A successful eyebrow tattoo procedure begins by:

• choosing a certified permanent makeup professional (CPCP or the international equivalent) who will provide safe eyebrow tattooing services in a licensed clinic or health inspected private practice where strict medical-grade hygiene and sterilization standards are maintained.
• ensuring that the equipment used, be it high-tech digital devices or manual SofTap tools, will have single-use needles or disposable cartridges (such as the Nouveau Contour needle/cap cartridges).

To quickly find a micropigmentation expert in your area, view profiles in the Professional Directory where specialists are listed according to region. Each cosmetician, technician or micropigmentologist’s level of certification, years of experience and techniques differ, so consult various websites.

Make sure that your professional aesthetician or tattoo artist is certified. In the US there’s the Society of Permanent Cosmetics, and individuals who’ve been certified will use the term CPCP (Certified Permanent Cosmetic Professional). Facilities can be clinics, private practices, medical or plastic surgery centers, aesthetic / beauty salons or tattoo shops, but all must have a cosmetic tattooing area and a certified permanent makeup specialist who meets professional micropigmentation standards and follows strict medical-grade hygiene guidelines.

Check that:

• the initial consultations are free, or if there’s a small fee at the time of making an appointment, it’s later credited toward the cost of the procedure
• one or two touch-ups are included in the initial price. If additional charges apply for touchups, know in advance how much they’ll cost and calculate at least one touch-up into your procedure budget
• there’s a portfolio to view before and after pictures of tattoo eyebrows to determine if techniques, pigments and overall style is in keeping with your needs

Remember: some specialize in paramedical tattooing, others in soft natural-looking eyebrows, others in dramatic or artistic permanent eyeliner and tattooed eyebrows.

Watch expert Dorothy Kizoff perform an eyebrow tattooing procedure.

Book the Initial Consultation

• ask your specialist for pictures of tattoo eyebrows done on other clients
• discuss, and test, eyebrow shapes
• select pigments and have your specialist explain the techniques she/he will use
• ask for a pigment allergy test to be done a couple weeks before the procedure

You’ll be tempted to leave everything else in the hands of your expert, but eyebrow tattoo pictures and a brief consultation may not provide all you need to know, so read on. You’re about to have pigment permanently deposited under your skin (which may last 1-5 years or longer). It will form part of the look you present to the world every single day, so choose your eyebrow shape, pigments and overall design with great care.

Watch how it all begins in this video courtesy of expert Dorothy Kizoff.

Permanent Eyebrow Tattoos – General Overview

• it’s recommended to choose a micropigmentation specialist who’s experienced in the latest HAIRSTROKE and soft shading techniques using custom blended pigments to get the most natural colors and designs that mimic brow hair. You can add more color later, but tattoo removal or lightening is difficult. Tale a conservative approach and you’ll be more satisfied with the results.
• an eyebrow tattoo is a delicate procedure that requires technical skill, artistry, the correct instruments, needles, equipment and also demands the application of an ANESTHETIC to keep you comfortable before and during the procedure. An eyebrow tattooing procedure can be comfortable and trouble free if you have wisely selected a clinic, tattoo shop or professional aesthetician experienced in modern micropigmentation techniques and will provide a topical anesthetic to numb the region where the tattooed eyebrow will be created. This is essential because the micropigmentation needles rapidly penetrate and puncture the skin in a very small area during an hour or so and this can cause trauma to the skin in that delicate area. However, if an anesthetic has been applied, you can expect to feel a tickle at first, a bit of pressure and a tugging sensation, then a little stinging at the end.
• once the permanent eyebrow tattoo procedure is complete, get aftercare instructions and some basic items to keep the area clean and moisturized. Depending on the techniques used, newly tattooed eyebrows need care for 3 days - 2 weeks or more.
• be sure to schedule a follow-up visit with your specialist for 4-6 weeks after the initial procedure to check healing and do any touchups that may be required.

