Bella Thorne Tattooed Her Eyebrows — Should You Too?
When it comes to her eyebrows, Bella Thorne is a fan of permanent makeup. (Photo: Getty Images)
Social media is a wild thing. Not only can we check in on the lives of celebrities, but apparently we can also watch them have permanent makeup applied, à la Bella Thorne’s brand-new tattooed eyebrows. The actress posted videos of the entire procedure to Snapchat, which had us wondering: Is permanent eyebrow makeup something we should consider?
Creating permanent, inked eyebrows involves a couple of key procedures. One is micropigmentation, which is typically the application of ink using a machine. Then there’s microblading, in which a technician uses a small, precise hand tool to draw on natural-looking wispy eyebrow hairs, as we see in Thorne’s video.
After the artist numbs her face, applies some brows using the microblading technique, and carefully “slices” the ink to shape those perfect frames, Thorne’s brows go from looking light and breezy to defined and decidedly on trend.
But is this really safe? According to Angela Lamb, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tattooing is an ancient technique that’s been around for hundreds of years — so there’s a track record there. And even tatting your face is fairly safe, as long as you find an artist with plenty of experience and credentials.
“Permanent makeup is definitely growing in popularly,” Lamb tells Yahoo Beauty. “I see a lot of people doing eyebrows and eyeliner now. As long as your technician is skilled and knows exactly what they’re doing, it’s pretty safe — but as with all tattooing, certain risks apply.”
Lamb lists her “top three” risks to monitor if you’re planning to get permanent makeup. “I always watch for infection with any tattooing, along with keloids or an allergic reaction to the dye,” says Lamb. Keloids are more common in people of color and result in an increase in fibrous tissue. Think of it as a “scar gone wrong,” explains Lamb. An allergic reaction to the dye can leave you with permanent swelling or scarring.
With brows, since you are extremely close to the eye area, any slip could also result in serious injury, which is why Lamb says it is extremely important to find an artist you trust. “Go to a trained professional,” Lamb says. “Make sure to research the artists in your area.” Hit the Internet, get multiple opinions if you must, and pay close attention at your consultation.
As long as you make sure to minimize all risks involved when you get inked, permanent makeup can be a great way to streamline your morning routine and reduce the time it takes to get ready. Thorne seems to love her brows. You could be next.
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