Under ideal conditions (i.e., carefully following the after care instructions), a permanent eyeliner tattoo generally takes anywhere from 3-5 days to heal, give or take a day or two. That amount of time varies depending on how heavy or thick the eyeliner is, how sensitive the eyelid skin is to begin with, and whether or not someone is a “fast healer.”

With adequate numbing, the eyelids generally respond to topical anesthetic better than most other parts of the parts of the body because of how thin the skin is, so the procedure should not be painful at all. Discomfort will eventually set in if the skin is overworked, however. For a small percentage of the population who do not respond to topical anesthetic or may have a nerve or eye area disorder then an eyeliner tattoo procedure would be best avoided.

The cost for a permanent eyeliner procedure will vary depending on the technician and the geographic location, any where from the low hundreds to over a thousand. There will be the initial costs for the procedure which may include any necessary follow up visits, and afterwards additional costs for touch up visits. Touch up procedure visits are usually much less than initial procedure visits, but these also vary by technician.

Similar to any other cosmetic tattoo, an eyeliner tattoo is considered permanent because once the eyeliner pigment is implanted into the skin below the epidermis it cannot be washed off. But in reality, it’s unlikely to last forever without the color either fading or becoming altered so that periodic touch ups will be necessary to freshen up the color.

Every eyelash has a lifespan just like any other hair on the body. A properly performed eyeliner tattoo itself will not cause eyelashes to fall out unless an eyelash is already out of its active growth phase – which is also known as anagen and lasts about 30-45 days – and at the end of its growth cycle when its follicle is in its resting phase. This resting phase is called telogen, which usually lasts for over 100 days and accounts for anywhere from 6-8% of all the hairs. Normally anywhere from 25-100 telogen hairs shed on their own each day.

In order to permanently lose any eyelashes the follicle of those eyelashes must be destroyed. In order to destroy a hair follicle, an intense pulse of energy – such as from laser hair or tattoo removal or the electric current in electrolysis – must make contact with the hair follicle that extends down to the dermis. Without an electric current or intense pulse of energy from a laser device, the needles used in tattooing is unable to destroy any hair follicles.

You may experience some swelling in the first 24-48 hours after a permanent eyeliner tattoo depending on how thick or heavy the desired eyeliner, and it often only involves the upper eyelids. You can minimize any swelling by keeping the head cool and elevated (e.g., no hot, sweaty workouts while the eyes are healing) and using cold packs for up to 10 minutes at a time every hour during the first 24 hours after the procedure.

Whenever there is any swelling, it should only be on the upper eyelid and should not last more than 2-3 days, with a marked decrease in swelling after each successive day.

There are many thing to know when considering getting a permanent eyeliner tattoo. First, you’ll need to find the right technician for you. That will be the person who performs the kind of work that matches up with your tastes, who is in your budget, and should be properly licensed and permitted to operate.

Next you should know your whether the procedure could be contraindicated given your skin and health history. (If you are unsure you can always ask your doctor, especially if you are under a physician’s care for a health condition.)

Finally, if there is no reason for you to not get a permanent eyeliner tattoo or eyelash enhancement, you should plan your appointments accordingly so that you give yourself enough time to heal (e.g., not wearing additional makeup around the eyes and avoiding strenuous exercise for a few days). It’s also important to know that while a permanent eyeliner can be indeed permanent, the color can and will still eventually fade over the years.

An eyelash enhancement, on the other hand, is more semi-permanent and can be expected to fade more quickly. Both types of procedures will eventually require touch ups to freshen up the color, but there is less of a commitment for a permanent eyelash enhancement which is a more subtle procedure.

A permanent eyeliner tattoo is considered a safe procedure as long as it is properly performed by an experienced technician using sterile instruments under sanitary conditions and the client has no contraindications. Any potential safety risk should be minimal as long as all necessary precautions are adhered to during and after the procedure when the skin is healing, just like with any other tattoo procedure.

Contact lenses themselves should not impact the recovery of an eyeliner tattoo. However if you are a contact lens wearer it is advised to switch to eyeglasses for the first day or two if your eyes are still sensitive from the procedure. If they feel okay and you have no other alternatives other than contacts, then it’s best to use a fresh new pair to ensure they are clean and sterile.

Actually, the opposite tends to be true for most of my clients, and this is probably due to the fact that because the skin on the eyelids is thinner it also numbs more easily.

As for pain tolerance, this FAQ sums up for most people: https://juvessentials.com/im-nervous-about-the-pain-involved-how-much-will-this-hurt/

According to its manufacturer’s website, Latisse®️ is a prescription treatment to “grow eyelashes longer, fuller, and darker” and side effects include eye itching, redness, and  “increased brown iris pigmentation in the colored part of the eye.” Other reported common side effects include eye discomfort, dry eyes, watery eyes, eyelid redness, or puffy eyelids. Aside from the darkening of the irises, if you are experiencing any of these side effects from using Latisse®️ you may not be a good candidate for an eyeliner tattoo since your eyes are already irritated. However once you stop using Latisse®️ any side effects should go away. Otherwise if you have no adverse side effects from using Latisse®️ or any other synthetic prostaglandin-based eyelash growing serum then just stop 1 or 2 days prior to and about 2 weeks post any eyeliner tattoo procedure.

Just as you wouldn’t want to be wearing any eye makeup at the time of getting a permanent eyeliner tattoo,  eyelash extensions should also be completely removed (or have all fallen off). The idea is to have the eyelashes and skin around your eyes free of any possible obstruction and non-sterile debris or particles pose an issue when we’re doing any procedure of this nature.

Even if your eyelash extension technician tells you that it’s ok, please do not get an eyeliner tattoo if you have eyelash extensions and wait until after your eyeliner tattoo has healed before applying eye makeup and getting any eyelash extensions applied.

Swelling of the eyelids from an eyeliner tattoo ranges from none at all to somewhat puffy depending on how thick and heavy the line on the upper lid. At most it will be minimal and you’ll look like you’re having allergies. No swelling is expected at all along the lower lash line.

For any lash line enhancement, there really isn’t much swelling to be expected. Post treatment instructions include using cold compresses over your eyes for the 1st day, which also works for any swelling. While you can expect your eyes to feel tender and scratchy for the first couple of days, that should not keep you from your normal daily activities such as reading and driving (just no sweaty workouts for a couple of days).