Why does the color of permanent makeup pigment change?

We continue to analyze the main mistakes that can lie in wait for the master of permanent makeup in the special project “ Working on mistakes. Permanent Makeup Removal »

There are frequent situations when the result of the PM procedure differs from the planned one. And first of all it concerns shades. We propose to consider the reasons that affect the future color of the tattoo in order to reduce them to nothing in the process of work.

External and internal factors

The main component of tattoo inks are crystals of iron oxide and titanium dioxide, which are carriers of organic (vegetable) pigments. Organic pigments and determine the color of the paint. Iron oxide also gives the paint its own color - reddish brown. In addition, the recipe includes distilled water, isopropyl alcohol, and glycerin or ethylene glycol.

Depending on the percentage of liquid components, pigments for PM are usually divided into water-alcohol and glycerin (in the slang of distributors - gel or cream). You can find out what tool the master uses by carefully reading the label, where the main components are listed in descending order. Water-alcohol pigments are more difficult to work with, dry too quickly and are therefore less economical. In addition, due to their liquid consistency, they can get into the deeper layers of the skin, noticeably changing their shade. For these reasons, water-alcohol inks are mainly used for tattoos on the body. Cream pigments do not penetrate as deeply, so they provide a brighter color than water-alcohol ones.

The range of colors for permanent makeup includes up to 300 shades. There are special tables that can give an idea of how this or that paint will look like, embedded under the skin. However, one should not unconditionally trust these tables, as, say, when dyeing hair, one cannot be sure that the resulting color will exactly repeat the one on the label. In addition, permanent makeup is not a "perpetual monument to beauty"; it gradually fades and after a while already requires correction or re-application.

There are also external factors due to which the color of permanent makeup can change - ultraviolet rays, peeling, dermabrasion, etc.

You need to know that the color of permanent makeup is transformed not only under the influence of time and external agents. At first, while still being applied, it looks darker as it mixes with lymphatic fluid and blood. Then a crust appears at the site of makeup application, which disappears as it heals. After that, the shade becomes more faded. Because we perceive it through a new layer of epithelium.

Do not forget about the laws of physics - even the steady color will not seem the same as it looked in the table. The fact is that a beam of light, reaching the surface of the skin, changes the angle of refraction, then passes through the epidermis and is refracted again, meeting with a layer of paint. As a result, the pigment acquires a bluish tint and loses some of its intensity.

Skin is an important factor

In addition, the skin has its own character, which must be known and respected. It also affects the features of the shade.

For example, a permanent makeup master must take into account that the epithelium layer can be different even within a small area of the face, so the dose of the injected pigment must be carefully adjusted in order to get the most uniform line. Sometimes color differences become so obvious that it is necessary to repeat the procedure to even out the color.

The darker your own skin tone, the longer the tattoo will last. Here, a certain role is played by the fact that dark skin intensively releases melanin, and pigment fading is less noticeable. Thin light skin distorts the original tone of the paint less, but here the dye comes off much faster. Thick light skin makes the paint more faded. With permanent makeup, the benefits of age are revealed: the older the client, the longer the tattoo lasts, since the rate of cell renewal decreases with age.

Since manufacturers know how the features of human physiology affect the tattoo dye, they predict possible changes in advance. For example, there are a lot of blood vessels in the lip area, so the embedded paint can give the lips a purple tint.

Read also:

Permanent makeup: the main mistakes of a novice master

K - color

Undoubtedly, the right equipment for technical specifications greatly simplifies some aspects, but it will never help you choose the right shade of pigment for this particular client and avoid the appearance of purple lips or bluish eyebrows. After all, Her Majesty the colorist rules here.

Anyone who believes that in the presence of a dozen or two pigments it is possible to “hit” the target by the method of elimination is deeply mistaken. In each case, the choice of paint is very acute, the same color may look different:

• in a vial;
• on grinding;
• immediately after the procedure;
• during the healing period;
• fully healed.

