Microblading. The NUMBER ONE buzz word in the permanent makeup community recognized by artists and (potential) clients alike.
So...why not Microblading?
Well, I used to offer microblading. When I first started my education in PMU (permanent makeup), the first course I took was a microblading course. It's pretty much the first course ANY permanent makeup artist has had to take to start their education journey. My second course was a machine course in Ombre & Powder Brows.
For my first 2 years as a permanent makeup artist, I offered microblading, ombre/powder, and combo brows (microblading + machine shading).
As I was getting my healed results back from my microblading clients I wasn't thrilled. They weren't bad by any means, but they lacked. They were just...underwhelming. My ombre/powder clients...their healed results and retention were BOMB. Seriously, some of my clients haven't needed a color boost even 2+ years later.
I mean seriously....look at her brows! How freakin' pretty are those healed results?!
My ombre/powder clients led me to start doing my own research about the longterm results/effects of microblading.
Let's first talk about how microblading is performed by an artist.
A small "blade" made up of anywhere from 9-18 tiny needles is used to create the hair stroke. Your artist will insert this "blade" into a disposable handle, and this creates the entire tool they will use. The artist then pulls the blade over your skin to create a cut (literally slicing your skin), and this cut creates a channel in which the pigment is implanted - similar in appearance to a paper cut. When your artist is skilled and maintains the correct depth, it results in a crisp delicate hair stroke shape.
Now....microblading needs a touch up (after your second session) every 12-15 months, on those with perfect skin suited for microblading; dry or normal skin, no sun-damage, small pores, no signs of aging.
What happens.....when you're cutting into the same hair stroke shape, repeatedly every 12 months? Well, the chances of causing scarring in this area is high. It's even higher when your artist is inexperienced and cuts too deep- scarring can happen instantaneously.
Microblading also has downtime. For 7-10 days you have to adjust your lifestyle. If you're active and workout at the gym and enjoy really working up a sweat....you've gotta replace that with low-exertion activity to prevent sweating. Not fun right?
All of these factors I've just discussed are what sealed the deal on me no longer offering microblading as a service. I care about my client's skin and I care about their happiness with their brows. I want the absolute best results possible for my clients, and at the end of the day, microblading simply did not provide that.
I am a strictly machine work artist! That looks like a bunch a gibberish doesn't it?
Basically it means I only use a rotary tattoo machine that was developed with the PMU artist and client in mind (I also use it for body tattoos but with different ink/pigments).
The reason I decided to only offer machine work is because of the results. Even my own results (as well as many other artists) have proven machine work is the way to go. The trauma to the skin is nearly none - granted we are implanting pigment into the epidermis with a tiny singular needle so some trauma in the form of a superficial wound is caused, but with machine work I'm not cutting or slicing into the skin.
More skin types are able to get PMU because of this technique (remember the skin type I described for microblading?) That means clients with oily and combination skin will retain pigment beautifully, matured skin will retain pigment beautifully, even clients with sun-damaged (within reason) skin can get their brows done.
There is also virtually NO downtime. Of course you want to avoid profuse sweating for a few days otherwise the brows will sting due to the salts in our sweat, but honestly that's about it in terms of downtime. I have specific aftercare for my clients to achieve the best possible healed results, so don't worry about trying to navigate that on your own.
So...why not Microblading...in a nutshell?
Simple. The results just aren't there. The trauma to the skin isn't worth it. And through my own expriences, my clients love their non-microbladed brows.
Now you're probably sitting there asking me "what option do I have then? I wanted microblading."
My answer....you really want Ombre or Powder Brows. You want brows that are low maintenance - after your second session the recommended maintenance is a color boost ever 2-3 years based on personal preference. The ombre and powder brows will soften and fade over time with no maintenance, but honestly its lovely. You're not left with broken hair strokes or spotty looking janky brows, the powdery effect the shading has once healed simply softens and the pigment gets gradually less visible.
How much someone's brows soften and fade ranges from person-to-person. Too many individual aspects play into this such as skin care, sun exposure, skin treatments, use of Retinol or Retin-A products, skin health, personal health, etc.
With that said, would you rather come back every year for great brows, or be able to enjoy great brows for 2-3 years before you need a color boost?
