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What was I thinking?
I couldn’t for the life of me remember why tattooing under my eyes had seemed such a good idea. As I lay on the bed in the salon, it felt as if a thousand stinging insects, with a personal vendetta, were attacking the sensitive skin under my eyes.
Tears ran down my cheeks but just when my pain threshold had been broken and a film of perspiration covered my body, Romi Immerman, the therapist stopped.
“There,” she said. It was over? Hardly – only the first step. That is opening the skin marginally so that the strong, local anaesthetic, Blue Ice, could penetrate and the lidocaine, tetracaine and epinephrine work its magic.
Blue Ice only works on open skin so the brief torture is unavoidable. There is an urge during this short hiatus to ‘bitch slap’ the therapist and run. However, curiosity keeps you there.
It does get much better… Blue Ice – which is re-applied at regular intervals - is an excellent anaesthetic and as the procedure continues it becomes more of an irritation rather than painful as she carefully makes the indelible line along the eyelash roots, stopping to apply more Blue Ice regularly.
The DMI pigment used is organic made up of iron oxides, alcohol, distilled water and glycerine.
Why, why do we do this…Vanity, is thy name woman?
“No, says Romi, “the sudden surge in permanent make up on lips, top and bottom eyelids and eyebrows is about convenience, not vanity.”
Your lips
Romi, cosmetic tattooist since 2002 has done permanent make up for over 700 clients and she knows her stuff. She says, “Lipliner gives definition to lips and prevents lipstick from bleeding. As we get older we tend to lose lip colour.
By tattooing a lipliner that is one shade darker than your lip colour you can still wear lipstick but without it you have definition. It must never, never, look like a line around the lips, but blend in subtly with your natural colour.”
The liplining is a picnic compared to the lower lids. Once the mildly uncomfortable ‘skin breaking’ ceremony is over and the anaesthetic applied, your lips are almost numb. Without admitting to a masochistic bent, the sensation verges on pleasant.
It takes about an hour to go over the line with the permanent make up machine called a Sapphire Pro.
It is a rotary machine, meaning it vibrates from side to side rather than a Coil which would be used for the normal “I love my mum’ tattoo on a brawny forearm because its mechanism goes up and down penetrating far deeper into the skin.
Lining the upper lids
Romi believes tattooing the top line gets the best results. It suits everyone and defines the shape of the eye as well as makes the lash line appear fuller because she works ON the line not above it.
If you do the lash line, it also won’t be visible when your eye is closed or appear that you are wearing make-up when you are sleeping. It is so natural it becomes part of your face.
The bottomline
Permanent eyeliner on your lower lash line is not for everyone, cautions Romi. She gives me the third degree about why I want it….and is only satisfied when I tell her I have been using eyeliner for the last twenty years and explains that it is still dependent on the shape of the eye as to whether a client is a suitable candidate.
“Even though it is on the lash line I have learnt to make sure the client gives it a great deal of thought before doing this as it will be visible forever.”
What is the most popular tattoo?
“Definitely the eyebrows,” says Romi, “they are the most popular of all areas, as your eyes are the window to your soul and the brows the frame.
Eyebrows can be done to re-shape one’s own brows, make them appear fuller, give definition or just simply to fill in colour where hair has stopped growing or thinned out.
Of course the fact that it doesn’t wipe off when you swim, perspire or splash your face is a bonus.”
So, what can go wrong?
The permanent make up must NEVER look like a line but rather only visible enough for you to know but that you can add makeup as required for day or night time.
How to prevent problems
• Choose your therapist carefully – ask for before and after photos of previous clients and make sure you are not her guinea pig
• Always explain yourself clearly and have a consultation first. Ask questions, this will help you feel comfortable going ahead with procedure.
• Remember to check that new needles are used for each session, ask what colours she is mixing and why
BEST advice: insist on keeping a hand held mirror... Even though your therapist might have preferences, you are the one living with permanent make up.
How long does it last
It is permanent although will fade over time requiring touch ups over the years to darken or refresh colour or change shape as you wish.
What to expect?
Proper care following your procedure is necessary to achieve the best results.
For the first two days, the lip liner is a very visible alarming line around the outline of your lips. Don’t get hysterical. It is a scab and regular applications of Vaseline – no other lip gloss, keeps it soft and allow the scab to gently fall off.
Ice packs protected with a cloth may be applied as necessary to reduce swelling. (My eyes did go a bit black underneath with roo pouches visible for about two days)
Some itching is normal. DO NOT PICK, PEEL, or SCRATCH the treated area, as this will affect how the colour takes.
After the scab come off
It is normal for the client to see no colour at all directly after the scabs come off (post treatment), this is due to skin still being raw, therefore it does not show any colour. The colour will slowly start to show a few days later, and will gradually gain colour for up to three weeks.
Indication for scabbing of treatment areas:
Lipliner: 2 days
Brows and topliner: 5 to 7days
Bottomline: 4 to 5 days
Click here to see the before and after pics.
The verdict
I returned for the second prerequisite three weeks top up the colour, so it couldn’t have been that bad. The second round of scabs have slid off and the colour is returning. No, it’s not about vanity, it’s about being able to get up, grab a little lip gloss and have the confidence to go…
For further information contact
Romi Immerman
082 4246860 or info@romi.co.za
I couldn’t for the life of me remember why tattooing under my eyes had seemed such a good idea. As I lay on the bed in the salon, it felt as if a thousand stinging insects, with a personal vendetta, were attacking the sensitive skin under my eyes.
