Permanent Makeup Isn't Always Pretty

Adverse reactions can be unsightly and long-lasting, study finds.

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter
Wednesday, June 27, 2007; 12:00 AM

Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

WEDNESDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- Permanent makeup, which is essentially just a tattoo in place of cosmetics such as eyeliner or lipstick, may cause serious problems in some people, particularly those with a history of allergy, a new study suggests.

Ironically, the study found that the very procedures that are supposed to enhance beauty may actually result in unsightly side effects, such as swelling or bumps.

The news isn't all bad, however. Most of the adverse reactions included in the study were caused by a single product line of inks, and those inks were recalled in 2004.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study confirms that permanent makeup can cause severe health problems in some women," said the study's lead author, Masja Straetemans, a senior epidemiologist at the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, Germany, who was with the CDC at the time of the study.

"Of the 92 women [included in the study], 89 had used ink shades from the specific company in at least one procedure after June 1, 2003, before the development of health problems," she said, adding that data on the ink used was missing for the remaining three women.

Like a regular tattoo, the permanent makeup procedure injects pigment into a deep layer of skin called the dermis, according to the American Academy of Micropigmentation (AAM). The epidermis is the layer of skin you normally see, and the one that constantly sheds and renews itself. Permanent makeup may also be called cosmetic tattoo or micropigmentation.

According to the AAM, there are many reasons people choose to have cosmetic tattoos, including wanting to save time, having difficulty applying makeup, and thinning eyebrows or eyelashes, among others.

No U.S. government agencies or national organizations track the number of people who undergo these procedures, so accurate estimates on the prevalence of permanent makeup aren't available. The procedure is generally done in a salon or a tattoo parlor, which are regulated by local authorities, not the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA can, however, regulate the inks used in tattoos and permanent makeup.