Are Tattooed Eyebrows a Convenience or Catastrophe?

Possibly beginning with Joan Crawford, the film industry began tattooing pencil-thin eyebrows on many actresses in order to save time and money on makeup artistry.

Today, many women (and some men) are considering tattoo eyebrows to fill in gaps in their eyebrows they no longer want to shade in with pencil or shadow. But, are tattooed eyebrows all they're cracked up to be?

Do tattoo eyebrows really look natural?

While the best tattoo eyebrow can be done professionally and look aesthetically pleasing, some women have complained about their tattooed eyebrows. Complaints have run the gamut from "blue brows" to "I look like Joan Crawford or Cleopatra."

On the upside, women who suffer from alopecia (a hair loss condition) may find tattoo eyebrows a God-send and an improvement to their appearance..

Tattoo Eyebrows and Their Considerations

The very first consideration when contemplating getting your eyebrows tattooed is your hair color: what if you change it and your eyebrow tattoos don't match?

Matching eyebrow tattoos to hair color can be extremely tricky, along with keeping the color natural according to skin color. For example, an asian eyebrow tattoo would probably work because the hair is more resistant to color. For that reason, some asian people prefer to keep their natural color.

However, on a light-skinned person, to tattoo eyebrows in a darker shade could be horrendous if the person colored their hair to a light shade. Remember: if your tattoo eyebrows are too light, they can be darkened but it's impossible to lighten eyebrow tattoos.

Where to Go to Get Tattoo Eyebrows

Most certified tattoo artists are able to tattoo eyebrows but there are two basic methods to do the job: electric (gun) or manual (brush).

To tattoo eyebrows using the manual method, the tattoo artist uses a fine brush to distribute the ink. Many people prefer this method, even though it takes longer, because there is little bruising, swelling and bleeding.

To tattoo eyebrows using a tattoo gun (needle) can, however, create finer 'hairs' and more natural appearance---especially for finer or thinner eyebrow tattoos. Professional cosmeticians and tattoo artists can administer a topical or local anesthetic to minimize discomfort during the eyebrow tattoo procedure. Healing of the tattoo eyebrows normally takes about 3 days to a week.

Be sure to shop around prior to making any decision on who will tattoo your eyebrows. A higher cost for more professionally-done tattoo eyebrows could mean the difference between winding up with a tattoo eyebrows convenience or catastrophe.

Remember that tattoo eyebrows are permanent! Tattoo eyebrows are on your face and the equability (or lack of) the eyebrow tattooing will be readily seen by everyone.

Who Should Not Get Tattoo Eyebrows

Any person who is at risk of heart disease or has a prolapsed mistral heart valve should not consider eyebrow tattoos because antibiotics may interfere with the procedure.

Any person who has eye infections or other sores or blemishes that spring up around the eye area is also not a good candidate for tattoo eyebrows.

The eyebrow area is more susceptible to pain, so any person who has a low tolerance of needles or pain should reconsider getting tattoo eyebrows.

Any person who spends a great deal of time in the sun or goes to tanning salons should avoid getting tattoo eyebrows because as the skin lightens or darkens, the eyebrow tattoos may not look natural. Likewise, people who use self-tanning lotions on a consistent basis should not have their eyebrows tattooed: lotion can stain the hair existing on the brows and cause uneven pigmentation over the eyebrow tattoo pigment.

What Do Tattoo Eyebrows Cost?

The cost for tattoo eyebrows depends largely on who is doing them and their experience and reputation.

Tattooing eyebrows usually falls under a specialty of a person who is licensed by the American Academy of Micropigmention.

Seek out referrals and be sure to ask to see portfolios of the specialist who does eyebrow tattooing.

As a general rule of thumb, tattoo eyebrows costs range between $300 to $1,000 each.