Cosmetic Tattoos versus Artistic Body Art

While body tattooing artists are skilled professionals that work in hygienic settings with specialized equipment to implant ink or pigment into the dermis, cosmetic tattoos (those that reconstruct hair-like eyebrows or add the appearance of fullness to thin brows, define the eyes with eyeliner or dot-like lash enhancements, lip liner or full lip pigmentation, paramedical procedures for areola repigmentation and scar camouflage) are different from artistic permanent tattoo procedures in some important ways:

1. Permanent Cosmetic Professional Certification

Professionals who are qualified to perform cosmetic tattooing procedures on the FACE and other delicate body areas (such as the breast for camouflaging surgical scars)may be licensed aestheticians or cosmetologists, nurses (RN), medical assistants (CMA), registered dental hygienist (RDH) and/or other professionals working within or near a medical clinic (for example: in conjunction with plastic surgeons)or in an aesthetic salon, but they must be certified micropigmentologists or permanent makeup technicians. In the United States such professionals use the abbreviation CPCP which stands for Certified Permanent Cosmetic Professional, and these individuals must undergo specific permanent makeup training in cosmetic tattooing using micropigmentation techniques with equipment designed for the permanent makeup industry.

2. Professional Micropigmentation Equipment

Most artistic tattoo professionals that work from a tattoo shop, studio or other private environment will utilize high-powered coil machines. While the equipment is indeed powerful and uses sterile disposable needles, and provides artists the ability to create precise outlining and artistic details, they’re not ideal for facial procedures in delicate regions such as the eyebrow, eyelids, lash lines and lips. Most micropigmentation specialists who provide permanent makeup services will choose high-tech digital panels connected to handheld devices, such as the Nouveau Contour systems with auto-adjusting or adjustable needle frequencies, adjustable depth penetration with single-use cartridge-style needle/caps that eliminate cross contamination, are lightweight and provide exceptional control. The PMU rotary-style machines, needles and pigments for delicate facial procedures are specifically designed for cosmetic purposes and require qualified, certified and experienced technicians to use them properly.

3. Techniques for Cosmetic Tattoos

The techniques used by an artist in a tattoo shop versus those used in a permanent makeup clinic or salon are based on similar principles – that of depositing pigment to a specific depth and with a certain number of needle punctures per second to achieve a desired design or effect. However, creating eyebrows, for example, requires knowing the hairstroke technique which simulates individual hairs, especially for patients with alopecia (who have no hair)or adding a powdery filler between hairs to provide a 3 dimensional shading effect that looks as natural as possible. Permanent eyeliner techniques may involve depositing a single drop of pigment between lashes to create the illusion of thicker / darker eyelashes, but only in the lash line. Other techniques provide subtle outlining of the eyes, smudging techniques on the eyelids to provide soft shadowing with pigment blends that may involve mixing colors to achieve flesh-tones that go with specific skin types. Areola reconstruction and repigmentation is a field with specialties all its own, and scar camouflage involves providing realistic flesh pigments to make white scars appear less visible. Cosmetic micropigmentation requires a different type of artistic skill and a series of highly specialized techniques, for which certified permanent cosmetic professionals undergo extensive training and are tested.

4. Cosmetic Micropigmentation Clinics versus Tattoo Shop Artistry

Artists working from a modern tattoo shop will offer excellent hygiene, sterile equipment with disposable needles, anesthetic and a comfortable environment, however a tattoo shop is more often an artistic center for body art with all the charm that goes with that field, while in most cases, permanent makeup will be done in a cosmetic micropigmentation center, clinic or salon that resembles a medical or dental facility. PMU procedures are most often done in a clinical environment (inspected and certified by a local Board of Health authority), and it’s not surprising this is the case. Cosmetic tattooing procedures are done in a medical-type atmosphere partly because many of the “clients” who want such procedures are in fact “patients” seeking help to correct or minimize the effects of medical conditions such as alopecia, Vitiligo discolorations, skin pigmentation disorders, post-surgical scars, lip contouring to minimize wrinkles, correction of asymmetrical facial features – lips, eyes, brows and post mastectomy areola reconstruction and repigmenting and/or post cosmetic surgery scar camouflaging. In many cases, cosmetic tattoo professionals are skincare and beauty professionals that also have a medical or dental background and may work in cooperation with cancer centers and reconstructive or plastic surgery clinics. The professional care, hygiene and comfort level offered by cosmetic tattooing professionals should equal that of a medical facility or surgical clinic.

5. Multiple Permanent Makeup Procedures

Cosmetic tattooing or permanent makeup is not only for the brow. Many people schedule several sessions (or multiple procedures in one day) to have tattooed eyebrow procedures and also get their eyes lined and lips enhanced or filled with color. Each procedure takes about 1 hour.

