I have been very stupid: permanent makeup

[maggiethemagpie]

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....

Potatoface it is so good to hear that yours faded! Can you see them at all now?

Allbymyself yes, she was a bit of a cowboy. She didn't even have a form for me to sign to say I understood the procedure...said she'd forgotten it and could I come back tomorrow (so in theory I could sue!)

Looking back I was greedy, wanted the cheap deal, it was all too good to be true. MASSIVE lesson learned.

Tbh they look fairly OK to me except for the gap which was the whole point any way. But as it gets lighter, the gap will be slightly less noticeable too. But you need to be careful in choosing the next tattoo as the result should be exactly the same colour as this one in the end.

I think you really need the middle section sorting out, that would bother me more than the thickness. They are very similar to what a lot of people have done so even if you don't like them no one is going to think they are odd. Loads of people have thick dark brows pencilled in where I am (SE).

Benefit does a product called high brow that you can get. I use it on people who have untidy brows, you can use it drawn along the lower brow then blended in ans that tidies up the brow and hides hairs so you could use it along the bottom of the brow to make the brow appear thinner.if you go to a benefit counter the girls will. E able to help you. They have brow bars that do waxing too and gave brow experts that will use a tool they have that shows the perfect brow shape for your Face and can show you what products to use and how to achieve it.

The middle section does look worse, but is more easily fixable (by a proper professional of course). The thickness I'm not sure what I can do about, it could be worse, I think I can live with it as hopefully as it fades it will be less noticeable. To deal with the thickness they would need to remove the ink?

Ok stop completely. You have no idea what ink she has used, the no forms thing is really worrying, does she have insurance etc? Let them fade naturally and look after them properly. I have seen the wrong ink used fading to blue like a really old tattoo. That's almost impossible to cover up. Don't rush in with someone else although no one good will do a cover up until these have healed anyway.

No powder, no make up, definitely no Vaseline, no tanning, no scrubs. Just help the skin heal itself. Check out this website for good after care advice
www.semi-permanent-makeup.net/treatments/aftercare.php

I'm going to go against the grain here.
I would definitely put bepanthen or something on them till they have healed. They will surely scab and could end up patchy if you don't?

Hi Allbymyself, thanks for that. I think she has insurance as she got all worried that I'd not signed her stupid form that she forgot to bring with her.

What should I use instead of vaseline - the link you attached mentions a balm?

I will see someone else as I really need to sort out the middle section, but will have a proper consultation first. I won't rush it, will have to live with it for a little while.

Worse things happen at sea they say............

Also, the procedure was quite painful, is it supposed to be? I am worrying now as others have said there is little pain. I was getting tears in my eyes from the pain it was quite unpleasant.

I had mine done two weeks ago, I've just nipped to the bathroom and taken a photo of how they look now to give you an idea of how much they've faded.

I have only ever used moisturiser (nivea once a day) and when the scabs were almost ready to come off I got an eyebrow brush and combed everything out.

Obviously I'll be going for a top up (my hair is black) but I could quite easily leave them like this and use a brown gel (anastasia beverly hills is good, rimmel also do a pretty good one to with a brush and comb included for £6ish) to style them.

I would just double check with the lady who did them that she definitely used make up pigment (ask what brand of pigment she used!) and not an actual tattoo ink.

Did she even do a patch test? Once you've found out what you need to know I'd be leaving very negative reviews on her buisness FB. And if you do decide to get them fixed, check their facebook page for their portfolio and check reviews too!

Also, it does hurt yes! I got numbing cream so not as bad as my sleeve but its quite a stingy pain. Try not to worry too much, they will fade

P.s the darker bit on the below photo is my actual hair! The browny colour on the "tail" gives a good idea of the colour it will be. And I'm white as a sheet so the picture probably looks darker than it is

mine havent faded completely, more of a tan colour now...i like the outline so colour in with a brow pencil when i have make up on

You say you've learnt your lesson & are kicking yourself yet you want to go to a 'brow correction specialist '? Sounds like more tattooing to me!
Get thyself to a big department store on a Tuesday morning, go round all the beauty counters & ask them what they would do to rectify your brows. THEN... Buy from whichever counter does the best job. Remember- it's only makeup & it washes off. Tattoos don't

Hi, If you do want to get them improved, I have heard amazing things about the brow Resurrection treatment at Browhaus www.browhaus.com/uk/

It's v expensive but the results are supposed to be super realistic!

