You will be welcomed to the studio and asked to complete the required paperwork.  For our records, before (and after) pictures will be taken.  You’ll then be invited into the procedure room where a numbing product will be applied to your closed eyes for approx. 20 minutes.  During this time, you will have the opportunity to discuss the color and shape you request, along with any other questions you may have.  The numbing product will be removed before eyeliner application begins.

In order for the pigment to be best applied, you will be asked to direct your gaze in upward and/or downward positions.  You will hear a buzzing sound if a machine is used to apply the pigment or a clicking sound if a hand tool is used.  You can expect the actual pigment application to take 10-12 minutes per eye.  The technician will be applying small stretches in order to stabilize the area being worked on and to insure blinking and twitching will not interfere with accurate placement of the pigment.  You can expect to feel excess pigment splattering on your face as the work proceeds. This is normal.

*If sensation changes during the process, be sure to inform your technician, so sensitive areas can be re-numbed.*

Finally, your eyes will be completely rinsed and cleansed, ice will be applied immediately after the procedure for 8-10 minutes.

A packet of A & D ointment for post care application as well as verbal/written instruction for procedure aftercare will go home with you.

Things to do: For people with seasonal allergies that use an antihistimine to treat watery eyes and are having the eyeliner prochedure done, know that an antihistimine taken one hour prior to your appointment may promote better retention of the eyeliner pigment.  For people with a history of cold sores an anti-viral medication prescribed by a physician must be taken for 7-10 days prior to your procedure. A prophylactic antibiotic is required for people who are diabetic or who require an antibiotic before dental work. Last but not least, relax! It is commonly stated that people are both excited and nervous about having permanent cosmetics applied. Getting all of your questions answered usually calms concerns. If you’re not familiar with deep breathing or stress reduction techniques, let me know and I can help  direct you with these. Things to avoid: steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflamatory medications unless prescribed by a physician, alcohol the night before, fat soluable supplements 3-4 days prior to procedures, use of latisse or similar lash growth products for at least two months before eyeliner application. Medications such as Acutane must have been discontinued for a full year and you must be at least four months post Lasik eye surgery if getting eyeliner done.

Relaxation is key to a positive experience and to achieving the best results!

For most of my client’s permanent makeup procedures, I rely on the hand tool method because I believe it does the best job. Luckily for those having permanent makeup applied, the hand tool method is also known to be less painful than machine methods. The hand tool method generally takes less time and produces the best results.

With that being said, it is also important to consider which area you are having permanent makeup applied to – eyebrows, lips, or eyeliner. A common assumption is that the permanent eyeliner procedure is the most painful. While some people do experience discomfort with having something working so close to their pupils, the eyeliner application is not the most painful.  Permanent eyeliner application is the fastest, taking about eight minutes per eye, and the sensation felt is usually that of a little tugging.

Of the permanent makeup procedures, the sensation felt during lip procedures are generally more potent and require more frequent numbing. The result is well worth it as the freedom from worrying about applying lipstick or if your lipstick has smudged, is priceless. Like the permanent eyeliner procedure, topical anesthetics are applied, never injected, to the lips to reduce sensation greatly.

Because the eyebrows are the least innervated and contain the thickest skin, permanent eyebrow procedures are generally the least painful. With the numbing cream applied, a permanent eyebrow procedure feels more like a persistent tugging of the skin that is very tolerable.

Overall, the topical anesthetics I use reduce the amount of discomfort involved to minimal levels. I understand that, for some people, the thought of pain stands as a very deterring factor to getting permanent makeup done.  Knowing what to expect is often enough to overcome any doubts or anxieties. The amount of discomfort is so minimal that it should not stand in the way of having those feelings of comfort, ease, and freedom related to permanent makeup. Always feel free to contact me with any further questions you may have.

Following a permanent eyeliner application, you will leave the office with puffy eyes, almost as if you had been up crying all night. Being as the eye is the fastest healing organ in the body, you will be completely fine to drive or go back to work immediately following the permanent eyeliner application. For the first five days, you may look as if you are wearing thicker and darker eyeliner but when the results settle you will be left with a subtle look that enhances your natural features.

Immediately following a permanent eyebrow application, your eyebrows may sting for a few hours. Swelling may occur but due to the natural thickness of the skin in that area it should not be very noticeable, if at all. Newly done eyebrows will appear unusually dark for about five to seven days following the permanent make-up procedure but once the results begin to settle, the eyebrows will lighten considerably to appear more like the result you were expecting following your permanent eyebrow application. After about six or seven days, your eyebrows may begin to itch a little as they exfoliate, which is a natural step in the process. The flaking allows the excess pigment surrounding the area to subside. Once the skin heals over the pigmented area, your eyebrows will no longer appear heavier and darker than normal but instead they will appear as the result you were hoping to achieve.

