Lasting approximately 6 years, the semi-permanent tattoo seems to have it all. In France, he is mainly known for his cosmetic purposes: microblading for the eyebrows or even tattooed eyeliner. But the semi-permanent tattoo is also used for artistic pieces, and this use is controversial.
What are the differences between the permanent tattoo and the semi-permanent tattoo?
The main difference is in the name. While the permanent tattoo will last your lifetime, the semi-permanent tattoo is supposed to have a more limited hold over time. Technically, it remains visible between 3 and 10 years. This duration varies depending on many factors, such as the pH of the skin, the lifestyle of the tattooed person, but also the size of the pattern.
What makes this difference is not the material used, but the product. This is because the pigments used for semi-permanent tattoos are not India ink, but diluted natural pigments. Thus, the parts made on the skin would disappear over the years. According to people who practice this tattoo technique, the pigments are also injected into the epidermis, whereas for a classic tattoo, the ink is in the dermis, just below the epidermis. This type of tattoo is often performed by beauticians.
However, this technique is widely criticized by “permanent” tattoo professionals. This is the case with YouTuber and tattoo artist Bastien Tattoo. Indeed, according to him, an ink, even with diluted pigments, cannot disappear completely. Thus, there would always remain on the body a small spot of fuzzy pigments. Some tattoo artists also explain that it's next to impossible for a dermograph – the tool used by tattoo artists – to prick the skin because this skin layer is too thin.
So don't get a semi-permanent tattoo in the hope that our piece will disappear in a few years. But this technique can have certain advantages. Indeed, it can be a way of "testing" a pattern and redoing a permanent tattoo over it if you are satisfied. The line becomes blurred and loses its intensity over time, so it is easier to modify the piece, if in the end we do not like it in 5 years. On the contrary, a permanent tattoo requires the use of a particularly expensive and painful laser to make the design disappear.
The semi-permanent tattoo in beauty
Semi-permanent makeup is much more popular for makeup purposes. Indeed, in recent years, it is no longer rare to see in the street a woman, or even a man, with what is called semi-permanent makeup, whether it is a line of liner on the eyes, a line marking the contour of the lips or a fully colored mouth, or even redesigned eyebrows. For makeup, we speak rather of dermopigmentation, a more technical term, which eliminates the confusion that may exist between a semi-permanent tattoo and a "real" tattoo, which cannot be performed for aesthetic purposes. .
Eyebrow makeup. Microblading is the technique to have eyebrows that do not move for more than a year. This semi-permanent tattoo will imitate the hair to hair technique to redraw the shape of the client's eyebrows. Here, the esthetician is not going to use a dermograph because it will not be precise enough and the needle will go too deep into the skin. It is therefore a metallic pen and nano-needles that are used to penetrate up to 0.3 mm below the epidermis. Unlike an eyebrow tattoo, microblading will have a more natural, ombre result. Being done on a bone part, microblading will last much less than a traditional semi-permanent, it will begin to fade after a year, it will then be necessary to do a touch-up in a specialized institute.
Lip and eye makeup. These are two services that are the least performed, because they are considered too old-fashioned and in bad taste. When you think of semi-permanent eye and lip tattoos, you immediately think of an excessively dark lip line and grayish eyeliner. Let's be honest, that was true about 20 years ago, when the technique started and in keeping with the trends of the day. Only today, the techniques have evolved. There are many pigments, ranging from pale pink to lipstick and brown to ebony black for eyes, and even brighter colors like blue. Thus, it is possible to have a fairly natural result. For the eyes, the practitioner can either make a flush of the eyelash, either lower or higher, to give relief to your eyelashes. It is also possible to make an eyeliner with a comma to have doe eyes permanently.
Regarding the lips, it is possible to only make the outline to give them a little more dimension, a bit like contouring, but also to redraw them if they are asymmetrical, or to fill them to make them a little fuller. In the case of a simple outline, the color will be that of the lips naturally. For a filling, the customer will choose the tone. The result will resemble a natural glossy effect.
Hair makeup. This is much less common than other semi-permanent makeup techniques, but it is possible to do it on the scalp. This will give the impression of having real hair thanks to the multiplication of micro-dots on the scalp. This technique is as restorative as it is aesthetic, and contrary to what one might think, it is not only men with baldness who practice it. Women with alopecia usually turn to this solution, called tricopigmentation. Thus, they reconnect with their femininity. Concretely, the result will be more or less shaded this area and the desired effect. Indeed, a woman with holes in her hair will not have the same needs as a bald man or someone who just wants to cover up a scar. And it is a general in all three cases that tricopigmentation is performed.
The alternative: the ephemeral tattoo
There is an alternative to semi-permanent body tattoos, which last a maximum of a few weeks. A good way to test a tattoo before taking the plunge for a permanent or semi-permanent. The temporary tattoo, as the name suggests, is temporary. No ink enters the dermis, allowing the part to dissipate naturally over the days. There are different techniques for making an ephemeral tattoo.
Henna. This tattoo is traditional of the Maghreb countries. Usually it is seen on the hands and feet of women, especially those who are getting married, as it is a symbol of sensuality. Its naturally brown-orange color is obtained by macerating the henna plant with water. The tattoo usually lasts between one and three weeks. Be careful, black henna tattoos have been banned since 2005, because it is toxic to the body and can be allergenic. Hence the use of other safer pigments.
The Jagua. This technique comes straight from Latin America and is gradually spreading in France. Jagua comes from the fruits of the tree of the same name. They are in a hurry and a bluish ink comes out. As it oxidizes on the skin, it turns black. It remains on the body for one to two weeks and visually it is similar to a permanent tattoo.
Australian ink. It only inked the name. Indeed, Australian ink does not enter the epidermis, but binds to the surface. It has the advantage of being able to be colored and therefore you can make the tattoo you want. Australian ink is mainly used to create fake tattoos in movies and series. Like a real tattoo, the piece is shiny first, before matifying. The only difference is that this tattoo stays on the skin for up to 10 days only.
The decal. To put it bluntly, it's a bit like a "Malabar tattoo". A pattern is printed on a flexible medium before being placed on the person's body. This usually involves arming with a damp sponge to run over the back of the sheet and allow the ink to transfer to the body. Many sites sell this type of tattoo with larger or smaller pieces. It is also possible to order your own design. A decal tattoo lasts about a week, depending on where you place it. It sometimes requires exfoliation to remove tattoo remnants, as it does not wash off equally everywhere.
Temporary tattoos for women – floral motifs by Konsait
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