Cosmetic Tattooing
A “cosmetic tattoo” accurately describes the
popular service of tattooing the appearance of traditional cosmetic
eyebrows, eyeliner, and lip color among other associated services such as
scar camouflage and areola repigmentation.
What may further perplex readers who seek an
absolute as an accepted identifiable term, or as a minimum, adds to the
discussion of appropriate recognition of a cosmetic tattoo, is the variety
of terms used to describe the service. Often used and seen in advertising,
the media, licensed business names, legislation, and beauty service menus
are descriptions such as permanent cosmetics (the most identifiable and
popular,) permanent makeup, and a less often used term, but not to be
omitted for the sake of comprehensiveness, micropigmentation.
To our knowledge there has not been a formal
documented history of the progressive instigation and subsequently periodic
change of terms as cosmetic tattoo services became mainstream in the beauty
industry. Tattooing, historically often associated with body art tattooing
decoration is centuries old, includes tattoo adornment on the bodies of
millions of people, some historical figures, and used as tribe and
demographic identification of many peoples of many countries.
It is believed the term cosmetic
tattoo was originally intended to convey that the tattoo would be reasonably
undetectable and intentionally be identified by an onlooker as traditional
makeup (or cosmetics) that can be washed off. From the term cosmetic
tattoo, somewhere along the way, those who offered services outside the
traditional tattoo (body art) studio environment chose rather to identify
with the very process the service reproduces - cosmetics or makeup. The
term “permanent” is an obvious association with the permanency of tattooing
pigment or ink into the dermal layer of the skin.
Whenever and however the name cosmetic
tattoo evolved to other popular identifying terms, its popularity continues
to grow in its appeal to woman and men from all walks of life and for as
many reasons as one could imagine. The SPCP cautions all that seek the
service to shun the term semi-permanent cosmetics (or makeup.) The client
who would expect a cosmetic tattoo service that would serve for a short-term
vacation or special event will be sorely disappointed. Whatever the term
used, tattooing is tattooing and historically documented for centuries for
its longevity.
