Frequently Asked Questions

What does a procedure involve? Your first step will be to make an appointment for a consultation to discuss your needs and the procedures which you are interested in. Maha uses gamma sterilized pigments made in the USA. It is extremely rare for anyone to have a reaction. Maha will discuss the shape which would be most flattering for your face as well as the color which will harmonize with your skin’s undertones. Jamilla is an artist and is very skilled at blending pigment for a client’s skin tone. She will show you some before and after photographs to give you an idea of how the procedure can transform and give youth to your facial features. On the day of the procedure, Maha will spend much time determining the shape before she begins and she adjusts as she works with the client to give you the perfect shape for your face. Maha will usually schedule 2 to 3 visits to give you the perfect result. During the second or third visit the color can be adjusted, made warmer or cooler if skin chemistry demands it. Maha works conservatively, so she will increase the width of the brow or eyeliner as the sessions progress. This can give a client time to adjust to the look of having their facial features refreshed with color. What will my new permanent cosmetics look like? Initially, the pigment in the brows will look dark for several days. Once the skin begins to heal it will lighten and soften. Eyeliner will initially look very dark even though you may select a light color. The color will start to lighten in several days. As your body goes through the healing process, for some clients tiny raised areas will form where the pigment was applied. This is what makes the pigment appear dark. As the layers of skin start to slough off, they cover the pigment so that it may appear that the color is faded or gone. After those layers completely slough off, the underlying pigment can be seen. Will permanent cosmetics change or look bad as I age? Permanent cosmetics will fade gradually over time, so there will not be an obvious change in your applications. The color will fade and when you return for a touch-up you can also change the color (within reason) as you age. Maha never recommends “wide, winged eyeliners” because as the eye ages you could end up with what looks like a hook at the ends. Natural is always the best way to go! With permanent cosmetics the goal you want to achieve is to wake up looking refreshed, not like you are going out to a party. If your goal is a dramatic look, then Maha is not the practitioner for you. Will permanent cosmetics be suitable for dark complexions? Yes, permanent cosmetics can benefit any woman of any age or complexion. Darker skins are particularly good candidates for any procedure. Can I keep my own brow hair? Once you and Maha have decided on the best brow shape, any hair within that shape can stay and will only make the work look more natural. Any hair outside the shape can be waxed or tweezed just as you would normally do with your normal brow maintenance. Are permanent cosmetics really permanent? The cosmetics implantation technique deposits color pigment into the upper reticular layer of the skin and is considered permanent because it cannot be washed off. Unlike traditional tattoos performed on the body, permanent cosmetics professionals do not use traditional tattoo ink (dye). Permanent cosmetics pigment is more delicate and designed to work with the skin’s undertones and to mimic hair. Every person’s skin is different in regarding pigment retention. Factors which effect longevity of permanent cosmetics are: color selected, age, thickness of skin, scarring of skin, use of skin care products, injectables, laser treatments, medication and sun exposure. You will need periodic refreshing of color, depending on how light the shade of implanted pigment, as well as factors mentioned above. A General Color Retention Guideline is:
Blondes and light taupe shades may need to be refreshed every 6 to 12 months. Mid-tone Browns may need a touch-up every 9 to 12 months. Dark Browns may need a touch-up every 9 to 24 months. Very Dark Brown and Black colors may need to be refreshed every 6 months, especially if the client has pink to ruddy skin undertones. It is a fact that clients with pink to red undertones will pull gray or even blue-gray. Even if Maha uses a very warm colored pigment, the color could possibly pull gray-blue over time if you don’t have frequent touch-ups. This is the nature of the skin chemistry which Technicians can only control with frequent touch-ups. Special note about pigment retention for those individuals with Alopecia or Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, and those with Trichotillomania: Over the 23 years of being in practice, Maha has recognized the special needs of those with Alopecia conditions. Clients may need extra visits to complete the project. Also, clients should get more frequent touch-ups. Alopecia: Once the brows are completed the brow color can look “ashy” due to the thickening of the epidermis.
Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: The client may have some areas that will not take the pigment due to the scarring nature of their condition.
