PMU Q&A

Microblading is a manual method of implanting a semi permanent pigment into your skin(brows).  A handheld tool with a little blade consisting of little needles is used to create hair like strokes. This is a natural semi permanent method to create fuller looking brows and hiding any gaps. Microblading is not suitable for oily skin types as the strokes will blur together due to pigment migration over time and create a blocky and patchy brow.
Ombre or so called powders brows are created using a semi permanent tattoo machine which implants the pigment in your skin(brows)with little pixels(loads of tiny little dots). This is a shading technique. Ombré brows are suitable for all skin types, even oily. Ombré brows can give you the nice make up look without having to wear any make up but they can also be very natural looking just giving you a very soft powdery look to hide the gaps and create fuller brows. Ombré brows do tend to last longer. 

Yes, if you are in good general health. Anyone can have semi permanent make up unless you have health issues/concerns that might affect the treatment and healed result or you show high sensitivity or allergic reaction to a patch test. Any skin type and any skin colour is suitable for semi permanent make up. If you have over plucked, sparse brows, you have undergone chemotherapy or suffer from alopecia or your brows just don’t grow how you would like them to or are not the shape you’d like them to be, you are a good candidate for semi permanent make up. If you are considering a lip blush procedure, you are good candidate if you want to restore your vermilion border, make your lips more contoured and noticeable or for them to look a tad bigger without having to get a lip filler.
These health conditions require a GP’s referral note to say that you are safe to get semi permanent make up done and will make sure I am covered with my insurance:

Abnormal heart conditions, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Rheumatic Fever, Artificial heart valves, Haemophilia , High blood pressure , Low blood pressure, Circulatory Problems, Epilepsy , Thyroid disturbances , Kidney disease, Stomach ulcers, Cancer, Stroke, Hepatitis , Palpitations, Heart murmur , Pacemaker, Anaemia , Prolonged bleeding, Diabetes, Auto Immune System Conditions, Liver disease, Glaucoma, Tumours, growths or cysts , Tuberculosis, Lupus, Shingles

Any of these conditions can be turned away due to health concerns to you or myself but please contact me for any more information.

Other contraindications that I need to be informed about include:

Cataracts, Dry eyes, Alopecia, Watery eyes, Eyelid surgery , Trichotillomania, Cold sores(herpes simplex), Gore-Tex Implants/silicon injections, Fat transfer enhancement , Dermal fillers, Botox, Dizziness , Blurred vision , Eye infections, Ocular herpes, Contact lenses, Chapped lips, Recent hair loss, Bruise or bleed easily, Use of tanning beds, Recent brow tint, Keloid scars, Accutane within 12 months, Chemical or laser peel within 6 months, Retin A within 6 months, Healing problems, Steroids within 6 months, Sensitivity to cosmetics, Scars healing darker than the rest of your skin, AHA within 2 weeks, Scarring in raised manner, Antibiotics, Other acne medication, Blood thinning medication

Please inform us of any health conditions/concerns that you may have and any medications/supplements that you are taking. Failing to do so may result in your appointment being cancelled and your deposit forfeit. You are not a suitable candidate if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Pain is managed with topical anaesthetics so you should feel comfortable. Please let us know if you have any allergies to lidocaine or ang other anaesthetics.

Healing process for brows and lips is very similar. You MUST follow given aftercare to the T or your healed results might not be as good as expected. Please do NOT plan any events or holidays for at least 2 weeks after the treatment.

Brows go through stages of looking very dark for the first few days, then the treated area starts scabbing over. This is the process that people don't really like but is part of the healing and is very important. Some people develop only a thin layer of dry flaky skin and some have a thick layer of crust/scab. Both are normal as long as you are following the given aftercare properly. Scabs will crack and peel off naturally and this process can take up to a week. Please NEVER PULL OR PICK OFF THE SCABS! By doing so you risk pulling out the pigment and scar the area. I will always be able to tell if you have picked off a scab. During healing avoid excess amount of sweat getting on your brows, no swimming pools or saunas, no sun exposure, no make up on the brows and do not touch the brows with your fingers unless washing or applying the given aftercare cream. Once the scabs have all naturally come off,  you will notice that the pigment is really light. This is due to skin regenerating as you will notice new milky appearing skin which almost hides the pigment. After about 4 weeks the pigment will start coming through again and only after about 5-6 weeks you will be able to see the final result. Brows also shrink a bit whilst healing. After 6-8 weeks you need to come back for a second session which is a perfection session and the healing process after the second session will again repeat itself. So you could say that the whole process of getting your new brows takes approximately 3-3,5 months. But the initial healing after each procedure takes approximately 2 weeks. Lip blush generally heals a bit quicker than brows and your lips don't really get any thick scabs, just dry skin.

