Eyeliner tattooing is such a popular procedure. The types and colors of eyeliner are vast and varied. From the softest colors to bold dramatic eyeliner just about anything is possible as long as the style and color match the skin and canvas.

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Eyeliner is a delicate area. During the procedure you will feel what everyone says is a "weird" tickling sensation. while some clients can sleep through the procedure, others find the vibration quite sensitive and very unnerving. 

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The thicker and darker the eyeliner is the longer it will last. Soft thin liners tend to fade faster. While I will do a bold look I do not do dramatic winged liner unless someone has already had it done by another artist and needs a refresh.

Each eye shape is so different and what looks great on one client will not work at all for the next client. This is why there are hard and fast rules in all eyeliner tattooing.

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You NEVER connect out corners. You never tattoo past the inner eyelashes. This is some of the thinnest skin on your body. This pigments can tend to migrate into this thinner tissue causing a blurry look that may not be removable. I also do not tattoo the wet line inside lashes. I can tattoo right to the edge of lash line to give lashes a thicker fuller base, but in the wet line area there are glands that provide oils to the eyes to lubricate them and tattooing this area can damage those glands which causes dry eye. This area is best to use traditional eyeliner on.

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I use numbing cream around the eye area in a 2 step process to get the eye area numb before tattooing, There are many different needle configurations that can be used with the most used being a 3 round for thin liner, a 5 round for basic liners and a 7 round for very thick liners.

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I do not do a lot of the "eyeshadow" look shading on eyeliner as it can fade quickly, heal and fade at a different rate as eyeliner and colors can be very unpredictable when tattooing a pixelated look. A little bit of shading is fine but trendy makeup looks are best left to traditional makeup.

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Colored eyeliners are possible with the right pigments but I am limited in the colors I will use. For many years I had the "perfect" shades of colored liner with soft dusty blues, greens and plums. That tattoo line unfortunately went out of business so I must now mix colors to get the correct consistency. Using traditional tattoo inks for eyeliner raises the chance of migration by 100% because these type of inks are very thin and watery and can tend to go right into veins and thin tissue easily. I can mix a bit of bright ink into a thicker base color to keep it safe but this limits my color selections. I will do my best get as close as the color desired. If you want eyeliner that last forever then a basic carbon black is the ticket. You cannot make lighter colors last forever.

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One color that never works in eyeliner is warm brown. This color is beautiful on redheads, auburn haired  women and light skin tones. The problem is how these browns are made. Any warm brown goes into the skin very light. It fades to red or orange color over time and can give a "rabbit" eye look. The best brown are neutral taupe browns up to a black brown. You never see body tattoos the color of an eyebrow or brown eyeliner because the color would just not last.

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Before having eyeliner tattooing it is best to discontinue the use of eyelash growing serums for a few weeks especially "Latisse". Some of the other calmer type lash growing serums are easier on the eyes but all lash growing serums work by increasing blood flow to the eye, which increases the size of the tiny veins around the eye, causing more discomfort and increased resistance to numbing. Using lash serums after your tattooing "can" in some cases cause eyeliner to fade faster

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You also will need to have artificial lash extensions removed at least 2 weeks before your procedure, Eyeliner cannot be done with eyelashes attached. Once eyeliner is fully healed at least 2 weeks lashes can safely be reapplied.

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You also cannot wear contact lenses or mascara for the healing processing time, this is 7 to 10 days. No makeup should be worn in the eye area after procedure and during healing that cannot be cleaned of without touching the lash area. Please bring glasses to your appointment and remove contact lenses prior to tattooing.

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If your eyes are sensitive it might be best to bring someone with you to drive. Eyes can also be more sensitive if you have seasonal allergies causing watering during and after procedure as well as more swelling after your procedure. Normal swelling time is about 2 days, but everyone is different. You will experience more swelling when doing upper and lower liner together than just doing upper or lower liner separately.

If you have any more questions about your liner procedure please visit my Helpful Tips page or feel free to contact me!

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