Eyebrow tattoos are a common procedure for girls. It was found that many heavy metals exceeded the standard, and there are many potential risks.

I wonder if there are any sisters like me who have put on full makeup less and less since the epidemic...

Once I put on the mask, only my eyebrows and eyes are exposed, plus I have to wear glasses... My daily routine when going out has been simplified to: foundation, eyebrows, lipstick. At least I can sleep 20 minutes more every day. I couldn’t be happier!

I don’t know if it’s because there are more and more “sophisticated lazy” sisters, but the popular makeup in the past two years has been increasingly pursuing naturalness and enlarging the eyes.

Correspondingly, eyebrows have also transitioned from Korean straight eyebrows to more natural misty and wild eyebrows.

But then again, drawing eyebrows is really difficult for those with clumsy hands or poor eyebrow conditions.

Although more and more friends around me choose to get eyebrow tattoos, everyone is still somewhat worried about the safety of eyebrow tattoo pigments.

CCTV has reported news that pigments contain excessive heavy metals and carcinogens. There are also cases where eyebrow wounds do not heal for a long time due to the use of inferior dyes.

In order to make everyone feel safe and beautiful, we have teamed up with the official authoritative media Hangzhou.com to purchase and test 6 popular eyebrow tattoo pigments on the market to test their safety. The sample information is as follows:

Testing fee 9600 yuan + sample fee 1422 yuan = 11022 yuan

After the test results came out, we were also a little shocked. I didn't expect that the eyebrow tattoo industry is really complicated...

1. Security Evaluation

According to the news reports, in this section we mainly test the content of heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, nickel, hexavalent chromium) in pigments.

Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Arsenic Test Results

We tested lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic in cosmetics in accordance with the requirements of the "Technical Specifications for Safety of Cosmetics" (2015 edition).

The measured results are as follows:

Lead and arsenic were detected in all 6 samples, but mercury and cadmium were not detected. The arsenic content in two of the samples exceeded the limit.

Arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds have long been listed as Class 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Chromium, Nickel, Hexavalent Chromium Test Results

Regarding the chromium and nickel content in cosmetics, there are currently no relevant standards and limits in my country.

We refer to the views of various countries on the detection of chromium and nickel in cosmetics and make an inference:

Products with nickel content below 10 mg/kg and chromium content below 9.4 mg/kg have low health risks under normal use.
The possibility of introducing hexavalent chromium alone into daily chemical products is very small, and the possibility of detecting it is very small, so it is generally considered to be prohibited from detection.

The measured results are as follows:

In comparison, the chromium and nickel contents in samples 1, 3, and 5 are all a bit high, so you need to be careful during actual use.

We consulted a senior practitioner in the medical beauty industry, who believes that because eyebrow tattoo products need to pierce the skin, the limit requirements for heavy metals should be stricter than those for makeup products.

But even if we use the comprehensive standards for cosmetics, lead, arsenic, chromium and nickel were still detected in the six eyebrow tattoo liquid samples purchased this time, and the arsenic content of two of them even exceeded the limit.

Could it be that the eyebrow tattoo liquid sold online is unreliable, and the ones used in physical stores are more formal? We also consulted the tattoo practitioners around us and learned that the eyebrow tattoo products used in some physical stores are basically purchased online.

In collaboration with Hangzhou.com, we went to an organization with more than 100 chain stores across the country for an undercover investigation. We learned that the eyebrow tattoo dyes used were purchased centrally by the headquarters, but the other party was not familiar with the specific channels.

However, it was mentioned that "the store has eyebrow tattoo projects that cost more than 1,000 yuan, and also more than 8,000 yuan; the pigments used in different price ranges will definitely have different ingredients."

From our investigation, eyebrow tattoo institutions generally do not disclose the brand of pigments they use. At most, they will add adjectives such as plant-based, imported from Germany, or imported from South Korea.

As for the quality of the products used by consumers, it may just depend on luck.

2. The current situation of the tattoo market is a twisted industry

It's not just "professional" eyebrow tattoo institutions. Common roadside beauty salons, barber shops, nail salons... many businesses actually provide eyebrow tattoo services.

However, in reality, these stores all belong to the beauty industry. According to the Ministry of Commerce, this industry can only provide consumers with non-traumatic and non-invasive cosmetic modification services on the human body surface.

According to the definition of medical cosmetology in the "Medical Cosmetic Service Management Measures": Medical cosmetology refers to the use of surgery, drugs, medical devices and other traumatic or invasive medical techniques to repair and reshape a person's appearance and the shape of various parts of the human body.

According to this method, the tattoo industry should be classified as a medical cosmetic institution. Some experts and scholars have expressed their views on this:

To sum up, the tattoo industry is indeed a bit twisted in terms of supervision.