Melanin rich lips and lips with darker undertones will require colour neutralisation first and each case is unique and individual so you won't be a suitable candidate for booking in for just lip blush. For example, if you have a blue undertone to your lips and I was to tattoo your lips with red colour your lips would turn purple instead of red because lip tattooing is not the same as putting on a lipstick on top of your lips, lip tattooing implants the pigment in the skin and each persons lip tone and undertone will mix together with the chosen pigment. Lip colour neutralisation sometimes requires 2 and sometimes even 3 sessions before the target colour can be applied. Melanin rich lips can also be prone to hypo or hyper pigmentation due to the trauma to the skin when tattooing lips. 

The cost is respectively higher than just one lip blush session, each neutralisation session is charged between £100-£150 depending on the saturation of melanin in the lips, the higher the saturation the more work it will require, each session must be 10-12 weeks apart. In some cases where the melanin saturation is not very high but the lips have a very slight blue or purple or grey undertone, it can be corrected and I can go in with the target colour straight away, it might only take standard 2 sessions, each of such neutralisations are charged at £50 extra per session. Before booking in or considering booking in to get your lips done, please email me clear pictures of your lips and I can advise you further on a treatment plan or it is advised that you book in for a face to face consultation. 

I don't top up other artists work. You will have to book in for a full treatment, I only offer top ups and yearly colour boosts to my existing clients. 

If you have any previous permanent make up, before booking please send me an email with clear pictures of your brows. If the brows have really faded and I can work over them straight away, that's brilliant. But very often old permanent make up will have to be removed(I also offer Botched Ink permanent make up removal)or colour corrected due to the old pigment changing colour(usually red/pink or grey/blue) or technician implanting pigment too deep which in turn turns the pigment blue or grey and leaves some scar tissue behind. Each individual case is different and I will be able to advise a treatment plan after seeing your photos or you can book in for a face to face consultation which is advised if you already have old semi permanent make up. Colour corrections are charged at £50 extra per session. 

In this case you will most likely be a good candidate for Botched Ink unless you have any of the listed contraindications or are allergic to aloe vera. A face to face consultation will have to be booked, I will then be able to advise on a treatment plan. Once your old brow pigment is light enough or completely gone, you can book in for new brows.

You will be asked to be off any retinA or any other peeling solutions, exfoliators etc. for at least 2-3 weeks. Please do not get botox injections near your brows at least 2-3 weeks prior. A week before your treatment you must be off any blood thinning medication, antibiotics or steroids, fish oil and vitamin E. 48 hours before, on the day and a day after the treatment you will be asked to not consume any alcohol or anything caffeinated including energy drinks, no aspirin or ibuprofen is allowed. 

Lip blush clients will be asked to start a cold sore treatment 2 days before on the day and 2 days after the treatment to avoid risk of cold sores due to the trauma to the lip skin which can in return activate a flare up or/and due to having a cold sore before. 

You will be provided with aftercare after your treatment and you must adhere to this aftercare every day until the brows/lips have healed. Failing to follow the aftercare will result in poor pigment retention. Me doing your brows/lips is only 30% of what determines your treatment success, the rest is pre care and aftercare. 

You will be given an aftercare pack containing a brows wash and a brow cream and instructions on how to take care of your brows. Lip clients will receive an aftercare pack containing a lip ointment to use during healing process and a SPF30 lip balm to use after the treatment plus all instructions. Only use the aftercare products provided unless you are allergic to them, never ever use something that you might think is better and never ever use any make up on the treatment area whilst it's healing. All aftercare info will be thoroughly explained to you after your treatment. Please don't plan any events or holidays at least 2 weeks after your treatment.