Sunday, November 20, 2011

Permanent Cosmetics: Eyebrows

I want to let you guys know my eyebrow SECRET! Yes, the are permanent, meaning they have been tattooed. I know it sounds scary for many to think about doing this procedure but it is quite simple. I have always struggled with my eyebrows and it is why I decided to get them done. Sometime during seventh grade, I decided plug them...BIG MISTAKE! One thing you should know is that your eyebrows should be left alone, let them grow into their full shape. I mean, it is okay to start removing some in between hair, that is the "uni brow" but don't plug the rest. Well...obviously I did not know because I started to remove as much as my eye could see, literally. All there was left of my eyebrow shape was a line of hairs, one after the other. What I also didn't know was that if you start removing hair, especially so young, it won't grow back!

Moving on to eight grade, I started to draw my eyebrows with a black eyeliner...yeah, it was something to laugh about =| I started to noticed that the other girls would have beautiful, thick eyebrows and drawing mine was pretty much the only way I would get the same effect on mine. I guess the only thing I did right when I started to draw them was that I wouldn't do them thick, even though the other girls had them like that, I would actually work with the shape and thinness of my own eyebrow. The funny thing about my eyebrows then is that they seemed to each have a personality of their own. One would have a different shape than the other one and it would take me while time to get them to look as close as possible. But one thing to keep in mind, eyebrows are not twins, so they will never look exactly the same, similar but not exactly. As I got to my high school years, I got better at drawing them and it will take me less time to do them. One thing I also discovered was that the black eyeliner wasn't working for me...about time I noticed! So I started to use a charcoal eyeliner from N.Y.C. This greyish, brownish color made my eyebrow looked more natural.

It wasn't until after high school that I just became tired of drawing my eyebrows everyday. I would hate to wake up and not see them. Sometimes if I had no plans of going out, I would just not draw them but of course something would up at the last minute and I would struggle to get them done in a hurry. At this point I was willing to find a way to have permanent eyebrows. I decided to called a tattoo parlor and ask how much it would cost me to get them done and what was the procedure like. They told me the cost was about $60. They would shave the hairs around the area I would get the tattoo on and they would use black ink. I thought to myself that there was no way I would do this. To start with I barely have any hairs left and I didn't want to have a dark black like on my eyebrows for the rest of my life! The other down side to getting a tattoo like this done is that with time it will fade away and turn into a greenish color.

After thinking that there was nothing else I could do about my eyebrows, I heard on TV the word permanent cosmetics. Of course I did the research online and found articles, videos, pictures, and places where this service can be done. Permanent cosmetic services include eyebrows, eyeliner, lip liner, beauty marks, lash extensions, and many other services depending on the professional's training or education. The procedure for permanent eyebrows is technically the procedure is similar like getting a tattoo because it is a tattoo but they work with what you have as your natural eyebrow. The will not shave any of your eyebrow hairs and they have a variety of colors from the darkest black to the lightest blond. Another difference is that the ink they use does not fade like the one they would use on a regular tattoo. Also, this is a very pricy procedure depending on where you get it done. It can range from $300 to $600 or even $700. But to be honest, it is so worth it!

I got mine done by Cynthia J. Pendery from Chico Ca. She is a licensed professional. Remember, always make sure you are seeing someone with experience, someone who is a professional, and someone who is of course licensed to do the type of service you are requesting. The cost of my eyebrows was $300, her prices may vary due to how much work she has to put into it. If you are interested, she will give you a free consultation where she will discuss with you health concerns and she will get to examine your eyebrow to get a better idea of what she needs to do. I absolutely love her work, she is very comprehensive, she will take you step by step and answer any question or concern you might have. What I also liked about the work she did on me was that she decided to do two shades lighter than the original color I was using for my eyebrow, which was charcoal. Cynthia prefers to do this because it is easier to add more color if she needed to than to take away from, which can be done. One thing I almost forgot to mentioned is that I decided to get my eyebrows done in a solid shape because it is they way I was used to drawing them and also because of how thin they already were. But if you have a thicker shape, have more eyebrow hair than what I do and you are looking to get them fill in rather than get them completely shade in, it can also be done. The difference of the solid shape is that she will draw a hair like pattern on top of your natural hairs so it looks more naturally done. The whole process takes about an hour or two and it will usually require two sittings. Just to let you guys know, it is a painful procedure. If you already have any tattoos then you know what it feels like. In case that you don't, which is okay, she will put a numbing cream over the area to ease the pain.

I will provide you guys with her information below but if you're not from the area don't feel discourage. Do your research and you'll find someone who would do this fantastic job if you're interested. Remember, you should always feel comfortable with the person who is going to this procedure for you! You should never feel pressured if you're not ready because you have to keep in mind that this is forever...

Cynthia J. Pendery
2101 Forest Ave, Suite 100
Chico, Ca 95928
(530) 873-6329

2 comments:

  1. You are so gorgeous, Nizza. I think you could learn how to do permanent cosmetics because you have such amazing artistry with makeup. Beautiful blog!!!

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  2. Thank you so much for the sweet compliments! I never thought of doing permanent cosmetics before but it is something I will put thought into it...

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