Pigment color: Caution, changes are possible!

Pigment is not only a high-quality composition of minerals and organic components. First of all, it is a means of arts and crafts, with the help of which a permanent makeup master creates a unique image of his client. But, unlike artistic paints or decorative cosmetics, which are applied to canvas or skin, the pigment for permanent makeup is injected inside - into the dermis.

Physics in practice

The implanted pigment shines through the epidermis covering it, which naturally changes its color. The matte translucent upper layer of the skin acts as a filter, refracting the reflected rays and absorbing some of them, or rather, a certain spectrum - warm. Accordingly, a pigment that looked terracotta in the bottle becomes coral or brown, and olive grey.

When choosing a color for the job, it is necessary to focus the client's attention on this feature of the pigments, which will avoid some misunderstanding in the process of skin restoration.

The human eye picks up a ray of light reflected from a particular surface, and depending on how long the rays and in what quantity are absorbed by it, we see certain colors. All this is a complex physical process, which in ordinary life we do not think about. But for a practitioner in the field of dermopigmentation, such knowledge is necessary.

As already noted, the epidermis disrupts the natural course of the light beam, and part of the warm tones do not reach our vision. What colors are considered warm? Colors that are on the diagram near yellow and red are defined as warm, and near blue and violet are defined as cool. To be very precise, almost any color can be both warm and cold: for example, red can be with a greater proportion of orange - and then it will be warm, or with a share of purple - in this case it is cold. But for ease of perception, we will use the above information.

Black changes

Consider what happens to the color in the skin using the example of black pigment, as the most indicative.

Black color includes all colors of the spectrum. By making an arrow on the eyelid with exactly black color (Carbon Black), on the surface we see gray-blue in varying intensity. Having lost some of the red and yellow tones, the pigment shows the opposite - blue and purple - brighter. The deeper the color is in the skin and the thicker the top layer through which the light needs to “break through”, the greater the change in the direction of cold tones. In addition, the color becomes lighter and looks matte, as if tracing paper was placed on top. It is recommended that clients be advised of how the eyeliner will look after the skin has been repaired. For the same reason, an artistic tattoo made with black paint also changes color.

From this feature of dermopigmentation, the rule follows: eyebrows are never done with black pigment, since the effect of a blue tattoo will be ensured. For burning brunettes, it is better to use black iron oxide-based colors specially designed for this color, in which manufacturers add so-called “color stabilizers” - warm shades (in this case, yellow iron oxide) to soften the color. Visually, the pigment in the bottle will look dark olive (black + yellow), and in the finished work - dark graphite.

Pigment transformations

Many novice permanent makeup specialists demonstrate the pigment to clients by applying it to the skin (most often the hands), and then listen to the client's complaints that the color is not the same as he (the client) chose.

It is quite difficult to explain the color change process to the client, but it is necessary, it is desirable to use illustrations of this process, which facilitates mutual understanding.

The pigment will appear before your eyes in different color variations (like a butterfly in the process of turning from a caterpillar):

1. The pigment in the bottle is high in warm “color stabilizer”.
2. The pigment after the procedure is bright, juicy with pronounced redness, which is caused by a slight inflammation of the skin in the area of work.
3. Pigment 2-3 hours after the procedure - a protective crust begins to form, which has its own brown-burgundy color, and in combination with the pigment looks much darker than the one chosen in the office.
4. Pigment 3-4 days after the procedure - the protective crust peels off and the color becomes visible, but at this stage it is too light, as if powdered. The scales of the stratum corneum of the epidermis do not fit tightly, there is an active division and change of cells that cover the skin with a light white coating. At this time, you can expect calls from your clients with the words "My lips / eyebrows / eyes have healed and nothing is left." Psychologically, after the bright color of the protective crust, the emerging color looks really very light, and the strong contrast between them can confuse even trained people.
5. Pigment 20-30 days after the procedure - the transparency of the epidermis is restored, and permanent makeup appears in all its glory.

The biggest difficulty lies in the fact that it is almost impossible to show the color that the specialist wants to get in this particular case. Palettes printed in a printing house may not accurately show shades, and when coated with gloss, they take on an unnatural brightness. In addition, the same pigment will look different for each new client. The color and thickness of the skin, the intensity of staining, the quality of healing and many other factors play a role.

No one, even the best specialist, can guarantee obtaining the exact shade and color! And the client has to rely on the experience and professionalism of the master, to whom he came for the procedure.

Nuances of correction

What other nuances should be taken into account when working with color in permanent makeup?

We found out why blue eyebrows are obtained, but much more often you can see another result - red. The fact is that natural eyebrows often have a complex gray-brown color, or rather a lot of its shades. To create brown pigments, one cannot do without red iron oxide, which is its basis. Iron oxide is the most durable dye, so when other pigments burn out and are partially destroyed by the body, the red color reminds for a long time that permanent makeup was present here. Unfortunately, absolutely all pigments, of any manufacturing firms, behave this way. It’s just that some pigments leave a bright red color, while others leave a straw-red color. The solution to the problem, first of all, is in a properly conducted consultation. After explaining to the client all the features of color change, we give him a choice: either beautiful natural eyebrows, which will have to be corrected in 1-1.5 years, or a color that does not give a red-red residue (i.e. gray), but is not suitable for image and style.

When repeating the procedure, or if you have to correct an existing work, it is advisable to add a special corrector to the selected pigment. In this case, it will be either olive green or white-green, depending on the desired result.

According to the law of permanent makeup, by applying green on top of red, you can get brown. And if correction is required not only in color, but also in shape, then the white-green corrector will simultaneously lighten the previous color and shift it to the desired brown. This corrector can be used independently, and the desired color can be applied during a return visit.

The blue-gray color of the eyebrows is corrected by the opposite in the spectral circle - orange. It can also be applied neat to the corrected area or added to the cap with the selected pigment.

In the lip area, you can most often see a change in color to a cold, purple gamut. Despite the fact that manufacturers add an orange “spectral stabilizer” to the pigment, the deep introduction of almost any pigment can cause this complication. This phenomenon is connected not only with the loss of warm tones, but also with the production of a natural pigment - hemosedrin. It is formed from damaged erythrocytes in places of damage to large capillaries, which are very numerous in the red border of the lips. Hemosederin can be of various colors - from light brown to almost black. It stays in the skin for up to 10 years or more.

Purple color correction is carried out in the same way as cold blue on the eyebrows - using orange. The pigment for work is also recommended to be selected from a warm coral range.

You should not use white and cold "flesh" colors in the correction of color imperfections. Mixing in the skin with cold shades, they will give dirty gray colors. In addition, white (titanium dioxide) is the densest and heaviest pigment. If used carelessly, it can backfire - enhance the negative visual effect.

Some complications, such as the spreading of black pigment in the corners of the eyes, are not recommended to be corrected by overlapping with a different color. There will be no aesthetic effect, and an ugly stain is guaranteed. Modern laser methods allow you to remove such spots quickly and without a trace.

Thus, given that permanent make-up is a long-lasting aesthetic procedure, each step of it should be taken very seriously and carefully. It is better to take a lighter color, and it is easier to draw lines than to correct mistakes made later.