Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Char on October 3, 2008 at 4:23pm

I waited 2 years and that was long enough. It is very nice getting up and not worrying about drawing them on or will they rub off. A very nice investment. I always get asked who does my eyebrows :)

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Permalink Reply by Rose Marie' on October 3, 2008 at 5:17pm

Hi

I think your indecision is coming from not trusting yourself and what is going to work for you. I know it's really difficult but I'm absolutely sure that you have done your research and will do more on talking with the person that may do your eyebrows for you. You can't control the outcome totally but you need to go with the flow a little. You are paying due diligence to this choice and now you need to make it.

The worst that can happen is that you don't like your eyebrows. Would you not then be able to cover them with the pencil you are now using. The best scenario is that you will love them and feel pleased about your choice. Both ways you are going to be fine.

My daughter does not want tattooed brows because she wears the stick on hairy numbers :) and they work well for her. She didn't want anything permanent at this time because her eyebrows come and go fairly regularly so tatooing could have been a little problematic for her. She also preferred the 3D effect of the hairy eyebrow.

I have met many people that have their eyebrows tattoed and all have really loved them. I just think it is important to get the shape and position perfect and I believe you will work with someone that will help you with this.

Hope that helps a little.

Rosy


Just my thoughts.

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Permalink Reply by Karen on October 3, 2008 at 9:54pm

My mother in law (does not have alopecia) had her eyebrows done and she has never regretted it for a day. She reckons that are so much better than her real eyebrows and she has recieved a lot of comments on them. When we saw her, my sister in law and I were even considering getting them done because they look really natural and nice.

My mother in law perfers them over her real ones and now my mother is thinking of getting hers done as well.

Maybe you could try a temporary one first and see how they go.....

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Permalink Reply by JeffreySF on October 3, 2008 at 11:14pm

Sarah,

I would go for it.
Use caution and decision making with the artist.
I go to Athena who has an office in San Francisco and Beverly Hills.
If you can go to a big City and find the right person thats what is really important.
My eyebrows/lashes are semi permanent. They are multi-colored hairstrokes that exfolliate with time.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

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Permalink Reply by PollyG on October 4, 2008 at 8:12am

Hi Sarah, I'm in much the same boat as you. I haven't had any eyebrows for about 18 months now, and even when my hair regrew I still had no eyebrows.

One of my concerns is that the positioning of the tattoo now might not be appropriate as my sad face ages and droops - can anyone tell me how long the tattoo lasts? (I'm thinking the word permanent is there for a reason....). The other is a fear that the tattoo artist might not get it quite right, and I end up with a permanent tattoo that I think looks awful (mind you, I think I look awful with no eyebrows, so maybe it would be better!).

Until I can decide, I use semi-permanent tattoos, which can last up to 3 days and are easy to apply and look natural. Am following this thread with interest! Cheers, PollyG.

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Permalink Reply by judge on October 4, 2008 at 5:42pm

Hi Sarah,

I just came back from getting my eyebrows done and I like what I see! I have had AA for 20yrs....not a big issue for me, spots here and there, could cover them up and had regrowth. However, the last 4 years (going thru the menopause), my alopecia is severe and i have been wearing a hairpiece the last couple of years. I recently started losing my eyelashes and decided i was not going to put up with it and had eyeliner done about 6 months ago. (love it). Now the demon has attacked my eyebrows (one completely gone, the other on its way). Now for me I do get regrowth, however it comes in pure white and does not change back to my normal color. So, I had been wearing the false eyebrows from Headcovers and that was doing the trick, but I do wear bangs so I could pull it off. I am getting spotty regrowth on my brows (white). So, what do I do? Dye it every week? (it doesn't hold color very long). Having alopecia is so mentally exhausting for me that I decided whatever makes life easier is worth it for me. Off to Jeffery Segal I go again. I believe he is based in Chicago, but travels to NY and CA. I live in the NY area and I knew he was here for a while working on his play for the New York Musical Festival. So I went to him and had the hairstrokes done. Right now, I love it. I only wish it would stay....perfect color and look. I know it will fade and then i will make arrangements to go back for a touch-up. I have a friend who is AU (has been for about 2 years). She does a great job with her eyebrows penciling them in. She is lucky because she is artistic and they always looked good. Last year she asked me if I thought she should get hers tatooed. My advice to her was that she will know when the time is right. So relax...take a deep breath.....go with your gut.. I can't stress enought to go to a REPUTABLE technician....I don't think I was 100% sure about doing it, but close, and i had the same concerns that you had...my face!!! what if they don't look right? Thats why you are doing the right thing and asking questions. BTW, It really did not hurt.... i think the 1/2 xanax helped me a lot!!!

