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Skin types in permanent makeup: technique, pigment selection and needle choice

Life hacks from the iColor Academy trainer – Valeria Shefer
Natasha Koldomova
founder of the international company iColor
Valeria Shefer
trainer at the iColor Academy
Hello everyone! Today, with the trainer of the iColor Academy and permanent makeup artist Valeria Shefer, we will discuss the topic of skin and how it affects the healed result. Be sure to read the article to the end — you will learn a lot of useful information and tips from Valeria.

I have prepared questions for Valeria, which she will answer as a practicing master. If you plan to become a trainer, remember that you must not only teach but also work with clients to replenish and update your knowledge.
Natalya:
The first question: what types of skin exist and which is the most difficult or easiest to work with?
Valeria:
Traditionally, skin is classified as dry, oily, or normal (combination). Skin can also be porous, dry, or moisturized — it depends on whether it is cared for. Some people monitor their lifestyle and diet, while others abuse tanning beds or simply live in a warm region with constant winds and rain.

All this affects the work of the artist, as different types require different approaches. The skin is the largest and most complex organ of the human body.

It is necessary to consider the age category of people; working with young skin is easier — it regenerates faster, is simpler in styling, and heals more quickly.

Over the years, the skin loses collagen and elastin, becoming less elastic — such skin is more difficult to work with. I recommend taking models of different ages to account for the types of skin changes and to observe the healed results.

It is difficult to work with oily, porous skin; it is capricious and secretes a lot of sebum. The most challenging, I would say, is aged and dry skin because it is extremely thin. An inaccurate needle stroke can leave spots of pigment.
Natalya:
How do you recommend working with such skin? What needles and pigments should be chosen for the job?
Valeria:
First, we determine the palette: we take pigments with the least amount of black as the basis. This way, we avoid gray-violet eyebrows and there will be no spots inside.

The first choice is GOLDEN BLONDE, then DARK BLONDE (which is a bit richer), or TERRA BROWN (which has more black than the previous ones).

Take needles of medium or sharp sharpening, the diameter should be 0.30-0.35. We do not work with thin needles.

Regarding the stretching of the skin: it needs to be straightened, but not stretched — when stretched, the skin becomes thinner. Slightly straightened, pressed down, made an even platform for work. The strokes should not be long — up to 6-7 millimeters (usually a stroke is 1 centimeter). Place the strokes at a distance from each other.

The pen should not wander, the hand is relaxed. After the first pass, we look at the result: if the color is unsaturated, we make the second pass denser.
Natalya:
Is it possible to work with tints on aged skin?
Valeria:
That's a very good question! Speaking of eyebrows — it's the best solution for aged skin. Tints are safe and do not penetrate into the deep layers of the skin. If you are a beginner and still can't control the depth of immersion (which requires practice!) — tints will save you.

Many older women prefer bright permanent makeup, and tints settle vividly on aged skin. Therefore, you will address the client's pain point and perform quality work.
healed tint MEDIUM BROWN
Natalya:
We talked about cared-for and uncared-for dry skin with flaking. Can it be visually identified before starting work? What is the difference in working with them?
Valeria:
We can visually identify such skin, even if the client has makeup on. Flaking, comedones, and small inflammations are visible. Skin lacking nourishment doesn't glow and has a grayish tint.

How does this affect the healing process? If the skin is not renewed with toning, light peeling, and cleansing with foam in the morning and evening, the keratinized layer will interfere with the introduction of pigment into the skin. During the healing process, the keratinized layer will peel off, taking all the pigment with it.
Natalya:
Does it make sense to use a peeling scrub before the procedure to ensure the artist's safety?
Valeria:
There's no point — it's a strain on the skin. It flakes, gets traumatized, and then you start working with it. It makes sense to thoroughly treat the area of permanent makeup — in our case, the eyebrows.

We have a mousse that cleanses the skin and removes light flaking — the optimal option before the procedure.
Natalya:
Each region of our country has its own characteristics. Girls from the south prefer bright permanent makeup, while girls from the north opt for naturalness. How can one assemble the perfect palette, and what should a beginner artist pay attention to?
Valeria:
I live in the northern region, where in the summer people go on vacation to the sun — exchanging the cold for heat. The skin gets microburns — it's a big strain for it. I advise doing the permanent makeup procedure not before departure, but upon return, allowing the skin to adapt and calm down.

It should take 3-4 weeks for the skin to recover and return to its normal state. Often, clients come back from vacation and complain — the eyebrows are too light. No panic — it's because of the tan; against its background, the eyebrows look lighter. The skin needs time to calm down, then the eyebrows will become as rich in color.

If you want to get permanent makeup and love going to the tanning salon — you'll have to forget about it for at least a month.

Southerners are constantly in the sun, it's unavoidable. You need to ask the client to follow safety rules, minimize sun exposure during peak hours, and use SPF protection. You should choose light colors for application on tanned skin — it will result in a pleasant bright shade.

If you work with cool dark colors on tanned skin, they will appear more pale.
Natalya:
One of the most popular questions is: how do you determine your skin tone and its temperature? Tell us some life hacks from a practicing master.
Valeria:
Determining the undertone of the skin is difficult — there are many options. Some determine it by the veins, the eyes, or the hair roots. I recommend a simple life hack for masters to take note of.

When a client comes in for a procedure, you ask them how they tan. If a person tans well, with an even and quick tan — they most likely have a cool undertone. The melanin content in their skin is high, so the tan takes easily. If a client burns quickly and their skin turns red — it means they have a warm undertone.

Consider the region you live in. If it's the north, you need to add 1-2 drops of MUSTARD or BRONZA to the mix. The pigment in the skin settles lower after a month, goes deeper after 3 months, and even deeper after 6-12 months, which changes the shade.

Remember that lighter colors (yellow) leave the skin first, while cool shades (black) remain for many years.
Natalya:
So, the more melanin, the cooler the skin tone? For example, do African Americans and Caucasians have a cool undertone?
Valeria:
African Americans are the coolest category of people because they are maximally tanned, with a lot of melanin in their skin. In this case, you need to use pigments based on yellow.

Usually, I take a mix of BROWN and BRONZA 50/50. Then on tanned cool skin, you get beautiful brown eyebrows that last for one and a half years.
healed BLACK&BROWN + BRONZA 8:2
Natalya:
Thank you, Lera, that was a cool interview! Today we discussed skin undertones, but we have many more interesting topics!

If you found this article helpful, write to us — perhaps we will make a sequel and discuss other components of makeup.
Valeria:
Natasha, thank you very much for the interview! From you, our readers, we await feedback; we have many more useful topics, life hacks, and tips that can help.

Bye-bye, everyone!
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