MRI’s and Permanent Makeup

Every client scheduled for a consultation or a procedure asks questions about the safety of an MRI and their permanent cosmetics. Through our blog we hope to shed some light on this subject and provide valuable information to everyone visiting our site.

You are your greatest resource. Finding a highly qualified and skilled technician for your procedure who is educated about the components of the materials he/she uses is the first step to ensuring you have a beautiful procedure with long lasting results and will not experience any reaction from a future MRI. The second step, which is just as important as the first, is to inform your doctor and MRI technician of all permanent makeup procedures, their placements and age. Age is particularly important when talking about any tattoo as the ink, dye or pigment will settle, fade or disperse over time leaving you with the your final results.

For eyeliner, eyebrows or lips your technician most likely used the same “type” of pigment in all 3 areas. This would be an inorganic compound comprised of 3 basic ingredients: distilled water, alcohol and iron oxide. The first 2 are easily absorbed by your body and processed naturally such as a glass of water would. The final ingredient is, of course, a metal and the cause for concern when facing an MRI. Metals have been present for centuries in the inks and dyes of tattoos and it is the older tattoo’s, circa 1930 and 40 and the ink which was used to place them that have caused the concern for modern day MRI technology. Today, combined with the advancement of technology and the heavy regulation of the FDA, most permanent makeup pigments are created in safe, sterile environment and are FDA approved before being marketed or sold for use with the public.

The truth of the matter is, the particles of iron that are deposited into the skin are too small to react as a larger piece of metal would. Actually the iron oxide in the pigments used by permanent makeup technicians is similar in size of the iron already on a persons body.

That being said, I am sure you will be surprised to learn that there are multiple places on your face that have this metal and you don’t even know it. If you have ever had a filling, you have metal in you. If you are wearing makeup, you have metal on you. Surgeries that have required implants or pins as well as IUD’s are also made of metal or contain some amount of metal. In theory, to have an MRI you would need to wash off all your makeup, pull out your fillings, remove that pin in your ankle and extract the IUD in order to safely enter the MRI and come out unscathed. Seem a little overboard? We think so too, but there is still a tremendous amount of fear surrounding this subject.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI has been around as we know it since the early 1990’s. Being that a gigantic magnet is circling your body it is standard protocol to ask every patient to remove any metal from their person; jewelry, clothing etc. In the past 20-30 years the number of people who reported irritation at a tattoo sight is so small that the numbers are not significant enough to outweigh the health benefits of having an MRI.

Permanent makeup, when performed by a highly skilled, knowledgeable professional is such a blessing and has changed the lives of millions of women. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, however is a breakthrough technology that has saved the lives of millions of people all over the world and will continue to be a cornerstone procedure in diagnosing problems with the body. The recommendation of an MRI from your physician or health care provider is a necessary test and should be take care of as soon as possible for the good of your health. Although it is scary, the idea of having an MRI after permanent makeup, there is a wealth of information on the internet and the MRI technicians are there to answer all of your questions.

If you have any additional questions or something was not covered in this posting, we encourage you to call our center to speak to one of our staff: 858.459.2201. Thank you for reading and check back often for more information and fun facts.

More information about this subject can be found on the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals website, http://spcp.org/MRIinfo.htm