24 Aug Microblading your Brows? 5 Things to know
5 Things you should know before getting Microblading for Brows
For 30 years we have been performing Permanent Makeup, Microblading, and other Para-Medical Tattooing procedures at Allure Infinite Beauty. As an Elite PMU Artist I have been trained, apprenticed, and worked on thousands of people with these procedures for the last 15 years, I hold certifications in bloodborne pathogens, permanent cosmetics of all types, and have developed an apprentice program to teach others to become Elite PMU Specialists.
Over my years of experience, I have gathered 5 things that you should know before you decide to get Microblading done for your brows.
Microblading is a PMU Technique where the artist uses a small handheld pen shaped device much like an Exacto Knife, but instead of a razor blade at the end, there is a row of micro needles lined in a row resembling a “blade” look. This device is used by the artist to make very thin cuts into the skin to look like hair strokes, the artist then places a certain color pigment into the cuts depending on your skin type, skin tone, hair color, and preference. Over the next 7-10 days the cuts will heal over the pigment that was placed leaving you with tiny lines or hairstrokes that appear to be real in the epidermis or upper layer of skin.
1. Microblading is NOT a Tattoo
The most common misconception that I get in my MedSpa is that Microblading is the same as a tattoo and should last as long as a tattoo as well. To put this one to rest I can tell you that Microblading is a TEMPORARY procedure, at least it is supposed to be. Microblading should last between six and eighteen months, you will see fading and possibly even certain hairstrokes disappear completely during this time frame.
Microblading strokes are very shallow in the skin, only penetrating the lower epidermal layer, as the layers of skin flake off, the pigment becomes closer and closer to the surface eventually disappearing with the old skin cells. When the Microblading process is performed too deep, which is more common than you would think, then the pigment enters the dermal layer of skin and becomes permanent. Microblading that is in the dermis can cause an array of problems such as “blow-outs”, scarring, unwanted faded pigment, and “clouded” brows that will last forever.
Tattooed Brows are intended to be permanent and natural looking, needing a color freshen up every two to five years depending on many variables of nationality, skin type, and lifestyle. Tattooed brows will always fade to a cooler tone over the years from the oils and exfoliation in the T-Zone of your face and the UV Rays from the sun. There are other factors that could cause the pigment to turn from your original tone to a pinkish color and the reason for this is usually because of an Iron deficiency and/or the artist you chose used “Cheap” pigment to save some money. I traditionally see my clients for touch ups about every three years on average and at this point we can alter shape if trends have changed, personal preference, or usually just freshen up the color and crisp up the hair strokes.
In “Alternatives to Microblading” I will discuss further other options that may be better for what you are looking for, such as Nano Brows, Ombre Brows, or Combo Brows.
2. Microblading is NOT regulated in Arizona
Microblading falls under the tattoo category and has NO regulatory board for the State of Arizona, meaning anyone at anytime can perform this procedure with little to no training required, no testing, and no education on infection control and protocols for the numerous things that could go wrong.
Most Microblading artist will not tell you this because they are new, they don’t want to scare you away, or they just don’t know. From my personal experience in this field for so long I have run into many technicians and clients that tell me horror stories of scarring, excessive bleeding, extreme pain, and many other things that they didn’t fully understand when entering this industry. The training classes are usually given by Microblading artists that hold no more qualifications than the people they are teaching, typically a two-day class going over just enough information to get you in trouble or give you the false hope of getting rich quick in this booming industry.
If you read the first paragraph at the beginning I mention how I am “certified in PMU of all kinds”, what this means is that after my 2 year apprenticeship and original training that I have taken online training courses to hone my skills and stay up to date on the trends in the industry, when a technician tells you that they are “Certified” this means no more than someone printing out a piece of paper to put on their wall. As stated before, there is NO Regulations for this procedure, meaning you cannot be Licensed to preform it, there is no Licensing, and if a technician tells you that they are licensed they are mis informed or outright lying. There is also no board watching to make sure you are using sanitary equipment, understand the risks involved, and actually have experience hours and know what you are doing. Because of this there is also no recourse for you if they do something wrong.
