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Original poster

I have been very stupid: permanent makeup

103 replies

maggiethemagpie · 21/01/2016 22:58

I can't believe I have let this happen... I have always had a bit of a complex about my brows as I was injured as a child so one is scarred and they are thinning and quite wide apart. I am getting married in April and was a bit paranoid about wedding pics...

My beautician, who waxes my eyebrows, said she could tattoo over the scar, so I agreed to go and have this done. She then talked me in to having both eyebrows done for a little extra.

She hasn't done an absolutely terrible job but I don't like it. It is thicker than I would like. Also the gap between my brows is still too large and they look slightly uneven.

There was barely any consultation, and she didn't show me exactly what she was going to do before she did it. She is not a permanent makeup specialist, just a beautician with some extra training. I'll admit it, she was charging a low price so I thought I was getting a bargain. I now realise I have made a mistake and should NOT have skimped on this.

On the way home from the salon it struck me: This is PERMANENT. WTF have I done. The gap between my brows is similar to before, as I did not want her to tattoo there but now looks a lot more noticeable as the brows are thicker and darker.

I just feel like an absolute idiot. How could I have let someone tattoo my face without fully checking them out, or knowing exactly what they were doing? I don't know what I was thinking.

The only good thing is, at least the bit I most want to correct, the gap between my brows, can be filled in if I go to someone reputable at the top end of the market. I mean better that it's too big a gap than too small, right? I know I will have to pay a lot but will dip into my savings to try and correct this as it's worth it not to feel like a fool every time I see my face in the mirror. Such a false economy to go the cheap option as now I'll pay the full price for a proper professional to do them, on top of the price I paid.

Has anyone been through anything similar or can offer any advice?Actually, I'm probably the only person foolish enough on mumsnet to do this. I'm getting married in a few months time and just wanted to look good and hide the scar in my eyebrow. Now I'm worried I will look worse.

Anyway hope someone can learn from my mistake please never go to anyone cheap for permanent makeup it's not worth it! It sounds so obvious writing it down, I can't believe I have done this, feel sick....

OP posts:
QOD · 21/01/2016 23:27

Any before pics u can crop?
Are your upper eye lids a bit swollen?

They do look dark but it does fade a lot

GingerCuddleMonsterThe2nd · 21/01/2016 23:28

Oh maggie they will lighten a lot! They look even in shape, but I can see what you mean by too short, but that can be sorted by getting a bit added on or you can use a brow pen/pencil.

They really aren't horrific Flowers they will fade to a brown, tthey just look deepest black at the moment.

It could have been so much worse, but they are fine. Just some minor tweeking and you'll be grand Smile

Borninthe60s · 21/01/2016 23:28

They look fine to me if a little far apart, leave them a week before you do anything else.

Tweetypie100 · 21/01/2016 23:28

Don't use whatever is meant to help it maintain! Let them fade and do not in any way do it again!

If you want thicker brows rub castor oil on to them in the evenings before bed, I did this before my wedding and they helped mine become thick arches.

MytwinisMilaKunis · 21/01/2016 23:29

They look fine to me but I am no expert. They are obviously going to look really 'done' initially beford they fade. I am sure it would be very easy for a pro to narrow the gap you wanted.

cestlavielife · 21/01/2016 23:29

Give it a few days they will go lighter. don't rub or pick at them
They quite thick but wil fade over time.

itsbetterthanabox · 21/01/2016 23:30

That's not a very clear pic. However they will fade drastically. You are saying permanent makeup. Do you mean semi permanent? All facial makeup should be semi permanent.
Do you have a clearer pic?
Did she tell you to go back for a check and touch up in 4-6 weeks? That is proper procedure.
I'd advise waiting at least 2 weeks to see how they settle down and get lighter and then going to have a consultation with a semi perm makeup specialist. Find out who is recommended in your area.
It can be fixed! And they will not stay that dark. Follow aftercare properly so they heal correctly.

Original poster
maggiethemagpie · 21/01/2016 23:30

I will see if I can take a picture of a photo of me from before... they didn't look great before so I keep telling myself I'm not really in a worse position! I think I am going to dip into my savings and see a professional to lengthen them. Thank god in retrospect I did not let her tattoo inbetween my brows as it gives some room for a professional to do some work there.... if she had tattoo'd inbetween and it was too much or I didn't like it I'd really be stuck!

OP posts:
itsbetterthanabox · 21/01/2016 23:31

Do use the cream for healing and don't exfoliate. Irritating your skin, spreading the pigment and possibly introducing infection is not the way to go.

LittleBeautyBelle · 21/01/2016 23:33

I think they are a very nice shape. You're not used to them yet. And they look even to me. Also, better to have wide set eyes and brows than close-set! I wouldn't make them any closer, they probably suit your eyes and face. Part of traditional beauty is defined by wide set eyes and brows. I was expecting something really awful, but it's not at all.

andadietcoke · 21/01/2016 23:34

Hi Maggie, as others have said, they'll fade. I'm in Stockport too. My sister lives near Bolton and has had her's done and she has to have them topped up. Would you like me to find out where she goes and how much it is, or do you have somewhere in mind?

GingerCuddleMonsterThe2nd · 21/01/2016 23:35

Exactly Maggie, it can be sorted. You'll have brows to die for in no time!

I second following the after care of popping some Vaseline on, you don't want to damage fragile skin.

