Super Natural Freckles by Erin Skipley

Natural-looking sun-kissed skin is here to stay, and freckles complete the look! With summer around the corner, freckle tattoos are shaping up to be one of the hottest services to have on your menu. As a microblader or permanent makeup artist, jumping to skin is a big move. You want to make sure that your client is a good candidate for the procedure, and that you’re aware of the pitfalls. Let’s set you up for success!

First of all, not everyone should have tattoo freckles. Here are a few things that you need to educate your clients on before doing the service, and my tips to achieve the best results.

1. Clients with skin disorders such as acne, rosacea, dermatitis, eczema, and Fitzpatrick skin types that tend to be hypopigmented may want to avoid the procedure altogether.
2. Clients who are addicted to the sun may also want to avoid tattooed freckles as the sun will rapidly fade the pigment. Slathering on SPF would be a must 24/7.
3. All active skincare must be stopped at least 30 days before the appointment - which is such a tough one for us skincare lovers! That means that your client will need to stop using Retinoids, Glycolic, Peels, skin-brightening serums, etc. -- all their favorite skincare products. Aside from active acids eating away at new pigmentation, they also thin out the skin which means that there is a greater risk of going too deep. Going too deep means that your client may end up with ashy and grey healed freckles.
4. After the freckle procedure, the use of active skincare can cause the pigment to fade to pink. It's not impossible to work around freckles when it comes to skincare, so you just want to make sure your client knows that they’ll need to avoid that area going forward. It’s helpful to send home a printed aftercare sheet so they know how to maintain their freckles.
5. Good preparation can enhance your results and minimize trauma. I like to use CBD oil or balm on the skin beforehand, and LED therapy to help with inflammation, and improve retention.
6. Use very light to no pressure. Ashy and over-saturated freckles are very common problems and are most often caused by going deep in the skin. There are zones on the face that grab pigment very quickly, and other zones where the pigment takes time to show. Always better to exercise restraint!
7. Always use warm pigments, occasionally neutral, but never cool.
8. Always pre-draw.
9. Freckle tattoos look best when you mimic natural pigmentation, adjust your technique(s) accordingly!
10. Freckles should be small, random, and never perfect circles.

If you’re in question about whether freckles will fit your client’s aesthetic - have them try something temporary to make sure they’ll be happy with the outcome. Some great options are henna, self-tanner, or a cosmetic such as Freck. To learn more about doing Freckle tattoos, check out my webinar ‘Supernatural Freckles’. I share my techniques, exact pigment mixes, pre-draw templates, and give you a full walk-through of the procedure, to help you achieve hyper-realistic results!

Follow Erin @contour.and.ink !