Many different emotions can be experienced when walking into your appointment for permanent makeup. After all, it will be on your face to stay! Some of these emotions may be excitement, anxiety, joy, apprehension, or a mixture of all of these. Everyone that sits in my chair for the first time experiences at least one or more of these feelings to some degree. After talking with my clients about how they are feeling about the appointment and why, I have come to discover that much of the cause behind the anxiety or apprehension is simply not knowing what to expect. Let me help ease those fears right now with a thorough walk though of a typical permanent makeup appointment, no matter which service you are receiving.
The very first thing you will do is probably check out my website or social media accounts. At that point you will read a bit about me and view photos of my work. On my website you can also read answers to frequently asked questions, learn details about specific treatments and services, and view any current specials. You will even find reviews from previous clients, which are updated automatically from Google when new posts are added. At this point you probably have a pretty good idea of which service you are interested in, and somewhere around this stage is when most people reach out to me. If you are unsure
about whether a service is right for you or have any questions about the procedure, I'm happy to help you navigate the confusion and inform you of anything and everything you are wanting to know.
Fast forward: After filling out your intake forms and setting your appointment, the day has finally arrived! I will call you back into the room and the first thing I will do is take a few before pictures of the area. Once that is done, we will spend much of the next hour preparing for the procedure itself.
If you are getting brows, I will map the shape onto your brow area using a technique that measures off your unique features and facial structure. The color will be matched by me to your natural brow hair. We may even discuss in further detail which type of brow is most suitable for your skin type and personal preference. I'll apply some numbing cream and let it set for 20 minutes.
If you are getting eyeliner, I will jump straight into the pre-numbing process. Topical anesthetic is applied to the lash area. After it sets for 20 minutes, we will either get started, or if you want a winged liner then I will pre-draw the wing before beginning.
If you are getting lip blushing, the first thing I will do is put some topical anesthetic on your lips so they can start getting numb while we select a color. Once a color has been selected and the numbing cream has set for 20 minutes, I will wipe that off and pre-draw the outline around the border of your lips to ensure symmetry and a nice shape on your cupid's bow.
Once the preliminary things are complete and we finally begin the procedure, it will take generally around 1-1.5 hours. I work very lightly in the skin, so several passes will be done to layer up the pigment for a result that doesn't look "tattooed". I like to rotate from one area to the other after each pass. So for example, from the right brow to the left brow each time, from the top lip to the bottom lip, or from the right lash line to the left lash line. More numbing cream will be applied after each pass to keep you comfortable. Most client's say they "can feel it, but it doesn't hurt", although towards the end of the procedure the area may begin to feel tender.
You can watch a video of me doing some powder brows here.
When we are finished, I will take many after pictures and then explain the aftercare to you and send you home with an aftercare card to help guide you through the process, as well as some ointment to keep on the area while it heals. The first day and some of the next day you can expect the area to be swollen, slightly dark, and possibly tender. Over the next week, the treated area will lightly flake and the density of the color will subside.
I will see you back in the office 6 weeks later for your touch-up appointment, where we will repeat the exact same process. This appointment is so important! This is our opportunity to tweak the shape, perfect the symmetry, and adjust the color of your new permanent makeup. We will also finish the treatment by adding to the saturation of the pigment due to the lightening process that happens during the healing phase. Because of these reasons and the importance of this second session, it is included in your total price. After another 6 weeks of healing, you will be able to see your final finished results and enjoy your new brows, eyeliner, or lip color.
I hope this has been informative and helps ease the stress of deciding whether or not to get permanent makeup as well as the anxiety the appointment can bring. My goal is to walk you through every step so you always know what is coming next and what to expect so you can enjoy more excitement and overall satisfaction from your experience. As always if you have any questions, reach out to me anytime.