Who Is Not Suitable for Permanent Makeup? | PMU Explained
- Nicole O'Grady
- Apr 27
- 7 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Understanding who is not suitable for permanent makeup is an essential first step before booking treatment, as medical conditions, skin type, medications, and lifestyle factors can all affect safety, healing, and long term results.
At Olivia Cole Aesthetics, we provide professional PMU consultations for clients across Woburn, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, ensuring every treatment is carefully assessed for suitability, safety, and natural-looking results.
If you are new to PMU, you may also find this helpful: Permanent Makeup: What Should You Look For In A Practitioner?
What Is Permanent Makeup?
Permanent makeup (PMU), also known as micropigmentation or cosmetic tattooing, is a specialised aesthetic treatment that enhances natural facial features by implanting pigment into the skin. This technique is designed to create long-lasting definition, symmetry and colour enhancement for a more polished yet natural appearance.
Common Permanent Makeup (PMU) Treatments Include:
Eyebrow Enhancement (Microblading or Machine Brows)
Eyebrow PMU is used to create fuller, more defined brows by adding natural looking hair strokes or soft shading, depending on the desired result.
Lip Blush
Lip blush enhances the natural lip colour, improves symmetry and creates a soft, tinted effect.
Eyeliner Enhancement
Eyeliner PMU adds subtle definition to the lash line, helping the eyes appear more lifted, defined and refreshed without daily makeup application.
Who is Not Suitable for Permanent Makeup? Is it Suitable for Everyone?
No and this is something not enough clinics talk about.
While permanent makeup (PMU) is safe and effective for many people, there are certain situations where it may not be suitable, or where treatment needs to be delayed until it is safe to proceed.
A good practitioner will always prioritise safety and suitability over offering treatment.
If you want to understand what separates a safe, experienced practitioner from the rest, you can read our previous blog here: Permanent Makeup: What Should You Look For In A Practitioner?
Who Should Avoid Permanent Makeup Completely?
There are certain situations where permanent makeup (PMU) is not recommended, or where treatment should be postponed until it is safe to proceed.
A responsible practitioner will always carry out a full consultation first and make a clinical judgement based on your individual health, skin condition and medical history.
PMU is generally not suitable in the following cases:
Pregnancy (precautionary, due to limited clinical research and hormonal skin changes that can affect healing and pigment retention)
Active skin infections or irritation in or around the treatment area, as this can increase the risk of complications and poor healing
Certain uncontrolled medical conditions, where healing or immune response may be affected
Severe skin disorders such as active eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis in the treatment area, where the skin barrier is compromised
Known allergies to pigments or numbing agents (although rare, these must always be properly assessed before treatment)
In these situations, treatment is either delayed until the condition has fully settled or avoided completely if it is not clinically appropriate to proceed.
Can You Have Permanent Makeup If You Have Sensitive Skin?
It depends on the severity and how well your skin condition is currently controlled.
Mild skin sensitivity is often manageable, and many clients with generally reactive skin can still have permanent makeup safely when appropriate techniques and pigments are used.
Caution is required if you have conditions such as:
Eczema
Psoriasis
Dermatitis
If any of these are active in the treatment area, permanent makeup should be postponed until the skin has fully settled and the barrier function has returned to normal.
Treating compromised or inflamed skin can increase the risk of:
Poor pigment retention
Uneven or patchy healing
Increased irritation or flare-ups
Longer recovery time
Is Permanent Makeup Suitable for Oily Skin?
Yes oily skin is absolutely suitable for permanent makeup, however results can vary slightly depending on your skin type.
Having oily skin is not a reason to avoid PMU, but it can influence how the pigment behaves over time and how defined the final result remains.
In particular, oily skin may affect:
How well pigment is retained in the skin
How crisp and defined the results stay as they heal and mature
The longevity of the overall outcome compared to other skin types
For example:
Techniques such as micro blading may appear softer or blur more quickly on oily skin
Powder brows or shading techniques often provide longer-lasting, more defined results
Combination techniques may be recommended for better balance and retention
This is why choosing the correct technique is just as important as determining suitability.
A skilled practitioner will always assess your skin type during consultation and tailor the approach to ensure the most natural and long-lasting result possible.
Can Certain Medications Affect PMU Results?
Yes and this is often overlooked.
