What is the difference between SPMU and PMU?

SPMU and PMU are abbreviations for a long lasting, often permanent cosmetic procedure.

You will come across these terms in salons, social media, through beauticians, even tattooists.

So what exactly do they stand for, and what is the procedure?

SPMU and PMU are two terms under the same umbrella. They are an abbreviation for semi permanent, and permanent, makeup.

If you have ever heard of micro blading, lip blush, ombre brows or combination brows, these are all examples of this procedure.

It is technically a form of tattoo, however we'll explain later in the article how they differ.

Often times, depending on the technician and their training, this can be done anywhere on the face (as 'makeup' in the name would suggest) including the lips, eyes, cheeks and brows.

As time has developed and the industry has grown, technicians also started to branch into other areas of the body, such as areolas for those going through breast cancer recovery.

What is the difference between SPMU and PMU?

Procedure wise, there is no difference between SPMU and PMU.

Technically it's more of a preference thing for the technician in how they advertise or describe the procedure to their customer base.

Why not just stick to one term - SPMU or PMU?

Some technicians may argue that we should. As the industry has developed and knowledge has widened, 'PMU' seems to be a preferred descriptor.

It's important to understand that the pigment used in this industry is not a permanent pigment like typical tattoos. A lot of factors contribute to this, but most importantly, the pigment itself is not planted as deep into the skin, and the actual particles are a lot smaller - metabolising quicker.

So whilst the pigment is designed to fade more quickly than typical tattoos, often times it doesn't fade completely and it may never will. For others it metabolises really quickly and disappears too fast. Essentially, we can not foresee how the pigment will break down, so no guarantees can be made.

This is where technician preference comes into play in regards to how they market S/PMU to their clientele. There is an argument to use either one really;

Some may market treatments as SPMU (semi permanent) because the brows will definitely fade to a degree. So, if they were to market as PMU (permanent makeup) this may lead to client dissatisfaction if permanence is something they wanted.

On the other hand, technicians may market treatments as PMU (permanent makeup) because they want clients to be aware that the pigment may never fully metabolise. However those who book with the intention to have results that remain the same f

So, SPMU or PMU - does it matter which one?

As long as clients are made aware that the pigment used may never completely fade (as we can't guarantee how your body will metabolise the pigment), it shouldn't matter which abbreviation is used to describe the treatments they offer.

For information on booking SPMU with us, please visit https://www.georgiaellabeauty.co.uk/semi-permanent-makeup

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