Permanent Makeup Cost and Financing

Did you know that 67% of all consumers use makeup products and that the average American spends upwards of $200 or more on them per year?¹ While most people enjoy the beauty-enhancing look of makeup, having to apply it daily can become tedious, time-consuming and costly in the long run.

Permanent makeup may be a great option for individuals who want to reduce or eliminate the daily routine of applying makeup. It may also be a solution for those who are sensitive or allergic to traditional makeup.² Permanent cosmetic procedures can even help camouflage skin conditions such as alopecia and reduce the need to continually re-apply eyebrow, eye and lip products, among others. Let's dive into the types and costs of permanent makeup available and why they might be right for you.

What Is Permanent Makeup?

Permanent makeup is a process that uses micropigmentation to enhance the color and shape of your facial features. Unlike traditional makeup, the results are long-lasting and don't require daily application of products to achieve a "made-up" look.

Unlike other cosmetic procedures, there is virtually no downtime, and you can get back to your normal activities within the same day. Note that you might experience some discomfort, redness and swelling in the areas, but this is usually temporary.³

How Does Permanent Makeup Work?

Similar to tattooing, permanent makeup involves the insertion of natural pigments into the dermal layer of the skin in order to render definition and color to eyebrows, eyelids and lips.² Permanent makeup is applied by an aesthetician using a special tool to inject the pigments into the skin, usually after the application of numbing cream to the area.

Your aesthetician will use a handheld device, a rotary machine or pen or a tattoo coil machine to apply the pigments to the area. Most permanent makeup procedures will require two appointments — a longer initial appointment and a shorter follow-up appointment about one month later, to touch up the area.⁴

What Does Permanent Makeup Treat?

Permanent makeup lasts around 18 months to three years and can mimic the look of freshly-applied lipstick, lip liner, eyebrow pencil and eyeliner.⁵ Several conditions may benefit from the use of permanent makeup:

• It can be used to camouflage scars and stretch marks.⁶
• Permanent makeup can enhance the look of the areola after breast surgery.⁷
• This type of makeup is a great option for those dealing with hair loss due to alopecia or cancer treatment because it can be used to fill in sparse brows.⁸
• Those with conditions like Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis or arthritis, who might not have a steady hand to apply makeup daily, may find that permanent makeup is a useful solution to this problem.⁸
• People with an allergy to traditional makeup products may benefit from having permanent makeup available as an alternative.²
• It can lighten under eye circles.⁹

How Much Does Permanent Makeup Cost?

The average cost of permanent makeup varies widely from $300 to $700, depending on the type of makeup, the body area and the number of visits required.² However, costs can run as low as $50 for a simple beauty mark³ or $1,500 for areola pigmentation.⁶

Although referred to as "permanent," this type of cosmetic tattooing will require touchups every 18 months to three years, which may range between $100 to $250 or more per session.³

Average costs of permanent makeup

What Affects the Cost of Permanent Makeup?

There are several factors that will affect the cost of permanent makeup. These include:⁴

• The type of permanent makeup
• The skill level and training of the aesthetician
• The quality of the equipment used
• The size and complexity of the application¹⁰
• Whether a physician or dermatologist is supervising the facility
• The geographic location of the facility
• How many follow-up visits are needed

Typically, more highly skilled aestheticians with an extensive portfolio of clients will charge more than those who are just starting out. And, those located in larger metropolitan areas with a higher cost of living will charge more than those who are located in less populated areas with a lower cost of living.

Different Types of Permanent Makeup

There are several different types of permanent makeup, including:¹¹

• Permanent eyebrows
• Permanent eyeliner
• Permanent lip liner
• Permanent lipstick
• Lip blushing
• Freckle tattoos
• Beauty marks and other types of permanent makeup

Permanent eyebrows

Microblading and microshading are two types of permanent makeup techniques that give you the look of full, lush brows. Microblading provides the look of individual hairs, while microshading gives you a softer, more powdery and diffused look across the entire brow area.⁷

During a microblading appointment, an aesthetician uses a small blade to create hair-like strokes that give you the look of natural brow hairs and then fills them in with pigment. Microshading is less invasive because the aesthetician won't make any cuts into the skin, instead using a rotary pen to deposit pigment directly into the epidermis of the skin of the brows.⁷

For these types of cosmetic tattoos, you'll need one initial appointment and one follow-up appointment to touch up the area.⁴ Each appointment will last between one and two hours and prices can range in cost between $350 and $3,000, with both appointments included.⁷ Typically, most aestheticians charge between $400 and $600 for the initial and follow-up visits combined.³

Permanent eyeliner

Permanent eyeliner gives you the look of freshly applied liner and can be done along or above the top lash line, bottom lash line or both. Some permanent eyeliner gives you more of a natural, enhanced look while others can give you a bold winged look.⁶

Your aesthetician will typically use a newer and safer cosmetic tattooing tool like the Nouveau Contour to ensure an even line.⁷ Thicker and bolder eyeliner looks will cost more than more natural ones. For an additional cost, some aestheticians will even add in some shadowing to give your eyes the look of eyeliner and eyeshadow.⁶

Most appointments take around one and a half hours and cost about $550 for full top and bottom eyeliner.⁷ However, costs may fluctuate and range from around $200 for lower lashes to as much as $850 for upper and lower lash lines.⁶

Permanent lip liner

Permanent lip liner is applied along the outer edges of your lips to give your lips a fuller, more defined look. Shades vary from more natural lighter shades to dark and bold ones.

