Eyebrow Microblading: Everything You Need to Know

Microblading is a tattoo technique that can create the illusion of fuller eyebrows. Ahead, watch our editor try the treatment and see the ... FACEBOOK PINTEREST EMAILSHARE Makeup Brows EyebrowMicroblading:EverythingYouNeedtoKnow By FaithXue FaithXue Instagram LinkedIn Twitter FaithXuehasworkedindigitalbeautyfor10yearsandiscurrentlyBustleDigitalGroup'sexecutivebeautydirector.ShewasByrdie'seditorialdirectorforsevenyears. Byrdie'sEditorialGuidelines UpdatedonMay10,2022 Reviewedby JodiShays Reviewedby JodiShays Instagram JodiShayshasbeenalicensedestheticianinCaliforniafor20years.SheistheownerofQueenBeeSalon&SpainCulverCity. AboutByrdie'sBeauty&WellnessBoard EstheticianandWaxer FACEBOOK PINTEREST EMAILSHARE Unsplash/DesignbyMichelaButtignol InThisArticle WhatItIs Benefits Microbladingvs.Microfeathering HowtoPrepare WhattoExpect SideEffectsandAftercare TheFinalTakeaway Naturalbrowsarehavingamoment.Notonlyaretheypractical,abarrierprotectingoureyesfromsweatandforeignparticles,buttheyarealsokeyincommunicationandexpression.Browsworktoframetheeyesandfaceandpropereyebrowgroominghasworkeditswayintobeinganessentialpartofourbeautyroutines.Butwhathappenswhenyourbrows(orlackthereof)don'tgiveyoumuchtoworkwith? Fortunately,thereareplentyofoptionswhenitcomestobrow-fillingtreatmentsandtechniques.Onesuchtreatmentthathasbeengettinghypeasoflateismicroblading.CelebritiessuchasBellaThorne,LenaDunham,andMadonna,haveallhadtheirarchestouchedupusingthisproceduresoIthoughtI'dgiveitatry.Readonformyhonestexperiencewithmicroblading. WhatIsMicroblading? Microbladingisasemi-permanenteyebrowtreatmentthatinvolvesusingtiny,fine-pointneedlestoscratchthesurfaceofyourskinasameansofdepositingpigment. Thememoryisclearasday.I'm13yearsoldandsufferingfromacrushofthehighestdegreeonaboyatmychurch.Agroupofusaresittingaroundatablewhensuddenlymybiggestnightmaremanifestsinreallife:Inexplicably,saidcrushlooksacrossthetable,makeseyecontact,andpointsdirectlyatme. "Whoa—youhavenoeyebrows!" helaughs. NevermindthefactthatI'veknownthiskidforyears,andhewasutteringthisasifhe'dneverseenmebefore.Nevermindthefactthatevenifhe’dneverseenmebefore,thisisawildlymortifyingandpotentiallyearth-shatteringthingtosaytoanimpressionableyounggirl.Sure,Ieventuallytuckedthisexperienceawayintothefolderofmybrainmarked"EMBARRASSING:DONOTRUMINATE,"butclearlythetraumaremains—itwasthefirstthingthatsprungtomindasIsatdowntowritethispost. ThisisalljusttosaythatIhaveveryminimaleyebrows,andthelackofthemisthebaneofmyexistence. Otherthanashort-livedperiodincollegewhenIblithelyleftmybrowsbare(Ihadmoreimportantthingstofocuson,likewhichfratpartytogoto),I'veregardedmybrows—orlackthereof—withapotentmixofanxietyandcare.Everymorningforthepastfiveyears,IwouldpainstakinglyfilltheminwithmytrustyTheBrowGalEyebrowPencil($23)andcringeanytimeanyonecamenearthem,lesttheysmudgeoffandleavemelookinglikeIhavenoeyebrows. Whenmicrobladingfirststartedgettingbuzzayearago,Iwasintrigued.IimmediatelysetupanappointmentwithabrowspecialistinLosAngeles,buttheappointmentkeptgettingcanceled.Eventually,afterthethirdreschedule,Igaveup(outofexasperation,butalsobecauseIwastoolazytocallagain).Itseemedlikeasignfromtheuniverse:Microbladingwasnotmeantforme. Butafewweeksago,theuniversecamebackaround.IgotanoffertogetmybrowsmicrobladedbyPiretAava,or@eyebrowdoctor,asshe'sknownonInstagram.PartofthereasonIgaveupsoeasilywithmyfirstmicrobladingattemptwasthatthebrow expertdidn’thaveanyphotosofherwork;IhadthenaggingfearIwouldleaveherpracticewiththick,unnaturalSharpiebrows.Aava'spage,ontheotherhand,isagoldmineofmind-bogglingbrowbeforeandafters;Iscrolledforafull10minutes,marvelingatthebrowtransformationsandwonderingifI,too,couldbeapartofthebushy-browcrew. MeettheExpert