FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
— Is there a “Healing Period?” What is the downtime for a treatment?
ALL treatments have a healing period, which should be expected because it involves a needle and pigments. The skin has to heal and seal in the color, just like a body tattoo even if they are completely different treatments. Usually it takes about 5-7 days for lips to scab and finish peeling, and similar for brows and eyeliner as well. Sometimes it takes 7-10 days for brows or eyeliner.
— What are the side effects? Will I look crazy when I leave?
You will look swollen and red for about 2-3 days. Then the scabbing process occurs. Most people prefer to hide, wear a mask, work from home, or wear big glasses to disguise their fresh tattoos for the first couple of days. How red or swollen you get depends on how sensitive your skin is, but it doesn’t last very long. If you’ll look good enough to go out is a subjective question that I can’t answer. I personally don’t mind going out with any treatment I’ve ever gotten done (lasers, microneedling, rhinoplasty, etc.)
— What is the most popular procedure?
I started my business focusing on brows, and today my most popular procedure is Soft Powder Brows and Velvet Lips Tattoos. Soft Powder is the longer lasting, safer for skin, more evenly retaining technique of all brow tattoo techniques. Velvet Lips are the more saturated version of “Lip Blushing” and also tends to be favored in comparison for its more noticeable color and longer lasting results.
— Why is my deposit to reserve the appointment Non-Refundable?
This is to protect my time and business as a professional. I limit my days to 2 clients per day. Each appointment takes almost 3 hours per person, with of course some buffer time in between in case someone’s skin type takes extra time. If someone cancels on me last minute, at least the deposit serves as the cancellation fee, even if that does not make up for the lost time. If you have a very tight financial situation, or my deposit requirements will put stress on you / cause you to worry over it, please do not book. My policies apply universally to everyone.
— What if I have a medical emergency?
If you have a true medical emergency, then I request some level of proof/evidence of the emergency and explanation. Not in a way to challenge the emergency, but so I can immediately reschedule you without making you repay the deposit/lose your deposit. For anyone trying to reschedule last minute without a true emergency: I am already generous with only 24 hours notice required to reschedule without penalties. I need at least 24 hours to be able to replace that 3 hour appointment spot with someone else. If you are a last minute no show or cancel on me last minute for no real reason, I end up losing income for half the day.
— What happens to “No Show” clients who simply do not show up to the appointment?
No Shows without emergency or respectful enough explanation are not allowed to rebook with me. It is important to have a positive, respectful relationship and energy. Please Keep in mind, if you reschedule last minute I am usually booked for 3-4 months in advance and you will have to wait a few months before being able to come in. I cannot simply “squeeze” people in last minute because I truly care a lot about my artistry and about the clients’ results, so I must take my time to ensure best results.
— Do you offer discounts or bundles ever?
No. While I am very thankful and grateful to receive business, I have invested a lot of money and time into doing what I do. I am properly licensed, legally working, certified multiple times, and do everything under the guidelines of the NYS Department of Health. I buy the highest quality inks, needles, and use expensive machines. Please respect artist pricing and do not try to negotiate it. Again, this procedure is not necessary — It is a LUXURY procedure. The higher you pay does not mean guaranteed perfection, happiness, or that risks do not exist. There are risks with every procedure, and there still is a price for a top artist with experience.
– Do you finance?
No. Cosmetic tattoos are elective procedures, meaning not medically necessary. You may pay with a credit card that has a chip reader, if the name also matches your photo ID to verify identity.
— Can I bring a guest? What if I need to bring my children? Nobody can watch my kids I have to bring them.
Guest(s) may wait in the waiting area, but given that it’s a 2-3 hour procedure, it’s best if they spend their time elsewhere and then come back once your procedure is done. Regarding children: THIS IS A SERIOUS PROCEDURE. Needles are around and serious concentration is needed. It is really distracting and unsafe for children to be in the same room while I’m working. For adult guests, artist proprietary techniques and also concentration is preserved within the room. I do charge for watching me work, and that option is available in the training and Look and Learn webpages.
— What if I’m running late, or miss my appointment?
