LONGEVITY
Permanent doesn’t mean unchanging.
How Long Does Permanent Make-up Last?
There is no fixed answer in months or years. Permanent make-up can remain visible in the skin for a long time, but its intensity and, in some cases, its colour appearance gradually change.
How quickly these changes become visible depends, among other things, on the treated area, the technique, the choice of pigment, your skin and external influences such as UV exposure.
What matters is therefore not a fixed expiry date, but how your permanent make-up actually develops and when a touch-up makes sense for you.
Why Change Over Time Can Be a Good Thing
Your face, skin and personal preferences change over the years. From a design perspective, it can therefore make sense for pigmentation not to remain permanently at exactly the same intensity and with exactly the same effect.
Once the permanent make-up has faded sufficiently, its shape, colour and intensity can be adapted again to your current features and preferences at a later touch-up.
One important point: fading does not automatically mean that all pigment has disappeared from the skin. Before any touch-up, I therefore first assess how much colour is still present and how it has developed.
What Determines the Longevity of Permanent Make-up?
01
Area & Technique
Brows, lips, eyelids and under-eye pigmentation differ in skin structure, movement and everyday exposure. The technique used also influences how densely and intensely pigment is placed.
This is why not every pigmentation develops at the same pace – and why comparisons between different treatment areas are only of limited value.
03
Pigment Choice & Intensity
The starting colour and desired intensity also influence when a visible change becomes noticeable.
A very subtle result may appear to need refreshing sooner than a more intensive pigmentation. This does not automatically mean that the pigment has completely disappeared from the skin.
05
UV Exposure
UV radiation can alter pigments photochemically and contributes to the fading of tattooed pigmentation.
Consistent UV protection therefore makes sense even after healing is complete – not only for the skin itself, but also for pigmented areas.
02
Skin & Healing Response
How your skin responds to pigmentation and how the result develops during healing is individual.
Skin condition, regeneration and the way the pigment is retained and visibly develops can all mean that results remain even and clearly visible for different lengths of time from one person to another.
04
Skincare & Treatments
Intensive peels, abrasive procedures or certain skin-renewing treatments should be used thoughtfully in pigmented areas and timed appropriately in relation to the pigmentation.
If you regularly use active ingredients or more intensive skin treatments, we can take this into account when integrating the pigmented area into your skincare routine.
How does the colour change over time?
Over time, pigmentation can appear lighter and less clearly defined. The perceived colour tone can also change.
How a colour develops over the long term depends, among other things, on the pigment composition, the skin, the treated area, the pigmentation depth or technique, and UV exposure.
That is why, before a touch-up, I assess not only how much colour is still visible, but also how the colour tone and shape have developed. Only then do we decide together whether a touch-up makes sense and how it should be carried out.
When Does a Touch-up Make Sense?
Not automatically after twelve, eighteen or twenty-four months.
A touch-up makes sense when the pigmentation has visibly lost intensity or definition and the remaining colour allows for clean further pigmentation.
That is why I always assess the current condition first: How much pigment is still present? How has the colour tone developed? Does the existing shape still suit your face and your preferences?
Only then do we decide whether it is already time for a touch-up or whether it would be better to allow the existing permanent make-up more time to fade.
Because no two skins behave the same
I do not decide whether a touch-up makes sense according to the calendar, but according to the current condition of your pigmentation.
If you are unsure, I am happy to assess the colour, intensity and shape with you – and I will also tell you openly if I would not yet recommend a touch-up.