Permanent Make-up

Permanent make-up: a tattoo on the face

Permanent make-up is a tattoo, in law and in craft. The pigment sits about 0.5 to 1 millimetre deep, higher than a body tattoo, so the face breaks it down over 1 to 3 years rather than decades. Since 4 January 2022 every ink used in the EU has had to meet the REACH restriction on more than 4,000 substances, and the pre-drawing you approve in the mirror decides more than the price.

What is placed in the skin and why it fades

A permanent make-up machine or a hand tool drives pigment through the epidermis into the upper dermis, roughly 0.5 to 1 millimetre down. A decorative body tattoo goes deeper, typically 1 to 2 millimetres, which is why it stays for life while eyebrows, eyeliner and lip colour do not. The immune cells of the skin work on the pigment continuously, the face has a denser blood supply than an arm, and ultraviolet light breaks the particles down further, which is why a brow that spent a summer unprotected looks paler in September than in May.

The usual figures are 1 to 3 years for eyebrows, 2 to 3 years for eyeliner and 1 to 2 years for lips, which fade fastest because the tissue is thin and constantly moving. Oily skin, a light shade, pigment placed too shallowly and a retinoid routine all shorten the interval. After that the work has softened rather than vanished, and a refresh builds it back up; anyone promising 10 years is describing a body tattoo.

Microblading, powder brows, lash enhancement and lip blush all fall under the same definition: the EU restriction on tattoo inks names permanent make-up, cosmetic tattooing, micro-blading and micro-pigmentation as tattooing. The tool changes the look, not the legal status; our guide on microblading covers the hand-tool variant.

Why the colour changes tone, not just strength

If the colour simply grew lighter, fading would be easy to live with. In practice the tone drifts, the most common complaint about 2 years in. Brown pigments for brows and lips are almost always blends of red, yellow and black iron oxides, often with titanium dioxide to lighten the mix or carbon black for depth. The components do not break down at the same rate. When the yellow and black fractions go first, the red iron oxide is left behind and the brow turns salmon or orange. When a cool, carbon-based black remains after the warm fractions have gone, the result is a grey or blue-grey shadow, the classic look of an old eyeliner.

Skin plays a part too. Pigment under a thin, pale epidermis reads cooler than the same pigment in olive skin, and colour placed too deep turns ash-coloured. An experienced practitioner corrects for this with a warmer or cooler modifier and will tell you which shade is in the mix and why. If a brown is promised to heal exactly like the sample, ask what the sample is: colour on paper says little about colour 0.8 millimetres inside the skin after 6 weeks.

Tone is adjusted at the first touch-up, typically after 4 to 8 weeks. Healed colour is normally 20 to 40 per cent lighter than on the day, and only healed colour shows the true undertone.

The rules on the inks

In the European Union the chemistry of the ink is regulated through REACH, entry 75 of Annex XVII, introduced by Regulation (EU) 2020/2081. Since 4 January 2022 mixtures for tattooing, and that includes permanent make-up by definition, may not contain more than 4,000 listed or classified substances above set limits. The limits are strict: 0.00005 per cent by weight for substances classified as carcinogenic or mutagenic, 0.001 per cent for skin sensitisers, 0.0005 per cent for nickel and 0.00007 per cent for lead. Two phthalocyanine colourants, Pigment Blue 15:3 and Pigment Green 7, were given an extra 24 months because no substitutes existed; since 4 January 2023 they are excluded as well, which affects body tattooing far more than brows and lips.

The same entry sets the label. Every bottle must carry the statement Mixture for use in tattoos or permanent make-up, a batch number, the full list of ingredients in descending order and, where relevant, a warning that it contains nickel or chromium (VI). A mixture without that statement may not be used at all, and the person doing the procedure has to give you the label information before starting. So you may ask to see the bottle; a studio that works cleanly will show it and note the batch number in your record.

Outside the EU the picture is patchier. The United Kingdom left EU REACH before the restriction applied; after a call for evidence in 2021, the government decided in December 2025 to draft its own version, with a 2 year transition for suppliers and a further year for practitioners to use up stock. In the United States no colour additive is approved for injection into the skin, and a 2024 dermatology review found training requirements varying widely from state to state. Wherever you are, the checklist below asks what the regulation would.

Healing, touch-up and the weeks around the appointment

The first 3 days bring swelling and a colour that looks 30 to 50 per cent too dark. Between day 4 and day 10 the surface flakes; eyeliner is usually settled in 5 to 10 days, brows and lips in 7 to 14 days. Under the surface the pigment keeps settling for 4 to 6 weeks. For the first 7 to 10 days keep the area dry, unpicked, free of make-up and out of direct sun; afterwards a sun protection factor of 30 or higher slows fading considerably, and the Sun Exposure Timer helps with the daily dose.

Some timing rules come first. Stop retinoid creams on the area 1 to 2 weeks before. After oral isotretinoin most practitioners want 6 to 12 months to pass, because the drug slows wound healing. Botulinum toxin should be at least 2 weeks old and dermal filler at least 4 weeks old, because both can shift the shape you are drawing against; a 2024 review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology lists fillers and local anaesthetics among the reasons finished work can migrate. If you get cold sores and want lip colour, ask your doctor about antiviral tablets started 1 to 2 days before, because the needle trauma reliably triggers an outbreak. Blood thinners increase bruising, so mention them beforehand; most practitioners decline pregnant or breastfeeding clients, since no ink is tested for either, and ask anyone with a pacemaker or another implanted electrical device for written medical clearance first. Active infection, eczema or a fresh sunburn on the area postpones the appointment too.

