Wouldn't it be nice to order "pre-done" makeup? Have a little makeup artist fairy visit you while you sleep, so you arise freshly painted? No more sleepy-fumbling for the eyeliner or spilling over your gy-normous cup of makeup pencils as you rush out the door. Yes, Virginia, you can wake up to a face that's already made up and look younger in the process.
People of all ages -- from 19 to 89 -- are flocking to get permanent makeup "tatooed" onto their faces. Not just the ladies, either.
And, if you haven't heard: It's not "clown-makeup." It looks natural!
I recently spoke with Dr. Laura Reed, owner of Artistic Cosmetic Solutions in Garden Grove, who's nationally certified, and who's performed thousands of permanent eye liner and eyebrow procedures. Talk about a prolific painter! That's 10 times the national average of procedures in terms of volume!
She tells me that convenience is a major factor for getting permanent makeup. But it's not just the time-challenged who get this service. Here are some others who are strong candidates for permanent makeup:
Cancer Patients -- Permanent makeup can be a life-changing service for people diagnosed with cancer who are ready to go through chemo and who know they will lose their eyebrows in the process. Then there's:
Heavy Lifters -- Active people who work out a lot and don't want to deal with makeup smudges.
Mister Magoos -- People who have a hard time seeing where to put the makeup.
Miss Slicks -- Women with oily skin who have to keep reapplying eyebrow pencil.
Frequent Flyers -- Heavy travelers who want to look refreshed on the red-eye.
Suzie Shakey Shakes -- Any gal who is losing her motor skills and can't seem to apply her own makeup any longer.So, as a person who knows that our cells are constantly turning over and renewing, is permanent makeup really permanent? Dr. Reed explains that permanent makeup is both permanent and semi-permanent:
"It is permanent from the standpoint of placement, i.e., an eyebrow design. "In terms of color, it's semi permanent. Although the pigment is implanted in the middle layer of skin, cells do turn over and the pigment will fade. The color fading will be faster or slower depending on if you smoke, are always in the sun or are taking any medications."So permanent makeup essentially is extended-wear makeup. You'll need to refresh every few years, but in the meantime, it's wash and go, baby!
What about the ink? Is it safe?
Well, the colors they use in permanent cosmetic tattooing are not inks or dyes -- technically, they are sterile pigments and they are regulated by the FDA. They are actually safer than real tattoo ink cuz they have larger molecules and the equipment used is more gentle than that jackhammer coil machine you see at your local biker tat shop. A topical anesthetic is used before application.
Is it dangerous to have permanent makeup applied to eyes for eyeliner or lashes?
Well, it's tricky -- so you want someone who knows their stuff ... and that's where Dr. Laura Reed comes in. She is a licensed optomatrist with 30 years of eye experience under her belt, so she knows all about the eyes, proper sanitization and ocular health.
She is one of a rare 10% of permanent makeup technicians who have any healthcare background. Hence, she's had to take three sets of national board exams, and a state board exam. You'd be hard pressed to find someone that can do an eyeliner as well as Dr. Reed -- and that's both in the artistry of design and overall eye safety and health.
Dr. Reed does two eye procedures -- permanent eye liner and eyelash face enhancement, which is implanting pigment on the roots of eye lashes to make the eyes look bigger and lashes fuller in an extremely natural and subtle way.
Shhh, she has lots of celebrity clients too -- but they'll never kiss and tell -- something about not wanting to be passed over for a role if the public knew they had cosmetic tattoos. Guess we will just have to guess who!
Amazingly, another cool procedure she does is tattooing a scar. Know how surgical scars or burn scars are white? Dr. Reed can tattoo a little pigment on the scar to match the background skin to help hide the scar.
Poof! No more messy makeup!
If you want your daily makeup routine to disappear, Dr. Laura Reed's practice is called Artistic Cosmetic Solutions - www.ArtisticCosmeticSolutions.com - and is located at 11612 Knott Avenue, Suite 12, Garden Grove, CA 92841.
She is a member of the Society of Permanent Cosmetics Professionals (SPCP), the oldest and largest organization that offers a standardized examination, so she is certified and nationally recognized.
Give her a call for a free consultation at (714) 393-4186 and tell her The Anti-Aging Analyst sent you!
Next Up: Shopping around for permanent makeup? Do you know what questions to ask and the absolute #1 thing you must look for? Check out my next article for ten must-know tips to help you best select the right place and technician.
Pitching Those Pencils,
~The Anti-Aging Analyst
