Permanent Makeup by Grayson

By Melanie Barton

When a client meets Grayson Sloan for her first consultation visit on permanent makeup, she will be assured that whatever decisions are made will be 100% mutual. “It is vital my clients and I are on the same page before we proceed,” notes Sloan.

“My philosophy is that, by using a conservative approach, I am able to enhance my client’s features and in the process, improve their self-image. I want my client’s features to be on display, not my work, so the result is a natural enhancement.”

Though long popular on the West Coast, the artistic procedure of permanent makeup is becoming increasingly popular in the Midwest, especially here in Arkansas. Grayson Sloan, who has been in the profession of permanent makeup for eight years, still encounters people every day who are not sure what the process entails. “It is really the same process as receiving a tattoo,” notes Sloan, “but with permanent make-up, the emphasis is on enhancing a client’s features, not detracting from them.”

Sloan, who is a native of Little Rock, began her career in permanent makeup eight years ago and says she has found her “true passion.” “I left Little Rock when I was 19 to pursue other interests but eventually found my way back home,” said Sloan. After returning to Little Rock to finish her degree at UALR, Sloan began working for her cousin, local plastic surgeon Gene Sloan. It was during this time Sloan received her training in the art of permanent makeup and has since trained nationwide. In the summer of 2002 Sloan took the next step and opened her own business.

Between client and physician referrals, Sloan’s business flourished and in no time she had made a name for herself in permanent cosmetics with her reputation spreading nationwide. “It is flattering to know clients are willing to travel for my services,” said Sloan. Sloan partly contributes her success to her commitment in maintaining a conservative approach while at the same time tending to her client’s specific needs. “Every client is different so it is my goal during the consultation to make sure each client feels as comfortable and excited about the process as I am,” said Sloan.

As noted above, there is an initial consultation visit with a follow-up appointment for the actual services. During the consultation process Sloan assesses the client to make sure she is a good candidate, then the appropriate colors are chosen for her skin tone. “I like to educate my clients on color theory and really, every step of the process, so I feel confident they are making an educated decision for themselves,” said Sloan. All aspects of the procedure are discussed, including how the client can protect the longevity of their investment.

Permanent eyeliner, eyebrows & full lip color, “can easily be applied in one day,” according to Sloan.

“Eyebrows frame the face but are not the focal point on the face. When brows have an appropriate shape, placement and color then they will go unnoticed but yet add definition,” added Sloan. Eyebrow definition is great for those clients whose eyebrows are sparse to nonexistent and have difficulty creating symmetrical brows on a daily basis.

Permanent eyeliner makes the eyes “pop” and unlike liquid eyeliner, will not smudge throughout the day. Lip colors can range from a natural shade to a more lipstick look and help reduce fine lines around the lips that lipstick can often bleed into. “The client can absolutely wear any makeup on top of what we do,” continues Sloan. “I am not trying to replace a traditional makeup look, just enhance her natural features. As an artist, I feel that a natural enhancement is the better way to go, because ink underneath the skin looks very different than makeup on top of the skin.”

Sloan encourages her clients to have a second application applied three to six months after the first application because the nature of permanent cosmetics is that the colors will fade thirty to fifty percent after each application. “You will get a longer-lasting, smoother-looking result with two applications, so it is really not finished until I complete the second application,” notes Sloan. Sun-bathing, tanning beds and some facial products will have an impact on the longevity, but typically, a second application will last three years or longer.

Sloan’s clients range from career women whose first impressions are vital and want to portray a confident, fresh, professional appearance throughout the day, to retirees who do not see as well when applying their makeup. Clients who are allergic to conventional makeup or have oily skin will also benefit. “As I work all day with a mask on it was frustrating having to apply and re-apply lipstick over and over again throughout the day,” said Dr. Leslie Monroe, a local dentist. “I decided to have full lip color applied and after five years my lips still look great and I always feel polished.”

Client and cancer survivor Laura Newman, of Little Rock, contributes permanent makeup to helping her cope as she went through chemotherapy. “When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, two friends approached me on the idea of having permanent makeup applied. At the time I knew very little about the process,” notes Newman. After several discussions with Sloan on her options Newman chose to have all three enhancements applied. Through the worst of chemotherapy, Newman heard over and over again how healthy and great she looked. “The compliments were great,” said Newman, “but really, it was a state of mind knowing that every day, no matter what, I was still in control of me.”

“There is a small window of opportunity for cancer clients between diagnosis, surgery and chemotherapy when I can apply permanent makeup,” stated Sloan. The client’s features will remain well defined during hair loss.

