FAQs ABOUT COSMETIC TATTOOING
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A cosmetic tattoo appointment generally takes around two hours. The first hour covers consultation and preparation: completing paperwork, discussing your desired outcome, taking reference photos, pre-drawing the shape, and applying topical anaesthetic. The tattooing procedure itself typically takes about one hour.
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A cosmetic eyebrow tattoo typically lasts between 1 and 2 years, a lip and eyeliner tattoo between 2 and 5 years. The longevity of your cosmetic tattoo does depend on many different factors, such as:
How well you follow your aftercare
Skin type (oily skin tends to fade faster)
Lifestyle (sun exposure speeds up the fading process)
Beauty regime (products like Vitamin A and retinol creams will fade your tattoo)
Exfoliants & resurfacing agents, like glycolic, salcylic and aha will also fade your tattoo
Metabolism (the faster your metabolism is, the faster it breaks down the pigment molecules)
Thyroid and hormone imbalances (often prevents your tattoo from sticking in the first place)
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This varies from person to person as everyone’s skin regenerates at a different rate. But generally, after 1 week, any swelling, bruising, scabbing or itching that may occur should’ve subsided and your brows or lips will “look” healed.
The skin, however won’t actually be healed until about 4-6 weeks after the treatment. Until then you may experience some colour changes or even colour loss. This is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.
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Pain levels vary from client to client - some might feel a bit of scratchiness while others fall asleep.
To maximise comfort during your cosmetic tattoo treatment, A HINT OF INK is registered with Keperra Compounding Pharmacy who supply maximum strength, premium quality anaesthetics. In accordance with Queensland regulations, clients are required to purchase their own topical numbing cream prior to treatment. Exact product details and purchasing instructions will be included in your booking confirmation email, so please read that information carefully.
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We’re pleased to tell you that we do NOT shave off your eyebrow hairs! We only pluck hairs that are outside the tattooed area.
We always try and work with your natural eyebrow hair/ shape as much as possible. This creates the most natural look and the lowest maintenance for you.
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Excessive bleeding during your appointment will greatly affect how your body retains pigment. It will actually push pigment out of the skin while trying to implant it. It is important that you follow pre-care instructions to help minimize bleeding. This includes avoiding blood thinning medications, alcohol and caffeine 24 hours before your procedure.
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This depends on the individual. A cosmetic tattoo is an enhancement, not a complete replacement for topical makeup. Healed pigment in the skin will never fully replicate the vibrancy of colour that topical makeup produces on the skin.
Some women prefer a bolder look with makeup that cannot be successfully achieved without risking undesirable results. The more your skin is packed with pigment particles, the less control you have over the colour as your tattoo ages over time. Soft and natural will always win! Ideally, your cosmetic tattoo should be suitable for an everyday look. For special occasions, when a bolder look is desired, you might need to get out your eyebrow pencil or lipstick. -
No - we don't microblade anymore. Now we offer nano brows instead - a similar, more skin-friendly option created with a gentle machine. Nano gives the natural, hair-like detail people liked from microblading but without the cutting action of a hand tool.
Why we prefer nano/powder-style techniques:
Safer for most skin types: suitable for mature, oily, textured skin and large pores, unlike microblading which only suits about 20% of candidates.
Gentler healing: machine work reduces trauma and the risk of micro-scarring.
Versatile results: great for clients with little to no hair (creates a shaded, realistic brow) and for those wanting added density or definition.
Typical longevity: about 1–2 years, depending on lifestyle, skin type and sun exposure.
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Cosmetic tattooing is all about layering. To create a soft and natural look you have to be careful to not oversaturate the skin. Our aim is to gradually build up colour, so your first appointment is just laying down the base. Then once we see how your skin reacted to the treatment we will add another layer at the touch-up to perfect and finish your treatment. This is also where you can decide if you want to make any minor colour or shape changes.
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Will it look like lipstick? No. It does not replace your lipstick. It will however give your lips a natural, opaque blushing of colour (similar to a tinted gloss) and gently accentuate the shape of your lips. You can still apply lipstick over your lip blush tattoo once it’s fully healed.
As we loose collagen and elasticity in our skin, the natural colour in our lips starts to break down and we loose our shape, making our lips appear smaller and dull in colour. Not only are we able to add colour, but we can also help to camouflage minor asymmetries, scarring or hyperpigmentation. We cannot tattoo outside of the lip tissue, so blushing will not change your lip size, but will create the appearance of fuller looking lips. -
If you have EVER had a cold sore (even just once in your life), you will need to get an antiviral medication like Valtrex 500mg. This will need to be taken once a day for about 10 days (4 days prior to your appointment, on the day of, and 5 days after). You can get your script from your local GP or online from Instant Scripts. This is an extremely important step in your lip tattoo journey. There is a very high chance of a cold sore outbreak if not medicated, which would result in an uncomfortable healing period for you as well as a patchy lip tattoo
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If you have a tattoo that has been completed previously by another artist, you may need to book in for a new treatment. Time will be spent to re-measure, re-draw and re-shape your tattoo, ultimately reworking another technicians job.
However, if you only require a simple colour top up over faded previous work, without any shape or colour correction, you may book in for a “Colour Boost”. -
A full treatment includes the initial appointment and touch-up appointment. So it’s essentially two appointments, which is required for every new cosmetic tattoo procedure.
A Colour Boost is only one session. This is perfect for refreshing existing tattoos that are about 50% faded. If the tattoo has faded more than 50%, there is a likelihood that two sessions are needed again.
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