Following the permanent lip color application, the first day will bring about a swollen and tender feeling. Your lips will also initially appear as though you applied a bright, heavy coat of lipstick. Your lips will swell slightly but within days swelling will subside. After three or four days, your lips will feel as though they are chapped and will peel as a natural part of the healing process. After your lips are done peeling, the color of your lips will appear softer and more natural, depending on the result you were expecting.

For all permanent make-up applications, industry standards indicate that after about thirty days following the procedure, a second application is suggested to touch-up, fill, or correct the initial application if necessary. This second application generally ensures quality and the best result as well as increased permanence.

For aging women, permanent makeup can redefine features that may have faded over the years, bringing back your youthful beauty. Permanent lip color can redefine or reshape and fill poorly defined or faded lips. For women with thinning eyelashes, permanent eyeliner creates the illusion of thicker and darker natural eyelashes that you can wake up with everyday hassle-free.

For any woman or man with thinning or missing eyebrows, a permanent eyebrow application means never again needing to recreate eyebrows with conventional cosmetics and worrying about them smudging throughout the day. I’ve had women come into my office who had been avoiding beaches, lakes, and any occasions involving water for years for fear of washing off or heavily smudging their eyebrows. If this sounds at all like you, you are definitely a perfect candidate for a permanent makeup application.

So is there anyone who would not be right for a permanent makeup application? Naturally, there are a few restrictions. Generally, anyone who tans regularly in a tanning bed or who spends excessive time in the sun without SPF should not get permanent makeup since the UVA rays will alter and change pigment tones. Anyone with an existing medical condition or who regularly takes prescription medications should consult with their doctor first to ensure that the application will be safe. The pigments in permanent makeup are made up of minerals therefore anyone who regularly undergoes MRIs for the head should not get permanent makeup for fear of discomfort during the MRI scan and for affecting MRI results. With that being said, it is still safe to get permanent makeup if MRIs are regularly done for areas not around the head. People with glaucoma should also refrain from getting permanent eyeliner.

Overall, if you are able to get permanent makeup and have any interest in saving time and always looking your best, then permanent makeup is definitely something you should consider to improve your life and so you can always wake up looking fresh and ready for your day.

Permanent makeup will appear to be more natural than your conventional makeup. Unless you run around telling people that you had permanent cosmetics done, they will likely never know that you did. The idea behind permanent makeup is that you will look more naturally beautiful at all times – when waking up in the morning, after a shower, after working out, at the beach, and so on. Permanent eyeliner creates the illusion of lush, thick, and healthier eyelashes. Permanent lip color fills and restores lost pigment while also brightening and enhancing the lips. The permanent eyebrow color procedure fills and thickens missing or thinning eyebrows. You can think of permanent cosmetics as merely an enhancement of your natural beauty.

However, while some do prefer the more subtle look, others do want their permanent makeup to stand out. Permanent makeup can look as natural or as dramatic as you want it to. While many do prefer their permanent makeup to be more discreet, some do want a more dramatic and noticeable look. With my advanced training in permanent cosmetics and study of classical realism airbrush and illustrative art, I have developed a skill that translates into beautiful permanent cosmetics for my clients – giving them exactly the look they desire.

One thing to also keep in mind immediately after your permanent makeup procedure is that the results will initially look more intense and more dramatic than intended. The darker appearance subsides as results are allowed to settle.

The rotary pen machine is a small mechanical hand tool with a motor on it mostly used for permanent lip color or eyeliner routines but not usually for permanent eyebrow application. A tiny rotary-style motor moves machine parts in a circular motion causing the needle attachment to move rapidly up and down. Color is implanted by using various lining, shading, and pointillism techniques.

The coil machine is more commonly associated with traditional electric tattooing methods that body tattoo artists use, not having been specifically designed for use with permanent makeup application. Pigment is implanted in the skin by guiding the needle over the skin’s surface, penetrating through the epidermis to reach the dermis. While the coil machine works well for body tattoos, I find that permanent makeup routines done with the coil machine are much less permanent that those done with the rotary pen machine and the hand tool manual method which are more suited to permanent makeup application.

