League of Permanent Cosmetic Providers
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Permanent Make up
Accidents, Mishaps, & Mistakes
For The Professional & The Consumer ©
Accident – any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate plan or cause.
….and that is why they are called ‘accidents’. We do not have crystal balls, cannot see the future and don’t plan on them happening!
These unfortunate circumstances are what gives us ALL in the industry a bad name. It does not matter what industry or field you are in, there is good and bad in it, on it and around it.
Lawyers, doctors, plumbers, priests, hairdressers, mechanics, actors, politicians, carpenters, CEO’s, law enforcement ….all are ‘professionals’ and can make mistakes and have accidents. We are not perfect!
As for bad permanent makeup, even if you did not perform the procedure, were in the vicinity when it was performed, heard about it through the grapevine, weary consumers will look cross eyed, or even roll their eyes when you talk about permanent cosmetic procedures. Be ready with an appropriate educated answer!
Sorry, but this is the good, the bad and the ugly of permanent cosmetic makeup, it is not all unicorns, flowers and rainbows. This fact should not strike fear, but inspire you as the ultimate professional or end consumer to choose techniques/products and practitioners wisely.
Accidents are not the same as an infection, so let’s clear up the direction of this article before we start. Accidents on the skin can have several origins. Today I would like to address the blow out, sometimes referred as migration. You do not want to be the poster child or the practitioner of this type of issue. In most cases it is fixable or removable and does not last a long time. In other cases, (eyeliner) it can be very problematic. Every traditional tattoo artist I know has had a tattoo ‘blowout’. You don’t plan for it, it just can happen. The same goes for permanent makeup. 
People or clients will often relate a horror story or two… and you find yourself being put in the position of damage control.
This is not always the case, but the reality of a failure somewhere by the technician or the client will always be a point of grief, that will be addressed one way or another. Sometimes procedures can be camouflaged with several corrective pigment camouflage applications of pigment that will blend the areas in question. More often than not, it is not always that easy, as it may be beyond repair or your expertise.
Repair work is based on the artist skills and what they have to work with (the accident) to begin with. It can take a lot of technical savvy on the artists part that will only come with time and experience coupled with a brilliant mind. If you were not the original artist and the consumer is seeking your advice for a consultation, may we caution you to not bite off more than you can chew, as you might inherit an issue you did not plan for in your skill set.
Perhaps a referral may be in order, depending on the individual circumstances. It is important to know these types of procedures could now become an issue of time and monies that will be incurred, it is a commitment just the same in some respect.
The client will beg and plead with you to ‘fix’ the accident. The first item on this list is to have the client contact the previous technician to resolve the problem. Do not let yourself be drug into a battle over what the other technician did wrong. You do not know, you were not there!
You should NEVER bad mouth another technician! You do not know what method was used for the procedure; the method of pigment insertion, what pigment or ink was used, how many times the technician went over the area, what other products were used during the procedure and how the client took care of the procedure during the healing process. 
How does migration can happen? It can happen anywhere you implant pigment or ink, however it is prone on the face in certain areas more so than others due to tissue structure etc. Eyeliner is a huge issue and one that I see on a frequent bases.
It seems recently I have seen a run on the clients who have picked those computer coupons specials and they were real excited about the bargain.
Not an area to do so in, but by reputation and consultation and the end result was a real nightmare by an unscrupulous technician whose sole motivation was a ‘pump and dump’.
This affects us all, when anyone has received an atrocious procedure. To add insult to injury, technicians when contacted, have refused to help their clients calling it a bruise and refusing to acknowledge the mishap. Technicians!! You must own up to it (privately or publicly), move on, get educated and have a moral high ground to walk in good intent. You must master your craft!
Now that’s a whole different story all together for the consumer and the technician!
The ‘accidental’ procedure area usually makes me cringe as I analyze, and come to a sound conclusion. The answer is not always what the client wants to hear, it not pretty to make the call they so desperately want you to fix.
On the other hand, the procedure could have been great but we do not know what a person does when they leave our facility. They could have their own tattoo machine and go over the area you just worked on making the procedure an ‘accident’ or put acid on the area to lighten it, or anything else to make the area look worse in order to propagate a lawsuit. Keep good records. Again, take several photos.
It is awkward as the artist giving their ‘SECOND OPINION’. Either way, we are both dismayed at the client’s inferior procedure. I have factored in some of my own ideas, such as incorrect needle projection, heavy pressure married with a poor or thin product. It then becomes the perfect storm.
The options if you cannot correct them can be slim to none. Don’t believe all the methods touted to remove pigment near the eye (AND DON’T TRY THEM IF YOU HAVE NOT LEARNED THIS EXPERTLY), as various techniques can cause a chemical abrasion or burn, not to mention blindness. The best option may be to just leave it alone and refer them to a plastic surgeon that knows how to handle the problem. 
If you are the one who created this accident please make sure you have proper documentation and photos of your procedures and insurance in order for litigation that may or may not happen. I know it is not a pleasant thought, but a reality you must deal with.
Please get more education on your procedures as to prevent this, find out objectively where you are weak.
Seek professional advice from those who have been in the industry for years to help point you to great educators with experience to keep you proactive and help avoid these types of career killers.
BY: Pamela Abshear CCPC, CPDA and Susan Church CCPC, CPDA
