Cosmetic tattooing (permanent cosmetics) provides a safe and natural-looking alternative to your daily makeup routine. Permanent cosmetics is a process where pigments are tattooed into the dermal layer of the skin, permanently. 

Once you find a technician, you may wish to make an appointment for a consultation before going forward with a scheduled time for a procedure. At this appointment, your needs and expectations will be discussed. There will be a small amount of paperwork, a discussion of your desires, the ability for permanent cosmetics to improve your life, a review of important related subject matters that include factors associated with proper healing, and a review of pre and post procedure instructions.

Oftentimes, you will be asked to make a deposit for your procedure at the consultation, and pre-procedure photos may be taken. These photos are taken for technician records and insurance purposes, as well as for portfolios.)  Technicians offer clients the opportunity to help others make informed decisions by asking for permission to use photographs to show others different aspects of the process.  The choice is yours.

At your procedure appointment, steps are taken to make sure you are as comfortable as possible. Although everyone's tolerance to minor discomfort is different, most clients agree permanent cosmetic procedures are far more comfortable than anticipated. Every day, improvements are being made in the development of new over-the-counter level anesthetics made specifically for the field of permanent cosmetics. The time required for anesthetics to become effective varies from one manufacturer to another, but up to thirty minutes wait time is typical. After the procedure has commenced, additional topical anesthetics may be used during the procedure to ensure your continued comfort.

Strict sanitation and sterilization guidelines are followed in accordance with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). SPCP members use single use sterile needles with each application. Pigments are all made from approved compounds, and most are mixed specifically for permanent cosmetic use. 

After your procedure, you will be given instruction in aftercare and post-procedure photos will be taken. Often, you will be given an aftercare package that may include, for example, ice packs, eye drops, and/or a non-medical type healing ointment. This policy will vary from technician to technician. There will most likely be some swelling of the procedural area if eyeliner or a lip procedure was conducted (eyebrow procedures produce very little noticeable swelling.) An example often given with eyeliner is that if you swell after crying or if reacting to environmental allergies, you will probably swell almost exactly that amount during/after the procedure. The day after the eyeliner procedure normally represents the timeframe when swelling is most prevalent.  Outer healing time varies.  Outer time represents how the procedure “appears.”  Within several days the appearance of the procedure may appear healed, or as a minimum will take on a softer look.

In 4 to 6 weeks, when the inner healing (biological healing) is complete, your technician will want to see you for a follow up appointment. Most permanent cosmetics are multi-appointment procedures, and the second procedure will be much like the first, though will possibly not take as long. Healing times after second procedures are the same. Sometimes no further work needs to be performed, but most technicians will want to take "healed" pictures. If work is performed at the follow up appointment, your technician will often ask that you come in after healing to take final healed procedure photographs,