Permanent makeup has been present for quite some time, becoming more and more popular by the day. And for a reason! We all know how exhausting it can be getting up earlier only to apply your makeup properly, especially if you do it every day. And let’s not even mention the money we pour into all those beauty products!
The solution – permanent enhancements!
However, in order to be sure you’ll receive the best possible results and for everything to go smoothly, you must put an effort into finding the right person for the job. This task can be quite tricky, which is why we made a list of things to take into consideration in order to choose permanent makeup artist.
Why It’s Important to Choose the Right Permanent Makeup Artist
After you’ve decided which permanent makeup treatment you want, the first, and probably the most important step, is to find a suitable artist who will make your wishes come true.
Finding the right person for the job is crucial to getting attractive results and avoiding complications such as botched results or infections.
Plus, permanent makeup isn’t exactly cheap, so you want to know you’re getting your money’s worth.
Image source: @softinkstudio
How Do I Choose Permanent Makeup Artist?
With the help of the internet, of course!
A quick google search will inform you about the technicians around you, or you can explore artists near you on PMUHub’s salon depository.
There are also several websites that rate artists based on several criteria such as their reviews, performance and price, so check that as well.
Another great way of finding the right PMU artist is to ask around. Recommendation from someone you know is perhaps better than any online review. You can see the results in reality, they can tell you about their personal experience, and whether or not you should decide on that particular artist.
#1 Check Their Reviews
After you’ve shortlisted some of the technicians, a great way to make the list even shorter is by reading their reviews. There is no better way of knowing if someone is doing a good job or not. Think twice before deciding on places with no or minimal reviews, since they are either new to this business or doing it poorly.
Of course, we don’t mean to suggest that newbies can’t do a good job – just make sure they’re licensed and certified, and ask for examples of their work.
Image source: Freepik
#2 Book a Consult and Ask Away
After you’ve found your potential makeup artist, book a consult and don’t be reluctant to ask questions. Ask about the procedure and everything else you want to know.
Pay attention to the artist’s communication skills because this can tell you a great deal about how knowledgeable and experienced they are. If they how to answer the questions without hesitation, they’ve probably done it many times. If, however, they show hesitation and answer too many questions vaguely, perhaps choose someone else.
They should also have you sign a consent form and submit your medical history – if they don’t ask you to do the paperwork, this is a red flag.
#3 Check Their Credentials
This step might be more challenging than the others, especially if you are not sure what exactly you should look out for. When talking about credentials, we primarily mean whether the person is certified (they’ve gone through proper PMU training) and licensed by the health authority in charge.
Let’s explain both point in more detail.
The Artist’s Certificate
The certificate is the diploma which proves that the artist has finished a course that certifies them to perform the treatment. A certificate is not the same thing as a license – you first need a certificate in order to qualify for a license.
The artist has to have both in order to be considered trustworthy.
Finding an artist with a certificate is a must; finding one with multiple certificates is ideal.
The PMU world constantly changing, with innovations happening almost on daily basis. You will want to have the artist who is following these trends and who is constantly improving his or her skills. So, check what kind of training the person went though and check them online afterwards.
The Artist’s License
We know that a license on its own doesn’t say much about how well the artist does their job, but it’s definitely a form of guarantee that the artist has gone through accredited training, can follow protocol, and that their workspace has been approved by health inspection.
The license is usually publicly displayed in the artist’s workplace, so be sure to check this when you go for your consult, if not before.
NOTE
Licensing regulations vary from state to state. Check out this list of microblading licensing requirements. More or less the same rules apply to all forms of permanent makeup, but if you want to be 100% sure, the best practice is to contact the health authority in charge.
#4 Consider How Popular the Artist Is
In the world of PMU, years of work alone do not necessarily make a good technician. Therefore, the key question here is not how many years of experience the person has but how many clients do they get? How many treatments do they do on daily or weekly basis? And, are they up to date with the newest trends?
If they keep a busy schedule, this probably means they are well-trained and with lots of experience. If, on the other hand, they get very few clients, there might be a reason for that.
Of course, don’t automatically disregard less popular or well-known artists. Just put some extra effort into reviewing their portfolio.
#5 Check Out Their Before and After Photos
Checking the portfolio with before and after photos is also an important step in your search.
These photos show the artist’s skills and what their end results look like. They will help you get to know their style and decide whether or not it is suitable for you.
If they are experienced, they will have many examples of previous treatments they’ve performed. If they don’t they’re either just starting out, which isn’t automatically a reason to discard them, or they don’t like showing their work publicly, which is a red flag.
Image source: @fuat.tekedereli
#6 Consider the Price
The price of any permanent makeup treatment depends on many factors.
The most important ones are the popularity of the treatment in your area and the experience of the artist and the quality of the materials used.
When talking about the price, the most important point is to stay away from people charging suspiciously low prices. The reason for this is probably their inexperience and perhaps even the lack of license and proper training.
Therefore, first check the price range for the given treatment and go with that, avoiding any suspicious deals. If you haven’t saved enough money, it is better to wait a few months and then do it properly, then do something you’ll regret.
See average prices of PMU treatments in the following guides:
#7 Touch Up Policy
Another thing you should check is the salon’s touch up policy and whether or not the first touch up is included in the price. Most PMU treatments require a touch up session 6-8 weeks after the initial procedure, which many artists include in the price.
Check this with your artist before you decide.
Final Thoughts
The benefits of permanent makeup are well-known by now. But in order to get all the benefits without the downsides, and all that at a decent price, make sure to follow our checklist in order to choose the right permanent makeup artist. Don’t forget to check out our salon depository – your dream artist may be right here on PMUHub!
Cover image source: Freepik