If you are running 5-10 minutes late, it is acceptable and understandable due to traffic, etc. If you are late by over 20 minutes, you will not be seen and your deposit will be lost. You will need to reschedule and pay a new deposit for a future appointment. If you have a real medical emergency that prevents you from seeing me (emergency room, accident, family death, etc.) I will work with you to reschedule without loss of deposit. Please understand late and cancellation policies. I must be strict because I work alone, and no work means loss of income. Thank you to all compliant clients.
— Is it painful?
Everyone has a different response to pain. Cosmetic tattoos usually are a little uncomfortable, but are widely tolerated. To be realistic, there is needlework involved, so it is not the same thing as getting a massage or some relaxing treatment. Pain levels have been reported by my clients around 3-5/10. I apply topical numbing as well as numbing on open skin throughout the process to make it more comfortable and manageable for you. If you are extremely sensitive to pain and emotional about pain, this is not a good procedure for you. My priority is the outcome, so I will of course sympathize and use numbing as much as possible, but my focus must be on the quality of my work.
— What if I don’t like how it looks after the first procedure?
Most, if not all, cosmetic tattoos need a touchup session to perfect any spots that didn’t retain the color as well due to your skin. You may possibly also want to slightly adjust the color a little bit—which is done at the touchup. There is always a little bit of unpredictability when working with skin. It’s impossible to guarantee your individual skin type will heal perfectly, or that the colors I custom mix will 100% reflect desired outcome when healed. I am very experienced with custom color mixing, but there are instances when I have to adjust lighter / darker / warmer/ cooler at the touchup due to how your skin chose to grab onto the exact tone of the color used. You must be as VOCAL as possible about how you’d like yourself to look starting, and NEVER ASSUME I know exactly what you want. My success comes from pre-drawing specifically and working with you to give you what you’re looking for.
Realistic expectations + My opinion = Happy client.
– Is Microblading good for everyone?
Absolutely NOT. Microblading uses a blade in the superficial shallow portion of the skin, and is not ideal for people with oily, troublesome skin or skin with a rough texture. If you have oily skin and still want to pursue microblading, you will have faster fading and less color retention, and most likely will want to switch to a different technique (combo brows or ombre powder). I am converting almost all of my former microblading clients to combo brows, or soft powder shading brows. See those pages on my website for examples of specific techniques.
– Is semi permanent makeup safe?
Yes—for most people. Complications are extremely rare and are mostly due to not following aftercare properly or withholding medical information. Semipermanent makeup has been around for many, many years and modern techniques + high quality inks have made it possible to create natural, safe results. For people in general good health, who don’t have any of the contraindications, it is a very safe and beautiful practice. A good candidate should be in reasonably good health, be 18 or older, not pregnant or breastfeeding, without a major medical condition at the time, and does not have skin conditions in the desired target areas (i.e. acne, blemishes, scars, burns, swelling, rashes, psoriosis, eczema, rosacea, keloids/hypertrophic scarring). Every client is treated with the utmost care regarding health and safety. New, disposable, unopened tools are always used for every single client—which is immediately disposed of after that client’s use. IT IS INCREDIBLY RARE for anyone to be allergic to the high quality inks that I use or get an infection from the treatment. If any allergies occur, it is usually to the lidocaine numbing agent, but that reaction is usually minor and temporary. Any major concerns that arise should be addressed by a medical doctor and it is your responsibility to seek treatment from a medical doctor in case of any worry or issues that arise.
— Why are touchups necessary? Why are they not included for brows?
Skin is unpredictable. Skin is not perfect. Even if I apply the perfect amount of ink, perfect shape, everything, there is always a chance that YOUR skin does not want to cooperate and fully retain the ink. The immediate touchup after the first session is always recommended to perfect any areas that faded, to make minor adjustments to color or shape, and to saturate the skin with more ink so the effects last longer and the longterm fadeout is more even. Sometimes the brows heal beautifully after the first session, and the client wants to wait longer to get the touchup. This is up to you, which is why the touchups for brows require a separate fee according to how long you’ve waited.
– Will my brows come out exactly the way I want?
