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About Face

Chapter Three The Eye Region Upper and Lower Lid Surgery Forehead-lift The Single Lid (Oriental Eye) Permanent Lash Enhancement

Permanent Lash Enhancement

A second popular procedure concerning the eye is permanent eyelash enhancement. Eyelash enhancement is a fancy term for medical tattooing. It takes about an hour, and it has to be done under a special magnifying loop. All sorts of people find it an appealing procedure, including women who are too busy to bother with makeup, women who have physical trouble applying makeup due to arthritis or poor vision, men (especially those in the entertainment business) who don’t want to apply makeup, allergy sufferers, contact lens wearers, people with oily skin whose makeup tends to smear or fade, athletes who want to look good during and after exercise and, of course, the woman who refuses to be seen without makeup.

In some ways, the procedure reminds me of the way people used to write with quill pens: the method is to dip the needle into a small vial of dye, then apply the dye in a series of tiny dots along the lash line, between and around the existing lashes. The needle is equipped with a reciprocating motor, so the dots can be made quickly and with precision. When you see the dots from a distance, they give the appearance of eyeliner around the eye, but seen under a magnifying loop, they are revealed as a mosaic. As you can imagine, it’s important to select exactly the right pigment to complement a patient’s hair, eye coloring and skin tone. Permanent eyelash enhancement will look completely natural when successfully done, even in the case of an albino patient with the palest of lashes or an accident victim with no eyelashes, or sparse eyelashes.

The amount of pigment used is minimal, as it is considered a base type of eyeliner. At night, patients can still put on their high-fashion makeup. Eyelash framing, as this procedure is sometimes called, can be traced through history from ancient Egyptian times through the Middle Ages to the present day.

Before undergoing permanent lash enhancement, it is wise to make sure you have no infections of the eye or temporary allergy symptoms. It’s also a good idea to stop wearing makeup a couple of days before the operation, and for a least a week afterward. The procedure can be done under a light local anesthetic, and you’ll be given an ointment to apply afterward each night to aid healing. Makeup and the use of contact lenses can be resumed once the ointment has removed the crust and there is no danger of infection.

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