Freckle Tattoos Hottest New Beauty Trend
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The definition of flawless skin is changing. Many women used to go to great lengths to cover up freckles, but now the little dots are a coveted look!
The new solution for freckle envy is a special kind of tattoo.
For as long as she can remember, Timothy Heller has longed for a freckled face.
"I've always thought they were so cute. My mom and sister both have freckles, I always kind of felt left out," she said.
For years, she's used make-up to draw freckles on herself, but now she's turning to something that will last longer: cosmetic facial tattoos.
"It's a lot less hassle. I feel like I'll end up wearing a lot less makeup," said Heller.
Freckle tattooing is one of the fastest growing beauty fads.
Though they at first appear dark and raised on the skin, the semi-permanent ink begins to fade to a natural look.
Cosmetic artist Cindy Choe points to social media in driving the makeup trend.
"Maybe it's a 'grass is greener' kind of mentality," she said.
Choe says the difference between cosmetic and traditional tattoos is how deep the color is injected. Cosmetic tattoos are semi-permanent, set closer to the skin's surface.
"I don't go any deeper as like a tattoo, so the good thing is that it won't last that long," Choe explained.
The freckles fade after six months to a year. In less than a half-hour, Heller finally has the freckled face she's wanted.
She's especially excited about showing off her new freckles to her thousands of Instagram followers.
Like with any tattoo, there's a very slight risk of infection.
The cost of freckling depends on how many you want, but it's around $250 for an hour.