A guide to permanent makeup needles

A GUIDE FOR PERMANENT MAKEUP PROFESSIONALS

Blog by Dr. Cardona

The Guide to SofTap Needles

I started doing permanent makeup in 1994 using a machine. I was doing a good job, but since I met the founders of Softap in 1997 and started using the Hand Method, I never use the machine again. I found big differences between these two methods, additionally, my clients didn’t experience the same trauma and inflammation anymore, and they were happier with the results.

One thing that I really like about the Softap technique is its versatility; I offer a wide range of effects to my clients even using the same needle. The effect that I get depends on how I take it and the angle at which it I apply it.

For eyebrows I can do fine or medium hair strokes, feathered, shading and solid eyebrows.

For eyeliners I do eyelash enhancements, fine, medium and thick lines or just a little shadow in a smudged effect in the corners of the eyelid.

For lips I do fine or thick lip liners, extensions to make them bigger, shading in, and filling in the whole lip getting a natural look.

One thing that I found very useful using Softap, was the possibility of doing corrections and camouflages with beautiful results. I did it with the machine, but I never got the same results.

To get these different effects you need to understand the Softap needles.

They are a group of needles set tightly next to each other and angled at the tip as well as the base of the needle configuration. This unique patented technology is called the Comfort System.

With this disposition, the needles are easily to adapt to the skin at a perfect angle providing optimum tension and flexibility, getting more color into the skin with each tap.

It comes in angled straight-line configurations, as well as curve and round configurations in regular (12 gauge) and fine (8 gauge) needles. The gauge is the thickness of each individual needle. Regular gauge needles are used for general purposes and extra fine for a more defined look.

The needles type is identified underneath the number on the back of each packaged needle.

Angled straight-line configurations come in single row, double row, triple row, quadruple row and 6 row configuration, in groups of 5, 7, 9, 10 f ,12, 14, 24 f, 28, 42, 56, 84 and 114 prongs.

The most used are the 9 and 12 tips, as it is the ideal length to make eyebrows, easy to use when drawing the eyes or lips, The assemblies 28, 42, 56, 84 and 114 are used to fill small, medium or large areas respectively.

Round needles come in extra small (3 prong), medium ( 8 and 18 f prong), large (15 & 36 prong) , and extra large (87 prong) configurations, used to do eyelash enhancement, eyeliners, lip liners and shading in eyebrows.

Curved configurations come in 6 f prong and 6 regular prong for individual hair strokes using the Genuline technique for microblading, and 14 regular and 16 fine which are used for both shading and individual hair strokes .

The needles come in two kind of pens:

100% disposable pens in which the needles are attached to the needle holder.

Needle tips which can be combined with the blue fish sticks or the blue click stick with a ruler. Those are great when I need to use different needles for different procedures in the same client.

The way you use pens, click tips or cartridges to do permanent makeup is completely up to you.

For the traditional Softap Technique and micro-shading, the tips are placed gently on the skin, scooted slightly forward, and then gently rolled and lifted from the front needles to the back needle off of the skin to deposit the color. For Microblading using the Genuline needles #6 the movement is from back to front.

When you are putting the tips on the skin you should NOT push down, as it will cause unnecessary pain. I wish this information helps you while selecting the needles for your next Sofap procedure.

THANK YOU

I hope you will take this into consideration.

Talk soon,

Dr. Sandra Piedad Cardona

Email: Info@BuyPermanentMakeup.com - Phone: +1(510)423-3014

PS: I created BuyPermanentMakeup.com to make sure that my students and the permanent makeup professional community had the best experience, products and service, along with ongoing education and content.

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