Yahoo Lifestyle Things I wish I’d known about microblading 6 years later
Do you have full, bushy brows? Can't related. The five hairs that inhabit each of my brow bones (ok, maybe it’s a little more than five) have never quite come together to form a fully-fledged Cara Delevingne-esque brow that didn’t require some assistance in the form of a pencil or pomade. So, after lots of umm-ing and ahh-ing, I took the plunge and booked in for microblading back in 2018 to alleviate the daily brow creation I had to do.
If you've not heard of the service, microblading is a type of ‘semi-permanent’ tattooing of the brow area. It's 'semi-permanent' because it doesn’t penetrate as deeply as traditional tattooing methods, but it does involve using a slanted, pen-like blade to deposit natural-looking, hair-like strokes of pigment into the skin; filling in sparse areas, adding shape, and most importantly in my case, fullness. Before applying any pigment, your brows are carefully measured and mapped out to create an expertly balanced arch that suits your face shape.
And it works. I was in love with my brows after treatment. Microblading gave my brows instant definition and made getting ready a breeze. No more worrying about sweating off my brow makeup on a night out or on holiday, and I could finally hug my boyfriend at the time without leaving a brow-shaped mark on his t-shirt.
However, over the years, my once natural-looking brows started to change in appearance, and while microblading is often marketed as a 'temporary' form of tattooing that will eventually fade completely (most predict around 18 months - 3 years), in reality, for many of us, this is not the case.
Now, I can hear you saying, surely this is a good thing? More bang for your buck, no? And in theory it is, but not when it starts to look different over time or, crucially, if your taste in brow shape changes. To help me understand the reality of microblading, I sought the advice of Janine Wallace, Brow Specialist and Founder of Browjam, who has clients travel from all around the world for her artistry.
“Microblading can take anywhere from two to four years to start to fade. A lot of my clients still have pigment after three years, although it may have faded by around 50%,” explains Wallace. “It can happen as soon as one year, especially if their skin is oilier or they use products that speed up skin regeneration, such as retinoids. In some cases, it can fade out completely, but often it doesn’t, and you will usually need extra help to remove it.”
The fade away
After a couple of years of pristine brows, I noticed my pigment fading from dark brown to a grey-ish, blue-black hue. I also noticed that the defined, hair-like strokes that microblading is known for, began to merge, resulting in a blockier appearance and more of a wash of colour. After chatting with Janine, I now know that the latter happened because I had a lot of brow strokes densely placed together to make up for the sparseness of my brows.
“I’ve been doing microblading for a long time, and when it first hit the industry, people didn’t really know the long-term effects and how they would look over time. It was common practice to pack in a lot of hair strokes because everyone was after that HD brow effect and more of a polished, solid style. But ultimately, the more strokes you do, the more chance it will bleed out and merge. So, from my experience, the goal is to keep the strokes really nice and clean and let them breathe by leaving negative space between them, allowing it to stay nice and crisp over time.”
“If someone has found their strokes have bled and their brows are a bit blocky, their best bet is removal,” says Wallace. “There seems to be a lot of apprehension around removal, but you can get really great results. There may still be a slight residue of pigment, but it would be transparent enough to be re-treated again.”
So, what are the other options for someone who isn’t as blessed in the brow department like myself and needs a little more than a few gaps filling in? Is microblading really the best route to go down? “Ultimately, microblading should look like hair strokes. If this isn’t what you’re after and you want a fuller brow, I would suggest a powder brow or an ombre brow.” Both are something that you would fill in daily, rather than have done as a treatment.
How to keep microbladed brows looking good
If you have recently had microblading, Wallace also shared some crucial advice to keep your freshly treated brows looking good over time. “Keep them protected in the sun with a high-factor sunscreen—a minimum of SPF50—and avoid applying retinoids and exfoliants over the area.” And if you’re considering having microblading for the first time but want a more temporary result, Wallace suggests asking for an inorganic pigment which tends to fade much quicker.
All-in-all, I don’t regret having microblading, as it has significantly improved the shape and definition of my brows. But I do wish I had been given a more realistic view of how they would look over the years and encouraged to have fewer hair strokes in order to maintain a more defined appearance over time–even if that meant sacrificing a fuller brow when first done.
Of course, it’s worth noting that the method used, quality of products, and how you care for your brows post-treatment all influence the healing process and longevity of your brows. Techniques have also advanced significantly since I first had my brows done in 2018, so I am confident that customers will see better results today. However, based on my experience and others that I’ve seen, I would say it’s pretty inevitable that much of the pigment will remain over a long period of time, making microblading a lot more permanent than advertised.
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