Trichotillomania: There is usually a lot of scarring around the hair follicle due to pulling. Therefore, the crispness of the look of the hair stroke cannot be guaranteed and some areas may not take at all. *Please note — if a technician tells you only need one visit to complete your procedure and you will not need a touch-up, then he/she is not being truthful. Run! What if I am planning to have plastic surgery? Many women choose to have to have eyeliner done before face lifts so they will look better during the recovery period. If you are considering a brow lift, wait until after the healing process before having your brow procedure. What if I am using Latisse? Can I still get an eyeliner procedure? It is very important to stop using Latisse at least 2 months before having a permanent eyeliner procedure. In some cases Maha may refuse to work on a client who has had Latisse if their eyelids are thin to begin with. Do not start to use Latisse until at least two weeks after you have completed your final procedure. I had an unsatisfactory eyeliner procedure done elsewhere, can Maha fix it? Sorry, but Maha will not do corrections of bad eyeliner procedures which usually look like blobs of color which have migrated due to work done by an inexperienced or unskilled technician. What if I have lash extensions? Maha requires that they be removed before she starts the procedure. I had an unsatisfactory permanent cosmetics brow procedure done elsewhere, can Maha fix it? In most cases Maha can significantly improve your bad brow procedure, depending on how much time you want to invest and whether or not your skin is scarred. Correcting bad work is never going to give you the same beautiful brow as Jamilla could have created on virgin (untattooed) skin, but certainly an improvement is possible. If tattoo removal is required Maha will refer you to a professional laser technician. When someone calls and say they “only need a touch-up of work done elsewhere” the client may not realize that a “color correction” is often needed and not a simple touch-up. A consult is important to assess the situation. Before your consultation, please send a photo via email so Maha can assess the situation. What is the difference between Micro Blading and Permanent Cosmetics? Maha does not recommend Micro Blading! Micro Blading is incising the skin with what is basically a small blade. The micro blading technique was originally developed by tattoo artists who perform body/skin modifications, aka intentional scarring. It is often done by brand new technicians who do not have the experience to control the depth of the blade in the skin while working. This past year many people have taken a two-day micro blading course and try to practice “under the radar” of licensing by health departments. These unlicensed technicians are basically committing fraud, as they claim micro blading is not tattooing or micropigmentation, but in fact they are putting color into the skin with a blade which falls under the health department laws regulating body art and tattoos. Maha frequently sees clients who have been scarred by this method. So please check your technician’s state licensing before considering any procedure. What is the difference between the Soft Hand Technique and the use of a Digital Instrument to perform the procedure? Maha uses a state of the art German-made digital instrument by Nouveau Contour. It is the Rolls Royce of such instruments. Some technicians use a hand method marketed as “Soft.” The name implies a more gentle technique or procedure, but the name is a misnomer as it is not a softer or superior method than the one used by a digital instrument. Clients who have had procedures done elsewhere with the hand method have remarked that Maha treatments are far smoother and more comfortable. This makes sense because the human hand is not a machine and cannot replicate the exact stroke at the exact depth in the skin consistently. This is an important point, because if you do not get consistency you can have skipping of color or risk having the technician going too deep or not deep enough, which gives a poor technical result. “Every week I see clients with blobs of color, especially around the eye area, due to migrating pigment done by the so-called “Soft” hand method,” says Maha. The hand method was fine for ancient cultures that had no alternative method, but today there is a superior method of implanting pigment. Is the procedure painful? Maha uses the strongest topical anesthetics available, developed by Linda Dixon, M.D. The sensation to pain will vary between clients. Once the topical anesthetic takes effect, many clients report that they feel no discomfort during the brow procedures. Some clients report the eyeliner procedure tickles. Is Permanent Cosmetics expensive? Not if you look at long-term cost and effect. Micropigmentation actually costs little compared to lifelong daily make-up expenses. Permanent make- up doesn’t run or wash off! Consider it a beautiful investment in yourself. Maha practice consists of nearly 1/3 of services which are corrective procedures from bad work done elsewhere. When you go bargain shopping for the lowest price, the work you receive may be reflective with unsatisfactory results. Your face is too important to chance having such serious work done by a technician who does not have the experience, training or artistic talent to achieve the best result. The consultation is a half-hour appointment which may include a patch test and photographs. Prices are quoted at your consultation. Are there safety issues that I should be concerned with? All procedures performed adhere to strict OSHA standards for safety and sterilization. Maha takes a yearly Blood Born Pathogens exam. Here is our safety protocol: Pre-sterilized disposable needles which are opened in front of client Pre-sterilized disposable pigment cups Gamma sterilized pigments used. No tattoo inks used. Barrier film on all communicable surfaces New treatment table paper used for each client Disposable needle containment system New gloves between client procedures and throughout your procedure Distilled water used in disposable paper cup New wipes, cotton pads and cotton swabs Hospital grade disinfectant for tables, lamps, instruments and surfaces Face mask is worn as well as disposable apron/ gown