This year for my birthday, I only asked for one thing. I wanted my eyebrows micro-bladed. I have struggled for years with having sparse eyebrow hair, and I hate how long it takes me every single morning to get them “just right” only to never be satisfied with the shape. I wanted to share my micro-blading experience because I went in with very little pre-appointment research myself!
Since micro-blading is a huge decision, as it’s something permanent on your face, so I wanted to share some tips with you all if you are considering this for yourself.
What is micro-blading?
Micro-blading is the process of scratching pigment to fill in and shape your eyebrows. It is a semi-permanent makeup so it will fade over time. I was told it can last anywhere from 1-5 years depending on a few factors. It is similar to tattooing, however, it only scratches the top layer of the skin versus a tattoo going through two.
I personally had pigment and shadow done, and it was called ombre 3d. This was a perfect style for my eyebrows to ensure they look natural and full.
Who can get it done?
There are restrictions on micro-blading, so I wanted to start with this before you read on. My micro-blading artist had a hard no if you have:
- Diabetes
- Hepatitis
- Eye surgery/injury
- Abnormal heart condition
- Pregnant
- MRSA
- Accutane
- No allergic reaction to lidocain
I am nursing (at the time of my appointment), and while some micro-blading artists may turn you away, my artist left it up to me on this. I did research prior and felt comfortable proceeding, so this would be a personal preference. (It is a concern if you were to get an infection)
What does micro-blading feel like?
Ah, the golden question! So, this question will depend on both your pain tolerance and what your micro-blading artist does for preparation. For my appointment, she applied lidocaine to my brows and covered them in saran wrap to kick in for about 30 minutes. This allowed them to be good and numb and I didn’t feel a thing. It was more so the vibrations that I felt, and after a bit of application, I felt discomfort but not pain. Does that make sense?
I could feel almost like a scratching sensation, but it wasn’t exactly painful! The “worst” of the pain is the first few days after, so let’s chat about that.
Healing process
I was given specific instructions in regards to post-micro-blading.
- Do not let your hair touch your brows! Keep your hair back
- Do not get your brows wet! Have dry shampoo? Good, that’s your best friend the next few weeks.
- Do not touch your brows with your hands
- Apply ointment 3 times a day, very sparingly and in one direction
The instructions are pretty straightforward, but man this was hard to do! Do you know how often you touch your face? I became very aware now that I had clear instructions otherwise! The oils in your hair and hands can affect your brows, which is why both are a no-no. I kept my hair back in a ponytail or behind my ears to prevent this and just had to be really cautious of not touching my brows.
In addition, water loosens the pigment, so that is why it’s to be avoided. I used dry shampoo, but also made a shallow bath and washed my hair that way!
Now to the “worst” part of this, the healing process. Your brows will fill very tight in the beginning and it’ll feel weird to move them. At around day 7, my scabbing phase hit. It started to peel and scab in spots and looked a little scary! I was so worried I messed it up and didn’t take care of them properly.
This is for sure the biggest learning curve for me, as they scab and will essentially reappear once healed.
I will be honest, after my first healing process, I lost quite a bit of pigment. I had a follow-up scheduled for 8 weeks after so I wasn’t too worried. The follow-up appointment was just what I needed and I healed much better the second time!
Would I recommend micro-blading?
1 million times, yes. I may have even convinced a few friends and colleagues to do it, too. Do you dream of waking up and already having perfect brows done? Me too, and now I have that. It’s been the best investment.
If you are going back and forth on this idea, I encourage you to think about a few things.
Have you struggled with getting your brows the right shape or matching?
Do you spend a lot of time on your brows?
Do you buy a lot of brow products?
Are your brows thinning?
If you answered yes to a few of these, micro-blading solved all of this for me!
I loved my experience and the confidence these gave me. Lastly, I want to end this with a before and after so you can truly see the difference micro-blading made!
If you are in northern Utah, here is the artist I used. 10/10!
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