FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General questions

What is permanent makeup?

Permanent and semi-permanent makeup is the implantation of pigment into the skin in specific areas to enhance a person’s natural features using a dermograph or a manual tool (microblading).

What is the difference between permanent and semi-permanent makeup?

The main difference is the level of pigment implantation in the skin. The intensity of the color and the saturation of the pigment (number of layers of implanted color) will affect the duration of the makeup. Most makeup today is semi-permanent.

With semi-permanent makeup, the pigment is implanted in the first layer of the skin (the epidermis) and the techniques are created with low pigment saturations, so the makeup will fade over time. The Hair Effect and the Powder Effect for eyebrows, as well as the Lip Blush Effect for lips created with a dermograph are semi-permanent techniques. The same goes for the microblading technique. Touchups are recommended every 8 to 16 months.

For a makeup to become permanent, the pigment will be implanted in the second layer of the skin (the dermis). Intralash and eyeliner for the eyes are permanent techniques. As well as the eyebrow Ombré Effect. All created with a dermograph. Touch-ups are recommended every 16 to 36 months to revive the color.

What do I need to know before scheduling an appointment?

There are contraindications (see next question), so if you are taking any medication or have any health problems, please inform the technician of them.

A touch-up to maintain the result every year will be recommended.

For information on general preparations, aftercare, healing phases and procedures upon arrival, please see the ” Pre-appointment preparations” page.

What are the contraindications for permanent and semi-permanent makeup?

A doctor’s note will be required if you currently have or have had any of the following conditions:

  • Epilepsy
  • HIV
  • Hepatitis
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart problems
  • Having had cancer in the last 2 years
  • Taking anticoagulants on a regular basis
  • Having a defective immune system, such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, fibrosis, etc.

Contraindications :

  • Being pregnant
  • Be in the breastfeeding period
  • For anyone who has had injections, make sure that they have taken place 2-3 weeks before and do not
  • do any 2 to 3 weeks after the procedure
  • Have had a previous allergy to a tattoo or semi-permanent makeup
  • Have an active cancer
How to find the right pigmentation technician for you?

Each client requires a different treatment, approach and technique. It is important to know that each skin has a different texture and a different undertone of color to neutralize. There is no eyebrow that is the same or has the same measurement.

Training in permanent and semi-permanent makeup is not the subject of a single training. A technician in this field will need to seek out certain additions to their course such as a deeper knowledge in colorimetry, different style of hair placement to create more realistic effects, a lot of practice on practice skin before creating a facial feature that will stay for months on a client, etc.

Each technician has his/her own style, vision and care for their clients. Qualifications and priorities vary for each technician. Here are some tips to ask and validate this information with your technician during your search:

  • Ask and validate, if necessary, his or her qualifications to see if the techniques are up to date.
  • What is the experience with pain (especially for lip pigmentation), is an anaesthetic cream used
    at the beginning of the procedure?
  • What kind of pigment is used, as some have the risk of staining the skin, including those with a
    high concentration of ink or iron oxide? To learn more about pigments as a client, see the
    question below.
  • At what level of implantation does the technician work at for the techniques you are interested
    in?
  • And what do you need to do and/or know before the procedure?
Why is permanent makeup not what it used to be?

The big difference with the permanent makeup technique of the past and the one of today is the depth of implantation, the pigments used and the innovative techniques. In the past, people sought makeup in the form of a tattoo which was a deep procedure and ink was in the skin.

The internet and social networks have revolutionized the technique of permanent makeup. Now innovation and related information are at our disposal and the means to learn from great international masters are much easier.

We now know how deep to go into the skin for the different effects desired. Pigments are either repelled by the skin, faded by the weather or digested by the body in the long term if a semi-permanent procedure has been opted for. And now, a Hair Effect or a discreet make-up effect is possible for a natural and semi-permanent effect.

What should I know about touch-ups?

A touch-up during an initial procedure is crucial to a beautiful long-term result. The technician can take into consideration the quality of healing your skin is taking. Perfecting the details of pigmentation and color will give a more beautiful effect, longer. For example, if the color turns slightly gray or red, you may not see it, but the technician will be able to detect it and modify the color so that you don’t have red or gray eyebrows in the long run. The same goes for a section where the pigment has not taken as well.

For permanent procedures, a touch-up to revive the color should be planned every 12 to 36 months depending on the color and the client’s desire.

Touch-ups consist of the same steps as the initial procedure.

What affects the duration of pigmentation?

The type of skin; oily skin renews itself more quickly so the features created will fade more quickly.

The color used; the lighter the color, the faster the color will fade.

The maintenance; prolong the duration of your pigmentation by applying a sun protection before outdoor exposure and avoiding any AHA based product, fruit acid, exfoliating or for pigmentary spots.

