Adverse Reactions after Permanent-Makeup Procedures

To the Editor: Permanent makeup, used to enhance facial appearance (most commonly the eyebrows, eyelids, and lips), is administered by intradermally injecting inks containing various pigments and suspending agents. The number of people receiving permanent makeup is unknown. From 1988 to 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received only five reports of adverse reactions after permanent-makeup procedures. Beginning in 2003, the FDA received more than 150 reports of adverse reactions in persons who had undergone permanent-makeup procedures.1 We identified 101 patients who had had adverse reactions to permanent-makeup procedures (Figure 1) through adverse-event reports and another 8 such patients . . .