Answer? A few times.

Long Answer? It’ll depend on different factors, like your skin tone, what you want to treat, and the quality of your skin. For many of our patients, it takes a couple sessions to get the full effects. If need be, your esthetician will add additional layers of pigment to intensify the color and otherwise refine the results from your last session.

After that, regular trips to your esthetician can help you maintain your beautiful new look.

I Won’t Look Like a Clown, Will I?

Permanent makeup isn’t forever—but it is long-lasting. With that in mind, the right esthetician will help you achieve a natural, understated look. The best estheticians won’t just look at the natural contours of your face and your skin tone to plan your new look—they’ll also apply a more delicate, refined approach to the tattooing itself.

Won’t It Destroy My Eyebrows?

Absolutely not. Both microblading and permanent makeup are gentle enough on the skin that they won’t affect your eyebrow hair.

How Painful Is It?

Topical numbing agents are used to lessen the discomfort of this procedure. As the artist marks on the area, it is reapplied several times so that it continues to get more numb through out the procedure.

Is There After Care Involved?

As with any procedure, you’ll need to make sure to take care of your newly-tattooed skin. First off, you need to follow your esthetician’s instructions on how to recovery properly from a permanent makeup treatment. Your esthetician will teach you how to keep the area clean, how to treat any side effects like swelling and redness, and how you can look out for any potential complications.

Am I Too Pale/Dark for Permanent Makeup?

Microblading and permanent makeup are both safe enough to be used on all skin tones.

The days of the dreaded Sharpie brows are over—permanent makeup is bigger, better, and more beautiful than ever before. But don’t just take it from us; let a skilled, certified esthetician like Renew MediSpa’s Jamileh Kheiri tell you everything there is to know about permanent makeup. Contact Renew MediSpa now, for a consultation.