j

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Permalink Reply by Gill on October 5, 2008 at 8:14am

Hi I have tattooed eyebrows, and am very pleased. My only thing would be to do your reasearch. Ask to see some of their work, and maybe meet somebody who has had it done and talk with them. If your lady is good she will understand your concerns.
Good luck

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Permalink Reply by Lorena on October 5, 2008 at 12:23pm

It was the best thing I have ever done. I wake up with a face everyday.! I have had mine redone three times in the 20 years I have had them tattooed. Find a reputable artist and draw them on perfectly before you go, have them follow that line ...easy!...

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Permalink Reply by Debbie on October 5, 2008 at 9:50pm

Hi!

I had my eyebrows tatooed on about 4 years ago. At the time I had AU and when I looked at a picture that was taken of me with eyebrows I couldn't believe how bad I looked. After they were done they looked great. The only thing is she did them a little higher than where they were. She told me that when you get older your eyebrows tend to droop, so they would look good there.
Now I have my whole left eyebrow back and some of my right. The tatooes are still there, but very light. Where my whole eyebrow is you can't really tell, but you can see it on the other one.
It's hard to say whether you are rushing into it or not because you don't know if they will come back. No one knows. But I do thnk it's a good idea. The only thing is is that every year you need to get them touched up, so it's not cheap. It depends on where you go. Make sure you go where it's very clean. But you will love them on.
They hurt a little when they are being put on, not terrible. Just don't go when you have your period. It makes it hurt more. She explained, but I don't remember why.
I don't now if that was any help, but I will tell you that they looked great. I really hope I helped and didn't confuse you more.
Debbie

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Permalink Reply by Lee on October 6, 2008 at 12:55am

Dont do it unless you are 100% ready ; )

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Permalink Reply by BaldGirlsDoLunch.org on October 6, 2008 at 2:28pm

I do not have permanent cosmetics and after discussing it with medical professionals, not make-up technicians, I do not intend to. The serious complications have not received enough investigation, but that is going to change. Since I've researched and created fast and easy make-up tricks to get my brows on and stay on, nothing will convince me at this point to risk infection, inflammation, poor technical skill or worse on my face. Yes, there are some highly talented artists out there who will do the right shape, color, texture, etc for your face..but you are still injecting dye into your skin no matter what.

The tattoo industry, dyes, etc are now finally in the crosshairs of the FDA. Excerpt below and a summarizing article here: http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/2553 , originally published February 2008 in the Chicago Tribune.

Many tattoo dyes and inks have caused serious health problems in some recipients. According to the Chicago Tribune, some of the inks have caused allergic reactions, including itchy and inflamed skin. In the case of a 2005 recall of 52,114 containers of pigments made by a Texas company, more than 150 cases of swelling, cracking, peeling, and blistering, scarring and chronically inflamed tissue were reported to the FDA.

The Chicago Tribune said that the FDA is aware of more than 50 pigments used in tattoo inks, none of which have been approved for injection into the skin. The federal agency said some of these pigments are “industrial strength colors suitable for printers’ ink or automobile paint.” But budget constraints and staffing issues have kept the tattoo dyes off of the FDA’s radar until now.


The FDA tattoo studies will focus on the chemical make up of tattoo dyes and inks, as well as the way these chemicals interact with body chemistry. The FDA also wants to know the long-term safety effects of the tattoo dyes and what tattoo products may pose the greatest risk to consumers. According to The Chicago Tribune, the FDA’s tattoo research could take several years.

And keep in mind that the FDA has no regulatory nor enforcement abilities. They can only study and recommend. ( For example, if they discover tainted food, the FDA has no jurisdiction to order it yanked off your market shelves,)

My face and my health is just too important to me. Piercing the skin for any reason and introducing any substance into the skin has risks. Were I to be the person ( there are NO published studies nor statistics yet ) who develops a reaction to the substance or to a bad batch of dye, the results could be devastating. This is a wholly unregulated world where the only oversight so far are local health laws that are usually limited in scope to basic sanitation and health codes.

When it comes to my face and my health, my choice is zero risks.

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Permalink Reply by Sarah S on October 7, 2008 at 12:32am

I just wanted to thank all of you for your information and advice. It means a lot to me to able to receive advice from other people that have experienced alopecia. This site is fantastic and the support is wonderful. Thank you!

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