The purpose of Permanent Makeup procedures is to enhance the natural features on a client’s face. Cosmetic Tattooing is soft and subtle.  It is meant to be a natural looking enhancement.  Body Tattoos use ink while cosmetic tattooing uses iron-oxide based pigments. These pigments are designed to gently fade over time.  Fading is desired as it allows the artist to make changes to colour and shape over the years as client’s natural colouration and facial changes occur.

 A highly effective, topical anesthetic cream and/or gel is used to numb the area before and during your procedure.  Pain threshold levels vary from person to person and every effort is made to ensure you remain comfortable for the entirety of the procedure. 

Every procedure is performed under strict sanitation and sterilization rules.  Each client’s procedure is performed using disposable needles and parts. The pigments used are iron oxide based and contain FDA approved ingredients for cosmetic use.

Vancouver Cosmetic Tattoo uses various pigments which come in a variety of colours which are specially formulated with iron oxide, a naturally occurring mineral that is safe for the skin.  Organic ingredients, such as vegetable dyes, are not used as they have high risk of carrying bacteria and causing infection or allergic reactions. 

A Cosmetic tattoo treatment is permanent and will not wash off.  However, it will fade over time and may need a touch up every 1-3 years.  Frequency of touch-ups depends on several factors including the pigment colour used (lighter colours fade faster), lifestyle, sun exposure, and if any chemical peels meet the treated areas.  Clients with iron deficiency may lose colour faster as the body absorbs iron oxide as a supplement.

We always analyze our client’s skin undertone to anticipate how pigment colour will fade in the future and therefore mix formulas to ensure colour remains in the same tone.  There are some cases, however, which make colours fade to different tones depending on the individual response to the pigments. Many factors affect these changes such as skin tone and iron deficiency.  In your touch-up appointment we analyze how your body has responded to the initial colour.  At that time special formula alterations to correct the colour and to prevent further colour change will be made.

For most clients, a minimum of two treatments is usually necessary.  We wait for the initial treatment to heal completely (6-8 weeks).  Touch-ups are normal for cosmetic tattoo procedures with each new procedure requiring al least 2 visits.  Lips may require one additional appointment.

Lips – if you have EVER had a cold sore/fever blister/herpes on or around your lips, you MUST obtain a prescription from your health care provider and inform him/her that your intention is to have a lip tattoo.  You must take this medication as per your doctors’ instructions.  Failure to take this antiviral medication may well cause an outbreak which in turn will compromise the results of your lip procedure.

Eyeliner – Wear your regular glasses instead of contact lenses.  Do not wear mascara (especially waterproof mascara) as this is more difficult to remove and doing so will cause the eyes to be more irritated and sensitive.

Eyebrows – If you have an ideal shape and colour in mind, you may bring a few reference photos to your appointment.  You may fill in your eyebrows as you normally would so we ca take into consideration the shape you desire.  If you regularly get you eyebrows shaped, waxed, threaded, or tinted, please do so at least 3 days before your appointment.  If there are any stray hairs that fall outside of our final shape, we can remove them.

Vacation – If you are planning a vacation, it is recommended to plant his trip a minimum 10 days after the procedure. 

Medication – We require our clients to avoid any blood thinning medications a minimum of 72 hours prior to their appointment including Vitamin E, Niacin, fish oil supplements, Ibuprofen and Aspirin. THIS MUST BE DISCUSSED WITH AND CONSENTED TO BY YOUR PHYSICIAN.

Accutane – If you have been on prescription Accutane in the past, you MUST wait at least one year before considering this procedure.  It is highly recommended that you avoid SUN and TANNING BED exposure for 30 days BEFORE & AFTER your procedure.  If you show up for your appointment with a new tan or a sunburn you will need to reschedule.

Alcohol – Please do not drink any alcohol the night before and the day of your appointment and limit the amount of caffeine you consume. 

Your permanent make-up will appear darker, bigger and the colour more intense than expected for the first few days. You may also experience swelling and tenderness. All this is transient and will gradually decrease over the course of the week. It will be approximately 1-2 months before the natural result will be seen.

Specific post care instructions will be discussed and provided in writing. Most essential instructions are to keep the treated areas moist, do not rub or pick as the colour will peel off and avoid extreme heat such as saunas, Jacuzzis, steam rooms, places with hot humidity such as hot yoga.