New Mexico Permanent Makeup (PMU) Practice Exam

Safety around the eye is the priority in PMU. The canthus—the inner and outer corners where the eyelids meet—is a boundary area right next to the eye itself. Tattooing there poses real risks: it can injure the tear drainage system (lacrimal puncta and canaliculi), allow pigment to migrate into the tear ducts, and cause infection or unpredictable healing due to constant blinking and moisture. Because of these dangers and the desire for reliable results, this region is not tattooed. By contrast, the pupil, iris, and cornea are parts of the eyeball itself and cannot be tattooed without penetrating the eye, which would cause serious, permanent harm.