So to pose the question, why should someone have permanent makeup? The answer is why not? Between saving hundreds of dollars a year on cosmetic products to the amount of time spent on applying and re-applying makeup, permanent makeup is a perfect solution for a busy lifestyle or for anyone who just wants to look their best.

Spring is an especially ideal time to have permanent makeup applied, while you are gearing up for summer and vacations. Knowing that your makeup is not going to run or smudge in hot humid weather, come off when you are stepping out of the pool, or after a day at the lake, will always enhance a woman’s confidence.

Grayson Sloan looks forward to meeting new clients and is available by appointment only. Her office is located at 2300 Andover Court, Suite 520 Little Rock. For more information please contact Ms. Sloan at (501) 221-0868 or visit www.GraysonSloan.com.

Copyright Maumelle Living magazine. Used with permission.

Permanent Cosmetics

Needing a mental vacation? Permanent cosmetics may be the answer.

Choosing, putting on, and reapplying makeup may be taking up valuable time in your day, moments when you could catch up on a few things or just breathe deeply and relax. In thinking about ways to save yourself precious minutes, you may want to consider permanent cosmetics. Practiced by most cultures for centuries, recently permanent cosmetics have become popular for women of all ages. Specialized techniques, sometimes called "micropigmentation" or "micropigment implantation," allow for the deposit of tiny, individual implants of color into the upper layers of the skin. "It's a way to add color and definition to your look," says local permanent makeup artist Grayson Sloan. "Women who want to make their life easier can achieve a fresh, crisp look with permanent cosmetics."

Experts say having makeup permanently applied is ideal for those who are on the go and want to have makeup that stays on 24 hours a day. It can also benefit cancer or burn patients who have lost hair and eyebrows or individuals who have visual or physical limitations in applying makeup, such as Parkinson's disease sufferers. The most common procedures include defining eyebrows, applying eyeliner and adding lip color. Covering scars and color enhancement for the nipple area after breast surgery is also common.

Before considering any procedure, you'll first want to find a highly trained, licensed technician, preferably a member of The Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals. Sloan is a member and is licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health. She suggests taking a look at the permanent cosmetic artist's portfolio for "before and after" looks to make sure you like their work. "Less is more when it comes to permanent makeup, and even though a lot of people can paint and dray, not everyone is an artist!" Sloan says she considers her work a natural enhancement for her clients, wanting friends to notice the difference, but not being able to pinpoint any. "As we age, topical makeup often can't provide the look we desire, but permanent makeup can enhance our look and boost our confidence," Sloan points out. Those who specialize in these services most often recommend choosing "daytime" or lighter colors, as they can typically be darkened with a second visit if necessary.

Most artists or technicians first schedule a consultation visit with clients. Sloan includes thorough screening for any potential allergies to the pigments used, but she says such reactions are quite rare. A later appointment is scheduled for procedures, which most often begin with a numbing cream to the area being pigmented or tattooed. A needle then implants ink only under the first or second layer of skin, similar to the depth of an insect bite. Only new, sterile needles should be used by a properly trained, gloved technician when applying permanent makeup in a clean, sanitary environment. Following a procedure, Sloan says eyelids may be puffy and lips will swell after being pigmented, but symptoms are usually gone after 24 to 48 hours. And she says, though permanent, you'll want to have the micropigmentation freshened up after several years.

"I have never worn a lot of makeup and didn't realize until after I had permanent cosmetics applied how much time and energy I spent worrying about it each day," Sloan says of her own experience. "It was like I had a mental vacation, not to have to think about it throughout the day."

To find out more about permanent cosmetics there are numerous websites, such as that sponsored by The Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals you can research. Or go to Sloan's website at www.graysonsloan.com.

Copyright Central Arkansas Woman Magazine. Used with permission.

Full Brows

Thick eyebrows are hot this season. Unfortunately for many women, years of aggressive tweezing have left them with little or no brows. What's a girl to do? There is a permanent solution to the problem of overtweezing, and you can find out more about it from Grayson Sloan at Permanent Makeup by Grayson in Little Rock. Sloan is a permanent makeup professional and uses a micro pigmentation procedure to create natural, long lasting brows. For more information about permanent makeup for the brows, lips and eyes, give Grayson a call at (501) 221-0868 or visit www.graysonsloan.com.

Copyright FashionCity. Used with permission.