The hand tool method is my preferred method. Through my eight and a half years of experience, I have found that it produces the best results that generally last longer than routines done with the rotary pen machine. With the hand tool, no mechanization or electricity is involved. Pigment is implanted in the skin using various pointillism, lining, and shading techniques as the tool is set upon the surface of the skin and then lifted slightly forward and upward to penetrate the dermis.

Among permanent makeup artists, some prefer machine methods while other swear by the manual method. It all depends on the artist. I do my best work with the hand tool and I find within my clients that the hand tool presents the best results of all.

During a permanent makeup procedure, natural pigments are implanted beneath the epidermis, which is the top layer of skin, into the dermis, which is the second layer of skin. The process by which permanent makeup is applied was developed medically. While comparable and similar to tattooing, permanent makeup differs in some of the different techniques used and also in the types of pigments used.

There are three main techniques in applying permanent makeup: the rotary pen machine, the coil machine, and the hand tool. Regarding judgment as to which method is the “best method”, it really depends on the permanent makeup artist and what each individual prefers. The hand tool is my preferred method. I believe that it produces the most satisfactory and long-lasting results.

While the title “permanent” implies that permanent makeup lasts forever, it does fade and will likely require touch-ups. Permanent makeup is only “permanent” in the way that you will wake up every morning, take a shower, and it will not wash off. Due to the effects of things such as the UV damage, skin cell regeneration, and other environmental factors, permanent makeup is prone to fading or wearing away.

Interested in permanent makeup? Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns or to schedule an appointment for a procedure. Permanent makeup is one of those little things that really just makes life a whole lot better – whether you want to replace fading lip color, to brighten your eyes with eyeliner, or to fill in thinning eyebrows.

Following the initial visit, a period of four to six weeks is necessary to allow results to settle before assessing what needs to be touched up or brightened, if at all. The second appointment generally aids in increasing the permanence of your permanent cosmetic procedure whether it is permanent eyeliner, permanent lip color, or a permanent eyebrow procedure.

Depending on factors such as unprotected exposure to UV rays, body composition, and cellular turnover, touchups and color enhancements are generally recommended after three to seven years. Again, the amount of maintenance is determined on an individual basis. While one person’s permanent eyeliner fades within a couple of years, your permanent eyeliner may not fade for much longer. With that being said, you need to be absolutely sure that your intended permanent makeup procedure is something you are comfortable with having years down the road.

The procedure in question and the hue of pigment used also predetermines fading. Lighter permanent eyebrow colors will fade sooner than a medium or darker shade. Light to medium colored eyebrows may require maintenance every one to three years while eyeliner may need refreshing every two to five years.

Fading will be more or less pronounced based on how you treat your skin. Something I always recommend regardless of whether or not you have permanent eyeliner, permanent eyebrow color, or permanent lip color is to wear sun screen whenever you are outside! Sunscreen will block UV rays that are damaging to your permanent makeup. While they are wonderful for your skin, use of anti-aging creams and solutions that encourage cellular turnover also affect the longevity and vitality of your permanent makeup. There is no need to discontinue use of such products, but instead simply avoid applying them to permanent makeup sites. Smoking (also always a no-no) and certain medications also affect the dermis negatively which has an effect on the longevity of your permanent makeup.

Clearly, there is no simple and easy answer to “how long will it last?” Lots of internal and external factors need to be taken in account. However, permanent makeup, while not a no-maintenance procedure, is a low maintenance procedure – a simple, quick touchup in my office will keep your permanent makeup looking brand new and refreshed forever.

If you are currently considering a permanent makeup procedure, do not hesitate to give me a call, ask some more questions, and schedule a consultation.

Eyebrows are one of your most important features. They frame your face and are capable of making you look younger, healthier and full of life. Your eyebrows can make your eyes look fuller and brighter. Unfortunately, the glory days of the 90′s left many of us with thin over-waxed  and over-plucked brows thanks to the whole pencil eyebrow trend. Age also plays a role in the thickness of your brows.

A permanent eyebrow procedure is ideal for those with thinning or missing eyebrows but also those who want to experience fuller thicker brows. This treatment is a relief for those who pencil in thickness or non-existent brows on a daily basis. A permanent eyebrow treatment can compensate patchiness, scars that run through eyebrows or even the completely missing eyebrows of an alopecia or chemotherapy patient.

To enhance your brows, choose from a soft subtle look or the more defined hair simulation. Depending on your need and desired look, I can blend the exact shade and simulate the exact shape you have in mind. Through a thorough consultation, your desired look is very achievable. Browse my portfolio to contemplate your potential look or call me today to set up a consultation.