Embarrassing product

In addition, the situation of eyebrow tattoo-related products is also somewhat embarrassing.

We all know that when engaging in medical cosmetic services, there will be strict requirements in terms of products used, qualifications of practitioners, equipment used, planning of service locations, etc.

According to the "Medical Device Classification Rules" issued by the State Food and Drug Administration, the instruments used for eyebrow tattooing should be classified as a type of medical device that comes into contact with the human body because they need to invade the skin.

As for eyebrow tattoo liquid products, they need to invade the skin tissue and obviously do not belong to the category of cosmetics, so the production license is not as simple as a makeup license. Therefore, its product requirements should also be more stringent.

But the fact is, among the 6 types of eyebrow tattoo pigments we bought, except for one that has English printed all over it, which we found out through pinyin is Yuezhuanghao (yuezhuanghao), the other five are all makeup products without exception.

Some of them meet the standards of skin care lotion, and some meet the standards of lotion.

Even according to the standards for cosmetics, the arsenic content of two products exceeded the limit, and the chromium and nickel content of many products were high, not to mention that they are products that need to penetrate the skin tissue.

After some research, we are really confused about this.

Everyone has a love for beauty.

If your eyebrows are in good condition, we recommend using eyebrow pencils, eyebrow powders, eyebrow creams and other products to draw eyebrows. Friends who don't know how to put on makeup can also try a little bit and learn slowly.

If you really want to get an eyebrow tattoo, we have summarized the following "technical points" after interviewing professional eyebrow tattoo artists.

First of all, we need to make it clear that the eyebrow shape is determined by one's face shape, facial features, and temperament. Instead of chasing the trend, it is better to find the one that suits you best.

Before getting your eyebrows tattooed, you can draw a satisfactory eyebrow shape yourself or ask a friend who knows makeup to help you.

There is also an easier way, which is to choose a front-facing photo of yourself without makeup, use a photo editing app to change your eyebrows, and see which one suits you better.

After knowing clearly which eyebrow shape suits you, you can choose an eyebrow tattoo agency and eyebrow tattoo artist.

How to choose an eyebrow tattoo institution? We recommend that you give priority to eyebrow tattoo institutions with medical beauty qualifications. You can also check whether there is eyebrow tattooing in the business scope of the business license. You can also search for more "real reviews" of this store.

When choosing an eyebrow tattoo artist, you should consider her aesthetics and skills. During the consultation, you can first look at her eyebrow tattoo cases, and then listen to the eyebrow tattoo artist's analysis of your facial features and eyebrow shape.

In this process, you can feel the professionalism of the other party. In addition, you also need to see whether the eyebrow shape that the eyebrow tattoo artist tries to draw for you is consistent with your previous judgment.

Since the qualifications of tattoo artists vary, if you can't draw eyebrows well, you will definitely not get good tattoos. If you are not satisfied at this stage, you can leave the shop in time, and never be someone else's guinea pig.

Before getting eyebrow tattoo, remember to observe whether the tools used by the merchant are disposable and whether the medical device number is marked on the package. After all, it is a skin-breaking project, so safety and hygiene should be put first.

Finally, I would like to say a few words to everyone. The prices of semi-permanent eyebrow tattoos on the market are not low. As for those "discount prices" that are lower than the industry level, we still have to consider them carefully.

In case the tattooed eyebrows are not suitable, the price of eyebrow washing will be much more expensive than tattooing. Don't be greedy for small profits and suffer big losses.

Eyebrow tattooing has been popular for more than a decade, which shows how strong the demand is. Dad Review hopes that everyone can pay attention to the risks behind this kind of semi-permanent project and be cautious before seeking beauty.

At the same time, we also hope that the tattoo and embroidery industry can come into the sunshine. After all, only when it is based on safety, health and consumer trust can it go long-term.

References: [1] Zhang Yanyan, Lin Longqiang, Chen Xiaoluan. Monitoring results and health risk assessment of cadmium and mercury in leave-on cosmetics[J]. China Port Science and Technology, 2021(01):92-96.

[2]. Nearly half of South Korean semi-permanent cosmetics are substandard and some contain first-class carcinogens [J]. Guangxi Quality Supervision Herald, 2016(10):18.

[3] Wang Wenzhu, Zhang Yanguo, Yang Chunxiang. Eyebrow embroidery experience after eyebrow surgery[J]. Chinese Journal of Aesthetic Medicine, 2015, 24(06):74-75.

[4] Gao Jie, Lin Maochang, Yang Jing. A brief discussion on the development of eyebrow tattooing technology in my country [J]. Chinese Journal of Medical Cosmetology, 2000(05):36.

[5]https://www.nmpa.gov.cn/ylqx/ylqxjgdt/20150716211401935.html