How To Choose Your Permanent Make-Up Practitioner
Women (and men) all over the world are becoming aware of the benefits of having make-up which does not wash off or run when in the shower or caught in the rain. These people realise how wonderful it is to wake up each morning looking beautiful, or with a disguised scar. What a time saver too!
Permanent make-up is being discovered by people from all walks of life - professional women, sports men and women, those with poor eyesight, those with allergies to cosmetics, people with scars, the physically challenged and those whose work prohibits the everyday use of conventional or camouflage cosmetics.
So, have you decided to have permanent make-up? What next? Choose your practitioner with GREAT CARE, as you would a doctor, surgeon, dentist etc. If you don't you may spend a lifetime of regret. You could be unhappy with either the shape or colour, blue and red eyebrows and black liplines are some of the common mistakes that Dawn is asked to either correct or remove each week in her Retford Clinic. At present there is not an official governing body for permanent make-up, and therefore virtually anyone can set up as a permanent make-up practitioner.
The following list of guidelines will help you in selecting a professional and experienced practitioner.
- Ask if they give a patch test prior to treatment. This is necessary for your own protection
- Ask if you will be given written aftercare instructions to take home
- Does the salon meet the following criteria relating to establishments under the regulations for skin piercing?
- Washable and non porous flooring and work surfaces (No blankets or towels - everything should be disposable)
- Hot and cold running water
- A dedicated room which does not allow the circulation of contaminants such as hair spray or acrylic nail dust
- Does the practitioner have short, clean unvarnished nails?
- Are new VINYL gloves used for each client? (NOT latex as these could cause an allergic reaction)
- Is the system they use for the procedure COMPLETELY DISPOSABLE?
- Is there a yellow sharps box for contaminated needles?
- Do they have yellow clinical waste bags? These, by law, must be used for disposal of materials that come into contact with body fluids. They are collected at regular intervals by either the local council or a contract firm
- Look for an eyewash station
- Ask what the company policy is for dealing with needlestick injuries
 Ask how you will be seated for the procedure. You should be sitting upright but in a slightly reclining position NOT lying flat on a couch. Would you put your own make-up on whilst lying flat on a couch and holding a mirror above your head?
- Ask to see the practitioner's portfolio. Is it her own work? Do you like it? Remember a glossy leaflet may look nice, but it might be mass produced, available to anyone for purchase, some have been known to be altered by computer
- Is the trolley spotlessly clean and dedicated to the equipment and materials required for the procedure?
- Look out for other equipment such as wax pans, electrolysis machines, manicure equipment, false nail materials or anything else not related to permanent make-up. This may indicate;
- That not many permanent make-up procedures are carried out in the salon
- That the standard of hygiene may not be acceptable .There should not be anything else on the trolley or work station during a permanent make-up procedure
- DAYLIGHT BULBS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE CORRECT CHOICE OF COLOUR. Fluorescent lights take out the red and therefore cast a blue tinge to the pigments. If the practitioner selects or mixes colour under these conditions, the colour is likely to be wrong and the client could end up with too much red in the eyebrows, or not with the colour lipline that she requested
- Look for certificates on the walls. Did the practitioner train in this country? If not, there is a possibility that she may not be insured
- Ask to see the current insurance certificate - it should be on the salon wall
- Ask to see the licence. Not all Local Authorities require a licence, but some do, certainly a licence is required in London, and other large city areas. Check with your environmental health officer if you are in doubt
If you are not happy with the response to ANY of the questions - or are met with a blank look - make an excuse and LEAVE.
REMEMBER - If you are still not sure, or if you have any questions at all to ask concerning cosmetic tattooing, telephone the Dawn Cragg Hotline. If the line is busy when you call, leave your name and number and Dawn will personally return your call.
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