Myth: The body absorbs cosmetic tattoo pigments.

This simply is not true. If this were the case, any injectable fillers, surgical implants etc would degrade in the body. No, the body does not 'absorb' the cosmetic tattoo pigments. Properly placed pigment particles become affixed to dermal tissue and remain intact. The intensity of 'HUE' diminishes over time, but just like hanging a black shirt outdoors for a year, you would notice a year later that the shirt was no longer black as in the beginning. Color intensity degrades but the color molecules remain intact in the dermal tissue.

One must learn to sift through marketing ploys and have basic understanding of how pigments are manufactured. A terrific article on the processing of pigments may be obtained by referring to http://www.derma-international.com/
Once on the website, see the link: fundmtlFrom_The_Dirt_To_The_Skin.ppt
This is a power point and goes into great detail on exactly how pigments are produced, it dispels much of the misinformation put forth so strongly by marketers in this business.

When choosing a pigment line, the most important issue is to know exactly what is used in making the pigment. IF a manufacturer will not disclose the pigment and dye information, they are hiding something. No one regulates the manufacturing of tattoo colors, so the SPCP (Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals) brought together a manufacturers summit some years back when the explosion of life shattering and disfiguring allergic reactions to a single pigment manufacturer occurred.

The SPCP instituted a full disclosure policy and all pigment vendor-members must comply.
The FDA has a list of pigments and dyes known to be safe for use in FOOD, DRUGS and COSMETICS. By using ONLY these colorants, we can feel quite safe in knowing that what we are putting in peoples skin is at least safe for food, drugs and cosmetics. The big problems arise when non-complying companies add colorants used for INDUSTRIAL use. Obviously, colors meant to be used only for automotive paints, printers ink, etc were NEVER intended for human contact with skin, let ALONE being placed IN the skin!

For a technician to place a product in peoples' skin without knowing what it is, is irresponsible and should be considered criminal.

Our public, our clients are not lab rats. Any pigment supplier who will not make known their ingredients or give Material Safety Data Sheets is hugely unethical and to purchase from any such company is no less irresponsible and contemptible.

If a pigment manufacturer is not an SPCP vendor member, I would never consider purchasing from them, as the SPCP is the only organization currently to have set standards by which pigment manufacturers must abide.

The best cosmetic tattoo pigment line in the world? LIPigments of course!

Q & A with Liza Sims, CPCP:

All answers from Liza Sims, CPCP

Permanent Makeup Mythbusters: Permanent Makeup Standards in Training May Surprise the Public

Permanent Makeup Mythbusters: Permanent Makeup Standards in Training May Surprise the Public