Permanent Makeup - Adverse Effects and Complications

Adverse Effects and Complications

As with tattoos, permanent makeup may have complications, such as allergies to the pigments, formation of scars, granulomas and keloids, skin cracking, peeling, blistering and local infection. The use of unsterilized tattooing instruments may infect the patient with serious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Removal problems may also ensue, due to patient dissatisfaction or regret, and they may be particularly difficult to remove in places such as eyelids and lips without leaving permanent sequelae. Compliance with 'standard precautions' and a uniform code of safe practice should be insisted upon by an person considering undergoing a cosmetic tattoo prcedure.

On very rare occasions, people with permanent makeup have reported swelling or burning in the affected areas when they underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However a detailed review of the cases within the medical literature involving Cosmetic Tattoos indicates that poor quality pigments, pigments adulterated with heavy metals, and pigments with diametric magnetic properties may have been the causative factors in most of those cases.

Topical anaesthetics are often used by technicians prior to Cosmetic Tattooing and there is the potential for adverse effects if topical anaesthetics are not used safely, in 2013 the International Industry association CosmeticTattoo.org published a detailed position and general safety precautions for the entire industry.