Thick brows are back with Cara Delevingne and other bushy-browed celebs rocking their luscious brows. While thick brows look gorgeous and provide a beautiful frame for your eyes, the new trend might not be great news to you if you’ve spent the better part of a decade plucking and waxing. Whether you’ve plucked so much they won’t grow back, or you have naturally light and sparse brows, microblading can help you fake it (convincingly).
In the past few years, you may have seen this semi-permanent procedure on your Facebook or Instagram feed. This ingenious cosmetic enhancement is achieved through tattooing over and your natural brows to fill in the gaps and create a natural, hair stroked look. While microblading can help you achieve a great set of brows, there are things you should know before you have your eyebrows bladed. Because it’s expensive and mildly painful, you’ll want to make sure you choose a qualified technician, so you’re not wasting your money or going through the pain for nothing. Also, because it involves semi-permanent tattooing, you run the risk of infection if your brow technician lacks experience or training.
Microblading is semi-permanent cosmetic tattooing accomplished with a special hand-held tool that creates feather-like incisions on your brow skin. A small amount of pigment is then deposited on to the incisions which fills in any gaps and creates a natural-looking tattoo. This helps your brows look fuller and darker while maintaining the illusion of natural hair. While microblading will fade and eventually disappear, it’s still a big commitment and investment. Getting your brows microbladed by a trained and qualified professional costs about $500 on average, so you want to make sure you’re happy with the results. Here are some tips to help ensure you have a positive experience.
1. Research
Even though it’s a semi-permanent procedure, it doesn’t mean things can’t go wrong, so when it comes to microblading, don’t skip the research. Microblading doesn’t require a license by law, so you really want to make sure you choose a technician who knows what they are doing. Ask for certifications and training before you let someone tattoo your brows. If they don’t have any training, find someone else. Microblading is loosely regulated, and regulations vary by state, so talk to previous clients, read reviews, and ask people for recommendations. Wherever you end up, always make sure your brow technician uses brand new, sterile tools.
2. Ask to see their work
Make sure the salon you choose follows health and safety guidelines and that it has passed inspection. As mentioned above, your technician should always use brand new, sterile needles and ink for each client. Since you are piercing skin, you risk infection if everything isn’t sterile. Your brow technician should also be willing to show you previous work. This can go a long way in helping you feel comfortable, and it can also give you a chance to discuss the results you are looking for.
3. Be knowledgeable about the procedure
Don’t go into the procedure without knowing about the healing process. Before your session starts, you should have discussed the results you want, that includes shape and color, as well as the healing process and what to expect. There are often things you need to do to prepare for your appointment like avoiding booze and blood thinners 24 hours before the procedure. Your technician will be able to walk you through the procedure and tell you everything you need to know to prepare.
4. Follow aftercare instructions
It’s so important to follow aftercare instructions if you want to avoid complications and get the best results. That means you have to avoid makeup, creams, and cleansers until they heal. This means cleaning them twice a day with water and a cotton swab. Don’t pick the scabs, and avoid toners retinol, and other serums even after they heal, as they can cause your brows to fade more quickly. If you have questions about healing and care, don’t be afraid to ask! Microblading is a big investment of time and money, so be sure to find the right technician and ask questions.
5. Skin type can affect results & your brows will fade.
This is why the quality of ink is so important. You want your brows to fade out naturally. Whether your skin is oily or dry can also affect the final results. Oilier skin can give your brows a more powdery look when they heal, whereas dry skin will give you more crisp and defined strokes. If you have oily skin, you should avoid applying moisturizer. Your technician can help you understand your aftercare routine and why it’s best for you.
6. Choose your artist wisely
Getting the results you want has a lot to do with choosing the right artist. Look at their work (before and after photos) to make sure the artist does the kind of brows you are looking for (manicured, messy looking, sparse and natural, etc) brows are not a one-fits-all kind of thing. Keep the average price point in mind as well, you probably won’t get the brows you covet on a budget. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is!
When you spot perfect brows on your social media, chances are they’ve had some help keeping those killer arches in place. Cosmetic tattooing has come a long way in the past few years, so if you’re looking for a semi-permanent way to to get some bangin' brows, microblading might be the answer.