For those working in the permanent makeup space, there was no better place to be than The Australian Permanent Makeup Artists Conference (APMAC) last month.
Hosted at The Crown, Melbourne on Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 October 2022, APMAC welcomed dozens of beauty therapists to a series of educational talks and demonstrations on all things cosmetic tattooing.
Talks were designed to educate both budding and experienced permanent makeup (PMU) artists looking to develop their knowledge across an array of categories, from Eyeliner PMU and Scalp Micro-Pigmentation, to Lip Blushing and Areola PMU.
Elected speakers detailed their application techniques, preferred brands, tips for the consultation process, and potential treatment contraindications. Social media marketing strategies were also discussed in detail. Sponsoring brands were on-hand throughout the conference to answer questions and conduct trade.
Guests also used the event to raise money for the Love Your Sister Foundation in support of breast cancer research.
At the conclusion of the two-day conference, guests gathered for a cocktail party and awards night, acknowledging the achievements of attending permanent makeup artists.
AMPAC was founded in 2018 by Jessika Brigginshaw, founder of Brow Squad and owner of Made. by Jessika clinics, and Georgie Westley, founder and CEO of Distinctive Features Cosmetic Tattoo and co-director of Australian Colour Technologies.
Professional Beauty was pleased to attend as a guest of the conference.
Here are a few key things we learnt across the two days:
- Nano brows are similar to microblading, using a machine instead of a manual microblading device, creating pixelated hair strokes. The goal of nano brows is to frame the face and enhance the overall look of the face.
- Wireless machines contain batteries that can add weight to the device. Instead, it’s worth using a wired machine – “You don’t want to fatigue the hand,” said Tiffany Chen, founder Brow Beaute, Canada.
- Needle density and pigment selection will vary depending on both skin type and Fitzpatrick type.
- Nano brows are semi-permanent, and traditionally last 2-3 years.
- Lip tattooing is a lucrative business, whereby 70% of eyebrow clients will return to a salon for lip tattooing.
- Higher pigmented skin (such as Asian or Indian) requires pre-numb because it can hurt more.
- Avoid tattooing lips that are sun damaged as they require more TLC. Refer the client onto microneedling first to minimise scarring.
- It’s vital to confirm exactly which medications a client is on. Working with clients taking blood thinners, for example, can be difficult. Clients with diabetes and/or thyroid issues, or are going through menopause, may not experience the best result.
- Discourage clients from coffee consumption as it can also encourage blood to the surface.
- Pigment retention is impacted by the use of skincare ingredients
- Areola is a very personal, private treatment – it’s vital to get this right. It’s important to consider that some clients may have PTSD from their experiences and should be treated with care. It’s vital that clients are given a safe space to treat.
- There’s no one size fits all approach to areola tattooing; this service is not just for those who have experienced breast cancer. It is suitable for transgender clients, inverted nipples, people who have undergone a breast lift/augmentation, vitiligo, scar tissue, nipple necrosis; it’s important to know how to work with scarring.
- Medical nurses aren’t always trained in areola tattooing; there’s a real artistry element.
- Clients should wait a minimum 3-6 months post-breast surgery before having their nipples tattooed.
- When it comes to tattooing the lips, we need to consider three things: Fitzpatrick type, the degree of melanin in the lips, and lip skin thickness.
- Consider working with nano pigments – they can penetrate faster and have. a higher retention after healing.
- When it comes to marketing your business, it’s important to create a story that connects to your clients.
- 90% of a business’ market hasn’t even considered getting a treatment done! It’s through marketing your business that you can encourage them to consider it.
The full APMAC speaker list can be found here.
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