Carpet - I do need to get it corrected, the gap between my brows is far too wide due to my scar and overplucking on the other side to try and match, and I don't disagree with the principle of permanent eyebrows I just didn't go to an expert. I have now found a professional who specialises in this and will contact her today, as the middle bits need filling in, I'm not going to do it with pencil every day.

Hamiltoes thanks for posting pic of your brows, they look lovely. I will send you a PM as would be good to find out more of your experience.

I will moisturise once a day, but won't go back for the top up and I am going on a honeymoon somewhere sunny in April so won't put sunscreen on my actual brows in the hopes that they will fade sooner as I've heard UV light can do this.

Well the good news is, I had a good look in the mirror this morning and decided I can probably live with the thickness, especially when it's faded a little as it's not THAT thick, just they were quite thin before so not what I'm used to. And as we've said the middle bit can be filled in by a pro and finished off properly.

All this is a result of my brother accidentally bashing me with a hockey stick when I was 13, causing the scar on one side and then over plucking to match which has made them look wonky over the years. So it's never been about having the perfect brow just wanting them to look normal. Ah well hopefully I can get this sorted in time for my wedding.

You keep saying des not an expert she just a beautician with training?

People who do SPM can be any joe blogs who have just done a training course.

Infact I'd rather a beautician as they know about eyebrows!!

They look fine they will fade loads. Vaseline them and look after them. They aren't really permanent if you don't have the top up they will fade really quickly.

unimginative - she did no consultation, no patch test, no checking with me before she did it that it was exactly what I wanted so she clearly was not an expert. She did not even get me to sign the form to say I understood the procedure until AFTER the procedure had taken place, then realised she had run out of forms. What kind of fuckwit gets you to sign a consent form after the procedure rather than before?

There are experts out there who specialise in this and do it properly, for top dollar of course, I have already contacted one who specialises in correction. I will go for a consultation first before proceeding with anything and get the middle neatened up.

Glad to hear it will fade in time, luckily she hasn't gone too much outside of the natural hairs so hopefully it will just fade to a sort of shadow underneath them.

I've wanted my eyebrows done for ages but the pics on here are putting me off 🙁

I'm not going to do it with pencil every day. I do. A lot of people do. It comes off with a wipe if I make a mistake.
I'm only trying to help you by suggesting beauty counters instead of more tattooing which I think may end up looking worse.
But it's you face & only you can decide what's best for you. Good Luck 🍀

Get a nice full fringe in your lovely dark hair. When I have one cut in you can't even see my eyebrows

It's a weird trend though isn't it, I wonder how long it will last? It's like an alternative to eyebrows.
Whenever I see someone with the drawn on, neat shaped tick it surprises me that it doesn't look odd.

I never had a patch test?

You need to see them in 3 weeks they will look very different.

i go here www.debrarobsonldn.co.uk/treatments/eyebrow-shaping-and-tattooing.html as i didnt want o go risk local high street.

eyebrows virtually disappeared due to menopause and iw as struggling with pencils each day tried various super duper eyebrow gels etc....

its far far easier having them done. i started conservatively with v thin line i could add to (they draw them on first so you can see what you getting into) but frankly the ability to swim go out in rain and not worry about forgetting to do them is all worth it.

if you have decent eyebrows then perm ones make no sense but if you have very fine or zero or patchy it's a real boon to have them permed on

Don't panic. They look dark because lots of the pigment is on the surface and very upper layers of your skin. I had SP eyeliner done a couple of weeks ago. For a few days after it looked like I had very thick dark crusty eyeliner on. As is sloughed away I am left with a lovely subtle line, and can decide if I want to go darker/thicker at my re visit.

I was advised not to do anything with mine, don't scrub or apply any lotions or creams for 48 hours.

Lesson learnt, go to a professional and ensure you are given a patch test and all the documentation regarding health and allergies is filled in. Is the woman licensed with her local Authority? If not she is breaking the law. If she is licensed a complaint should be made about her complete lack of regard for the health and safety of her clients.

That browhaus website is AWFUL!