Are There Any Acceptable Alternatives to Permanent Makeup?

For some women, wearing makeup in order to enhance their beauty on a regular basis is the norm. Depending on a woman's specific beauty routine, the makeup application process can become pretty time-consuming as well as expensive, especially for those who have more elaborate application routines. For this reason and others, some women resort to permanent makeup, which is when the process of using tattoo-like techniques to add makeup to the face is utilized, making regular makeup application no longer necessary. Although permanent makeup may appear desirable for any number of reasons, it's not a good idea for everyone and perhaps alternatives should be sought.

Pros of permanent makeup -

1. Cost effective - despite the fact that the procedure itself may cost anywhere from $150 to $800 or more, permanent makeup can prove to be cost effective in the long run. The price of various makeup products can really add up over several years, but permanent makeup is only a one-time cost unless you choose to have your makeup touched up or redone in the future.

2. Time-saving - For some reason, applying makeup can take as long as an hour or even longer, but permanent makeup will allow you to save a great deal of time and even possibly sleep a little later since you won't have to deal with the time-consuming task of applying makeup.

Cons of permanent makeup -

1. Lack of versatility - if you're the type of person that likes to change your look frequently, permanent makeup may not be a good choice for you. Since this type of makeup is like a tattoo, of course there's no way to change it.

2. Health Risks - permanent makeup has been associated with redness, swelling, pain and even pus-filled drainage. This type of makeup technique has also been associated with more serious health risks, such as transmission of blood borne pathogens like HIV, hepatitis and tetanus as well as possible MRI complications due to possible interference with the equipment. People undergoing permanent makeup procedures have also suffered from allergic reactions as well as skin infections.

Unfortunately, there aren't a great deal of alternatives to permanent makeup, but, after considering the many health risks involved in this procedure, you will probably realize that you'd most likely be better off not having this type of makeup applied to your face. Sure, beauty is extremely important to most women, but a smarter approach when it comes to wearing makeup is to simply invest in some high quality products that will require as little touching up throughout the day as possible.

References

Mayo Clinic, permanent makeup risks - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tattoos-and-piercings/MC00020

http://www.permanentmakeupclinic.com/services.htm