Mature Skin & Permanent Makeup

Most of us performing PMU will be encountering mature women (I’m referring to 50-yrs. old and upward) in need of eyebrows. In many practices, these women can be most of your practice, since it   is a struggle for them to draw their brows while wearing eyeglasses. Presbyopia generally sets in (ability to see far) in one’s 40’s. Reading glasses become an appendage. However, with this particular demographic, there are several other issues that must be considered before you tattoo you may find challenging.  

Beau Pre-Procedure Form

Beau Institute has developed the Beau Pre-Procedure Form to help practitioners pre-screen their clients, prior to arriving, avoiding disappointments for both the client and the practitioner. Using this Beau Pre-Procedure Form will prevent loss of revenues for the practitioner.

If your client should show up for her appointment with a joint replacement, a pacemaker, a recent case of shingles, stents, or several other medical concerns, that may require pre-medication or a waiting period, it is the responsibility of the practitioner to direct this client in obtaining medical clearance before you proceed with the tattooing.  

Brown Spots (Flat)

Let’s start with Brown Spots! When they are in the path of the brow design, they can totally confuse you. Do you attempt to include them or it, in your newly designed shape, or ignore them and allow them to throw the shape off? If you are fortunate enough to have an aesthetician, inhouse, who is trained to use equipment to remove these spots, you are blessed. If you don’t have someone on staff to remove them, do not sacrifice a beautiful brow for one or more spots, instead, go around them and suggest they see a dermatologist for removal.

If the brown spots are in the path of the newly designed brow, they may also alter your color, since you are adding more color to the color of the spots. Keep your eye peeled for this. If this is the case, skip them, add some warmth to your color and then, tattoo over them.  

Wrinkled Skin and/or Sun Damaged Skin

Thin, wrinkled skin should never be microbladed! Hair strokes seem to mimic the wrinkles and do not flatter these individuals, but rather age them. Powder brows are a much better choice, since they are softer and much more flattering for the wrinkled or sun damaged woman.

Something I have run into time and time again, is a deep wrinkle either in the front of the brows or the tail of the brows. A deep wrinkle in the front is generally on a client that does not treat this area with Botox. I won’t tell you it is not challenging. It is. I will try drawing the brow to the left and then to the right of the wrinkle. It will be the client’s call on where she feels more comfortable. It’s impossible to create any kind of set ruling for this situation.

If your client has a fresh tan or sunburned, allow her a minimum of4-weeks, to fade and even possibly peel. You can then select an appropriate color. Tattooing on a fresh tan will set you up for a complaint that their brows are too dark, once their tan fades.

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Brow Placement for Mature Women

I strongly suggest drawing brows on mature women, using your eyes or simple tools, as opposed to mapping them in the typical manner. Brow mapping generally creates a large, dramatic eyebrow that will be much too large, too strong, and too close together on a mature woman.

Measuring from the inner canthus (inner corner of the eyes) as opposed to the side of the nose, used for mapping, makes a world of difference! Using this style of measuring, insures a much softer look on mature faces, as opposed to a hard and-or angry appearance.

Keep brow color selection on mature women, not only lighter but select colors with a yellow-gold base, as opposed to an orange-yellow base, since this base creates a neutral brow color that appears more natural.

Silver Hair

If your mature client actually has silver hair, a light, slightly cool or ash color will work. Never use a gray pigment on these women. It will heal as though you used charcoal to draw them on and will appear harsh and unnatural.

A white-haired client is different. This is where the light, golden shades are more flattering, regardless of whether the client has warm or cool undertones.

Brows that Enter the Room, First!

Remember, when you see eyebrows walking into a room first, I assure you they are not right.  They are too dark, too close, too large, too high, too low, or too something. Therefore, be sure to draw them on first, with a pencil that is close to the color you are going to tattoo. This simple exercise can prevent mistakes in both color and design.

Our eyes should always go to the eyes, First, then, take in the other facial features.

Red Complexions Dry

Red complexions in mature women most often indicates, Rosacea. This condition will predispose them to healing with a purple or gray hue, if a warm based(orange-yellow) pigment is selected. When you see this complexion, think green (not ash or gray). A yellow-green pigment will stamp out this redness and prevent it from interfering with your healed result.

Face Inks has two solutions to this complexion, the first is our Purple Corrector, which is a beautiful medium brunette. It can be used straight or added to a golden brown or blonde. Second is Goldfinch, which can be added to any color to alter its base and prevent the purple or gray tones in the healed result.

Red Complexions Oily

Red complexions that are still oily in mature women, are often thick with large pores(orange peel skin). This complexion is not good for hair strokes of any sort and especially applied with a Microblade. The hair strokes will blur and heal a strange color. Powder brows are the perfect solution for this client.

Lighten Your Hand at the Arches!

Be sure to lighten your hand, dramatically, once you pass the arch of the brows when tattooing EVERYONE, especially mature women. The skin changes and thins, dramatically, as we pass the arch of the eyebrows.  In mature women, you may even see vascularity’s in the temple area, that may be green or purple, reminding you how thin the skin actually is, once you pass the arch of the brow.

A heavy hand used on these clients will leave you with any of the following: bruising, darkness of color, cuts, excessive bleeding.  

Needles

Mature skin cuts easily. The thickness of the skin has diminished, and you will find very little pressure is required to see your color reflecting back to you. Therefore, very small needles or small needle groups are not required for great retention.

Larger round needles groups work best on your mature client. Round 5’s or 7’scan create the softness you want for her to avoid her new brows being too obvious.

Smaller needles and smaller needle groups are going to travel deeper, therefore, there will be more risk in cutting this client or the color healing far too dark.

Microblading

Since mature women tend to have thinner skin, Microblading in general, is not the best solution for creating a brow. It can cut too deeply into thin skin, bruise it, cause bleeding, and play havoc with your color selection. Often, you won’t recognize this color as the one you initially tattooed into her skin, as it will be too dark and too cool.  

Summary for Mature Women:

Brown Spots…do not sacrifice a new brow shape in order to cover a brown spot or spots.

Wrinkles…do not tattoo inside a wrinkle when they are located at the front of the brows or the tails.

Placement…do not go beyond the inner corner of the eyes to determine closeness to avoid Angry Bird appearance!

Silver Hair…do not tattoo gray on silver haired women!!! Use a color that is only slightly ash or cool.

White hair, use a light golden blonde, not ash! Not to be seen first…understand, brows should never be seen first, on a face. If so, something is wrong!

Red Complexions Dry…avoid orange/yellow based colors as they will heal with purple tones or even gray tones.

Red Complexions Oily…avoid any attempt of hair strokes, since they will tend to blur. Powder Brows are best for this complexion.

Arches…skin changes dramatically right past the arches of the brows. Lighten your hand, dramatically!

Needles…avoid small needles on mature skin. These can heal much darker and ashy than the color you are putting in, due to the depth the smaller needles travel.

Microblades…avoid microblading on mature skin. The risks outweigh the possible benefits, as stated above.

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