Out of all our Permanent Makeup procedures, most clients would say that eyeliner is the procedure they were most anxious for, and understandably so! It is not every day that we have a tattoo needle right up next to our eye, but I am here to tell you that eyeliner is much less invasive and scary than it sounds. As a Permanent Makeup Artist, I have done a multitude of eyeliner procedures and have found that, personally, eyeliner is the easiest procedure to complete and it takes almost no time to complete if done correctly. Although I can understand your worries when going into an eyeliner procedure, I can assure you that if you follow my advice, your eyeliner procedure will be painless, and the results will be beautiful.
First, we need to detail what an eyeliner procedure will be like in order to familiarize you with the procedure process. Upon arrival to your appointment, your artist will do an initial consultation and require you to fill out client registration forms. These forms will contain questions regarding any medical conditions you may have, contact information, emergency contact information and will also contain a consent form you will need to sign. These forms are necessary paperwork that the artist will keep up with throughout your relationship with the artist. During your consultation, your Permanent Makeup Artist will ask you questions regarding what you are looking to achieve through receiving a permanent cosmetics procedure. These questions will include things like: “Which color eyeliner would you like to receive?” “Do you prefer thicker or thinner eyeliner?” and “Would you like for me to pre-draw the design so you can get an idea of what it will look like once it is tattooed?” These questions will help your artist to understand what supplies they will need, and what type of procedure they will be performing. After you have completed your consultation and client registration, your artist will bring you back to the procedure room, which is set up for a new client. All artists will use single-use items and have the room sanitized to the CDC standards before they bring you back. Your artist will then talk you through the process and take a look at the area to ensure there are no skin irregularities that would hinder you from receiving the procedure. After the artist has done a thorough examination, they will apply a numbing agent safe for use near the eye that will be left on the area for 20-30 minutes. While you are numbing, the artist will remain in the room with you to ensure that if any numbing gets into your eye, they can wash it out for you. They will most likely be finishing the set-up for your procedure at this time as well. Once you have numbed, the artist will wipe off the numbing and do your first pass. Oftentimes this consists of a light tapping along the lash line to break the skin and introduce you to what the procedure feels like. Most clients say that they feel a tickling or pricking sensation, but no pain. As the procedure advances, the artist will continually numb you to ensure that you are comfortable throughout the procedure. They will continue to tattoo the area until they have reached the desired look, and then the artist will clean the area and show you the end result. You will then have a chance to ask the artist to apply more if desired. Once you have approved the end result, the artist will apply an aftercare cream and explain your aftercare process. You will, in most cases, be advised to come back in 6-8 weeks in order to receive a touch-up procedure that will maintain your procedure’s longevity.
Now that I have detailed the basic process of an eyeliner procedure, I would like to detail a list of things you should know before your eyeliner procedure and give some advice that can help your procedure to go more smoothly. Your artist’s number one concern is always going to be your safety and much of what they do is to ensure that the procedure will be safe for you. Next to this concern is the obvious concern for the final outcome, which you will give input as to what you will want. Understanding the process and what will be expected of you will help the artist greatly.
1. Assured Safety Through the Use of Client Registration
When going into a new eyeliner procedure, your Permanent Makeup artist will ask you questions about any eye conditions that you have. It is vital that you answer all questions on client registration forms correctly and honestly. Your artist only wants to ensure that the procedure is safe to perform on you, and if you have certain eye conditions such as conjunctivitis, or pink eye, your artist will want to wait until the condition clears up to perform the procedure. This prevents worsening your condition or spreading the condition to another client or even your artist themselves. Come prepared to your appointment with any information regarding eye conditions you may have. If you know you have an eye condition and still want to receive an eyeliner procedure, call and ask your Permanent Makeup Artist what their opinion is before your appointment. Oftentimes they will ask that you receive written permission from your physician before they will proceed with the procedure. This is all to ensure that the procedure will be safe for you, for future clients, and the artist performing your procedure.
2. Realistic Expectations
It is, first, important to establish that the procedure will be safe to perform on you, but then the question is about what your expectations of permanent eyeliner are and what you would like to receive. Many clients come to their Permanent Makeup Artist hoping to receive dramatic wings that extend out towards their temple that connects to the outside corner of their eye, but unfortunately, this kind of look is not something that can be achieved through the use of Permanent Makeup. Oftentimes clients who have received this type of procedure will have something called a blowout, or migration. This occurs when the pigment migrates from the intended site of implantation. Migration can look like a grey area right outside of the procedure area or can present itself as a black line extending down the side of your face. These are the types of mistakes we want to avoid at all costs when performing an eyeliner procedure. These types of mistakes, unfortunately, many times are unable to be fixed through correction procedures. Winged eyeliner is possible in Permanent Makeup, but most technicians do not offer it because of a lack of training. If you are extremely interested in winged eyeliner, shop around for a trained artist and be sure to ask what type of training they have received specifically regarding winged eyeliner. Otherwise, most Permanent Makeup Artists provide a thick eyeliner and thin eyeliner option that you can then extend out to be a wing through the use of traditional cosmetic makeup. This is the most realistic option for most clients, given that not every occasion calls for winged eyeliner.
3. What to Expect After Your Eyeliner Procedure
Immediately after your procedure has been performed, expect to look somewhat swollen. Most clients experience some amount of swelling associated with the procedure, but this swelling should go down within 24 hours. Proper and thorough aftercare is vital to the correct healing of any Permanent Makeup procedure, but especially in the case of eyeliner. If you do not take care of your procedure correctly, many times your eyeliner will flake off or fade quickly. Different Permanent Makeup artists use different aftercare methods, but the most common aftercare method is the wet method. Using this method, your artist will apply aftercare immediately after the procedure and ask that you clean the procedure daily and apply aftercare several times daily. You will clean the procedure with soap and water and most find that this is easily done using cotton balls to soak up a soap and water mixture. Many clients will clean their procedure first thing in the morning or right before going to bed, but whichever the case, aftercare cream should be applied immediately after cleaning the area and at least 4 times a day. Keeping the area moist with aftercare cream will encourage correct healing and will help you to maintain the pigment. Your artist will also ask that you do not pick at the area or rub your eyes. Sometimes the area can become somewhat itchy in the later stages of the healing process but avoid scratching the area at all. Scratching or disturbing the area can cause the pigment to pull out from the dermis layer of the skin and your eyeliner will appear patchy. As long as you follow the proper aftercare procedure, your eyeliner will look great after the initial healing process, but it is reasonable to expect some fading with most clients experiencing at least 25% of the procedure fading after the initial procedure. This is why most artists recommend at least one touch-up procedure 6-8 weeks after your initial procedure has been performed.
4. Continual Care for Your Eyeliner Over Time
Many times, your artist will give you a detailed aftercare sheet that includes a list of things you should do to ensure that your procedure looks good over time. This often includes solar care instructions and recommendations for yearly touch-ups. Most artists ask that you wear a hat when outdoors because exposure to the sun will cause your procedure to break down and fade more quickly. Finally, most artists recommend a yearly touch-up to keep your procedure looking fresh over time. Some clients’ procedures do not start to fade immediately, but after a year of having eyeliner many times, the procedure is no longer black but is looking more grey. Schedule your yearly touch-up in advance to ensure you are not on a waiting list, and continually abide by your artist’s solar care instructions to maintain the longevity of your procedure.