TheCraicDealer · 21/01/2016 23:35

Yeah, pretty much leave them be (don't apply barrier cream or moisturiser) and then if I were you I'd use a gentle exfoliant when they've started to heal over in a week or so. Don't be going mad though, once or twice a day is more than enough! And I'm telling you, a week from now when they've started to heal they'll look nowhere near as scary.

I was also told exposure to UV light fades them but I am in no way condoning the use of tanning beds!

Original poster
maggiethemagpie · 21/01/2016 23:37

Thanks everyone. So if I just vaseline once a day, rather than three, will that help it heal but also help it to fade?

Also for the experts out there do you know if there's anything that can be done with the thickness or do I just have to wait for it to fade?

I now know the true meaning of the phrase 'kicking yourself'

I think how this went wrong is that I thought I was just going to go and get the scar area covered, and not even touch the other eyebrow, but she convinced me that my other eyebrow was thinning and to get them both done.

I've had similar (but not as bad) experience before when the hairdresser convinced me to get all my hair chopped off. At least that can grow back.

The only way round this is to go and see a pro to get the gap narrowed and wait for the thickness to fade I think.

Glad to hear it will fade completely in time.... I have visions of lying in my coffin when I'm old and gone with these bloody eyebrows!

OP posts:
LittleBeautyBelle · 21/01/2016 23:37

I just looked again. You could probably lengthen them a bit, because they don't quite reach over enough to cover the eyes, so I see what you're saying there. Yes, you could get them tweaked by a professional and get a really nice result.

RabbitSaysWoof · 21/01/2016 23:39

Try this while they are fading

hadenough111 · 21/01/2016 23:39

If you hate them, get a lovely long fringe until they fade a bit.

Dreamiesrcatopium · 21/01/2016 23:40

Ok they are not that bad. Don't worry. Don't go back for the second treatment obviously. They are way too far apart but you already know that. The start of your brow should line up roughly with your nostril. A good semi permanent eye brow treatment will be expensive. Around £250. In the meantime Anastasia Beverly Hills do some fab brow products, loads of tutorials on how to fill them in properly on youtube. HD brows are great but you don't have enough hair in the middle at the moment to get the shape you're after.

peppielillyan · 21/01/2016 23:41

i am looking for a good one like those. is it really painful?

PizzaConnoisseur · 21/01/2016 23:42

They will fade quickly, within a few months, and within 6 months they will be almost gone.

Allbymyselfagain · 21/01/2016 23:42

They will fade massively. Don't worry they always look like two caterpillars when first done. Don't try to fast fade them by not looking after them properly, they won't fade they will go patchy and that will be very obvious. I saw someone who had lost all the pigment in one eyebrow and had normal fade on the other so if you try to force them to fade you may make them worse.

You have to give them 4-6 weeks before top up so spend that Time looking after them and doing some research. I would actually start looking for another waxer too. I can't believe someone would be so irresponsible as to tattoo some one, even semi permanently, without a full consultation. Did you have a patch test, did she draw what she planned to do and show you, what aftercare has she given you? She sounds like a bloody cowboy to me

Potatoface2 · 21/01/2016 23:45

i had mine done and they have really faded...was about 2.5 years ago....i wont have it done again as it was too painful...i dont like mine so use a brow pencil to darken now....i let them fade naturally . At the moment yours are fresh and when they have scabbed over and peeled will not look so dark/block anyway

Original poster
maggiethemagpie · 21/01/2016 23:50

Thanks everyone, you have made me feel a lot better. Yes, the gap is too big but it was that big to begin with, I think it's just the thickness that makes it more noticeable. I'm not 100% happy with the thickness but if a pro can kind of elongate them a bit, I'm hoping they will not seem quite so thick. And if they fade does that mean they won't look so thick? As a teenager of the 90s I was coming of age when thin (eyebrows) were in, so my only experience of thick eyebrows is of naturally very thick ones which I was constantly plucking.

The beautician did say to go back in two weeks for a check and she could then do top up in 6 weeks, but I kind of never want to see her again. She's not really f'd them up, and I don't blame her as I think she tried her best... I blame me as I should really not have gone to her. She's good at waxing eyebrows but that's very very different. Hmmm... I will have to get my eyebrows waxed elsewhere now. It's scary that people can do this with so little training - I bet there are some real horror stories out there.

To the poster who offered me details of a contact in Bolton, I have found a professional permanent makeup artist a bit nearer so will try her first, her website says she does correction work which is exactly what I need. But thankyou and if I get stuck I will pm you.

At least I can fill in my brows with a pencil before I can get it professionally corrected, that deals with the shortness aspect for now.

OP posts:
EElisavetaOfBelsornia · 21/01/2016 23:52

They are a good shape and look quite nice I think. The gap in between does look a bit wide but I think with a pencil you could deal with that and that would also blend them a bit more. They fade a lot, give it some time and try not to be too self conscious. Flowers for you, I have never had any eyebrows to speak of, always had cosmetic versions so I feel your horror at something not quite right. They will settle down, really.

ExasperatedAlmostAlways · 21/01/2016 23:54

Okay, she's defo made them too thick and they should of been drawn on first to show what shape and thickness she would do them. That then would of allowed you to see that they needed to come a bit further in to improve the shape. She has done them too solid, there's should be brush strokes to mimic natural hairs rather than a solid brow.

If I were you, I'd try at least speak to someone local to you to get their opinion and see what they can do to improve. However, don't let anyone touch them until they would of been due to be topped up anyway as you wnat to see how much they will fade etc initially.