Hey ladies! I have been waiting 2 months (since they day I made “the plunge”) to put this post together for you and I’m so excited! Let me start by explaining what Microblading is and why I decided that it was right for me. Microblading is a sort of semi-permanent eyebrow tattooing process where the artist implants ink under your skin with a manual tool instead of the typical machine you see regular tattoo artists using. The tattoo is not as deep into the skin layers, therefore it will only last approximately 2-3 years depending on your skin and how well you protect the tattoos. You may have heard of permanent makeup and seen the eyebrow tattoos that look completely solid. Microblading has recently become more popular because it creates hair-like strokes that mimic natural brow hairs so well that nobody can tell the difference. In fact, I started my microblading mid November and the only people who know are those I have actually told! Nobody knows it is not natural! 🙂 The photos below show just how “hair-like” the strokes really are. You can see I have naturally more hair towards the insides of my brow and less towards the tail ends:
So I’m sure by now you already have a ton of questions. Let me try to answer them here:
Q: Why does someone choose to get Microblading done? A: Microblading is great for anyone who has overplucked in the past, or for any other reason doesn’t have as full of eyebrows as they’d like. Personally, mine just don’t have all that much hair (see my Before/After photo at the beginning of this post!) and I am pretty good at filling them in with makeup to my liking, but then I have to deal with smudging when I workout, if it rains or they get wet in the beach/pool/etc. Honestly, I just love the idea of any beauty process that will ultimately cut down on my “getting ready” time! I haven’t worn any makeup on my brows since I got this done in November. As you can imagine, that also means I save money since I no longer need to buy these products!
Q: How does Microblading work exactly? A: First of all, you will go for a consultation at the spa or salon you are getting this done at. They will go over the directions, details of the process, and make sure you are a good “candidate” for microblading. Your initial microblading session will consist of approximately 1 hour of picking your brow color and perfecting the shape, 20 minutes of numbing, and then about 1 hour of actual microblading being done. 3-4 weeks later you will go back for a touch-up session after the color/shape has settled out to how it will “be.” At the touch-up session you can express any changes you’d like, then depending on those the artist will spend another 30mins-1hr microblading again. Here you see the ink on my brows before it was finally wiped away:
Q: How do you know what shape or color to choose? A: Typically you will have a “way” you usually do your brows with makeup. I showed my artist this and brought in my makeup so she could see what colors I use and then match to an ink of similar color. There is a special tool that they will spend time measuring the symmetry of your facial features and then draw in the “best” shape brows for your face according to this special ratio the tool gives (below is a photo of how she drew my brows on prior to microblading.) Then, you can make adjustments based on your preferences. Personally, I noticed after my first session that I wanted the color a bit darker and some spots needed to be filled in more. At my touch-up my artist was happy to do this for me.
Q: Does Microblading hurt? A: To be honest, yes and no. Of course this all depends on your personal pain tolerance. I personally have no “real” tattoos so I can’t compare it to that unfortunately, but if I had to guess I would say it hurts less since it is not going as deep into the layers of your skin. However, the face can have very sensitive skin. My artist used topical numbing cream which worked wonders (see below photo of me numbing up prior to starting!) At first I couldn’t even feel the blade. It really just felt like someone was running a pencil over my skin- I could feel it but no pain at all. Then I noticed that over time the numbing would wear off and so she would apply more cream and switch brows while waiting for it to “work.” I also noticed some areas are just more sensitive than others and that seems to be unavoidable. Bottom line – I’m a pretty big baby, so if I would say it “wasn’t too bad,” then I think you will be just fine!
Q: How long does Microblading last? A: I have read different things, but my particular spa told me it would last 2-3 years depending on my skin and how well I took care of them. I live in South Florida so I am in the sunshine pretty much every day! Just like a regular tattoo, they will fade in the sun so I need to be diligent with SPF so that they can last as long as possible. Good thing I apply a moisturizer with SPF every morning anyways 😉
Q: How much does Microblading cost? A: This can vary greatly on your location, the situation of the makeup artist, and their experience. Like with most things, some cities have higher pricing than others. It will also depend if the artist is working solo, for their own company, or for a more corporate spa franchise. Additionally, I have noticed that those who are less expereienced will offer better deals to try and build their customer base and portfolio. Here in Miami, I went to a reputable spa that I was already a client of (hello lash extensions! <3) and they charged $600 plus $121 tip (don’t forget to tip your artist!)
Q: How do I choose where to get my Microblading done? A: I did a ton of research before choosing my artist and I would strongly recommend this to you as well! First of all, you need PHOTOS! Make sure the artist can provide Before/After photos of past customers or else you have no proof of their work quality. Make sure they have a wide variety to show you so that you are sure they aren’t just showing their “best work.” Also notice if they have done microblading for someone “like you,” meaning someone of your similar age, skin type, brow situation, etc. Second, you need to make sure the artist is certified. If it is not on display in the spa, ask to see their certificate showing when they were certified. It needs to be up to date, but I would steer clear of people who were only certified recently as they may not have much experience and therefore you might be more of a “guinea pig.” Lastly, read reviews! If they have a page on Facebook or Yelp, check out their reviews!
Q: Where did I get my Microblading done? A: I went to Carolina at Wax Spa in North Miami and would definitely recommend her! She is a major sweetheart and also very talented in both microblading and lash extensions 🙂
Q: Am I happy with my results? A: I absolutely am! I’m sure my boyfriend will always remember “that week” when I would wake up every morning, roll over and sing “I woke up like thisss!” followed by admiring my face out in the mirror for a solid five minutes. I am SO glad I made this decision and am already getting sad that it will only has a couple years and not forever! (pessimist much?)
Below are some photos chronicling the look of my brows from the date I was first microbladed until present:
Before vs. Right After My First Microblading Session (hence, the redness!):
2 days after microblading (brows look skiny because of the Aquaphor applied for first week):
8 days after microblading:
3 weeks after microblading:
4 weeks after Microblading – day before my 2nd session:
Right after my 2nd session of microblading:
1 week after my 2nd session:
4 weeks after my 2nd session aka – FINAL RESULTS:
I hope this blog post was helpful if you’ve been curious about what microblading is or are considering getting it done yourself! Feel free to leave me comments if you have any other questions and I would be happy to answer them for you! xoxo, Nicole