Choosing the right technique for your skin type. Please refer to the description of the different techniques offered to know which clientele this one targets.

Questions about the procedure

I can't decide on the right technique for my eyebrows, what is your advice?

My first advice is to prioritize a search for a semi-permanent makeup that will last you about 1 year with a technician who cares about your long term result instead of looking for a makeup that will last you 2 to 5 years, to save the cost of a yearly touch-up, and that your skin will remain stained with a twist of color until you remove it with a laser. To stay with beautiful eyebrows for years to come, the extra cost is worth it.

50 years and over:

Microblading is not for you. To achieve beautiful results with microblading, the skin must be in perfect
condition. Therefore, if the technique is used on a more mature skin, the result will simply not be what we would have wished for. In addition, the manual tool used with microblading is more likely to traumatize the skin. With less natural regeneration of the skin than before, microblading could give a “blotchy” effect over time, as the skin cells will not be able to regenerate completely.

Opt for a technique that includes the permanent makeup machine such as the Hair Effect with dermopigmentation or a Powder/Ombré Effect if you have more oily skin.

Oily skin :

The Hair Effect is not for you. The Hair Effect, which is the creation of thin lines, tends to disappear from the skin more quickly than the Ombré Effect. Oily skin renews itself more quickly with its natural excess moisture, which gives the Hair Effect a blurred effect after only a few weeks and will last only 6 months.

Instead, opt for the Ombré technique or a well-saturated Powder Effect.

​Very very dark skin such as African origins:

Microblading and, to see, the Hair Effect is not for you.

Worked superficially into the skin as well as the Hair Effect that looks more discreet and airy, the result will not be there once healed. You will be disappointed and feel like you wasted your money.

Opt for the Ombré Effect which will give you a glamorous effect. The combination of your skin color and the brown/black used will work well together without looking too intense.

Very very pale skin, such as Russian origins :

Microblading and, to see, the Hair Effect is not for you. For the microblading procedure, the lightest colors in our pigment palette that we use to get beautiful results in microblading are not light enough for this skin type. If the right color for you is used, it will fade after only a few weeks, because the pigment is implanted very superficially in the skin. You will feel that this expense was not worth it.

Instead, opt for the Hair Effect with dermopigmentation or a light Powder Effect. The dermograph used in this technique will deposit the pigment perfectly so that you have a beautiful result to your image. It is important to know that the lighter the color used, the faster the result will dissipate. It is expected that a Hair or Powder Effect can last you 6 to 10 months.

Does it hurt?

The answer to this question may differ from technician to technician. For me, the comfort of my clients is one of my priorities even if the anaesthetic products are the biggest expense in the procedure. A lot of research has been done on my part to assemble all the little details possible to make the procedure the most comfortable for my clients, I love it when my clients fall asleep during the pigmentation.

A numbing cream is applied first to reduce pain during the first pass, which lasts 2 minutes and is known to be the most painful part of the procedure. The average first pass felt is only 2-4/10, with 10 being unbearable. Afterwards, a liquid anaesthetic is applied which reduces the pain felt to zero, 2 out of 3 clients fall asleep on my table.

A good knowledge of the implantation depth is necessary for an almost painless procedure.

What are the risks of permanent and semi-permanent makeup?

The risks are especially high when you have not chosen the right technician for you. See above for my advice when searching for a technician. It can happen that a lack of experience, listening or practice on the part of a technician can lead to an undesirable result that requires the tattoo removal procedure to start over. It is important to consider that the healed result does not stop after 6 weeks of healing, but when aging months later.

The risks of allergies are not excluded, it is very rare, but has happened in other institutes. Consultation with a doctor will be required to get the right medication if an allergic reaction occurs.

The choice of a semi-permanent procedure (less deep in the skin than permanent techniques) is always less risky in terms of satisfaction, reaction and long-term healing.

Otherwise, if there are no contraindications to the procedure, you have taken the time to choose the right technician for you, have opted for a semi-permanent procedure and have no new health condition that arises during the procedure that would contraindicate you from having the procedure done, pigmentation is safe.

Why do we see eyebrows that have aged blue or red?

Updating is very important for a technician. When permanent and semi-permanent makeup became popular again, there were a few details that were still not well known. For example, the pigments used and their long term effects;

An iron oxide pigment with a poor needle quality will turn the pigment red in the skin over time. An inkbased pigment implanted too deep with too much saturation will turn into two large bluish permanent spots over the months following implantation.

Today new ranges of balanced pigment are offered, the under tone and skin types are better considered, as well as the color types. A client will have the perfect color and long term aging with one range of pigment, and another customer, the same range will not be suitable.

The technician must be up to date in his/her knowledge.