My Experience Getting Semi-Permanent Eyeliner

Normally I wear subtle eyeliner everyday, it’s the make up that makes the biggest difference to how I feel I look. Despite the huge amount of times I have applied it over the years I am still rubbish at getting it exactly how I want it. The beauty of semi-permanent eyeliner is that for my everyday look I no longer have to do anything, but I can (attempt) to add a bit of removable eyeliner if I want thicker line for going out out.

Despite being excited by the concept I was a little nervous about getting the eyeliner. It is applied using a needle which releases pigment in the top layer of skin, similar to a tattoo, but the needle doesn’t penetrate as deeply. It is RIGHT next to your eye though and eyes are kinda precious. I reasoned that Kaylise must be pretty confident to offer a review and her instagram has many gorgeous examples of her work.

Micro-pigmentation for eyes can be done on both your top and bottom eye lids, it can be a variety of thicknesses and styles (from lash enhancement to winged or smokey) and a variety of colours can be used. Despite it often being called permanent the eyeliner wont actually last forever and it is recommended that a colour top up treatment is given every 12 to 18 months to keep it looking good

My eyeliner was done by Kaylise from Kaylise North PMU. She has a studio in her home in Benfleet Essex where she provides a range of semi-permanent and non permanent treatment options. The permanent make up option is available for: eyebrows, eyes and lips. 

After having my semi-permanent eyeliner done with Kaylise I can confidently say she is friendly, knowledgeable and skilled. She quickly put me at ease and I am happy with the results. I recommend her if you are considering permanent make up and live in or near Benfleet in Essex. You can see more of her work on Instagram.

Kaylise North PMU Treatment room in Benfleet, Essex

Before treatment I had a patch test for both the anaesthetic and pigment. This is normally done at an initial consultation where the medical questionnaire is completed and the desired outcomes are discussed. I visited Kaylise wearing my normal make up so she could see my normal shape and shade. The initial consultation lasts around 20 to 30 minutes.

At the main appointment I relaxed on the treatment table and let Kaylise work her magic. She applied an anaesthetic to the area and during treatment I found it slightly uncomfortable, but not really painful. At times it stung a little, but it was a manageable level. How people find the treatment varies between individuals with some feeling more pain and others non at all. Don’t let this put you off having the treatment.

The length of the treatment will vary depending in whether you are having eyeliner applied to just the top lid or the bottom too and how thick you want the end eyeliner effect to be. My treatment took around 2 hours for lash enhancement on my upper eyelids. The result was 2 perfectly matched eyes which will look pretty natural when healed.

Straight after the treatment the liner looked darker than it does now. My eyelids were very slightly swollen, but not noticeable to anyone. After receiving advice on aftercare I was able to drive home, but some people might have a stronger reaction which means this isn’t possible.

Before leaving we booked an appointment in for the follow up appointment. This is the chance to fill in any patches that might appear and make minor alterations if necessary. Unfortunately we had to postpone the follow up appointment because of lockdown.

The healing time after having semi/ permanent eyeliner depends on the individual and the care taken.  While healing you should avoid splashing water on your face for a few days, put the (provided) after care skin jelly on at least 3 times a day and let the scabs that form come off on their own. You should avoid wearing mascara for at least 3 days and start a new one when you do because there is a risk of infection. 

The day after treatment my eyelids were slightly red and swollen, a bit like I had been crying, you can apply cold packs if you need to reduce swelling. My partner didn’t notice so it obviously wasn’t too bad.  My eyes felt scratchy and a bit sore for a day or two, the gel helped with this though. The swelling quickly went away and was hardly present by 48 hours after the treatment

On day 4 the scabs which looked just like clumps of mascara, started to flake off and after a week they were all gone, but they are normally fully healed around 2 weeks after treatment. When one of the scabs came off I lost a small patch of eyelashes which can take a few months to fully grow back, they look normal again now and it wasn't very obvious anyway. I got mild conjunctivitis in my left eye around day 4 thanks to my son coughing in it at close range, but that didn't seem to effect the eyeliner at all. 

Permanent eyeliner is expensive. The person needs to be fully trained, insured and look after their equipment properly so while prices vary you can expect to pay around £300 upwards. I normally wear eyeliner everyday which means the daily hassle of trying to apply it neatly (which I suck at) and cleaning it off. Not having to do this is amazing and I love it so much. I can have a completely clean and make up free face without my eyes disappearing. I can go swimming without worrying about smudges (or I could if the swimming pools were open). It’s transformational. Without a doubt it’s a treatment I would pay for in the future and next time I will go for a slightly thicker line.

Update 2022

I still absolutely love having the semi-permanent eyeliner and it is brilliant that I never have to worry about applying eyeliner. In fact I can get away without mascara too and still look like my eyes haven't vanished. I returned to Kaylise a few months ago and paid for her to do the top up as well as to get it a little thicker and with wings. This time my eyes were less puffy and sore afterwards and they healed much faster. This is something I will keep up long term as the convenience and end result is so good.

***Disclosure: I was invited to have the treatment by Kaylise North PMU for the purpose of honest review***