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Botox, Fillers, and Permanent Makeup

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Botox, Fillers and Permanent Makeup, Oh My!!! Clients frequently ask if they should try Botox and Fillers... My quick response would be, "Why not, give it a try."  However, there's pros and cons to everything.  Liquid cosmetic enhancement can shave years off the face, however, as we age, we need more and more to gain similar results. My long response would be to consider the following... Average Cost: Be aware, it can get pricey depending on how many cc's your face needs.  On the average, plastic surgeons charge $11 to $15 per cc for Botox.   The average cost for fillers are $300 to $600 per syringe (8cc) The cost adds up quickly. Who to Trust: Do not assume all certified plastic surgeons are good with injecting Botox and Fillers.  Many surgeons master niche procedures, but you can't expect one person to master everything.   For example, if your plastic surgeon did an amazing job with your breast augmentation, don't automat

Permanent Makeup Camouflage

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Q: Can I camouflage a scar, area of the skin that's missing pigment, or previous permanent makeup by using skin colored tattoo pigment? Clients with Vitiligo and scar tissues on their body/face request camouflage tattooing to match their natural skin color.  There's always Pros and Cons. Pro:  Tattooing skin colored pigment can conceal or make the area with loss of pigment less noticeable.  There are a lot of vendors with various colors, so you may find a color to match your skin tone.   Con : Your skin may darken or lighten depending on the time of the year, i.e. sun tan. It may be subtle, but your skin varies in darkness/lightness throughout the year.  However,  the Camouflage pigment will remain the same.  It will not tan with you.  Therefore, if the scar/loss of pigmented area is on your body that gets exposed to sun light,  this may not be a good solution for you. Also, all pigment fades over time.  Again, the pigment color may match your skin color

Permanent Makeup lip pigment colors

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Questions to ask yourself when choosing Permanent Makeup lip color: 1.  Are you a good candidate? Take a look at your lips in the mirror.  Are both top and bottom lips the same color?  If yes, you are a good candidate. Are the Top/Bottom lip significantly darker/lighter than one another?  If so, you may not be a good candidate.  The difference in hue will be accentuated with permanent makeup. 2.  Cold sores, fever blisters or herpes simplex HSV-1.   1 in 3 women that I provide permanent makeup lip procedures have HSV-1.  The client must take prescription strength anti viral medications pre and post lip procedure.  Most common prescription drug is Zovirax.  There are many other medications on the market, so ask your doctor.  The dosage varies so be sure to ask your permanent makeup artist what the proper dosage is.  Lycine- L and other over the counter drugs will not prevent an outbreak. 3.  When choosing lipsticks, do you use   Reds with Blue Undertones or Reds with Ora

Thinning brow hairs

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Diagram description: Area 1 points to the Bulb Area 1-2 is the Bridge Area 2 points to the Arch Area 2-3 is the Tail Women's brows tend to thin in the Tail area first.  Then eventually, it thins throughout the Bridge area and the arch is lost. Common events, some women have over plucked brows throughout the years, and the new growth is sparse.  Others simply haven't touched it, but it still thins.  One possibility is your thyroid or changes to your estrogen level.  Please refer to your physician for more details. Either way, there's no quick solution to make the hairs grow back.  Clients have used Latisse on their brow in hopes to grow hair.  The side affects is that it left dark, hyper pigmentation on the brow area. This method is not recommended and it's incredibly costly. If this is the case, you are a perfect candidate for permanent makeup brows.  It will bring back definition to your eyes and relieve you the hassle of drawing them on daily.

Does Permanent Makeup Procedures Hurt

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Many clients ask how painful Permanent Makeup Procedures are. Everyone has varying threshold for pain.  What's considered uncomfortable for one person, may feel differently on another.  It's difficult to assume that everyone will have similar experiences.  With the SofTap tool, the Eyeliner procedure is the least painful, then Brows, then Lips. Also,  the quality of topical anesthetics used by the Permanent Makeup Artist before and during the procedure will be a key factor.   Don't be afraid to ask if they use high quality anesthetics.   Depending on the Artist, the medication will vary.  However, the numbing process should take place in two steps to ensure client comfort: 1. Prior to procedure, the Artist should use Lidocaine to numb the surface of the skin.  It takes minimum of 10 minutes for it to be effective.  Currently, 5% Lidocaine is the maximum allowed over counter.   2.  During the procedure, the Artist should use a blend of Lidocaine,

Scars on my eyebrows

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Before Permanent Makeup After Permanent Makeup Hairstroke Brows Believe it or not, scars around the eyebrows is common for both men and women.  Either a childhood accident or early adulthood, many women reveal scar tissue around the eye area.  If the scar is directly on the brow, this area is usually hairless.  Most women cover it up with either brow pencil or powder. Permanent Makeup pigment can be directly applied to an old scar tissue to conceal loss of hair. For more Before/After Permanent Makeup photos, please visit us at: Jee Kim www.prettypleasestudio.com San Ramon, CA

Shaving or over plucking brows

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Before Permanent Makeup Brows After Permanent Makeup Hairstroke Brows Shaving or over plucking brows is not recommended for women of any age.   Myth 1: By shaving my brows, the hair should grow back thicker. Myth 2:  I can always pluck everything off and draw with pencil.  The hair will eventually grow back. For my clients that have shaved off their brows, the new hair growth is baby fine and patchy.  For those who have successfully shaved and grew back their brow, consider yourself extremely lucky, and do not repeat.  You may not be as lucky the next time around. For more Before/After Permanent Makeup photos, please visit us at: Jee Kim www.PrettyPleaseStudio.com San Ramon, CA