How to Get Started in Permanent Makeup (SPMU)

The permanent makeup industry offers an exciting career path for anyone with a passion for beauty, creativity and helping clients feel more confident.

Also known as semi-permanent makeup (SPMU), treatments such as microblading, machine brows, lip blush and permanent eyeliner have become popular choices for clients looking to enhance their natural features and simplify their everyday beauty routine.

But if you're completely new to the industry, you may be wondering: how do you get started in permanent makeup?

From choosing your first SPMU course to developing your practical skills and deciding which treatments to offer, there are several important steps to consider before beginning your career.

At RJL Education, we offer a range of semi-permanent makeup courses designed to help both beginners and existing beauty professionals develop their skills and confidence.

Here's what you need to know about getting started.

What is semi-permanent makeup (SPMU)?

Semi-permanent makeup is a specialist beauty treatment that involves implanting pigment into the skin to enhance areas such as the eyebrows, lips and eyes.

Depending on the technique and treatment, SPMU can be used to create everything from natural-looking hairstrokes and defined brows to enhanced lip colour and eyeliner.

Some of the most popular SPMU treatments include:

• Microblading
• Machine brows
• Lip blush
• Semi-permanent eyeliner

Because each technique requires specialist knowledge and practical skills, professional training is an important first step for anyone considering a career as an SPMU artist.

Do you need previous beauty experience to learn permanent makeup?

Not necessarily.

One of the biggest misconceptions about entering the permanent makeup industry is that you must already be an experienced beauty therapist.

There are SPMU courses for beginners that allow you to begin developing specialist permanent makeup skills without previous experience.

For example, RJL Education's Microblading Course is suitable for complete beginners as well as existing beauty professionals who want to expand their treatment offering.

Students must be over 18 to enrol, but previous microblading experience or beauty qualifications aren't required.

This makes SPMU an option worth considering whether you're starting your first career in beauty, looking for a new direction or already working within the industry.

Which permanent makeup treatment should you learn first?

There's no single answer to this question. The right starting point depends on the services you'd eventually like to offer and the type of SPMU artist you want to become.

Microblading

Microblading is a popular place to start if you're particularly interested in eyebrow treatments.

The technique uses a specialist blade to create fine hairstrokes that imitate the appearance of natural eyebrow hairs.

Training should cover more than simply creating the hairstrokes themselves. You'll also need to develop an understanding of areas such as brow mapping, colour theory, hair-stroke patterns and working safely and confidently with clients.

RJL Education's Microblading Course for Beginners combines theory with practical learning and provides students with opportunities to practise their newly developed skills on live models under the guidance of an SPMU educator.

Machine brows

If you're interested in creating defined or softly shaded brows using a permanent makeup machine, you could consider completing a Machine Brows Course.

Machine techniques can give SPMU artists another way to customise brow treatments around the individual client's desired result.

Learning both microblading and machine techniques can therefore help you build a broader skill set and offer clients different treatment options.

Lip blush

Brows aren't your only option.

Lip blush training teaches you how to use semi-permanent makeup techniques to enhance the appearance, definition and colour of the lips.

Adding lip blush to your skill set can also help you move towards offering clients a wider range of SPMU treatments.

Permanent eyeliner

Another area in which experienced SPMU artists can specialise is semi-permanent eyeliner.

Further specialist training can allow you to continue developing your treatment menu as your experience and confidence grow.

Can you train in multiple SPMU treatments?

Yes – and if your long-term goal is to offer a wider permanent makeup service, training across several techniques may be worth considering.

Rather than completing one treatment and stopping there, you could develop skills across brows and lips to create a more comprehensive treatment menu.

RJL Education's SPMU Bundle is designed for aspiring permanent makeup professionals who want to develop multiple skills through one intensive programme.

The five-day course combines:

• Microblading
• Machine brows
• Lip blush

This means students can develop skills across several of the most popular SPMU treatment areas rather than enrolling on each course separately.

If you're serious about building a career in permanent makeup, completing a full-face SPMU course can provide a broader foundation from which to develop your services.

