While it’s common to use the term eyebrow tattoo when referring to the procedure that creates false brows using a machine that implants ink or pigment into the dermis, it’s more accurate to call it micro pigmentation.
Is there a difference between cosmetic tattooing and micropigmentation?
Permanent makeup has come a long way since its inception. Originally, a tattoo, whether artistic or cosmetic, employed similar techniques, equipment and inks. The first eyebrow tattoos were essentially dark brown or solid black lines, shaped like eyebrows, but not very natural looking. Women who chose to get an eyebrow tattoo often had a penchant for a theatrical look, in fact, it was common for women to have their natural eyebrows eliminated with electrolysis prior to getting a tattoo. This lead to a harsh look, often with overly accentuated arches, thick lines and dramatic wispy ends. That changed when hand-help devices were introduced.
Small hand-held, multi-speed, digital, machines offered not only a more hygienic approach to implanting color under the skin, especially in sensitive facial areas, using disposable micro-needles, but were also well suited to vegetable pigments that could be blended to provide softer colors. These lightweight devices allowed aestheticians and technicians to do delicate, detailed work; blend colors, shape brows, correct small imperfections, fill gaps in sparse areas without affecting natural hair, while still adding touches of color to provide better brow definition.
Today, permanent makeup specialists / micropigmentation technicians are highly skilled cosmetic professionals who can become certified / accredited in their industry. Almost all micropigmentation for cosmetic purposes is done in a clinic or aesthetic / beauty salon under the care of a certified cosmetician / technician. These cosmetic tattooing professionals have studied and apply techniques like feathering to create tiny hair-like lines that resemble real brows, apply soft shadows below natural hair to give the illusion of fullness, and blend pigment to provide realistic colors to match hair and skin tone.
Although micropigmentation specialists, who offer permanent makeup services on eyebrows, eyes and lips, may still use the word tattoo, the brows that can be created today, in most cases, have very little to do with the dramatic eyebrow tattoo results of yesteryears.