3. Microblading looks natural…for a little while
No matter how good your technician is at performing Microblading, because the pigment is placed so shallow in the skin it will start to fade and diminish faster than a tattoo, this is unavoidable especially if you are a very active person that spends time in the sun, or you are used to getting chemical peels or tend to exfoliate the area around your brows on an ongoing basis. All of these things will cause your microblading to last even fewer months than originally expected.
Once a couple of Microbladed hairstrokes have faded in crucial areas such as the over arch, tail or head of the brow, your brow shape can look a little “off” and you will need to pencil these areas in until you are able to get in for another touch up by your artist. Touch ups are much more frequent with Microblading rather than tattoo and for this they tend to lose their “Natural” look much sooner as well. I usually see my Microblading clients back for touch ups between three and twelve months to keep them looking natural and fresh.
4. Alternatives to Microblading
Luckily there are other alternatives to microblading, the most common being “Hairstroke Brows” or “Nano-Brows”. Nano Brows and Hairstroke brows are essentially the same thing just with different names, in this industry I have found that there are many of the same procedures that go by different made-up names depending on what the trend is at the time and if another artist wants to “stand out” as the only one that preforms a “New” procedure. In 15 years of experience, I can tell you that they are still the same as they were, just with better equipment and pigments than we were forced to use.
To get the Nano Brow / Microblade look in the form of a tattoo we use a very quiet and efficient Rotary Tattoo Gun. These Devices are made specifically for Permanent Makeup to combat the tender and thin skin that we need to work through. We use disposable needle cartridges sterilized with OS Gas from the manufacturer and disposed of after each client. Depending on how thick we want the hairstrokes we can use a Three Round Liner, a Single Needle, or based on this particular procedure the Nano Needle, which is the thinnest needle made with the longest taper so we can obtain the thinnest and most crisp, natural hairstrokes.
Similar to a body tattoo we are implanting pigment in very specific areas in the lower dermal layer of skin where it will sit permanently (We preform Laser Tattoo Removal as well if you have old/bad work that was done previously). With the Artists skillset we will “Draw” tiny lines in specific patters akin to Microblading strokes to give you a natural brow look, and since these strokes are tattooed into the dermal layer of skin the healing time is faster and longer lasting than Microblading while still achieving the same look.
An another alternative we offer Ombre Brows, and Combo Brows for more of a “Makeup” look. I will give more information about these other techniques for another blog, or you can book a Free Consultation to learn more about these.
5. Who can I trust to do my Permanent Makeup?
If you are searching for a PMU Artist that performs Microblading I would ask a few questions and look at pictures of THEIR work before committing. I have seen some Artists using other peoples before and after pictures and claiming it as their own work, this has happened to me on several occasions of other Artists using photos of my clients to pass off as their work. Ask your technician how long they have been performing Permanent Makeup, How many clients they have worked on, how long they were in training for this, and if it was in person or online, (Most trainings are online now and offer no hands on training, meaning YOU may be their hands on training). I don’t say all of this to scare you away from this procedure, when preformed correctly and with the right skillset it can be an amazing experience and you can have natural and long lasting beautiful brows. I only want you to be aware of the pros and cons of Microblading and other PMU Procedures so you are fully educated when walking into any Salon/Spa.
At our Medical Spa in Arizona, Allure Infinite Beauty, we are fully licensed in all Aesthetics, and Laser Devices, Medically Directed to perform hundreds of different procedures, and have been performing these procedures for 30 years on Thousands of Amazing Clients. We are monitored by the Board of Health, and the Cosmetology Board to make sure we are using the most effective sterilization techniques, proper use and disposal of hazardous materials, and that our clients are kept safe, healthy, and continue to come back to us time and time again.
We always offer free consultations to make sure that you are choosing the right MedSpa and Technician for your comfort, trust and Permanent Makeup needs. There is never an obligation to stay with us but once you meet our Amazing staff I believe as many others have that you will want to stick around, we would love to meet you and offer any further education that we can.