by Adrienne Moorman and Joel Bain Herron, MD
As we age, our eyebrows naturally thin. But if you’re like many men and women who’ve spent long hours in the mirror carefully filling them in with a pencil or gel, there’s great news for you. Microblading may be a semi-permanent solution to your thinning eyebrows.
What is Microblading?
Microblading is a procedure that has been growing rapidly in popularity. The treatment produces a thicker-looking eyebrow using a semi-permanent tattooing technique.
The procedure involves making small, thin cuts in the skin with a hand tool. Colored pigment of your chosen color is pushed into the tiny cuts in the skin to produce a semi-permanent tattoo that mimics natural hairstrokes. We typically perform this technique to create or enhance the appearance or color of the eyebrows.
How is Microblading Different from Traditional Tattoos?
Microblading differs from typical tattooing, which is done by a reciprocating machine containing bundles of needles. In microblading, each stroke is created individually by the artist’s hand, utilizing a small blade. The pigment is placed more superficially in the upper dermis, allowing it to fade more quickly. Adjustments or redesign of the brows may be performed as aging affects the face or trends change. Conversely, traditional tattooing with needles deposits pigment deeper in the dermis and the pigment globules are too large to be cleared by the immune cells of the body, resulting in a permanent design. With microblading, the enhancement is more subtle with some normal skin left within the eyebrow creating a natural appearance to the eyebrows.
How Long Does Microblading Take?
The initial microblading session may be performed in about an hour, and it typically only requires topical numbing medication. Some of the color may be removed in the healing process as small scabs are shed. A small touch-up session is recommended after approximately one or two months and the results may last for one to three years. Additional touch-up sessions may be required every 12-24 months.
Microblading:
• Looks like natural hairstrokes
• Typically fades in one to three years
• Best for people with tight skin and small pores
• Better for people with dry and normal skin
• Not the best technique for people with extremely oily skin or people who bleed excessively
Various techniques and enhancements may be added to the basic microblading procedure to further enhance the eyebrows. Some of these include:
Blading with Shading (combo brows):
This technique combines both hairstrokes and shading into one blended outcome. Microblading is done initially, and then shading is used to provide a soft, diluted version of color to fill the spaces between the hairstrokes. This results in a fuller look to the brow with slightly more pigment than can be achieved with microblading alone.
• Looks like hair strokes but with fuller coverage
• Lasts longer than microblading alone
• Less microblading is required likely resulting in fewer touch-up procedures
• Best option for those with little to no hair, or large gaps in their natural brows
• Better option for people with oily skin
• Not the ideal technique for people who bleed easily
Ombre Powder Brows:
This technique is done with a small machine that gently inserts pigment into the skin that looks very soft and misty. No hair strokes are placed, so the brow is fully covered with a light color, and a little pigment is placed at the start of the brow for a soft look. This does not look like the old traditional block brows! It is soft and appealing, like a light makeup fill.
• No hair strokes are created
• Lasts the longest of the techniques
• Minimal trauma to the skin
• Fewer touch-ups required
Ready for Fuller Brows?
Call today to schedule an appointment with our microblading artist to discuss your desired outcome. It’s a good idea to bring a younger photo of yourself with the eyebrows you desire to share with the artist, who may sketch out a template to show you the expected starting point, arch, height, endpoint, etc. of the planned brows prior to performing the procedure. That way, you’ll have a very good idea what the appearance of the finished outcome will be.
After treatment, you’ll need to keep the treated area completely dry and away from water or perspiration for one week following the procedure to avoid some of the superficially placed pigment from being washed away. After one week, the healing of the skin is complete and the pigment is trapped within the superficial skin.
Call us today to schedule your consultation: 614-473-9519