Some medications can:
Thin the blood (leading to more bleeding during treatment)
Affect healing
Impact how pigment is retained
Examples include:
Blood thinners
Roaccutane (past or current use needs assessing)
Certain acne or skin treatments
This doesn’t always mean you can’t have PMU but it may require timing adjustments or medical clearance.
Should You Avoid PMU If You Scar Easily?
If you are prone to keloid or hypertrophic scarring, permanent makeup may not be suitable and this should always be discussed during consultation.
Although PMU is considered a superficial cosmetic treatment, it still involves creating controlled trauma within the skin in order to implant pigment. In some individuals, particularly those with a history of abnormal scarring, the skin can overreact during the healing process.
This may increase the risk of:
Raised or uneven scar tissue
Poor healing response
Irregular pigment retention
Texture changes within the treated area
While these complications are uncommon, they are important to assess properly before treatment is carried out. In some cases, a practitioner may advise against treatment completely, while in others they may recommend a patch test, a more cautious approach, or alternative treatment options.
Can Lifestyle Affect Whether You’re Suitable for PMU?
Yes, your lifestyle can have a significant impact on both your suitability for permanent makeup and how well your results heal and last over time.
Permanent makeup is not simply a one-time treatment. Long-lasting, natural results rely heavily on proper healing, maintenance, and ongoing skin care habits. Certain lifestyle factors can affect pigment retention, healing quality, and the longevity of your results.
For example, you may not be the ideal candidate for PMU if:
You are regularly exposed to strong sun or tanning beds
You frequently use strong active skincare products such as acids or retinols
You are unable to follow the recommended aftercare properly
You expect permanent makeup to remain “perfect” forever without maintenance or top-ups
Excessive sun exposure, aggressive skincare, and poor aftercare can all contribute to faster fading, uneven healing, or changes in pigment over time. A good practitioner will always discuss your lifestyle and daily habits during consultation to ensure the treatment is appropriate and to help you achieve the most predictable, long-lasting result possible.
To understand how permanent makeup fades over time and how long results typically last, read our detailed blog on PMU longevity here: https://www.oliviacoleuk.com/post/how-long-does-permanent-makeup-last-and-why-does-it-fade
What If You’ve Had Previous Bad PMU?
This doesn’t automatically make you unsuitable for permanent makeup, but it does mean the treatment approach needs to be carefully adapted. Depending on your previous results, you may require a more tailored plan before new PMU is carried out.
This can include:
Correction work to improve shape or colour balance
Lightening or removal first, where previous pigment is too strong or uneven
A more advanced or layered treatment plan to achieve natural, balanced results
If you want to understand the correction or removal process in more detail, you can read our previous blog here: Can Permanent Makeup Be Removed or Corrected? What You Need To Know
At our clinic in Woburn and Woburn Sands, working with clients from across Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, we always assess previous permanent makeup carefully before recommending the most appropriate next step.
Choosing the Right Permanent Makeup Clinic
If you’re considering permanent makeup in Milton Keynes, Woburn, Woburn Sands, or the wider Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire areas, choosing the right clinic is the most important step in your journey.
A high-quality consultation should never feel rushed or sales-driven. It should focus entirely on honesty, suitability, and achieving natural, long-lasting results that are right for you as an individual.
When choosing a clinic, you should always look for:
Thorough, in-depth consultations that assess your skin and goals properly
Honest advice, even if that means being told treatment should be delayed or avoided
Fully personalised treatment plans based on your facial structure and skin type
Experience working with different skin tones, skin conditions, and previous PMU work
A strong portfolio showing natural, healed results rather than just fresh treatment images
Permanent makeup can be a fantastic investment when it is done on the right person, at the right time and with the correct clinical approach. However, not everyone is immediately suitable and that is completely okay.
If you are unsure whether PMU is right for you, the best place to start is always a professional consultation where your individual suitability can be properly assessed before any treatment decisions are made.
Can you have PMU if you are pregnant or breastfeeding?
No, permanent makeup is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding as a precaution due to limited research and hormonal changes that can affect healing and pigment retention.
Does lifestyle affect PMU suitability?
Yes, lifestyle factors such as heavy sun exposure, tanning habits, or inability to follow aftercare can affect results and long-term retention.
Do I need a patch test before permanent makeup?
In some cases, a patch test may be recommended to check for pigment sensitivity or allergic reactions, especially if you have a history of allergies or sensitive skin.
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