This was a decision made not by me, but by my mother and father who gave me sparse eyebrows that slanted downwards.  I don’t think I even knew that there was salvage for people who had eyebrows like me.  I had paper thin eyebrows for a good decade because that’s all the eyebrow wax lady could give me to create the look of an arch.   However, in 2010, I took a trip to China and was told by my mother that there’s a salon that just opened up nearby and they can tattoo new eyebrows for me.  This was the first of many semi-permanent eyebrow tattoos that I’ve had since.

But before we begin down that whole tale of my microblading experience, I’d like to explain what microblading is because I didn’t really know either before I agreed to this service.  I’ve only seen the gazillion pictures on Instagram of the ‘after’ pictures and I loved what I saw.  The brows were perfect strokes of what looked like hair and I could care less what it took to achieve those results.

Microblading is essentially a tattooing technique where a small handheld tool with mini needles scratch onto the surface of the skin to add semi-permanent pigment in the appearance of hair strokes.  This is different from traditional eyebrow tattoos because the ‘hair strokes’ are thin lines that blend in with the existing eyebrow hairs.  I won’t go further than that about what microblading is, but feel free to read more about it on Wikipedia.

My microblading experience with Nikki (@browswithnikki) started when she first DM’d me on Instagram back in May of last year and told me about her service.  I want to be completely transparent with you guys and let you know that this was not sponsored.  I paid for my service, but yes, I did receive a huge discount from Nikki in exchange for some social media coverage.  I had already been hearing a lot about microblading and two of my girlfriends just got their brows done, so when Nikki reached out it was serendipity. I checked out her work on her IG page and liked what I saw.  Long story short, I made an appointment and went for my first session in May 2018.

It took 2 more additional appointments after to achieve the final look that I wanted with my eyebrows.  Obviously that’s not the case for everyone and results vary per individual.  For me, I was walking into the appointment with minimal hair and in desperate need of color correction, brow sculpting and microblading.  My skin didn’t retain the pigment as much as I wanted the first time or the second.  So with all that said, here are some of the biggest questions that may arise before you decide whether or not microblading is right for you.

PAIN LEVEL

This is probably the biggest concern for most people because this is a form of tattooing, which means cutting into the skin.  I’m someone who has a high level of pain tolerance, even on my face.  Like I said, this wasn’t my first time having my brows tattooed.  I just needed a service that would provide more natural looking hair strokes than the traditional eyebrow tattoo.  But to put you at ease, your microblading artist will most likely numb your brows with a topical numbing cream, at least mine did.

After 20-25 mins with the numbing cream on did she make any cuts into my brows.  After the first pass and the skin was open, she applied a second application of numbing cream.  After the second application I felt nothing.  NOTHING.  It’s like going to the dentist and having your cavity filled.  Your mouth just feels absolutely numb and you can’t feel yourself biting the inside of your mouth.  You will feel that initial pinch though before the numbing sets in, but it’s definitely tolerable and nothing to where I would consider “painful”.

AFTER CARE

My after care differed between the first two sessions and the last session because my brows were accustomed to the healing process by then.  Here are the after care instructions I was given after my first two session:

• Day 1 – 3: Keep brows as dry as possible.  Wash with cold water with no face wash or moisturizer on brows.  Wash around and please pat dry.  NEVER WIPE.
• Day 4 – 7: Peeling should start and it will get itchy, but don’t pick at the pigment!  Let it fall off on it’s own.  You can use face wash and moisturizer starting DAY 7.
• Day 8 – 14: More should peel off and your brows will completely disappear.  Wait for the pigment to show up in a few days.  By DAY 10 you can start wearing makeup on your brows, but if the peeling is less than half done for any brow, avoid makeup.
• Day 15 – 20: Brows should be healed.  Makeup, regular face wash and moisturizer are allowed!  **Wash once in the morning and once at night everyday with cold water**

So, for me, my brows did disappear by Day 8 after my first session.  I kind of freaked out, (as anyone would be when their eyebrows suddenly disappear), but was able to apply makeup over it because most of my peeling have already come off.

COST

I researched a lot of different microblading artists before I pulled the trigger.  I admit, I even made an appointment with someone else but chickened out later because of the total cost.  This isn’t a cheap service, and the more reputable and busy your microblading artist is, the more expensive he/she will cost.  There is a second session that is required about 6 – 12 weeks after, and that’s usually an additional cost.

The ones I were initially researching and had a 3-month waiting list was around $900+ for the first session and another $300-400 for the touchup.  A deposit is usually required to book the appointment since so many people flake.  Some artists have deals, so be sure to follow them on social media to stay up to date on their specials.  Regardless, this is not a cheap service, but hopefully you’ll have beautiful eyebrows for the next 1.5 – 2 years, (depending on your lifestyle and skin type).

I am VERY satisfied with my decision to go through with microblading.  It has been a game changer for me since I’m not someone who likes to wear makeup when I don’t have to.  I feel like eyebrows can really define a person’s face, and I like what I see in the reflection of my mirror.  I put together a little vlog of the whole experience from May 25, 2018 all the way until this past Thursday, January 24, 2019.  Thank you for reading my thesis on microblading, and I hope this helps answer some of your questions.

xo, Linda