A successful eyebrows tattooing procedure requires these 10 basic things:

• a well trained and experienced permanent makeup specialist or aesthetician
• a good sketch drawn onto your brow with the final shape YOU want
• the right pigments that will match your skin tone and hair color
• receiving proper anesthesia before the procedure begins
• the use of a modern rotary tattoo machine or a SofTap manual tool
• the right selection of needles for the right style of cosmetic tattoo
• numbing creams or anesthesia during the procedure to ensure comfort
• proper application of aftercare products immediately following the procedure
• aftercare products to avoid swelling, excessive scabbing / itchiness / infection
• a follow-up visit with your tattooing specialist a 2-6 weeks after the procedure

The Anesthesia or Numbing Agent

Most numbing agents are safe for eyes, eyebrows and lips and some creams are very smooth and effective especially those that contain about 4% Lidocaine made especially for eyebrow permanent makeup applications. Some professionals use a blend of Lidocaine and Epinephrine and other experts, with years of experience, have developed their own proprietary anesthetics especially designed for delicate permanent makeup procedures. There’s no reason to grit your teeth and endure pain if sensation begins to return to the area. Even if the micropigmentation tattoo procedure is underway, instant numbing agents help keep clients comfortable and allow the skin to relax without getting dehydrated as the aesthetician creates permanent makeup eyebrows, lips or eyeliner.

Avoiding Bleeding

If you tend to bleed, this may not only be uncomfortable and unhealthy but it may get in the way of the technician’s work. It’s difficult to make fine lines and use feathering techniques if there’s constant blood. There’s a special gel that can eliminate most of this; a coagulating gel that stops bleeding and swelling (specific for use during the creation of permanent tattoos) and can be combined safely with other numbing cream or instant painkilling ointment. It also contains Epinephrine. Don’t forget to tell your cosmetician beforehand if you tend to bleed more than average so she/he can have the right products prepared.

Eyebrow Tattoo Needles

You may not need to know what tattoo equipment or what needle your cosmetic permanent makeup specialist has chosen, it may suffice to see her/him remove it from a sealed wrapper and insert it into a machine to know it’s sterile and disposable. Nevertheless, if you’re curious, you can ask your specialist about needle sizes and find out that round ones are mostly used for adding filler to brows and for creating thick eyeliners and sometimes for filling lips.

(Note: A lip tattoo is different from lipliner or a full lip filling tattoo in that a lip tattoo is usually thought of as a decorative mark inside the lip - done in an artistic tattoo shop, whereas a cosmetic tattoo is for adding color to the entire lip. The round needles for tattoo makeup that are often chosen to eliminate scaring on delicate areas such as procedures done on the lips.)

There are 2 prong round needles which ensure that pigments are deposited more quickly and evenly. The angle of the needle is also important. It’s imperative that there be no back suction of pigment and blood. (The latest Nouveau Contour cartridge style needles and the engineering of the equipment prevents this and makes cross contamination virtually impossible.) 3 and 4 prong flat needles may be used to prevent excessive bleeding and are better for leaving fewer scars in delicate areas. 6 prong needles that are flat may be used for lipliner and to mimic fine brow hairs. 7 prong round needles provide strong lines and fill areas quickly.

Eyebrow Shape with Stencils

The eyebrow shaping consultation with a permanent cosmetic professional is imperative. She/he will use an eyebrow pencil or semi-permanent pen to create an initial sketch. You can help by getting professional stencils and trying various designs beforehand, then when you’re at the consultation you’ll know if the shape suggested is what you want. Cosmetic tattooing is permanent and it’s on your face! Get the eyebrow shape right the first time so won’t need to think about eyebrow tattoo removal.

Temporary Eyebrow Tattoos

If you want to test what shapes best suit your face shape and brow structure, it’s a good idea to try temporary tattoo brows that are smudge-proof / waterproof and will give you an idea what to expect prior to the “real” permanent tattoo procedure. Temporary tattoo eyebrows come in many styles and colors. Temporary eyebrow tattoos are easy to apply. There’s a pen from Sephora that’s waterproof and creates a temporary eyebrow tattoo or eyeliner that will provide an idea of what to expect. Just keep in mind that brows drawn-on with a pen (or the temporary tattoos that stick on) are not custom designed and won’t mimic feathering or hairstroke techniques. Nevertheless, if you like what a semi permanent eyebrow tattoo looks like, you’ll probably be delighted with the real ones.

