When you provide permanent makeup services or microblading, you face the risk that clients may be dissatisfied with the final result or suffer an unintentional injury or allergic reaction. No matter how careful you are, permanent makeup tattooing can occasionally cause issues—and there are also common hazards that most companies face, such as clients slipping and falling. Purchasing business insurance can protect your business from the financial consequences of a costly lawsuit or accident, giving you peace of mind.

What insurance coverage do I need as a permanent makeup artist?

There are many types of insurance coverage to consider, but these policies are particularly relevant to permanent makeup artists:

Professional Liability Insurance

Applying permanent makeup brings risks of client infection, exposure to blood-borne pathogens, and allergic reactions; many of these risks can be greatly reduced by maintaining a clean, sterile environment, but it’s important to be prepared in case something goes wrong. In addition, permanent makeup alters clients’ appearances, and they could sue if they are unhappy with the results. Whether you truly made a mistake or the client simply perceives an error, defending a lawsuit can be costly. 

Professional liability insurance can step in to provide financial protection for your business if you are sued as a result of alleged negligence or errors in your professional services. If you work as an independent permanent makeup artist, salons or spas you rent booth space from will likely require you to have this coverage.

Example: 

• After receiving permanent makeup, your client feels that the pigment has bled and the lines of her eyeliner and lipliner don’t look as she expected them to. She must visit another professional to have the work amended. Your professional liability policy would cover legal fees if the client sues.

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance will protect your business from claims of third-party bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, and advertising injury. Since clients regularly visit your location to receive permanent makeup and microblading services, you must be prepared for the possibility that someone could be injured or their property could be damaged while they are on the premises. Although you can reduce the chances of this happening by maintaining a clean, safe space, accidents can happen anywhere.

If a customer suffers an accident while on your premises, your business could be held liable for damages. General liability insurance can cover you for any medical costs, legal fees, or damages in the event of a third-party injury or lawsuit. General liability insurance can also include a personal and advertising injury component, which provides coverage for a number of non-physical injuries, including libel, slander, and copyright infringement.

• Bodily injury: After receiving a service, your client slips on ice and falls in your parking lot, breaking an ankle. Your general liability insurance would pay for the client’s medical expenses and for your legal costs if the client decides to sue.
• Property damage: You accidentally knock over a client’s soda and it spills on your client’s expensive vintage purse, damaging it. Your insurer would cover the damages.

Commercial Property Insurance

For permanent makeup artists that own or rent commercial space, commercial property insurance is a key coverage. Permanent makeup artists rely on specialized equipment, pigments, and other items that could be costly to replace. If a disaster such as a fire, explosion, or storm damages your building or equipment, recovering from the loss can be difficult. Commercial property insurance can cover your tools, supplies, and equipment in the event that a covered risk destroys or damages them.

Commercial property insurance covers the following:

• Buildings belonging to or leased by your company
• Contents of the building, including furniture, equipment, and inventory
• Property of others while it is under your care, custody, or control

Some permanent makeup artists may work independently in space rented from a salon, medical spa, or other location. In these situations, business personal property may be covered under the salon owner’s commercial property policy. However, the spa’s owner may not want to make a claim on their insurance for someone else’s property. To ensure that your equipment and tools are protected, business personal property coverage is commonly added on as an endorsement in business owner’s policies.

Example: 

• An overloaded circuit causes a fire to break out in your studio, damaging the premises and key equipment. Your commercial property insurance would provide funds to repair the building and replace the destroyed items.

Business Owner’s Policy

For small and midsize permanent makeup and microblading businesses, a business owner’s policy (BOP) can be a convenient way to purchase a wide range of coverage in a single package. A business owner’s policy provides coverage for key property and liability risks that most businesses face, including general liability, commercial property, business income, and extra expense coverage. Because the cost for a business owner’s policy is typically lower than the cost of purchasing each coverage separately, this type of policy can help you save money on premiums. 

Additional Coverages 

• Workers’ compensation insurance is legally required for companies with employees in most states. It covers the medical expenses and lost income of employees who are injured or fall ill while working. Permanent makeup artists may come into contact with contaminated blood or accidentally injure themselves with needles, leading to additional risks. If an employee of yours cannot work due to an occupational injury, workers’ comp would provide financial and medical benefits while they are recovering.
• Business income insurance will reimburse you for lost income and operating expenses if your business is temporarily unable to operate due to a covered reason, such as fire, storm damage, or other property damage.
• Commercial crime insurance provides protection from financial losses related to crimes such as theft, burglary, robbery, forgery, and fraud. Coverage applies both to crimes committed by outside parties and internal employees. Since permanent makeup studios may accept cash payments, it’s a good idea to protect against robberies or employee theft with this type of insurance.

Pricing and Quotes

Pricing for permanent makeup and microblading insurance will vary based on the type of insurance coverage and the risk profile of your business. Insurers consider factors such as:

• Business size
• Industry
• Location
• Number of employees
• Claims history

Businesses with higher risks will have higher premiums than those deemed lower risk. For example, a microblading studio with a history of frequent claims will face higher premiums. Premiums also rise as you increase the limits of insurance. Different insurance companies have different models for rating risks, so it is worth comparing pricing across different insurers.

In order to get an accurate estimate on pricing, it’s best to get a quote from a reputable insurance company. Below we’ve highlighted a few of our trusted partners who offer coverage for permanent makeup and microblading businesses:

Provider	General Liability	Professional Liability	Business Owner's Policy
Embroker	??	??	??
CoverageSmith	??	??	??
CoverWallet	??	??	??
Hiscox	??	??	??
Thimble	??	??	??

Business Insurance and Coronavirus

COVID-19 has had a major impact on the personal care industry because offering these services requires close contact with clients. Permanent makeup artists may be forced to stop working due to lockdowns and could be unsure about how their business insurance will handle this situation. It’s important to understand that you cannot purchase a new policy to cover coronavirus-related losses that have already occurred; insurance policies will not cover losses that have already been discovered.

In the majority of cases, business interruption insurance policies you have in effect will not cover losses caused by coronavirus. While there are a number of ongoing court cases, it remains to be seen if courts will rule in favor of small businesses over the insurers. Business interruption policies typically only cover losses caused by a direct physical loss or damage, like a fire or theft. Some business interruption policies will include coverage for losses caused by “communicable or infectious diseases,” but this is rare.

How workers’ compensation insurance handles coronavirus cases varies widely depending on the state. If you have employees who contract coronavirus on the job, they may be eligible for workers’ compensation payments in some states.

If your business continues operating and a client or other third party sues you claiming that they contracted coronavirus after visiting your business, some commercial general liability policies will provide coverage, depending on your individual policy and the laws of your state.

Consult our FAQ on coronavirus and business insurance for more information.

Final Word

As a permanent makeup artist, it’s critical that you prepare your business for adverse events. Although you can take steps to ensure that your services are safe and your clients are happy, it’s impossible to control every event that could lead to a lawsuit or other disaster. With the right insurance coverage, you can feel confident in the knowledge that if a catastrophe does occur, you will have the financial support you need to survive it.