I have been considering for several years getting Permanent Make-up. However, especially since I lost weight, that my facial skin is less, shall we say, taut (meaning more droops and wrinkles).

As a result, I am considering the ramifications of WHERE the color of the Permanent Makeup might end up... as my skin, well, DROOPS MORE!!

Any thoughts about this? Is this something to worry about? Is it even an issue?

I know a girl who got her eyebrows permanently done. She looked just awful. She took the place to court and lost. She now wears bangs to cover them. I would NEVER get that done. Go to a department store and get a good liquid foundation and a bronzer. MAC is very good. The salespeople can tell you how to apply it to give you a flawless look. Permanent makeup isn't going to help drooping skin and wrinkles. For that, you need surgery. I don't trust that either. Don't get caught up in the self improvement trap. Weight surgery, permanant makeup, facelifts etc... Be happy with who you are. You have a beautiful new baby, two great kids, a great job and a wonderful husband. Even if you get your face altered, you still won't be happy. It will just be something else. I asked a question about Botox before and Georgia told me to just not look in the mirror. It worked! LOL Sagus loves you for who you are. He loved you when you were overweight. Find out what is making you still seek perfection. I think you are beautiful just the way you are.

Well, Clare, I've been thinking about permanent make-up for over ten years... long before I even started to try to lose weight. I just liked the idea of waking up and "presto" have my 'face' on for the day. I am so very lazy regarding make-up, I put it one like once or twice a YEAR.

As for the surgery to lose weight, that was a "Lose the Weight or Die" option. I was about 300 hundred pounds, blood pressure was going out of skew and I was getting into some serious physical risk.

I haven't been thinking about any other surgery except maybe a tummy tuck because my "apron" of a mound of belly is causing infections in my fold area and it is adding about 6 sizes onto my wardrobe. In the summer especially, I get infectious rashes, etc in that region.

I am trim pretty much to my satisfaction everywhere, but when I have to tent my clothing just to get it over my tummy, that is another issue.

I am fairly happy with my appearance. I love my husband and he still desires me (which, having a newborn makes that point rather obvious and moot ).

I've never considered a face-lift OR Botox. I am getting a few more wrinkles, not an easy thing to see, but what the hay, I AM 41.. its bound to happen SOME time. A vague dissatisfaction about growing old is about all I feel.. and don't most people feel that way?

Good grief, if you were as old as I am, you would know that is would be really, really unwise to get permanent makeup. That is because styles change with every new celebrity 'beauty'.

Marilyn Monroe was downright zaftig. She died in 1962. Twiggy came along in 1966. She was skeletal.

If you imitated MM then a few years later Twiggy, first you would need implants; then you would need them removed. At every stage you risk anesthesia problems and the risk of infection and the risk of a 'bad outcome'. And those scars need removing, too, because they are a 'tell'. Except you never can totally remove them. They show 'up close'. And it's up close that matters. Who cares what strangers think?

Then there were the Elizabeth Taylor eyebrows. Everyone wanted them, and glued them on. Later the style was parodied by Michael Jackson, and became a joke. If they were tattooed on, the removal (after they became a joke) would leave a scar, and be expensive.

"Q: A Dr. quoted me $4300 to have a tattoo excised that is smaller than a dime in black ink , it is only an outline and took maybe 30 seconds to do. is this right?
A: He cn charge whatever he wants to. ... "

Suppose you had got tatooed cosmetics a few years ago. That wouldn't be enough. Puffy, pouty lips are 'in', so to make your tatood lip shape look 'good', you would need the 'in' color too! So you would have to cover over the tattooed color anyhow! And when it faded later in the evening, people would immediately know that you had an out-of-date color! A dead giveaway!

Besides, who wants to be stuck with one color?

(Sigh!) If I could have one wish granted, I would wish for this:

I really wish people knew how really cool it is to grow older. The happiest years of my life were the post-40's. Now, even with present problems, I know that my identity, my 'self', is stronger and richer than ever before.

Unless of course you ruin it all by allowing yourself to be convinced that looks is all.

The happiest years of my life WILL be the post 40's. I just know it.

I also think beauty is wasted on the youth.

Youth is wasted on the youth. They should be out playing in the sunshine, not moping indoors wishing they were popular icons instead.

Guess what, clare. I know you're right about your future. Your attitude generates a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Permanent make-up seems like a horrible idea to me. Make-up trends change and so does your face and even your coloring as you age.

The people I know that have done it look weird. Sorry, but weird is the best way to describe it. The difference between a soft line of shadow and a tattooed edge of ink is very great.

See? I'm not the only one.
Read this.

(The article continues at the bottom of the page.)

You made me laugh Clare.
Sher, the thing about permanent make-up is that the only thing that is done is eyebrows (usually looks fake) eye-liner, lip liner (ring aroung the mouth? how tacky), and for extreme looks total lip filling (one color, all the time....clashes with your outfits) There are some doctors that will tattoo over imperfections and scars with flesh colored inks but...get half a shade of a tan and you will have pale splotches. Also, one thing to keep in mind is that permanent make-up is never permanent - it does require touch-ups every 10 years or so...sometimes less.

I love the idea of being able to wakeup with a full face on or being able to lay out by the pool and not worry about sweating it off. But truth of the matter is, covering my freckles with foundation, putting on my false lashes, and contouring my cheeks is what gives me my look and no amount of "permanent" make-up can achieve that look.

I'd re-think having this done Sher. I don't think you would be satisfied with the results and you will always have to add make-up over what you have done. Any way you look at it you will still be applying make-up.

Well, since I DO have freckles and would have to do all the extra stuff as well, I guess it isn't such a hot idea.

I HATE all the time and effort of make-up. I am quite a lazy person. But I do love the look of a nice "face".