Hygiene is where a tattoo is a tattoo: single-use needles opened in front of you, gloves, a fresh pigment cup, no dipping back into the bottle. A 2024 review cites a study in which 10 per cent of unopened ink bottles were contaminated with bacteria and 28 per cent inadequately sealed, so ask whether bottles are dated once opened. Infections, allergic reactions and small nodules called granulomas are the documented complications; red pigments cause the most allergies, and reactions can surface months or years later.

One question people ask late is about MRI scans. A 2023 analysis of 20 permanent make-up inks found magnetic iron minerals, mainly magnetite, in 8 of them; the reported effect is a transient burning or warmth in the treated area, not lasting damage. Tell the radiographer before the scan.

Five things to settle before the first needle

First, the pigment: shade name, label statement, batch number. Second, the needles, opened in front of you. Third, the pre-drawing: the practitioner measures the face, draws the shape in pencil and hands you a mirror, and nothing is stitched until you have said yes; those 10 minutes are worth more than any portfolio. Fourth, the touch-up, which belongs to the treatment because healing takes 20 to 40 per cent of the colour with it, so it should be in the price and scheduled 4 to 8 weeks later. Fifth, what happens if you do not like the result.

The honest answer to the fifth question is uncomfortable: correcting is difficult and removal is slow. Laser removal takes 5 to 12 sessions at intervals of 6 to 8 weeks, and complete clearance is not always possible. Worse, iron oxide and titanium dioxide, the very pigments used for brows and lips, can turn black under a laser pulse, which is why a test spot of a few square millimetres comes before any full session and why some countries reserve laser removal to doctors. Saline removal is slower and less predictable. Our guide on permanent make-up removal covers the options.

Prices reflect time rather than pigment. Across Europe a set of brows costs roughly 300 to 800 euros, eyeliner 250 to 600 euros and lip colour 350 to 900 euros including the touch-up, and in the United States 400 to 1,200 dollars. A quote well below that range usually saves on one of the five points above. Which one is the question to ask.

Questions to ask before you book

Frequently asked

How long does permanent make-up last?

Typically 1 to 3 years: eyebrows 1 to 3, eyeliner 2 to 5, lips 1 to 2. The pigment sits about 0.5 to 1 millimetre deep, higher than a body tattoo, and the well-supplied skin of the face breaks it down faster; sun, oily skin and retinoids shorten the interval.

Is microblading a tattoo as well?

Yes. The EU restriction on tattoo inks names permanent make-up, cosmetic tattooing, micro-blading and micro-pigmentation as tattooing. Microblading uses a hand blade instead of a machine and usually lasts 1 to 2 years.

Why has my brow colour turned reddish or grey?

Brown pigments are blends of red, yellow and black iron oxides, often with titanium dioxide or carbon black. The parts break down at different speeds, so after about 2 years the red iron oxide or the cool black can be left behind on its own. A touch-up with a corrective modifier usually puts it right.

What changed for the inks in the EU?

Since 4 January 2022 REACH entry 75 restricts more than 4,000 substances in tattoo and permanent make-up inks and requires the label statement 'Mixture for use in tattoos or permanent make-up' with a batch number and full ingredient list. Pigment Blue 15:3 and Pigment Green 7 followed on 4 January 2023.

Can I have an MRI scan with permanent make-up?

Yes. Iron oxide pigments occasionally cause a transient burning or warmth in the treated area during the scan, and a 2023 analysis found magnetic iron minerals in 8 of 20 permanent make-up inks. Tell the radiographer beforehand; lasting damage has not been described.

Can permanent make-up be removed?

By laser, usually 5 to 12 sessions at 6 to 8 week intervals, and complete clearance is not guaranteed. Iron oxide and titanium dioxide can darken under the laser, so a test spot comes first, and in some countries laser removal is reserved to doctors.

Sources

• ECHA: Tattoo inks and permanent make-up · REACH restriction in force since 4 January 2022, Pigment Blue 15:3 and Pigment Green 7 since 4 January 2023; the site answers 403 to automated requests, figures cross-checked against Regulation (EU) 2020/2081 on EUR-Lex
• DermNet: Tattoo-associated skin reactions · reaction types, red pigment allergy, iron oxide and MRI, laser removal in 5 to 12 sessions at 6 to 8 week intervals
• Ghafari et al., Permanent makeup: a review of its technique, regulation, and complications, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2024 · regulation and training vary by US state; infectious, allergic and inflammatory complications; shift after fillers or local anaesthetics
• Balaceanu-Gurau et al., Cutaneous adverse reactions associated with tattoos and permanent makeup pigments, Journal of Clinical Medicine 2024 · pigment chemistry, 10 per cent of unopened ink bottles contaminated in one study, irreversible darkening of iron oxide inks under laser

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This guide is for general information. It does not replace medical or professional cosmetic advice or an examination.