Permanent Make-up & Medical Pigmentation

Our Approach

Pigmentation does not just change colour.

It influences contours, proportions, and the perception of symmetry. For this reason, treatment does not begin with the selection of a predetermined colour tone or a standardised shape.

We consider skin type, natural pigmentation, facial features or the anatomical region to be treated, and the desired result. Where permanent make-up already exists, we additionally assess whether new pigmentation is directly possible, or whether a correction or tattoo & PMU removal would make more sense first.

Good pigmentation should not stand out as pigmentation first. It should fit as naturally as possible into the existing anatomy.

Permanent Make-up

Permanent make-up allows for longer-lasting emphasis of natural contours.

Depending on the area, shape, density, and colour can be adjusted. The result, however, should not be planned independently of the face. Eyebrows, lips, and other pigmented areas always stand in relation to natural proportions and to individual skin and hair colour.

The aim, therefore, is not a standardised shape. It is a restrained definition of existing structures.

Eyebrows

The shape and density of the eyebrows have a significant influence on facial expression.

Permanent make-up can be used to visually fill in sparse areas, define contours more clearly, or balance minor asymmetries. Shape is adapted to natural brow position, facial proportions, and existing hair growth.

A permanently strongly defined or trend-dependent look is not the priority. The pigmentation should look as natural as possible, even without make-up.

Lips

For the lips, pigmentation can be used to support the natural lip colour or make contours appear more even.

This is not about redrawing the lips beyond their natural anatomy. Shape and colour are adapted to lip structure, skin type, and existing pigmentation. Pigmentation, however, does not change the actual lip volume. Where additional volume or shape change is also desired, this is a different treatment indication.

Medical Pigmentation

Medical pigmentation can be used where natural pigmentation is missing, or clearly differs from the surrounding skin due to operations, scars, or other changes.

The aim is as inconspicuous a visual balance as possible. It needs to be considered that scar tissue and changed skin can absorb pigment differently than untreated skin. Colour and technique, therefore, need to be selected especially carefully. Depending on the starting point, several treatment steps can be necessary.

Scars & Pigmentation

Scars can differ from the surrounding skin in colour, structure, and pigmentation.

For selected mature and stable scars, medical pigmentation can help visually reduce colour differences. It does not, however, change the actual structure of a scar. Where an unevenness, indentation, or other structural change is the main concern, it should first be checked whether a treatment within scars & acne scars is more sensible. Where relevant redness also exists, an assessment under redness & vascular laser can make sense.

Pigmentation can balance colour. It cannot remove a structural scar.

Areola & Breast

Following certain breast operations or reconstructive procedures, medical pigmentation can be used to visually complement or restore the colour and contour of the areola.

Colour tone, shape, and position are adapted to the existing anatomy. Depending on the starting point, pigmentation can complement an existing areola or support a visual reconstruction. Treatment should only take place once the preceding operation has healed sufficiently and the tissue is stable.

Colour & Skin Type

Pigments change after being introduced into the skin.

The colour tone visible immediately after treatment, therefore, does not exactly match the later healed result. Skin type, natural skin colour, blood supply, and the condition of the treated tissue also influence later colour perception.

For medical pigmentation, it should additionally be considered that scar tissue or surgically altered skin can absorb pigment differently. An exact colour match, therefore, cannot be guaranteed. The aim is as harmonious an approximation to the surrounding pigmentation as possible.

Natural Result, Not Trend

Permanent make-up remains visible over a longer period.

Short-term trends, therefore, are only of limited use as a basis for shape and colour. We orient ourselves more strongly toward existing anatomy than toward a particular look. This applies especially to eyebrows and lips. The longer a result remains visible, the more important a design that does not depend on a short-term trend.

Existing Permanent Make-up

Existing permanent make-up cannot always simply be pigmented over.

Shape, colour, and pigment density of the existing result influence which corrections are possible. An additional pigment layer can, in certain situations, even intensify an unwanted result. For this reason, we first assess whether a direct correction makes sense.

For permanent make-up that is too dark, unfavourably discoloured, or anatomically unfavourably placed, a tattoo & PMU removal or controlled lightening may first be necessary. Only afterwards is it decided whether, and when, new pigmentation makes sense.

Removal or Correction?

Not every unwanted permanent make-up needs to be completely removed.

Sometimes, controlled lightening is sufficient to then design a new shape or colour. In other situations, more extensive removal makes sense. Removal and renewed pigmentation, therefore, should not be considered independently of one another. The desired later result also determines how far the existing pigment should first be reduced.

The Treatment

Before pigmentation, the treatment area, shape, and desired colour tone are determined.

For aesthetic permanent make-up, the planned contour is adapted to the existing anatomy. For medical pigmentation, the focus is on as harmonious an approximation to the surrounding tissue as possible. The pigment is then introduced into the skin in a controlled way. Treatment duration depends on the area, starting point, and extent of the pigmentation.

Healing

Immediately after treatment, the pigmented area can appear more intense and darker than the later result.

Mild redness or swelling can also occur. During the healing process, the visible colour changes. The skin regenerates and the pigment stabilises gradually. The final result, therefore, should not be assessed immediately after treatment.

Aftercare

Once healing is complete, it is assessed how evenly the pigment has been retained.

Depending on skin, area, and treatment, a further session can make sense to adjust colour or individual areas. Particularly for medical pigmentation, a gradual approach can be more sensible than an overly intensive first treatment. Pigment is easier to add than an overly intense result is to reduce again.

How Long Does the Pigmentation Last?

Permanent make-up and medical pigmentation change over time.

Pigments can gradually fade or change their visible colour tone. How quickly this happens depends, among other things, on skin type, area, pigments used, metabolism, sun exposure, and individual factors. The term "permanent make-up" therefore does not mean that colour and intensity remain permanently unchanged. Refresher treatments can make sense over time.

Sun & Pigmentation

UV radiation can influence the appearance of pigmentation and contribute to colour changes long-term.

During the healing phase, the treated area should be especially carefully protected from the sun. Long-term, too, consistent sun protection makes sense, particularly for exposed areas of the face.

Pigmentation or Laser?

Adding pigment and removing pigment are fundamentally different treatment goals.

With permanent make-up & medical pigmentation, colour is targeted and introduced to emphasise contours or visually balance missing pigmentation. With tattoo & PMU removal, by contrast, artificially introduced pigment is gradually reduced. Natural pigmentation & pigment spots, in turn, require a different assessment, for example within laser skin resurfacing, chemical peels, or medical cosmetics. For this reason, it must first be clarified whether pigment should be added, reduced, or an existing skin change treated.

Long-Term Result

Pigmentation changes together with the skin.

Ageing processes, sun exposure, changes in facial features, or further operations can long-term influence how shape and colour are perceived. For this reason, pigmentation should be planned as restrained and anatomically oriented as possible. This applies especially to aesthetic permanent make-up.

The aim is not to draw a new contour onto the skin. It is to support existing structures, or to complement missing pigmentation as naturally as possible.

Consultation

During your personal consultation at Clinic Selnau in Zürich, we assess the area to be treated, skin condition, natural pigmentation, and the desired result.

For permanent make-up, we discuss shape, colour, and intensity, and take existing facial features into account. For medical pigmentation, we additionally assess scars, previous operations, and the condition of the changed tissue.

Where permanent make-up already exists, we check whether a direct correction is possible, or whether a tattoo & PMU removal would first make sense. For structural scars, relevant redness, or natural pigment changes, a treatment from skin & laser can additionally be more suitable.

The aim is not the most visible possible pigmentation. It is a result that fits, in colour, shape, and proportion, as naturally as possible into the existing anatomy.