PMU Myths vs. Facts
Twelve things people repeat about permanent makeup, answered from what actually happens in the room. No studies are cited here, because none were run here.
Where these answers come from
Most of what gets repeated about permanent makeup is either out of date or was written to sell something. Every answer below is what Mugi has seen doing this work, said plainly. Where an answer would need a number she has not measured, it says so instead of producing one.
Twelve Things People Repeat
What she sees in the room, and where the honest answer is that nobody knows
"Permanent makeup fades completely after a year"
It fades, but not to nothing, and not on a schedule.
How long it lasts depends on your skin, how much sun you get and how deeply the pigment sits. Visible pigment, the appearance you wanted, and the point at which you would choose a refresh are three different things, and they do not arrive together. A single number would flatten all of that, so there is not one.
"Microblading always looks more natural than powder brows"
It depends far more on your skin than on the technique.
Crisp strokes read as hair up close on skin that holds them. On oily skin or larger pores they blur into one another within a year, and a blurred stroke looks less natural than soft shading ever did. That is why I steer a lot of people toward powder.
"Permanent makeup is unsafe and causes frequent infections"
In careful hands with a sterile setup it is a straightforward procedure.
Single-use needles and cartridges opened in front of you, a covered work surface, fresh gloves, and written aftercare. How often something goes wrong is not something a one-person studio cannot produce the record behind one.
"You need a touch-up every six months"
The second session is at six weeks, and after that it is up to you.
The six-week session is part of the first appointment rather than a touch-up. After that, refreshes are priced by how long it has been: $100, $150, $250 or $300. When you want one depends on how your skin held the pigment and how much sun you get.
"The colour changes drastically over time"
It softens, and old pigments were the ones that shifted.
Grey and blue casts usually come from an older pigment losing its warm components, or from work placed too deep. That is a real thing and it is correctable. It is not what modern pigment does at the right depth.
"You cannot exercise or sweat for months afterwards"
About two weeks, not months.
Sweat on healing skin can push pigment out, so the restriction matters, but it is measured in days rather than months. Light walking is fine early on. The full week-by-week is in the aftercare guide.
"Permanent makeup looks obvious on everyone"
It looks obvious when the shape is wrong or the front is too dense.
Almost every brow you can spot across a room has one of two problems: a hard, solid front, or a shape mapped to a trend rather than to that face. Both are decided before the machine is switched on, which is why the drawing takes an hour.
"Oily skin cannot hold permanent makeup"
Oily skin holds shading better than it holds strokes.
A soft edge stays readable as it blurs; a hair stroke does not. That is an observation from the room rather than a study, and it is the honest reason powder is usually the recommendation for oily skin here.
"It fades much faster in summer"
Sun is what fades pigment, and the summers here are long.
Both are real and neither has a number attached here. Sunscreen on healed brows is the single most useful habit for keeping the colour where you want it.
"It is extremely painful"
Most people describe it as uncomfortable rather than painful.
Topical numbing goes on before and can be reapplied during. Most people find the mapping hour the tiring part and the tattooing itself easier than they expected. Some skin is more sensitive than others, and you can say so at any point.
"Any licensed artist can fix bad work"
Some work has to be lightened first, and that is a different specialist.
New pigment sits over old pigment rather than replacing it. Dark, dense or badly shaped work usually needs reducing before anything new will look right, and that is not done here. If that is the answer for you, you will be told it.
"The result you see on the day is the result you keep"
The day it is done is the least representative it will ever look.
Day three is darker and sharper than the finished brow. Then it flakes, then it goes quiet for a while, and what settles at six weeks is roughly what you keep. Anyone showing you only day-of photographs is showing you the wrong thing.
Where these answers come from
One thing, and it is worth being plain about it. Everything on this page is what Mugi has seen in her own room over the work she has done. That is not a study and it is not presented as one. No paper is cited here, because none was read for this page; if that changes, the source will be named and linked so you can read it yourself.
There is no third category. There is no dataset here, no satisfaction survey, no tracked cohort and no statistics. The healed record is being rebuilt to a fixed standard, which means it starts small: a result is only published once it has healed, with the interval stated and the client’s written permission on file.
Where she has no basis for an answer, the answer is that she does not know. That happens more often than a page like this usually admits.
Decide with what can actually be shown
Now that you understand the truth about permanent makeup, consult with a licensed professional who prioritizes research and safety.