Keeping the Client Comfortable is Key in Permanent Cosmetics

Keeping your client comfortable during a permanent makeup procedure is a challenge for many. I’d like to share some of the methods and products that we, at Beau Institute, have found extremely effective.

You can make your client’s experience a painful nightmare, that she will surely share with her friends and frighten them away from your door or you can apply the effective topicals that allow you to have a comfortable client that will share an entirely different story with her friends and they will come running to you.

Also, when your client is comfortable, you can work more effectively and much quicker. The secret is, have them arrive prior to their actual appointment time and allow them to numb. Be sure they are comfortable during this time in a spot where they can read a book, magazine or have a fresh coffee or tea or other refreshments.

Be sure to double check you client intake form for any allergies.

Keeping the Client Comfortable for Permanent Eyebrows

We begin a pre-numbing with Zensa Topical Anesthetic (active ingredient 5% lidocaine cream) for 20 to 30 minutes. For Microblading, I prefer 30.

Set your table during this time, with the topical anesthetics you will be using once the skin is broken, since Zensa is not effective for broken skin, only skin that is intact. Now, when you bring your client into your procedure room, you simply select their colors and needle/needles, remove the Zensa, draw their brows on and begin to tattoo once the shape is approved by your client.

Another clever idea from one of our trainers is she uses the Numb Quik Stick to pre-numb brows and leaves it for 20 or more minutes.

Now, for the topical anesthetics that are most effective on broken skin…

I find Duration Ultra very effective but one dip with a cotton swab and you have sucked up far too much product. If I mix it with Magic, it creates a more gel-like consistency, goes further and has a most potent numbing action. You may ask, why don’t we just use Tag? You certainly can. We have just found this combo to be very effective.

To use less of your anesthetic products, choose micro-brushes, which we carry. They absorb much less with each dip into your topical anesthetics and a small pigment cap will last an entire procedure.

Another 2 numbing creams in our repertoire, are Numb-Pot-Gold and Super-Trio. My experience has been that the same topicals do not react with the same efficacy on every person. I keep the others, close-by, if I find my client is not responding to my go-to formula. It’s always so interesting to see the difference when you change your topical anesthetics and watch your client become immediately comfortable.

For the final tip on increasing the efficacy, place a small amount of Vaseline over your chosen topical anesthetic and leave for 30 seconds and when you wipe, you will see the difference. It’s huge! Vaseline is an occlusive and heats up the topical anesthetic you are using and makes it much more effective.

Keeping the Client Comfortable Permanent Eyeliner

We sell many topical anesthetics, but the one we have found to be extraordinary for pre-numbing eyeliner, is Eyz-a-Blu! It doesn’t melt down and our clients can see their phones or read a magazine without anything burning their eyes. It is so effective! We leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes, set up the table, mix the pigment color and lastly, remove the topical, draw the eyeliner on both eyes and begin to trace the outermost shape on the first top eyelid with your machine.

We layer this outline with, Duration, more Eyz-a-Blu and top it off with Vaseline, then go to the second top lid and do the same.

Now, when you come back to the first top eyelid to fill inside what you have traced, it is numb.

Once you complete the first top lid and go to the second, you will see how comfortable your client will remain.  

~ Remember the coat of Vaseline occludes the topical anesthetics, speeds them up and makes them more effective.

Keeping the Client Comfortable Permanent Lip Liner & Shading

Zensa applied, densely, like toothpaste, over the lips, for 20 minutes is very effective. Once Zensa is removed, assuming your color is poured and machine loaded and ready to go, draw on lip shape and tattoo your outline.

If your client does not wish to see a line or differential from the line to the lip fill, use a 7-Round to draw your outline. It will not heal sharply, once lip is filled or shaded inward for an ombre effect.

Once lined to capture the shape and skin is broken, I switch topicals to my mixture of Duration Ultra and Magic and top it with Numb-Pot-Gold. It acts as an occlusive, due to its viscosity and at the same time adds more topical anesthetic to the layering.

Warning…

I have found that prescriptive strength topical anesthetics, like BLT, have a time span of efficacy. If you are not finished in this window of time, you cannot get your client numb again. This happened to me when a female doctor flew in to have a full-lip procedure. It suddenly stopped working and I could not get her numb again. I do not use ANY prescriptive strength topical anesthetics, simply because I do not find the need for them.

Experimenting with topical anesthetics is so interesting. We are always looking for tricks and tips, so please share yours!!!

– Rose Marie Beauchemin-Verzella, CMI, CPCP

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