What can permanent cosmetics do for you? By Sandy Marinko The field of permanent cosmetics (cosmetic tattoo) is rapidly expanding in popularity.When you look good you feel good, and women are learning the benefits of having permanent eyebrow coloring, eyeliner and lip color.What could be better than to wake up looking as good in the morning as you did in the evening? Think of the time you could save putting on your makeup.Think of all the times your makeup smeared and ran down your face. The benefits of permanent cosmetics are being discovered by people from all walks of life, such as those suffering hair loss; professional women; athletes; those with poor eyesight; those with unsteady hands; those with sensitivities to traditional makeup; and those whose work precludes wearing makeup. Properly applied permanent cosmetics are so natural your neighbor will never know you are wearing them. Eyebrows are the most neglected feature of the face and most expressive. There are many reasons they have disappeared; having them applied permanently will boost your self-esteem. Eyebrow enhancement is becoming very popular for men. Permanent eyebrows can be applied to make brows look thicker and more filled in and nobody will know. For those with very light eyelashes, adding a soft darker color into the base of the lashes gives definition to the eyes. Scars can be camouflaged to barely show.The scar line left from a hair transplant surgery can be carefully blended to the rest of the hair. There are many medical areas permanent makeup can be applied to.Besides blending scars, permanent makeup is wonderful for restoring the look of the areola area of the breast after a mastectomy. For any woman who has endured the ravages of cancer and felt the humiliation of having her body changed, this is a unique way of having your dignity back. Some of the practitioners are starting a browsbefore chemo program for those facing heavy duty chemo. To practice permanent makeup in New Jersey, practitioners must pass a rigorous exam and become fellows of the American Academy of Micropigmentation. The AAM maintains a SAAVE program dedicated to cancer survivors. Members of this group will tattoo areola areas on cancer survivors who do not have insurance to help pay.You will be amazed what a skillful tattoo can do.They help heal the soul and will gladly do it for a smile. You can find this information on the American Academy of Micropigmentation website at www.micropigmentation. org, then go to"consumer update" and then click "SAAVE cancer program." Sandy Marinko, FAAM, is owner of Envision Permanent Makeup by Sandy, 500 Route 33 W, Suite 2D, Millstone. For more information, call 732-547-0643, or e-mail sandyenv@aol.com or sandyenv@optonline. net.