Permanent Cosmetics

Tattoos started out as ways of marking the achievements and stature of warriors. Then it became a common way of pointing out criminals and other assorted ne'er-do-wells. More recently, it has turned into a self-expression through body art. And now, there are even ways to help people put their best face forward.

For some of us, our morning pre-work ritual takes a lot of time, patience, steady hands, and a large number of different make up products: foundation, concealer, powder, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, lipstick, lip liner, blush, and sometimes more than one color of each. And we can't forget the necessary touch-ups during the day, either. Reapply the lipstick, make sure our eyeliner hasn't smudged and our mascara isn't streaking our face, and if our skin has gotten too dry, we need to do something to keep our skin from looking flaky...and what if it rains? Or we get upset and we start crying? All that time spent, all the patience, all of that makeup, very much out of place.

It is now possible to get certain kinds of makeup surgically added to our skin. Sick of reapplying lipstick? Just want a permanent boost to your lip color? Try permanent lipstick tattooing. Don't like the shape of your eyebrows, but can't seem to shape them well yourself? People have been getting eyebrow tattoos since the 1950s, but now they can actually look realistic instead of severe and dramatic and very out of place. Tired of losing carefully-placed eyeliner or mascara to the elements or your own emotions? It is now possible to draw attention and give definition to your eyes and lashes with tattooing as well.

It is also possible for these procedures to be somewhat temporary. If you aren't sure you want the same lip color for the rest of your life, or you don't know if you want eyeliner that lasts longer than you do, there are options that are considered semi-permanent: after about five years, the tattoos begin to fade away, leaving you to decide if you want something different, if you still want anything at all.

The idea of permanent cosmetics also has its practical applications as well. For people going through chemotherapy, or for those with Alopesia, or anything else that causes a loss of hair, eyebrow tattooing can accompany the common use of a wig to help minimize noticeable hair loss. For accident or burn victims, scars and discoloration can be off-set by the use of tattooing a color that is more like the person's own skin tone. It can also help those with severe sensitivity to makeup, or for those with hand-eye coordination problems that make the application of makeup difficult, if not impossible.

Just remember that, like all tattoos, taking proper care is key and getting occasional touch-ups may be necessary. But if any of this appeals to you, ask your doctor about it -- and in certain cases, it may even be covered under insurance -- and see if permanent cosmetics are right for you and your busy lifestyle.