More Suggestions for Temporary Eyebrow Tattoos

Try false eyebrows from NU-BROW® to decide on a shape, or use an instant stick-on eyebrow stencil, then fill with a semi permanent eyebrow pencil, like the ones from Styli-Style (Styli-Style Brow Liner 24) or the Styli-Style Browtints, which are like markers. There’s a great way to test whether you’ll like an eyebrow tattoo (or other permanent cosmetics) by asking your micropigmentation specialist about the Magic Styl’o semi-permanent pen that mimics the effects of an eyebrow, eyeliner or lip liner tattoo. The Magic Styl’o semi permanent makeup pen is sometimes used by cosmetic tattoo artists to draw temporary hair on the brows (and other areas) before doing the actual procedure and sometimes to create the initial outline. These temporary eyebrow tattoos (that can be expertly drawn-on by a professional) will last 24 hours or longer. Ask your technician if she has the semi permanent Magic Styl’o pens so you can give your brows, eyeliner or lip tatoo a trial run before making them permanent.

Eyebrow Tattoo Cost

Eyebrow tattoo cost is relatively affordable, especially since the alternative is eyebrow implants (eyebrow transplant surgery) which costs between 2 and 3 thousand dollars. Yet, even expert master micropigmentologist’s eyebrow tattoo price ranges around $400 to $800 per procedure. To get exact permanent makeup price quotes and see tattoo eyebrows pictures by experts in the industry, consult the list of professional permanent makeup experts in your area that can be found in the Professional Directory.

Eyebrow Tattoo Aftercare

Once the eyebrow tattooing procedure is complete, your permanent makeup cosmetician will apply something to sooth and protect the newly tattooed area. Tattoo care is important right from the start. The brow area has had a needle inserted into the skin hundreds of times and requires help to heal. It needs something to calm the swelling, ease the stinging, protect from infection, and moistures the skin. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize – that’s the key to eyebrow tattoo aftercare. You don’t want your new brows to scab-up and flake away. Watch how beautiful the results can be in this video courtesy of one of Toronto’s top cosmetic eyebrow tattoo masters - Dorothy Kizoff.

Tattoo Care at Home

Don’t panic if your brows begin to itch and form scabs. Don’t pick the scabs. Don’t rub the area. Pat gently, splash with cool water, apply ice, sooth with aloe and fragrance-free lotion or use analgesic ointment to calm the itching. Its best not to wash the brow area (just splash with cool water) and don’t scrub them in the shower or take long hot baths for about a week.

Trouble with Brows

• If your permanent make up tattoo appears too dark, don’t worry. Eyebrow tattoos often look darker than expected for a few weeks, but they usually fade.
• If you’re unhappy with the shape, if there’s been a mistake or they don’t appear to be healing properly after 48 hours, call your micropigmentation specialist. She/he will explain what can be done to correct the shape, design or color after 4-6 weeks.
• If everything isn’t perfect, don’t sulk. Make an appointment with your permanent makeup specialist and plan how to fix things. Most lightening procedures or minor corrections are best done as soon as possible.

Give Your Brows a Month

In most cases, brows will heal in a couple weeks but give them a month to fade a little and heal completely. Never have a procedure done anytime near a special event. Plan your cosmetic eyebrow tattoo procedure for the least eventful month.

Reasons For Permanent Cosmetic Tattooing

• Some women with eyesight problems forgo makeup because they can’t see what they’re doing. Other have shaky hands and find it difficult to apply eyeliner or use eyebrow pencils. For these ladies having eyeliner or eyebrows permanently tattooed makes life easier.
• Another reason women opt to have permanent facial tattooing is because of allergies to commercial cosmetic products.
• Women who’ve undergone chemotherapy or suffer from a hair loss illnesses find cosmetic tattooing an affordable alternative to expensive hair replacement surgery.

More Information

• Browse a list of suggested permanent make up and cosmetic tattooing books that are available for sale through Amazon
• See professional credentials, learn individual specialties and quickly find a qualified eyebrow tattoo expert in your area using EbT’s Professional Directory.