What will you learn on a permanent makeup course?

Your training is where you'll begin developing both the theoretical knowledge and practical ability required to perform SPMU treatments.

The exact content will depend on the treatment and course you choose, but training may cover areas such as:

• Consultation techniques
• Treatment planning
• Brow mapping
• Colour theory
• Pigment selection
• Skin considerations
• Hairstroke patterns
• Machine or microblading techniques
• Hygiene and safe working practices
• Client aftercare
• Practical treatment experience

Hands-on learning is particularly important.

At RJL Education, SPMU training incorporates live demonstrations and practical sessions, with students having opportunities to apply newly learned skills using models.

This gives learners the chance to develop practical experience while receiving guidance from experienced educators.

What skills do you need to become a successful SPMU artist?

Technical ability is only one part of becoming a permanent makeup professional.

SPMU treatments require precision, patience and excellent attention to detail. You're also working closely with clients and providing treatments that can significantly alter their appearance, making good communication particularly important.

Useful skills include:

• Attention to detail
• Creativity
• Patience
• Good hand-eye coordination
• Communication
• Customer service
• Confidence
• Professionalism
• Time management
• An understanding of facial symmetry
• Willingness to continue learning

Don't worry if you don't feel you've mastered all of these immediately.

Professional training and practical experience give you the opportunity to develop both your technical and interpersonal skills over time.

Practising your permanent makeup skills

Completing your initial course is the beginning of your development as an SPMU artist rather than the end.

Like many practical beauty treatments, confidence develops through experience.

High-quality training should give you opportunities to observe techniques, practise your skills and understand how treatments work in realistic scenarios.

After qualifying, continuing to practise appropriately and developing a portfolio of your work can help demonstrate your abilities to potential clients.

Before-and-after photography can be particularly valuable within the beauty industry, where potential customers often want to see examples of an artist's previous results before booking.

Starting your career in permanent makeup

Once appropriately trained, there are several directions your career could take.

You might choose to:

• Work within an established beauty or SPMU clinic
• Add permanent makeup to your existing beauty services
• Become self-employed
• Rent space within a salon
• Build your own permanent makeup business
• Continue training in additional SPMU techniques

If you're already a beauty professional, adding SPMU treatments could help diversify your existing service menu.

Alternatively, if you're completely new to the beauty industry, specialist SPMU training could form the foundation of a new career.

Whichever route you choose, remember to research the professional, insurance, licensing and local authority requirements that apply to the treatments you intend to offer and the area in which you'll be working before treating paying clients.

Continuing your SPMU education

Permanent makeup is an industry in which techniques, products and trends continue to develop.

Continuing professional development can therefore be an important part of your career.

Once you've built confidence in your initial treatments, you might decide to expand into another area.

For example, an experienced microblading artist interested in developing machine skills could consider a Microblade to Machine Brows Conversion Course.

Other specialist training opportunities at RJL Education include the Eyeliner Masterclass Course and Saline Tattoo Removal Course.

Developing additional skills can help you expand your treatment menu and continue progressing professionally.

Is permanent makeup a good career?

If you're creative, detail-focused and enjoy working directly with clients, permanent makeup can offer an exciting route within the beauty industry.

It also provides plenty of opportunities to specialise.

You could become known for natural microbladed brows, develop expertise in machine brows, specialise in lip blush or build a more comprehensive treatment menu covering several areas of SPMU.

The key is getting the right training and building your skills from a strong foundation.

Start your permanent makeup career with RJL Education

Ready to take your first step into SPMU?

At RJL Education, our range of semi-permanent makeup courses in Bolton includes training suitable for both beginners and experienced professionals looking to expand their skills.

If you're new to the industry, our Microblading Course can introduce you to one of the most popular areas of permanent makeup.

Alternatively, if you want to develop a broader range of skills, our SPMU Bundle combines microblading, machine brows and lip blush within an intensive five-day programme.

Explore our full range of SPMU courses to find the training that suits your career goals, or contact RJL Education to speak to an adviser about where to start.