If you’ve over plucked, lost eyebrow hair as a result of aging, or just like the look of fuller brows, then microblading can be a great option for you. It’s taken the beauty industry by storm, and is now a more preferred method over eyebrow tattooing. I had wanted to try it out for a long time, and thankfully I was able to collaborate with Kristin of Studio 420 to get mine done. I had for the last several months been penciling my eyebrows in every day, and just being able to skip this small step and wake up with beautiful, bold brows was very appealing to me.
What is Eyebrow Microblading?
Eyebrow microblading is a process by which a technician/expert uses a special microblading pen to draw on individual blades of hair on your eyebrows. The microblading pen breaks the dermal surface of your skin and deposits a semi-permanent ink, and it’s a more natural-looking technique than getting your eyebrows tattooed.
Microblading your eyebrows can also help you reconstruct them, fill them in, define them, or slightly change the arch (which can have the effect of a small facelift). After the eyebrows have healed, you’re left with a natural look that often times is undetectable.
The entire microblading process takes about 2 hours from start to finish, the healing process can take up to 2 weeks, and the results can last 12-18 months (after going in for a 2nd round 6-8 weeks after the 1st session).
My eyebrows before
Microblading is not a painful process (a numbing cream is applied to the area to minimize discomfort, and then a topical anesthetic is applied), and one of the best things about it is that there’s no down time. Because the process includes abrasions to the skin, part of the healing process will include some scabbing on the eyebrows (which will look different for all people), so the brows may look thicker and darker a few days after as the brows heal. So long as you’re ok with that for just less than two weeks after, you’ll have incredible-looking brows in no time.
I documented my entire eyebrow microblading journey from start to finish (including the microblading process with Kristin), you can check it out in the video below.
Eyebrow Microblading: before you go
- plan to arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment to fill out paperwork
- For 24 hours BEFORE your session:
- NO alcohol
- NO aspirin or blood thinners
- NO caffeine
- NO fish oil (all of these things can cause excessive bleeding)
Eyebrow Microblading: after your treatment
My eyebrows after
After your microblading session, you’ll need to make sure to follow the technician’s instructions to ensure proper healing and minimize the chances of infection. It was suggested to me to not get my eyebrows (therefore my face) wet for two weeks, to ensure no interference with the healing cycle. Because of that I avoided washing my hair in the shower, and I bought Neutrogena wipes and micellar water for makeup removal. I was also told not to sleep on my stomach (which I do) or even on my sides, to ensure that the ink wouldn’t get pushed or squeezed out. Of course, I was told not to mess with my eyebrows at all), and if they itched while healing, to just tap them until the itching went away. All in all it wasn’t a terrible process or experience, and I actually enjoyed the temporary darker brows while they healed. I’m looking forward to going back for my second microblading treatment (to ensure that any missing areas are filled in), and will consider going back every 12 months to keep them maintained.
If you’re in the Austin/Central Texas area I highly highly recommend going to see Kristin with Studio 420, she’s been doing this for a long time and eyebrow microblading is her expertise. If you’re not in the Central Texas area, I would make sure to do some research before choosing an eyebrow technician to do the microblading. I had a friend, Jane, who went to see Kristin first, and I was also able to see her work on her Instagram page. Make sure to talk to the technician about what look you want to achieve, and make sure she or he goes through the entire process with you and is honest about what to expect. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me, or even to Kristin, so she can fill you in.
