When thick, full eyebrows became a mainstream beauty look, microblading — a form of semi-permanent tattooing using tiny needles stacked in a line to create a “blade,” rather than a traditional tattoo gun — became the hot new way to dress up a face.

That now seems fairly tame. After all, most people have eyebrows and want to keep them.

But freckles are emerging as the latest tattoo trend. Women — so far it’s mostly women — are paying around $250 per session for that distinct dusting of cute across their noses and cheekbones.

Sarah Strange, 20, has natural freckles but they fade in winter. She wanted to make them visible year-round, and had them tattooed in a similar pattern across her forehead and nose this week. The “little stings” were worth it, she said.

“People have been giving me compliments,” said Strange, a tattoo apprentice herself. “They say they look cute.”

The trend may have started last August. Kylie Jenner literally made headlines when she posted an Instagram photo of herself makeup-free, freckles and all. Now #fauxfreckles has since become a thing on social media. Drawing on freckles with makeup has always been possible, and stickers are sold online, but for a youthful, freshly-scrubbed look that is also waterproof, freckle tattoos are an option.

“I’m noticing more and more people want to have them done, mostly because of social media,” said Amber Gotzmeister, 35, who has been doing cosmetic tattooing for 10 years.

Sometimes called permanent makeup, this option has long been available for women who, for example, wanted to fill in sparse eyebrows or to recreate an areola after breast surgery, but demand has grown among a younger generation, said Gotzmeister, who opened The Good Geisha tattoo shop on Dundas St. W. last June. She estimates since last fall, the proportion of her clients requesting freckles or beauty marks has grown to 10 per cent of her business, mostly spreading through Instagram.

“We post a photo of a beauty mark or some freckles, and all of a sudden we get a frenzy of inquiries,” Gotzmeister said.

A manual technique, similar to microblading, might last about one year. Micropigmentation, where a freckle is daubed on with a machine, is considered permanent but is likely to fade eventually or at least lighten. Most people go for the machine, Gotzmeister said, which produces a cleaner, longer-lasting dot. She stresses to clients that everyone’s skin is different, and makes no guarantees about the freckles’ longevity. It can vary due to sun exposure, facial treatments, chemical peels, laser procedures and individual healing factors.

Many grow up hating their freckles or at least attempting to cover them up. Freckles are associated with the same gene that creates red hair, and both can sometimes lead to schoolyard teasing. On a Facebook thread about the freckle tattoo trend, multiple people posted such comments such as: “People made fun of my freckled face and now they are trendy?????”

Gotzmeister said people always want what they can’t have.

“It’s like if you grew up with straight hair, you’ve always wanted curly hair,” she said. “Its one of those things you idealize from the other side.”

But Lauren Spencer, founder of beauty school Lash Forever, is vocal in her criticism of the fad. The company offers training in cosmetic tattooing — but not freckles. She attempted two dots on her own cheek, 10 years ago. They’re still there, visible under makeup. They turned blue.

“People always say, ‘you have a little something on your face,’ ” Spencer said. “I’m like no, this is a bad decision.”

Although the technology and techniques have advanced in the past decade, the same pigment is still in use today, Spencer said. Cosmetic tattoos carry a risk of fading to blue or grey with sun exposure, aftercare and certain skin treatments, she said. It can also occur from improper technique, such as pushing the needles too deep into the skin.

Gabrielle Rainbow, a Montreal-based tattoo artist who specializes in cosmetic work and regularly works in Toronto, said clients need to do their research. She is only aware of four artists in North America offering the service.

“If you go see someone who is trained or who has done this stuff before and you can see their work, the risks are much lower,” Rainbow said. Most of her freckle clients are women in their mid-20s to early 30s and have a few tattoos already.

Last year, her friend decided she’d like a few faux freckles. Rainbow tested them on herself first.

“I started to realize a lot of people wanted them,” said Rainbow, 24, who was initially skeptical. “Then I realized yup, they’re super cute.”

Ambre Gaelle, 29, is that friend. She first got a few freckles last January and by May, wanted more.

“I used to draw them on with makeup for many, many, many, years,” she said. “I always wanted them. I find they give you a fresh face, just-went-in-the-sun kind of face.”

It might sound counterintuitive, but Gaelle, who works in social media and marketing in Toronto, said the freckles make a full face of makeup more natural. They have faded slightly but haven’t changed colour, she said, and the look has encouraged two of her friends to get their own faux freckles as well.

Machine versus manual eyebrows

The quest for perfect eyebrows became a preoccupation for many women over the past few years, which led to an increase in microblading, the first mainstream cosmetic tattoo trend. The look first gained popularity in Asia and can be created with both a manual tool and a machine. Similar technology is used to create the freckles, but if you want to start with eyebrows, here’s what you need to know.

Microblading, also known as brow embroidery or 3D brow

Using a manual hand tool, a technician creates incisions into the brow in a pattern that mimics natural hair growth patterns. The “blade” is actually several very fine needles mounted together to create a blade. Pigment is then applied to the area. This process may require touch-ups and can last around two years. For eyebrows, it should take 90 minutes for both at about $650. One touch up is required about 4-6 weeks later at $100. Depending on skin type, more touch-ups could be required.

Nano needle or nano brow

“Hairstrokes” are created with a flexible needle attached to a machine. Ink is dispensed through a cartridge down the needle and into the skin. Ink is deposited more deeply into the skin, with longer lasting effects. Machine-drawn cosmetic tattoos may last several years. It takes about 60 minutes and costs around $750-$850. This can last up to five years and requires at least one touch-up at a cost of around $250-$350 within a few months, but that varies depending on individual skin type and aftercare.

Source: Lauren Spencer, Lash Forever Canada

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