Allergic reactions to the metal nickel are yet another possible side effect that causes itching. Many patients, however, do not experience any side effects because most of the pigments used, like tattooing pigments, are edible. According to a local tattoo artist with 12 years of experience, some of these pigments are in foods we normally take for granted. Titanium dioxide, for example, is a pigment used to produce a whitish color in certain confections. Allergies, however, are not the only problems with micropigmentation.
Unclean needles can also result in infections.
Meanwhile, side effects to the pigments have not been the only source of dissatisfaction. Often the permanent makeup simply has not looked the way the patient had hoped. While patients can seek laser surgery to remove the pigment when necessary and plastic surgery to repair any damage caused to the skin, one must consider the high risk of scarring and the hefty cost of removal procedures when seeking the procedure. Some claim that much of this dissatisfaction stems from the practitioner's lack of experience. Lack of qualifications is a serious problem in California where there is no licensing requirement for micropigmentation practitioners or tattoo artists.