Reconsider these High-Risk Permanent Makeup Procedures

Here is my rule of thumb on turning down requests for various procedures. If I have to rethink it, worry about it coming back to haunt me, or if it will keep me up at night, I SAY NO!!!  

Here are some of the requests I choose to turn down… 

1. Wet line tattooing  

The mere thought of traveling over and possibly scarring and sealing off approximately 35 Meibomian Glands, (oil or sebaceous glands) sends chills right through me. It’s a big NO!!!  Each blink that we blink requires 2 systems; a Lachrymal System, which is your moisture or ability to tear, and a Sebaceous System, which produces the oil that coats your eyeball with every blink that you blink. Most people know where the tear ducts are that produce and drain our tears but where is this Sebaceous System located?  

 If you look closely at your wet line, focusing on the area closest to your eyeball, you may or may not be able to see approximately 35 tiny openings. These are your Meibomian Glands. They secrete the necessary oil or sebum needed to give you a comfortable blink. Tattooing across them can scar them, preventing them from secreting the necessary oil for a healthy blink, making this one of the procedures that can come back to haunt you. 

Your client with a wet line tattoo goes to her eye doctor complaining of scratchy, sandy feeling in her eyes and the doctor sees these tattoos, you are now part or all of your client’s problem. This reckless act casts a dark shadow over our entire profession in the eyes of the medical arena.  

 Please, just say NO! 

2. Freckles 

Recently, in conversation with a friend who is a plastic surgeon, he made the funniest comment about freckles. He said, if they are not round, they are not cute! I laughed out loud! In other words, they are from sun damage and not youth.  Tattooed Freckles are something that women think will make them appear younger. Even if they look good for a while, they will fade from the use of active skin care products, also from exposure to the sun and most likely change color and shape as they begin to fade. Now, no longer cute, she wants them off! We see this all the time! Painful laser removal and possible scarring can occur. I do not want to be a part of this! I just say, NO!!! 

3. Marilyn Monroe Eyeliner 

I still see, which is shocking, eyeliner tails tattooed right into the outer canthus (outer corner of the eyes). The inner and outer canthus are vulnerable areas for a couple of reasons. These are areas where migration can easily occur, and the outer canthus will show aging and droop downward. One day soon, your client will wake to find this once perfectly executed eyeliner tail sitting on top of her cheekbone and is dreadfully unsightly.  

Do you want your name on this procedure? I certainly don’t!  Just say, NO!!! 

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4. Under Eye Circles 

So many of these procedures were tried 25 years ago and aborted due to nightmarish results. This was one of them.  In order to tattoo a light shade of color, be it ink or pigment, in an attempt to cover dark under-eye circles on a Fitzpatrick 1-3, the color must be loaded white, which is Titanium Dioxide.  Titanium Dioxide is a huge molecule and tends to float to the top of any color it’s mixed with. We must also realize, as professionals, we are attempting to tattoo color into the thinnest skin on the body, where the density of Titanium Dioxide may show up clumping. This disastrous result cannot be removed by laser, as it will tend to carbonize or turn black.  Titanium Dioxide never leaves the skin…never! To contribute to it becoming more unsightly it can appear to be raised from the surface of the skin, as in dimensional. This is not a good look! 

Think about how body artists use white. They use it for reflection and to have something appear dimensional.  

Attempting an under eye cover up on a Fitzpatrick 4-6, can result in hyper-pigmentation, just from the intrusion of the needles. Dark circles are often caused by photo damage, caused by the sun. There are professional peels that can remove them on any Fitzpatrick!!! Yes, any!  Leave this to the highly skilled aestheticians!  

I urge you to just say, NO!!!  

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5. Tattooing a Raised Mole! 

Working in concert with countless medical practices in my 30 + years, I have seen staggering numbers of people with melanoma. Our baby boomers are statistically high but young people in their 20’s and 30’s are being diagnosed. It is tragic and most often not recognized yet alone diagnosed.  We are all aware the protection of our Ozone Layer has been steadily decreasing, making us all more vulnerable to this malady.  Tattooing something raised may conceal the possible threat of something turning to a malignancy or worse yet, a melanoma.  

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Just say NO!!! 

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Now, here at Beau Institute, we would love to hear about the procedures you said, NO to. 

Also, we didn’t speak about behaviors! They count too! Clients that lack respect for you by taking or making calls on their phones as you are attempting to work on them, even after you have asked them to refrain!  

Clients that cancel at the last minute, more than once and those that behave as though they are being beheaded as opposed to getting their brows tattooed!  

You can tell us about a specific behavior with either your concerns or your learned, healthy boundaries.  Stay tuned…more to come! 

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