What You Need to Know About Permanent Makeup for Women of Color

Permanent makeup or tattoo makeup has changed a lot since it first appeared in the 1980s. It no longer resembles a worn tattoo line around the facial features. Now, with the top-notch professionalism of a skilled permanent makeup artist, permanent makeup looks natural and seamless.

 

However, permanent makeup has always been a tricky business for women of color. Melanocytes, which are present in our skin cells, give our skin its unique color. Beyond that, melanin-rich skin has its own complications when it comes to permanent makeup. It's clear that color doesn't show up as much in women of color, or doesn't look quite the same as expected. It takes an experienced and well-trained permanent makeup artist to make the color pop and last longer on darker skin. Given that most permanent cosmetic procedures cannot be reversed, it is crucial to find a certified technician who will take the necessary steps to perform permanent makeup procedures on women of color.

 

 

If you are a woman of color, you may be confused about the skin undertones necessary to pick the right pigment for your microblading procedure. 

 

The best way to find out is to look at the Fitzpatrick scale. It's a helpful tool for permanent makeup artists, especially microblade artists who work on brows and lips.

 

The scale is purely based on the amount of melanin in the basal layer of the skin's epidermis. Since melanin can be black, brown, or blue, the same pigment will look different on different skin tones. You can simply take the Fitzpatrick Skin Type Scale test, the results of which depend on factors such as genetics, response to UV exposure, and tanning habits. This will help your permanent makeup artist choose the right pigments for your skin, giving you a natural look and healing faster and lasting longer.

 

 

When it comes to permanent makeup, all you need is a natural look that blends in with your skin. It sounds easy, but it's actually challenging for women of color to execute. This is because women of color have a higher percentage of melanin and oil glands compared to fair skin. 

 

As a result, the healing skin can experience hyperpigmentation (overproduction of melanin resulting in darker areas) or hypopigmentation (underproduction of melanin resulting in lighter areas) following a permanent makeup procedure. 

 

For example, if a light pink pigment is used on lips with African American skin, it tends to turn an unattractive purple over time. Likewise, in Indian skin, the darker shadows on the brows will lighten over time, thus defeating the purpose of doing so in the first place.

 

Analyzing skin type and undertones is a critical step that needs to be done before going on with a permanent makeup routine. This is because skin pigment is certainly not "one size fits all". Every skin type is different and absorbs pigment in different ways. If not done properly, the microblade brows will give off a bluish tint with cool undertones on the skin. If the skin has warm undertones, it may end up looking pink or orange. Understanding color theory to choose the right shades to perform a permanent makeup routine can make a dramatic difference to results.

 

 

The depth of the needles in a permanent makeup machine can determine the amount of pigment transferred to the skin. 

 

If the needle is too far away, it will block the ink flow and will not produce a saturated color effect. 

On the other hand, if the needle is too low, it may cause the pigment to overflow the client's skin. 

 

In both cases, how far the needle must go into the skin depends on how thick the client's skin is. When the needle goes to a shallow depth, the pigment will only reach the upper epidermis, so the surgery will not last. On the other hand, if the needles go too deep, the skin will take longer to heal and cause scarring and an unwelcome grayish-white return.

 

 

Permanent makeup is a popular beauty procedure that is versatile and suitable for all skin tones and types. However, intradermal pigmentation is a barrier between permanent makeup and women of color. Many permanent makeup artists, microblade artists, and aestheticians usually take the plunge. 

 

Patch testing is always recommended before such rarely reversible permanent procedures. 

 

With the right knowledge about color, skin undertones, and technique, you can definitely achieve the desired results. We hope that with this article, we can provide you with a comprehensive guide to permanent makeup for women of color. If you want to buy permanent makeup tools or permanent makeup pigments, please contact us.

Charming Tattoo is a professional custom permanent makeup tools and pigments manufacturer. We adhere to the policy of R&D innovation and quality first. In order to control quality and color difference, we implement various quantifiable data indicators to ensure that each batch of products in the hands of customers is matched and has the same standard. The company has certificates issued by various international authorities such as CE, RESAP, ISO9001, SGS, MSDS, REACH, GAMMA RAY, etc. to ensure product quality.