Beware... White is Your Enemy!!!

While flying out to Las Vegas for the SPCP Conference, I had begun to write this article regarding the abuse of white pigment in the skin.  Low and behold, Pat Gaultier presented at the conference and her topic was Black and White and it was as though she was finishing my sentences. Pat was simply wonderful in presenting both the verbal and visual ramifications of using white to attempt corrections, cover-ups or to highlight particular areas (other than Montgomery Glands on areola).

On behalf of those who did not get to attend, especially if you are fairly new to the profession, my suggestion is you think of white pigment as your enemy and not your new best friend. 

There are many practitioners new to this profession and although extremely talented, do not fully understand the downside of attempting to cover up a mistake with white or beige or highlighting a lip with white or beige. They are not in this profession long enough to see this downside of using white in these instances and it won’t be pretty. 

White is titanium dioxide and the only color in our spectrum that is opaque. This is why many believe they can use it to cover something up. It is not sheer and translucent like all the rest of our pigments. It is dense and quite heavy in weight and never, ever leaves the skin. It will simply outlast any color it is mixed with because it is heavier and it will eventually float to the top like sour cream.  

To appreciate the density, picture the lifeguards at the beach. They often apply zinc oxide, which is mostly titanium dioxide, across their noses in a big white strip to deflect the sun. It is quite dense. If they were to place a stripe of any of our other colors across their noses, they would be sheer. None of our other colors would provide protection to their noses since they do not have the same density or weight that titanium dioxide has. 

Light skin tone pigment or camouflage colors that would match a Fitzpatrick 1-3 will contain titanium dioxide which is white.  Attempting to cover up a mistake with a light skin tone pigment may first appear to be effective but it will be short lived. Sooner, as opposed to later, the pigment particles of the beige in this camouflage color will vacate and all that will remain is a yellowy white. It may even appear to be raised and sit on top of the skin surface. It is unsightly! I have even seen white or the yellowish white appear 3-dimensional.

We see these attempts all the time. They are generally made around the eyes, especially on the outer canthus where the top eyeliner was extended too far into the outer corner of the eye, bottom eye lids where the liner was crooked or uneven, eyebrows that have been make too long or low or uneven in the front (both medially and laterally) and around the lips.

Let’s first take a step back and ask why these attempted cover ups are necessary? Why these mistakes? If practitioners took the time to draw on these procedures prior to tattooing, these mistakes would have been avoided. Yes, even a lash enhancement should be drawn on to see how the lashes are seated and the eyelids are shaped. Only then can you identify the subtleties for the most flattering and perfect placement of color.

Lips must be drawn on as well and certainly eyebrows. If measuring tools are used on eyebrows and you check them for evenness before tattooing, there would be no reason for attempting a cover up. Drawing on your procedures is critical to insure you never have to do a cover up.

The latest trend is using white around the lips as a highlighter or to create the illusion of fullness and a vermillion border. This is a dangerous practice since the white will remain forever and possibly yellow, while the lip color will eventually fade. In a few years this will not be attractive. It is not over the counter makeup! White never leaves the skin and eventually yellows so imagine this client up the road. Ask any tattoo artist! If the white of a tiger’s eye is tattooed, it will eventually yellow and have to be tattooed again to whiten it.

This is not the first time practitioners have abused the use of white. Years back, some were attempting filling in wrinkles with white, tattooing the darkness under the eyes with white and tattooing it on the wet line. All of these proved to be great disasters. The under eye areas clumped with whitish yellow and could not be laser removed since white will turn back on contact with a light source. These women were maimed.  My late and dear friend, Patti Pavlik, wrote an article, “I Have this Needle Now What Else Can I Do With It”? We addressed these issues of white being used wrongly and the ramifications of doing so. Here we are a decade later addressing these very topics. 

How do you rid the skin of white when laser is not an option? Salt removal has proven to be the best solution in my practice. Crooked French Eyeliner procedures where the white was uneven next to the black eyeliner, I did a salt removal and it worked perfectly. Clumps of white that turned yellow used in attempted cover-ups were also removed with salt solution. Salt solution has never let me down! It is the safest and most effective pigment removal system ever discovered.

