Tattoo and permanent pigments: what's the difference?

Victoria Lisitskaya , methodologist of the training center "Cosmotrade", winner of the championship "Permanent style of Ukraine", speaker of the scientific and practical conference on permanent makeup "Picturesque Beauty"

As practice shows, this issue is very relevant. Many beginners, as well as experienced craftsmen, are wondering, what, in fact, are the differences? Let's try to figure this out

The market is currently filled with pigments from different manufacturers, their choice is huge. All pigments, regardless of the manufacturer, are divided into two types: permanent and tattoo pigments.
Any pigment consists of a coloring matter and a base - a binder. The base is the liquid part of the pigment, it may contain various additives that improve the quality of the final product.

Composition of pigments

The main component of pigments is distilled water. Alcohols are also necessarily present, which act as a preservative, since without them, water is a good breeding ground for bacteria. In pigments for permanent makeup, in addition to alcohol and water, various thickeners are most often added, which bind the pigment particles together. Due to this, their consistency is thicker, viscous and oily.

It is due to the density that permanent pigments are less prone to settling and delamination than tattoo pigments. The concentration of thickeners in pigments usually does not exceed 5%. In turn, pigments for tattoos are, as a rule, either water-alcohol or alcohol-based. They are very liquid and fluid.

The coloring matter in all pigments is always powdery, has a fine dispersion.

Rice. 1. The dye is insoluble in water, its particles are in suspension in a liquid base

In both permanent pigments and tattoo pigments, the coloring matter can be of either organic or inorganic origin. Most often, manufacturers use mineral dyes, as they are the most stable.
What is the main difference between organic and inorganic dyes?
1. Organic. Unfortunately, this does not mean that they are natural, natural or eco-friendly. This only means that they are composed of hydrocarbons and are the product of chemical synthesis. The advantage of organic pigments over inorganic ones is that the color palette of organic synthesis is much more diverse than that of inorganic ones. That is, it is much easier for the manufacturer to obtain any desired shade from these dyes. Another feature of organic pigments is that they are brighter and more stable than inorganics.
2. Inorganic. Their peculiarity is that they are difficult to remove and tend to transform into other forms, respectively, into other shades. They contain more undesirable impurities than organic ones, therefore, the likelihood of allergic reactions is higher.

The most significant difference between the two types of pigments lies in the concentration of the coloring matter: in tattoo pigments, this concentration is much higher than in permanent ones. Due to this, we can highlight a number of major differences between the two types of pigments at work.

Pigment hiding power

This term refers to the ability of paint to cover the treated surface. Due to the higher concentration of coloring matter, tattoo pigments are much more opaque than permanent ones. This can be both positive and negative when working with them. On the one hand, an experienced professional can achieve brighter and more decorative effects with their help. Also, when using them, it is easy to make a dense paint over. On the other hand, working with them is complex and has many nuances, while the chances of spoiling a person's face are much higher than when working with pigments for permanent makeup.

Hiding power depends on the difference between the refractive indices of the light of the pigment and the base. In one base, the pigment can be translucent (transparent), and in the other, it can be opaque. This often occurs in practice. Also, the hiding power may depend on the degree of absorption of light by the pigment - for example, soot does not reflect light at all, but, on the contrary, absorbs it, while demonstrating high hiding power. The degree of dispersion of the pigment also directly affects its behavior.

Durability

Tattoo pigments last much longer than permanent ones, and any mistake with the use of these pigments, whether it be form, technique or the wrong choice of shade, will "decorate" your client's face for many years. The composition of pigments for permanent makeup is such that they are removed from the dermis in an average of one and a half to two years. The longer the pigment stays in the skin, the more it is prone to fading into different shades due to the fact that it is longer exposed to factors that destroy it, such as ultraviolet radiation and metabolic processes in the skin. That is why, for example, seven-year-old eyebrows will almost certainly be gray, with shades of blue or green of varying intensity.

coloring

Permanent pigments are designed taking into account the peculiarities of work on the face, and the ratio of components is chosen so as to end up with colors that will look as organic as possible on the face. Tattoo pigments are originally intended for drawing images on the body. Therefore, usually these are bright shades that will not look natural on the face. Of course, an artist who is very well versed in coloring can mix different colors to obtain the desired shades, but the coloring of tattoo pigments is complex, and a lot of experience in this area is required from the artist to achieve a good result.

Each zone has its own pigment

So, any pigment or paint (even watercolor, gouache, hair dye, eye shadow, lipstick) has a number of parameters that are indicators of quality. These are hiding power, hypoallergenicity, durability, that is, the time that the pigment is kept in the skin, and resistance to ultraviolet radiation. Any pigment is destroyed under the influence of UV rays. Here an important factor is how well the manufacturer has balanced and correctly selected the components of his pigment. For example, with regard to tattoo pigments, yellow and red colors are removed from the skin faster. Accordingly, they have a greater tendency to fade over time into a colder gray shade than permanent ones. And since they stay in the skin longer, there will be more trouble later. This primarily applies to the areas of the eyebrows and arrows. As a result, complex multi-component mixes can degrade in the skin with significant changes in hues.

Consider an example. We mixed three pigments. As a result, we got a nice brown tint in the skin. But the durability of these pigments is different, and they are removed from tissues in different ways. Conditionally in the first year we have a pleasant brown tint. Further, depending on the degradation of pigments, the shade begins to change (Fig. 2⎼3). Manufacturers in serious laboratories and with color research compose their pigments so that the time of removal from the skin for all components is approximately the same. This will ensure color stability until the pigment is completely removed from the skin.

Rice. 2. Mix of pigments, shade in the first year

Rice. 3. Mix of pigments, shade after two to three years

So, based on the above, we can summarize what to expect from certain pigments when used on different areas in permanent makeup.
Brows. When using permanent pigments, we get more natural shades, but the work will be short-lived (usually one and a half to two years). When using tattoo pigments, the risk of laying tighter than necessary is very high, and there is also a high probability of getting cold shades on the eyebrows over time. Eyebrows made with tattoo pigments will last longer.
eyelids. A distinctive feature of the use of permanent pigments on the eyelids is that they are safe and, when used correctly, are stable in color. Tattoo pigments are easier to apply and last longer, but there is a higher chance of turning blue. With traumatic and deep work on the eyes, tattoo pigments are prone to migration and the formation of smudges.

Lips. Permanent pigments on the lips give natural and natural, but short-lived shades. With their help, it is not always possible to make bright lipstick colors, but there is a demand for such work. It is especially difficult to lay them tightly for beginners. Tattoo pigments are easier on the lips, but often have more unnatural and synthetic colors. They remain in the skin of the lips longer than permanent ones. It is also believed that after using tattoo pigments, after a while, the lips begin to dry and the client can no longer do without hygienic lipstick.

Summing up, we can say that each master himself chooses the most optimal materials for work, but first of all we must worry about our clients, about the safety of our work on the face and how it will look in a few years.