For nearly a year now, the desire to have more freckles has lingered in the back of my mind, so I took the plunge and got the polarizing procedure done myself. If you’ve been considering freckle tattoos (secretly or not), follow my lead. Here’s EVERYTHING you need to know. If you have any big events around the corner or just can’t live without your makeup on certain days of the week, you need to plan accordingly. I knew right off the bat Bethany was the right specialist for me because she already worked at a tattoo shop I knew and trusted. She charges $200 per session before tax and tip. This practice was easier to find for me because I’m in New York City, where there is no shortage of crazy new beauty treatments to try. If you’re in another major city, though, you might find luck by searching for “cosmetic tattooers” or “permanent makeup specialists” in your area and seeing if they have any freckles in their portfolios. Read as many reviews of said specialist as you can — like any other tattoo artist out there, you want a cosmetic tattooer who’s not just organized, but patient and professional as well. They are marking your face with actual needles, after all. I loved what she’d drawn on so much already that I asked if she could add a few around my brow and forehead. At the end of the entire process, I was VERY glad I did. And that’s entirely dependent on your lifestyle. Smoking, sun exposure, skin type, and a whole slew of other things can affect how quickly semi-permanent freckles last. But it’s a lot less intense than I make it sound, I promise. If you’re like me and tell literally everyone you know that you’re getting freckles tattooed on your face, expect even more attention (plus about a million questions). First, all tattoos — permanent or not — are the darkest and boldest when they’re fresh because the ink or pigment hasn’t been absorbed by the skin yet. They all need time to heal before they look “normal.” Second, on the day of your appointment, you’re going to leave with numbing cream all over your cheeks. That numbing cream’s job is to stop blood flow, which drains all the skin’s color around the freckles. The heightened contrast between the skin and the tattoos make them appear a lot darker than they’ll eventually look. That gave me hope they’d be completely unclockable once healed. The aftercare for freckle tattoos in FAR simpler: Use a gentle face wash. Don’t wear makeup for a few days. Stay away from products with fragrance. That’s it. PHEW. It’s forced me out of my comfort zone and, honestly, helped me love and flaunt my rosy, bare skin. Was it crazy? Maybe a little. Am I going to do it again? Oh, hell yes. Learn even more about freckle and other cosmetic tattooing on Bethany Wolosky’s website.
