Cosmetic tattooing is a way of introducing pigments into the facial skin to improve on the eyes and lips or any blemishes on the face. A needle containing the pigment releases it into the skin. The pigments are made of safe inert iron oxides and care should be taken to avoid cadmium and cobalt which are toxic.
Eyebrows, top and bottom eye lines, lip lines and skin blemishes undergo permanent makeup most often.
The problem with permanent cosmetics is that many clients choose a technician based on the permanent makeup cost and convenience of location. The work they do isn’t up to the mark. On the other hand, they claim that accidents can happen anytime and nobody can predict unfortunate circumstances. The accidents here do not deal with any infection related incidents. It is to do with the unforeseen visible results of permanent makeup.
What are they?
Color migration or what is called a blowout happens in normal tattooing and cosmetic tattooing is not an exception. Migration of color can happen anywhere the pigment is injected, but it seems that the face and certain parts of its tissue structure are prone to it, like the eyeliner. Pigment eyeliner migration is a common mishap.
Lightening of pigment – happens over time, with the use of certain skin lightening peels and creams.
Shape adjustments – a little want of symmetry for eyebrows, lips etc.
The accidents and their medical implications are another whole story.
It is preferable to do this under the supervision of a qualified tattoo artist who takes precautions. Practitioners include dermatologists, cosmetologists, tattooists and nurses. Hepatitis B and C can be contracted with equipment that has not been sterilized appropriately.
Keloid scarring, cold sores, fever blisters, allergies, adverse reactions to MRI on account of the ferromagnetic dyes are all some medical consequences of cosmetic tattooing going wrong. Allergic reactions may occur immediately or even after some years, appearing as a rash. Any pigment that is vegetable based is prone to causing allergies unlike iron oxide, which is the safest pigment.
So what happens when a cosmetic tattoo needs correction?
A cosmetic tattoo correction is required in two cases:
- When the shape needs to be improved
- When the color fades
In the first case, there is a product commonly known as magic color which camouflages the earlier tattoo and can be used on eyebrows, eyeliner and the lips. It is suitable for all skin tones, from dark to light.
Color correction – this may need different corrector pigments for different situations. For example, blue eyebrows will need a blue eyebrow corrector pigment, pink or orange eyebrows will need a purple eyebrow corrector pigment.
All corrections usually require more than one sitting and patience is required.
It is important to be trained in pigment colors and skin tones, since some pigment colors do not work well on some skin tones.
The other different methods of removal of cosmetic tattoos are:
- Laser treatment
- Dermabrasion
- TCA (Trichloroacetic Acid)
- Salabrasion (rubbing the skin with salt)
- Cryosurgery
- Excision
- Microneedling