You must be vocal and as detailed as possible in describing how you want your brows to look. Bring photos of yourself with makeup you like, models, celebrities, random people, even other artists’ work that you like, my other work that you like. Bring brow pencils or lipsticks you use all the time. I take a long time designing and doing the pre-draw to show you exactly what they will look like. Any concerns MUST be vocalized prior to the tattooing. Skin is unpredictable and while she strives to give perfect results, you will most likely need a touchup to finish the job.
– Who may not be good candidates for semi permanent makeup?
Those prone to keloids and hypertrophic scarring
Those with persistent and extreme skin conditions on the site to be worked on (i.e. acne, blemishes, scars, burns, swelling, rashes, psoriosis, eczema, rosacea, keloids, veins in the brows)
Those with unrealistic expectations that the procedure will create their perfect dream aesthetic, or expects their brows to look exactly as they do on Day One for the duration of the eyebrow tattoo. This also includes people who are prone to being unreasonably neurotic about procedures, get easily upset about little minor issues that can be resolved at a touchup, etc. Skin is not perfect so you must have trust in the artist and patience
THOSE WHO ARE EXTREMELY, OVERLY SENSITIVE TO PAIN or have emotional trouble coping with pain (My numbing method is excellent, and it is generally very tolerable! Some people with health conditions may not numb well, or require multiple rounds of numbing. If you don’t numb well at the dentist, you may have similar issues with the Microblading)
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
Those with any major or chronic medical conditions, recent major surgery or physical procedure or anything compromising the immune system (*Consult with your physician and provide medical clearance from the physician treating the condition)
Anyone with autoimmune conditions (*Consult with your physician and provide medical clearance from the physician treating the condition)
Anyone who has had major surgery must make sure adequate time has passed before getting a cosmetic tattoo or refer to their physician for advice
– How do I prepare for my semi permanent makeup appointment?
Do Not take blood thinning medications (i.e. aspirin, Advil/ibuprofen), caffeine, alcohol, multivitamins (especially including vitamin E or fish oil), for at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. They will cause more bleeding, which makes it hard for me to see the lines clearly, but it also makes you as the client more sensitive and sore during the procedure. Not following those instructions will cause more sensitivity and pain. Please come well-rested and relaxed! It is supposed to be exciting!
– How long does the color last?
Approximately 2-3 years. This depends on every person’s individual skin type. It is unrealistic to give a very specific amount of time that your results will last—as it all has to do with skin cell renewal time, oiliness level, as well as your frequency of exercise/sauna use/sun exposure/exfoliation. In general, Microblading requires touchup after several months. I recommend getting touchups when you start noticing the color fade, or every year to maintain optimal results.
– What are aftercare instructions?
Please refer to the comprehensive Aftercare Page under “Services” in the Menu options.
– Can I return to work right away?
Yes, but this also depends on your level of insecurity at having work done. If you feel uncomfortable or self-conscious, you may want to get your procedure done on a Friday or or during a holiday/vacation. Most people have no problems going right back to work. The color may be intense or darker than expected on Days 2-5, but DO NOT WORRY! This all fades into the intended color after about a week. It is normal to see around 30% fade in color.
– Will my results change over time?
Yes. Although the fading is gradual and occurs over a period of time, the skin’s natural dilution of the color will cause the appearance to change. That is why we recommend touchups when the fading becomes noticeable. The name “permanent” in permanent makeup does not mean that it lasts forever—It means it lasts long enough for that term to be widely used, and some ink molecules will stay in the skin (even if undetectable) forever.
– Can you correct someone else’s work?
Yes. If you were not happy with another artist’s work, I am happy to correct and improve upon the work you have received in the past. If there is a noticeable color that would disrupt a good coverup, I will either refuse to work on it or recommend saline removal and healing prior to touching it. Sometimes, clients understand that covering up a dark or old botched tattoo may take several sessions to achieve an overall improvement. As long as they understand it may take some time and a few sessions, I am willing to work on the brows instead of removing first. Cover-up work or fixing previously done jobs is challenging, so the client must understand that although the brows can significantly improve, sometimes the exact desired results may not always be attainable.