Tears ran down my cheeks but just when my pain threshold had been broken and a film of perspiration covered my body, Romi Immerman, the therapist stopped.
“There,” she said. It was over? Hardly – only the first step. That is opening the skin marginally so that the strong, local anaesthetic, Blue Ice, could penetrate and the lidocaine, tetracaine and epinephrine work its magic.
Blue Ice only works on open skin so the brief torture is unavoidable. There is an urge during this short hiatus to ‘bitch slap’ the therapist and run. However, curiosity keeps you there.
It does get much better… Blue Ice – which is re-applied at regular intervals - is an excellent anaesthetic and as the procedure continues it becomes more of an irritation rather than painful as she carefully makes the indelible line along the eyelash roots, stopping to apply more Blue Ice regularly.
The DMI pigment used is organic made up of iron oxides, alcohol, distilled water and glycerine.
Why, why do we do this…Vanity, is thy name woman?
“No, says Romi, “the sudden surge in permanent make up on lips, top and bottom eyelids and eyebrows is about convenience, not vanity.”
Your lips
Romi, cosmetic tattooist since 2002 has done permanent make up for over 700 clients and she knows her stuff. She says, “Lipliner gives definition to lips and prevents lipstick from bleeding. As we get older we tend to lose lip colour.
By tattooing a lipliner that is one shade darker than your lip colour you can still wear lipstick but without it you have definition. It must never, never, look like a line around the lips, but blend in subtly with your natural colour.”
The liplining is a picnic compared to the lower lids. Once the mildly uncomfortable ‘skin breaking’ ceremony is over and the anaesthetic applied, your lips are almost numb. Without admitting to a masochistic bent, the sensation verges on pleasant.
It takes about an hour to go over the line with the permanent make up machine called a Sapphire Pro.
It is a rotary machine, meaning it vibrates from side to side rather than a Coil which would be used for the normal “I love my mum’ tattoo on a brawny forearm because its mechanism goes up and down penetrating far deeper into the skin.
Lining the upper lids
Romi believes tattooing the top line gets the best results. It suits everyone and defines the shape of the eye as well as makes the lash line appear fuller because she works ON the line not above it.
If you do the lash line, it also won’t be visible when your eye is closed or appear that you are wearing make-up when you are sleeping. It is so natural it becomes part of your face.
The bottomline
Permanent eyeliner on your lower lash line is not for everyone, cautions Romi. She gives me the third degree about why I want it….and is only satisfied when I tell her I have been using eyeliner for the last twenty years and explains that it is still dependent on the shape of the eye as to whether a client is a suitable candidate.
“Even though it is on the lash line I have learnt to make sure the client gives it a great deal of thought before doing this as it will be visible forever.”
What is the most popular tattoo?
“Definitely the eyebrows,” says Romi, “they are the most popular of all areas, as your eyes are the window to your soul and the brows the frame.
Eyebrows can be done to re-shape one’s own brows, make them appear fuller, give definition or just simply to fill in colour where hair has stopped growing or thinned out.
Of course the fact that it doesn’t wipe off when you swim, perspire or splash your face is a bonus.”
So, what can go wrong?
The permanent make up must NEVER look like a line but rather only visible enough for you to know but that you can add makeup as required for day or night time.
How to prevent problems
• Choose your therapist carefully – ask for before and after photos of previous clients and make sure you are not her guinea pig
• Always explain yourself clearly and have a consultation first. Ask questions, this will help you feel comfortable going ahead with procedure.
• Remember to check that new needles are used for each session, ask what colours she is mixing and why
BEST advice: insist on keeping a hand held mirror... Even though your therapist might have preferences, you are the one living with permanent make up.
How long does it last
It is permanent although will fade over time requiring touch ups over the years to darken or refresh colour or change shape as you wish.
What to expect?
Proper care following your procedure is necessary to achieve the best results.
For the first two days, the lip liner is a very visible alarming line around the outline of your lips. Don’t get hysterical. It is a scab and regular applications of Vaseline – no other lip gloss, keeps it soft and allow the scab to gently fall off.
Ice packs protected with a cloth may be applied as necessary to reduce swelling. (My eyes did go a bit black underneath with roo pouches visible for about two days)
Some itching is normal. DO NOT PICK, PEEL, or SCRATCH the treated area, as this will affect how the colour takes.
After the scab come off
It is normal for the client to see no colour at all directly after the scabs come off (post treatment), this is due to skin still being raw, therefore it does not show any colour. The colour will slowly start to show a few days later, and will gradually gain colour for up to three weeks.
Indication for scabbing of treatment areas:
Lipliner: 2 days
Brows and topliner: 5 to 7days
Bottomline: 4 to 5 days
Click here to see the before and after pics.
The verdict
I returned for the second prerequisite three weeks top up the colour, so it couldn’t have been that bad. The second round of scabs have slid off and the colour is returning. No, it’s not about vanity, it’s about being able to get up, grab a little lip gloss and have the confidence to go…
For further information contact
Romi Immerman
082 4246860 or info@romi.co.za