Email us at rosemarie@beauinstitute.com for our salt removal instructions and post care.

 

beauinstitute.com • 888-763-2328

Giving Hope to Breast Cancer Survivors

I realized after years of performing areola tattooing that many breast cancer survivors were simply not able to go that last mile to have their areola tattooed. Countless women would share with me that their mastectomy and reconstructive surgery had been several years prior and they just couldn't do one more thing, emotionally or physically. Another obstacle some encountered was their reconstructive surgeon had moved out of state or retired. These survivors would have to pay, out of pocket, for the tattooing and this simply became another deterrent.

So, I decided to create a volunteer program, called The Beau Day of Hope where I contacted other practitioners that specialize in areola tattooing to join me at my location and provide this service for some of these women. Our first year was a huge success and we were able to give several women the 3-D areola tattooing, at no charge. There were hugs and tears of joy that continued throughout the day. There was such a magnificent synergy; we decided to announce it to out of state practitioners, so they can hold a Day of Hope in their own facilities, across the country. Their participation meant, as a profession, we could accompany many more women to the end of their arduous journey and provide the confidence, familiarity and femininity that they so deserve.



Hope is defined as the expectation of fulfillment and that was what I wished to achieve during this day. To help women feel that fulfillment & completion when they have the areola tattooed. I wanted to put an end to the heart wrenching experiences that my client survivors share with me regarding their aesthetic issues. Many tell me they hadn't looked at themselves in a mirror for several years or they wouldn't allow their husbands to see their breasts since their reconstruction. I have found that some survivors even feel a little guilty worrying about how they look or don't look and they should just be happy being alive and well. They tell me that when they faced their mortality, their emotions riddled their minds and this was the last thing on their list in surviving.

It's so difficult to hear because I know the simplicity of the tattooing and how much it will do for her, on so many levels. I know that her reconstructive surgery will suddenly take on a new life and appear realistic. Although, her breasts may not be the same as they were before her cancer and mastectomy, they will appear convincingly feminine and beautiful. I know that this is often the final step in this most difficult journey. I am always so grateful to be able to share in this and so happy she found her way to us. 

Our Beau Day of Hope is October 28th. Join us and help us spread the word!

Fall into Brow Fashion

Fall is here, and gone are the laid back days of summer. It’s no wonder why fall is the favorite season for so many, with the crisp air and the spectacular colors that it brings. However, Howeverfall is also one of the busiest times of the year. For some, it’s back to school and for most, hectic routines begin once again.  One great way to simplify your life and save time in your daily routine is with permanent makeup.

Permanent eyebrows can be a huge time saver during your morning rush. This is our most requested procedure, as brows are the power feature of the face.

Imagine waking up every morning with beautifully defined brows, framing your face and defining your eyes. Even on makeup-free days, beautifully full brows can give your face a more sculpted, put-together look.

Today’s permanent makeup is soft and natural. One of the latest techniques in permanent makeup are 3D Brows, or HD Brows. With this technique, individual hairs are tattooed amidst your natural hairs to create a beautiful and natural effect. This technique appears realistic even in the absence of eyebrow hairs. It is truly magnificent.

Fuller eyebrows have been revived, and this I am glad to see.  The classic beauties of all time have never had a thin, contrived eyebrow. From Audrey to Beyonce, fuller brows never go out of style and are always considered in vogue.

Fuller brows add softness to the face and give a more youthful appearance. This is especially appreciated and dramatic in mature women. Fuller brows add instant glamour and take years away from the face.

Permanent Makeup Artists...if you want to learn more about 3D brows visit Beau Institute at The Philadelphia International Congress of Esthetics and Sps [Click here to go to website] on Monday, October 26 at 2:00 at the Image Conference for my presentation “ Investing in Illusion: 3D Brow-Wow."You can also come visit us at our booth #230.  We will be there 10/25 and 10/26.