How to Master Taxes & Money as a PMU Artist: Lessons from Tax Pro Mark Rizzo

Oily skin is one of the most misunderstood, yet most impactful skin types in Permanent Makeup. It affects pigment implantation, stretch, mapping, numbing, and ultimately your healed results. Whether you tattoo brows, eyeliner, or both, oily skin can completely alter how your machine behaves and how your needle interacts with the skin.

Let’s be real—most of us didn’t get into permanent makeup because we love taxes.

This expanded education guide will help you understand why oily skin behaves the way it does and how professionals can master it with the right knowledge and tools.Tatter-a-Fact Podcast , Teryn Darling sat down with tax expert and entrepreneur The Biology of Oily Skin and Why It Matters In PMU Mark Rizzo to break down everything PMU artists should know about finances, taxes, and long-term wealth.To truly understand oily skin, you must understand how sebum works. 

Mark is not your average tax guy—he’s been guiding creatives, artists, and business owners for decades, and he actually Sebum is produced by the sebaceous glands, which empty into hair follicles. On brows and eyelids, these glands can be extremely active. That oil travels upward and spreads across the epidermis. loves talking about taxes. (Weird flex, but we’re here for it.)But here's what most PMU artists don't realize: 

Whether you're just starting out or growing fast, here’s a breakdown of the most powerful money advice from this conversation.Sebum doesn't stay on the surface, it penetrates the stratum corneum. 

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This means you are dealing with two layers of oil: 

🧾 1. Claiming All Your Income Is a Power Move—Not a Pain

Let’s talk about cash.Surface Oil (Visible Shine) 

Many PMU artists still get paid in cash—and some only report what hits their bank account. But Mark makes it clear: Sits on top of the epidermisnot claiming all your income can hurt you more than help you. It can disqualify you from buying a home, affect your interest rates, and paint you as a “high risk” to lenders.Causes glove slip, poor stretch, pigment smear

Instantly returns, even after cleansing

💬 “If you’re paying taxes, it means you’re successful. It means you’re making money. That’s something to be proud of.” – Mark Rizzo

Subsurface Oil (Hidden Oil) 

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Lives inside the top layers of the stratum corneum

💼 2. You Need to Be an LLC. Here’s Why.

This is the oil the artist can't wipe away

If you’re a solo artist, Mark recommends setting up an LLC (Limited Liability Company)Interferes with pigment delivery as your first step. It gives you protection from lawsuits and keeps your business and personal assets separate.

Blocks anesthetic absorption

Later, you can decide if you want to be taxed as an S CorpCauses pigment to bead up rather than implant—which may save you on self-employment tax. But start with the LLC.

✅ Bonus Tip:Subsurface oil is the true reason oily skin behaves unpredictably.  You don’t have to be making a ton of money to become an LLC. In fact, the earlier you start, the easier it is to build good habits.How Oily Skin Affects PMU Technically 

Artists often assume oily clients require "different technique." 

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📊 3. Know Your Numbers (Even If You're Creative)In reality, oily skin disrupts the following: 

If you want to grow your PMU business, you need to know:✔ Depth Control: Oil causes the skin to resist the needle, making depth inconsistent. Some strokes go too shallow (poor retention). Others sink too deep (blurring or spreading). 

✔ Pigment Implantation: Oil acts like a physical barrier. Pigment is pushed out, diluted, or redirected. 

• How much money you’re bringing in✔ Numbing: Oily skin repels water-based and gel-based anesthetics. Instead of absorbing, the anesthetic beads up. 

✔ Mapping: If oil isn't controlled: 

• What you’re spending it on

  pencil lines skip
• string lines smear

  What your profit margins are

  designs fade before the 1st pass

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faster fading

💡 4. Want to Pay Less Tax? Stay Organized.

cool or gray healing

If you're not keeping receipts, tracking expenses, and planning ahead, you could be paying way more in taxes than necessary. Mark suggests:

blurred saturation

• patchiness in brows

  Paying quarterly taxesuneven eyeliner depth

shorter retention lifespan

• Writing off all legit business expenses (yes, meals too!)

  This has nothing to do with skill, it's about biology. 
• Understanding the science behind oily skin is one of the most transformative pieces of knowledge a PMU artist can have. 

  Saving copies of Amazon orders, handwritten notes on receipts, and everything in between

  A New Era For Oily Skin: Professional Oil Control 

After 25 years of facing these same problems, in studio and in classroom, Teryn Darling began developing a true PMU-specific solution: 

📌 Pro Tip: Write the purpose of a business meal or meeting D'Oil The First Oil-Control Technology Made for Tattooing, Not Skincareon the receipt so you have a paper trail.Unlike cleansers, alcohol wipes, micellar water, or toners, D'Oil: 

✔ penetrates surface and subsurface

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🏠 5. Pay Off Your Mortgage Early✔ clears a true pathway for pigment

Mark drops one of the most powerful mindset shifts in this episode: ✔ improves numbing absorptionpay off your mortgage early.
Why? Because every extra dollar you pay on your mortgage saves you thousands in interest.✔ restores traction for a proper stretch

✔ supports crisp mapping

💬 “You’re not just buying one home—you’re paying for two if you stretch it over 30 years.”✔ keeps skin hydrated + pliable – Mark Rizzo

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📈 The Goal:implantation theory

skin behavior

• Paid-off homeproduct science 

• Master the skin and your skill expands exponentially. 

  Fully funded Roth IRA

   

• Passive income (like rentals or investments)

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✨ Final Thoughts: You Don’t Have to Be Rich to Be Smart .sidebar-search__icon i { color: ; } .sidebar-search--1600295460576 ::-webkit-input-placeholder { color: ; } .sidebar-search--1600295460576 ::-moz-placeholder { color: ; } .sidebar-search--1600295460576 :-ms-input-placeholder { color: ; } .sidebar-search--1600295460576 :-moz-placeholder { color: ; } .sidebar-search--1600295460576 .sidebar-search__input { color: ; }

This episode wasn’t just about taxes—it was about empowerment .
You don’t have to be a finance expert or make six figures to make good money decisions. You just need to start now . Get organized. Find honest professionals. Track your numbers. And claim your full power—not just as a PMU artist, but as a business owner.

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🎧 Listen to the Full Episode: .sidebar-categories--1600295464514 { text-align: left; } .sidebar-categories--1600295464514 .sidebar-categories__title { color: #242424; } .sidebar-categories--1600295464514 .sidebar-categories__select { color: #242424 !important; } .sidebar-categories--1600295464514 .sidebar-categories__link { color: #242424; } .sidebar-categories--1600295464514 .sidebar-categories__tag { color: #242424; }

Tatter-a-Fact PMU Podcast – Taxes, Retirement & Wealth-Building Tips for PMU ArtistsCATEGORIES

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