Colour correction in permanent makeup (PMU) is an essential skill for any artist looking to refine and perfect their work. Whether correcting faded brows that have turned an unwanted shade of red, blue, or grey, or neutralising uneven pigment tones, mastering colour theory is key to achieving beautiful, natural-looking results.

In this blog, we’ll explore the fundamentals of PMU colour correction, including how to avoid it, when it’s needed, and the best correctors for your clients.



What is colour correction in PMU?

When we create permanent makeup treatments, we leave a coloured pigment under the skin - however, as skin isn’t completely transparent, the colour of the skin can cause changes to the chosen pigment!

With colour correction, we can fix discoloured, old or faded PMU treatments, especially to remove unwanted tones such as grey and orange in brows, or uneven purple tones in lips.

You can find out everything about Colour Theory in our dedicated blog, and learn more about the products you need for colour correction in our Modifiers and Correctors post!



When is colour correction needed?

There are lots of reasons why a client may need colour correction, some of which can’t be controlled by the PMU artist! While pigment selection is very important, skin tones and undertones can result in a huge variety of finished looks, and all PMU is prone to fading over time.

The most common situation in which colour correction is needed is for brows - by using colour theory, we can use pigments with hues on the opposite side of the colour wheel to balance out unwanted tones. For example, green and olive-toned pigments neutralise red or orange brows, and warm orange can be used to neutralise blue and grey-toned brows.

In lips, colour correction may be used to neutralise dark, cool, blue and purple tones, and in eyeliner warm-toned pigments may be useful for neutralising pigment that’s healed blue or green.



How to reduce the need for colour correction

One of the most effective ways to ensure that your treatments won’t need colour correction down the line is to invest in education about colour theory!

We have a number of options you can use to learn about this important element of the PMU process, including the Jasmine Diebelius PMUni Colourant Manual and access to the Perma U Science Behind the Ink course, hosted by Anne-Marie Rubino.

With the right products and knowledge behind you, you should be able to get the colour right the first time, most of the time.

When is removal necessary?

In some cases, pigment removal may be necessary before you can apply any colour correction. This is especially the case when the skin has been heavily saturated with pigment, as adding more colour corrections on top of that will only cause greater problems down the line - for the same reason, it’s not advisable to carry out too many colour corrections on the same client.

Colour correction should always be done on a case-by-case basis. If removal is necessary, we’d highly recommend the Li Pigments Li-FT Pigment Lightening Solution - you’ll need to complete a training course before you can purchase this solution, but then you’ll be able to offer pigment removal for anyone!



When is colour correction not advisable?

As mentioned, colour correction isn’t a great idea if the area is already heavily saturated with pigment - rather than altering the original pigment, colour correction simply adds another layer, and should not be done too often.

Colour correction may not be a good idea on particularly scarred skin, as scarred skin has a very different texture to normal, tight skin.

What colour correcting pigments can I use?

We stock a huge range of correctors and modifiers for use in PMU, covering all the most commonly-found issues including grey/blue brows and purple lip pigments.

Perma Blend Luxe probably has the widest selection of correcting PMU pigments, including Papaya, Ginger, Limoncello and Topaz, all designed for use on brow treatments that have healed to an incorrect colour.

They also have Orange Peel and Navel Orange, two lip neutralising warming pigments, and the Carla Ricciardone Embody set which tackles lip neutralisation treatments! The Perma Blend and Evenflo range also offers a Lip Corrector Set complete with a neutraliser, coloriser and illuminator.

The Platinum Label from Quantum PMU Pigments contains a few options for organic, all-natural colour correction, including Butterscotch, Gray Away, Green, Swift and Milkshake, while the Artyst range of pigments contains Yellow, Khaki and Olive corrective pigments.

You could also check out the Etalon Mix selection which includes Orange and Yellow for lips and Terracotta for brows.



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