Note that some aestheticians will include some shading into the lip area itself for a fuller, more defined look, at an extra cost. Prices range for permanent lip liner from $150 up to $795, typically averaging around $350.⁶

Permanent lipstick

As the name implies, permanent lipstick gives you the look of lipstick that won't come off when you eat or touch your lips. For this procedure, the aesthetician will apply the ink to the epidermis of your lips using a rotary pen. It can vary from lighter to darker shades. For full color permanent lipstick, expect to pay between $300 to $900, with the average being around $550.⁶

Some aestheticians may give you a discount if you book your lip liner and permanent lipstick appointments together, charging between $600 and $800 for both procedures combined.³

Lip blushing

Lip blushing enhances the natural shade of your lips and is usually done in subtle shades like nude or soft pink. This procedure is virtually the same as permanent lipstick, but usually done with a lighter shade and the aesthetician will apply the ink to the epidermis of your lips using a rotary pen. Each session costs around $590 and may last up to two hours.⁷ You will likely need an initial appointment and one follow-up appointment to touch up the look, which most aestheticians include in the total price.⁴

Other Permanent Makeup Types

To get the look of a freckled face, your technician can apply permanent makeup to the area around your nose and cheeks. Or you might want to opt for a beauty mark on your cheek. These and other applications are popular choices for permanent makeup.

The other types of permanent makeup available include:

• Scar/stretch mark camouflage⁶
• Areola re-pigmentation⁶
• Freckle tattoos¹¹
• Beauty marks³
• Permanent concealer⁹

For these types of procedures, costs tend to vary widely due to the size of the area covered and the amount of ink needed. Some artists may charge per type of makeup, such as per areola, or charge per inch of skin covered. Still, others may charge per 15 or 30 minutes of work.⁶

The average cost of areola re-pigmentation can run between $300 and $1,500, with some aestheticians charging $200 per hour. For scar or stretch mark camouflage, rates can range from $200 per hour to $750 per hour.⁶

Beauty marks may only cost between $50 and $150.³ Freckle tattoos range from $80 to $350, depending on how many you would like.¹² And permanent concealer, which is done to correct under eye circles, costs between $350 and $800 per session.⁹

Does Insurance Cover Permanent Makeup?

Because permanent makeup is not considered a medically necessary procedure, it is typically not covered by insurance. However, things like areola re-pigmentation may be classified as medically necessary as a type of reconstructive surgery after procedures such as a mastectomy.¹³ Check with your healthcare plan to see if these types of reconstructive permanent makeup are covered.

How Much Does Permanent Makeup Cost Without Insurance?

The cost of permanent makeup varies widely from $50 to $1,500 or more depending on the type of makeup, the body area and the number of visits required.² On average, the cost of a permanent makeup procedure is around $426 without insurance.¹⁰

Some providers may give you a discount for combining more than one procedure together, such as permanent lipstick and permanent lip liner or bottom and lower lashes for permanent eyeliner, usually saving you up to $300 on the combined cost.⁶

How Can I Pay for Permanent Makeup?

If you are looking to pay for permanent makeup, there may be several payment options that you can consider:

• Your aesthetician may accept general-purpose credit cards.
• You can pay your aesthetician with cash or a debit card if you have the funds available.
• Many providers accept the CareCredit credit card, a health, wellness and personal care credit card. The CareCredit credit card may be a way for you to get the permanent makeup services you want immediately while paying over time with convenient monthly payments, helping fit the services you want into your budget.^*

CareCredit Financing for Permanent Makeup

When getting permanent makeup or another cosmetic procedure, the CareCredit credit card can help you pay for costs not covered by insurance.* Apply today and use our Acceptance Locator to find a doctor or cosmetic specialist near you that accepts CareCredit. Continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your CareCredit account, find a provider on the go, and easily access the Well U hub for more great articles, podcasts, and videos.

Author Bio

Susan Paretts is a freelance writer with 18 years of experience covering health and wellness, pet care, and more. Her work has been published by the American Kennel Club, Bayer Animal Health, Elanco, LIVESTRONG.com, The San Francisco Chronicle, Chewy, and more.