It’s no secret that permanent makeup has become increasingly popular. It has been the talk of the town ever since it came into the limelight. Over time, permanent makeup has proved to be one of the most advanced and successful cosmetic procedures to date, and it is only getting better with time.
More and more people are going for permanent makeup to save time and effort and to appear effortlessly beautiful.
However, there seems to be a misconception going around about permanent makeup. People think that it does not need any touch-ups or maintenance for a long period.
That couldn’t be farther from the truth. So, let’s elaborate on why maintenance and touch-ups are important for permanent makeup.
What is a Touchup?
Let’s first understand what a touch-up is. When the permanent makeup has retained its definition and tone, and has only faded in color, it requires a touch-up. In this case, the makeup artist will inject the pigment again, as needed, to freshen up your looks.
However, in case your permanent makeup has lost its definition, has changed in color, or never retained a full color, it needs a correction. In that case, you should also start looking for a new permanent makeup salon for your yearly schedule.
Permanent Makeup is Affected by Many Factors
Indeed, permanent makeup does not need looking after on a day-to-day basis. However, like all forms of art, permanent makeup is susceptible to changes over time. That’s where the need for touch-ups comes in.
Think of permanent makeup as a freshly done painting. Right after the artist is done creating their masterpiece, do they just leave it to be? Not at all.
No matter how perfectly the artists executed the painting, the painting will always be vulnerable to dust, moisture, physical contact, sunlight exposure, and many other environmental factors. Luckily for the artists, paintings can be preserved and kept inside four walls forever.
We can’t do the same to ourselves, so we must maintain the makeup artists’ work on our brows and lips by going for touch-ups every 6 to 12 months.
Let’s have a look at some factors that can affect the overall appearance of permanent makeup over time:
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Exfoliants
If you maintain a religious skincare and haircare routine, then you’d have to be a lot more diligent about touch-ups than others. It’s because the use of physical and chemical exfoliants stimulates cell turnover. The dead skin cells shed faster, and newer ones replace them, making your skin youthful, plump, and healthy. Unfortunately, the new skin cells also replace the pigmented layer of skin fast. Faster, if you go for professional chemical peels every few months.
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Hobbies and Lifestyle
A stay-at-home mom or someone who works from home every day can take longer breaks between their touch-up sessions compared to those who are out on the field every day. It is because sun exposure can fade out the permanent makeup faster.
The same goes for someone who swims frequently, lives in a hot and humid country, or does physical activities that lead to sweating heavily. Saunas are also pretty good at fading permanent makeup faster. All the sweat and water in the pores make it difficult for the pigment to hold on for longer. Therefore, you’d require frequent touch-ups and maintenance to make your permanent makeup last longer.
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Medical Conditions and Certain Treatments
Certain medications, such as Accutane accelerate the rate of cell turnover. The dead skin cells shed so fast that your face feels like it has dandruff. It improves over time and leads to amazing skin. However, it also ends up fading the permanent makeup a lot sooner than is normal.
You can’t have a permanent makeup procedure while you are on Accutane. However, if you start taking it after your procedure, you’d have to get frequent touch-ups.
An important point to notice here is that certain medications such as Accutane are mutually exclusive to permanent makeup.
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Color of Choice
Sometimes, if you go without touch-ups for a long time, your brows may turn blue or green and appear unsightly.
The reason behind this is a phenomenon called oxidation. This occurs when the pigment’s molecules are exposed to oxygen in the air, which causes them to break down and change color.
It doesn’t happen with every color but only with specific ones. Pigments also change colors depending on their chemical composition and the conditions in which they were applied. For example, iron oxide-based pigments are often used in permanent makeup, and they can turn blue or green when exposed to certain chemicals or UV light.
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Quality of the Pigment
Pigments of subpar quality may appear all right when freshly injected, but they show their true colors with time. In that case, not only will you have to go for touch-ups, but you will also have to look for a reputable and professional makeup artist.
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Technique
A factor that can contribute to pigment discoloration is incorrect application techniques, such as using too much pigment or implanting it too deeply into the skin. In addition, the body’s natural response to foreign substances can also cause pigments to shift in color over time.
In that case, you can only walk around if you get touch-ups and corrections from a skilled permanent makeup artist.
Get the Beauty That Never Fades
The touch-ups needed for permanent makeup may sound like a lot of work, but they are not. Going to the salon once a year for the upkeep of your beauty is much easier than doing your brows, lashes, scalp, and lip blush every day.
If you went to a highly skilled makeup artist in the first place, you’d need fewer touch-ups. You can go over a year without an appointment. Not just because their technique and pigment are high-end, but also because they take care to educate their clients on how to keep them from fading faster.
If you are on the lookout for such a diligent salon in Louisville, KY, you’re in luck. At The Brow Babes, we offer top-tier services to our customers. Our technicians are trained, our artists are passionate, our pigment is high-quality, and our clients are always happy with us. Our priority is always you, the customers.