Permanently Beautiful

When choosing a permanent cosmetics technician, the expertise, experience and artistry of the technician are essential to achieving the beautiful, natural look you desire. In our November 19 post we shared some tips for selecting a permanent makeup technician from the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Proessionals. Today we continue with more tips:

• Ask about the technician’s background. Ask about experience and education. Find out how long the technician has been practicing in the industry. The application of permanent makeup cannot be learned in a two-day course. It requires continuous study to keep abreast of this rapidly evolving field and long hours of experience to perfect the exacting techniques involved in micropigmentation. Make sure the technician is Board Certified. Ask to see certificates of training and continuing education and inquire about professional organizations to which the technician belongs.
• Review the technician’s portfolio. To ensure that you are pleased with the end result, the technician’s work should match your personal style. When you look at the picture portfolio, pay attention to the details, such as the width of eye liner, depth of lip color and lip liner. Discuss your procedure with the technician and be clear about the look you wish to achieve. 
• Ask about experience in the specific procedure you seek. Different techniques are involved in applying micropigmentation to lips or eyes or the entire face. It is essential that the technician you choose have specific, long-standing experience performing the particular procedure you desire.

You should know that lip work is more advanced than eyebrows and eyeliner and that cheek blush and eyeshadow are the most difficult permanent cosmetic effects to achieve successfully. It takes years of experience and a certain artistry to create a beautiful, natural-looking permanent cosmetics effect. Choose a permanent cosmetics technician who can meet the challenge.

Choosing the right permanent cosmetics technician is critical. When you decide to invest in permanent makeup, your goal is to enhance and perhaps improve your natural beauty. You want the results to look beautiful and natural, not garish or artificial. The expertise, experience and artistry of the permanent cosmetics technician you decide to work with are critical to achieving the results you desire.

With its increasing popularity, permanent makeup services are more widely offered, sometimes by facilities and technicians with limited experience in the field. You should be aware that there are currently no uniform regulations governing the industry in the U.S. Because permanent makeup will permanently alter your appearance, it is essential that you carefully research any technician and facility you consider.

The Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals, which has been lobbying for the establishment of industry standards, recommends the following:

• Visit the site where the work will be performed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) do set standards for physical cleanliness and sanitary work environments. Ask to view the rooms where procedures are performed. Facilities should have the spotless cleanliness of surgical facilities. Rooms should be private to prevent contamination from other procedures being performed at the facility. Hot and cold running water should be available to technicians outside of the restroom.
• Meet the technician. Is their appearance clean and neat? Are their nails clean? Make certain that new gloves and clean sheets are used for every client. And, most critically, find out if new sterile needles and equipment are used for each client.

More on how to choose a Permanent Cosmetics Technician on Friday.