Excerpts from

Second Careers... to choose or not to choose

By Mary Ann Campbell, CFP

Madonna, the singer, is always reinventing herself She appears to derive much energy and a lot of money from her transitions. Following an amazing professional basketball career, Michael Jordan retired at an early age from the National Basketball Association’s Chicago Bulls to try his hand at professional baseball. Yes, baseball. He signed as a free agent with the Chicago White Sox. It was the baseball strike, not fear, that caused him to transition yet again back to basketball with the Washington Wizards. Jordan was named Athlete of the Century by ESPN. Currently, at age 43, Michael Jordan has retired three times. Noted legal—thriller author John Grisham was a lawyer and a politician before he turned writer. What is consistent with Madonna, Jordan and Grisham is they follow their passion, and they definitely keep it interesting.

What is your passion? Are you working or serving in it now ... or are you dreaming about what you’d really like to be doing? Are you willing to do what it takes to make a change? How do you cope with risk?

Grayson Sloan (www.graysonsloan.com) had a family mentor and is happily in the "career I finally found." As a theater/dance major, Sloan taught dance aerobics to sustain herself as she obtained her undergraduate degree. She invented a hair ornament, and made a good living traveling to sell them. However, she didn’t know how to take her invention to the next level.

Most of Sloan’s family is artistic. Her cousin, plastic surgeon Gene Sloan, wanted to bring permanent cosmetics into his practice. He sent Sloan to school. "I found my passion," she said.

The rewards for her are seeing how good women feel about themselves afterwards. And, their life is uniquely easier. One very rewarding area for her has been working with women battling cancer. Depending on where the women are in their treatment journey, Sloan has sometimes been able to apply permanent makeup before their hair falls out so they don’t feel so blank when it happens.

Her advice to others is: "Do it. Go for it! Find you niche and passion, and make it your career and job." Sloan can’t wait to get to work each day. She loves what she is doing. She will soon meet with a counselor at the Arkansas Small Business Development Center (www.asbdc.ualr.edu) to get help to take her business to the next level.

Copyright Active Years. Used with permission.

Permanent MakeUp

Carol Ludwig, a slender blonde, is getting her lips done. Relaxing at a natural therapy clinic, she talks quietly over soft, classical music. At the moment, Ludwig is talking a little funny. On the way over, she dropped by the office of cosmetic dentist Dr. Leslie Monroe to have her lips numbed, and they’re a little swollen. Permanent makeup artist Grayson Sloan is busy blending just the right hues to darken Ludwig’s lips. Earlier in the day, they chose the colors best suited for her skin tones.

People choose permanent makeup for a variety of reasons — as a time saver or because they have physical difficulty applying makeup. People who lost their eyebrows due to medical conditions may choose to have "eyebrows" tattooed on. Women who have cosmetic reconstruction after a mastectomy can choose to utilize permanent makeup to simulate a natural nipple-areola complex.

Working with a delicate handpiece specifically designed for this procedure, Ludwig’s lips are lined with color, and then filled in. The procedure will take about an hour and a half and Ludwig will return later for a second treatment. The color will fade a little in a few days. But the idea is to retain just enough color so you don’t look washed out, the way most women look without makeup. In the evenings, or any time you want a more dramatic look, simply apply temporary cosmetics.

Sloan adds color gradually, stressing that you can always add more, but cosmetic tattoos are very difficult, if not impossible, to remove. Yes, permanent makeup is a type of tattoo, depositing tiny individual implants of pigment into the dermis — the sensitive, connective tissue layer of the skin located beneath the outer layer, the epidermis.

Permanent makeup carries some risks, such as infection. Legitimate makeup artists such as Sloan take special preventive care, however, using new, sterile needles for each procedure. Allergic reactions are extremely rare. But, Sloan says, "Some people can have allergies to red dye, so we always do a patch test."

During a consultation, the makeup artist will take a medical history as it relates to permanent makeup. Certain medical conditions might have an impact on a client’s decision or could even eliminate them as a candidate. For example, people who take blood thinners, cortisone, or use Accutane (an acne medication) are probably not good candidates for permanent makeup. The same is true of those with lupus, diabetes and pregnant women, or if you are prone to developing keloids (scars that grow beyond normal boundaries) or have active skin disorders.

Take special care in choosing a permanent makeup artist. Look at his or her work — not just the pictures, but also the clients themselves. Permanent makeup may fade in time — and you may even want a touch—up later — but it is permanent. You don’t want to have to live with someone else’s mistake. For the most satisfactory results, make sure the work of the makeup artist is subtle. The eyeliner should be thin and natural looking. The lip color should look as though you were born with it. If you want to have your eyebrows darkened or enhanced, look closely at someone who has had this work done.

Copyright Active Years. Used with permission.