Enough options, right? Therefore, when working with clients, there should be both logical reflections (selection by color type, etc.), as well as intuitive and acquired knowledge in practice.

• Helpful Hint : Keep a record and file of your clients and the pigments used on them. Even if it was a two-or three-component mix, do not be too lazy to write down in a language that you understand exactly how you got it. Thus, in the future it will be possible to refresh the tattoo, push off, whether you need to get the same effect or vice versa, create something radically different.

In addition to color, you need to consider the age and condition of the patient's skin, this is more likely to give you information regarding further procedures. When the customer base is small, you can probably keep this information in mind, but as the number of customers increases (which we sincerely wish for you), such information can be smeared and confused.

Perhaps not everyone knows this, but the depth of pigment injection also affects the final color. Usually it is adjusted by the hand of the master (as on a Giant Sun typewriter) or adjusted on a PM device (Goochie, Charmant, Biomaser machines), most often 0.5-1 mm, varies depending on skin type, area, etc. This means that at a suitable depth at the level of the middle layer of the dermis, the paint is fixed and after healing, a lasting effect is maintained. Otherwise, if the penetration depth was insufficient, the pigment may not be fixed and “come out” along with the outgoing crust, leaving only a light trace.

Try to discover for yourself the properties of all available pigments, from their composition to combination. In this case, the aforementioned client card file and the recorded algorithm for mixing pigments will be very useful.

However, very often novice masters and even experienced craftsmen face the same problem: why did an unpredictable color turn out?

Read also:

Pigmentology in PM: pigment inversion and other fears of masters

Causes of errors

Let's look at the main reasons that can lead to this situation.

1. Incorrect definition of color type.

Now our client is so camouflaged (dyeing hair, applying self-tanning, lenses) that it is very difficult for an inexperienced master to sort it out “on the shelves”. By what criteria do we determine whether a cold color type is in front of us or warm? These are hair, skin and eye color. The melanin is right there.

A very simple test will help you in correctly determining the color type: carefully examine the veins on the client's wrist. If they are blue, it is “cold”, if greenish, it is “warm”. Also, the location of blood vessels, that is, how superficially they are located on the skin, can come to the rescue. If your client blushes very quickly, then his vessels are located superficially, which means that the color of your pigment in the future may give off cold. It is the vessels, if they are located superficially, that give emphasis to the cold. You should take this into account when choosing a pigment. If the vessels are hidden deep, this is a neutral undertone. This means that the emphasis on cold tones will be absent.

2. Incorrect definition of the type of skin.

Do not forget that on dry and aging skin, the pigment will always look brighter and darker than on oily and combination skin.

3. Traumatic technique: what is it?

Remember that the deeper you bring in the pigment, the grayer or bluer it will come out.

4. Insufficient knowledge of the pigments you are working with.

Be sure to learn the color of the pigments, their undertone and base. And do not forget that many of them are destroyed by ultraviolet radiation, which over time leads to the appearance of purple or red eyebrows.

5. Incomplete history taking and lack of information agreement.

Many masters neglect this. For example, if your patient is taking anticoagulants, it is natural that he will have diffusion and long healing at the site of exposure, a crust will form. As a result, the pigment will remain somewhere by 30 percent, plus it will go into a cold shade. With a disease such as diabetes, the same thing will happen.

6. Improper post-procedural care.

Try to clearly explain to your client how important it is to properly care for the affected area in permanent makeup. If your patient has torn off the crust very early, then there may be a small amount of pigment left or the eyebrows will turn red in the future. Regenerating ointments lead to a rapid release of the pigment, and very greasy products applied immediately after the procedure can lead to a secondary infection.

Therefore, in order to avoid the problems described above, try to collect information about your client before the procedure. And immediately eliminate the potential causes of an undesirable result.

This article is part of the special project " Work on bugs. Permanent Makeup Removal »

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