PiretAavaisarenownedeyebrowspecialist,makeupartist,andcertifiedesthetician.HerclientlistincludescelebritieslikeSerenaWilliams,MalinAckerman,andGraceByers,amongothers. WhatIsMicroblading? MicrobladingisbelievedtohaveoriginatedinChinaintheearlyaughtsbuthasonlyrecentlygainedpopularityintheWestinthepastfewyears.Itinvolvesusingatoolcomprisedofsuperfineneedlestodepositcustompigmentbyscratchingtheskin'ssurface.Unliketattooing,microbladingisdonebyhand,allowingthetechniciantowieldmorecontrolandcreatesemi-permanent,natural-lookingresults. BenefitsofMicroblading  AccordingtoAava,"Anyonewhobenefitsfrombrowpencilcouldbeacandidateformicroblading."Thatwouldbeme,tosaytheleast.Iwasreadytokissmysorrylookingsparsebrowsgoodbye.SoIdidit.Ibookedtheappointment,metwithAava,andgotmybrowsmicrobladed.Injustunderanhour,Iwentfromhavingzerobrowstohavingsoft,natural-lookingarches.Ifeltreborn,likemybrowshadbeenbaptized,andtheywouldneveragainbethesame(well,forthenextyearortwo). Microbladingvs.Microfeathering Whilemicrobladinghasproventobeaviableoptionforthosedreamingofthicker,fullerarches,anothersimilar-soundingtechniquehasalsomadeitswayontotheeyebrowscene:microfeathering.Whilebothtreatmentsfollowthesameprocedurewhereinanexpertstrokestheepidermiswithsmallincisionsthatemitapigment,theeffectdiffers.Withmicrofeathering,theintentistofill-insparsegrowthratherthancovertheentirebrowarea.Proponentsofmicrofeatheringclaimthatitoffersamorenatural-lookingresultthanmicroblading. HowtoPrepareforMicroblading Aboutaweekbeforeyourmicrobladingappointment,holdoffonwaxing,threadingortweezingyoureyebrows.Afulldayprior,you'llwanttosteerclearofalcoholandcaffeinesincetheycanincreaseskin'ssensitivity.Also,avoidtakingibuprofen,aspirin,fishoil,orvitaminEsupplementsandotherbloodthinners.Andlet'snotforget:Trytorelax. WhattoExpectDuringaMicrobladingAppointment Afewfollow-uppointsIwanttomention:Microbladingispainful.Like,attimes,excruciatinglypainful.Someoneisusingatinyscalpeltocarveintoyourskinandthenfillitwithink,afterall.Thoughtheexpertwill(andshould)useanumbingcream,Ifoundthatitdidn'treallyhelpwiththepain.I'mneverdoingthisagain wasthethoughtthatracedthroughmymindasthetinybladeranacrossmyforehead,tryingtoblockoutthepainandalsotheverydisturbingscratchingsoundtheblademade.ButthenIlookedinthemirrorandsawmybrows.Ihadaninternal"WhoisthatgirlIsee?"Mulanmoment,andsuddenlythepainIhadfeltjustminutesearlierseemedlikenothing.Aavaexplainsherphilosophyandtechnique:"Idon’tfollowbrowtrends.Idowhatfitsyourface.Everyone'sfaceisdifferentandIcustomizebrowsthatlookmostflatteringonyou."Ihavetogiveittoher,sheknowswhatshe'sdoing.Mybrowslookedsogood.What'safewminutesofmind-numbingpaincomparedtoafullyear(ormore)ofgoodbrows? Secondly,Iwanttopointoutthatmybrowslookmuchmorereddishandstarkattheendofthevideothantheydonow.Aavaexplainedthatmybrowswouldlookmuchdarkerrightaftermyappointment,andshewasright;afewweekslater,thebrowhairshadfadedtoamuchmorenatural-lookingshadeandshape. SideEffectsandAftercare Aftermyappointment,Ididmybesttonotgetmybrowswetfortherecommended10days,andIdidnoticesomemildscabbingforthefirstweek.Tocombatthis,Aavasays,"WeprovideourclientswithEyebrowDoctorointmentsothereisnoitchingnorscabbing."Afterthat,Iwashedmyfaceandshoweredasusual,knowingmybeautifulnewbrowswouldn'tdisappear.IuseBenefit'sGimmeBrow ($24)onsomedaystodefinethem,marvelingandrelishingthefactthatI'mnowoneof thosegirls whoonlyhastouseatintedbrowgelonher archesinsteadofafull-onbrowregimen.  It'salsoimportanttonote:Manydermatologistsdonotrecommendthisservicebecauseitcaninterferewiththestructureofafollicle.Peoplewithoilyskintendtolosethe"brushstroke"lookovertimebecausetheinkcanbleedintotheskin.Also,ifyou'reusingAccutane,retinols,orprescriptionacnecreamsyou'llhavetostopusingthembeforegettingthistreatment. Ifyoudodecidetogetthetreatment,doafollow-upsixtoninemonthslater,astheinkcolorcanchange. TheFinalTakeaway Sowasthepainworthit?Yes.AmIgladIfinallyjumpedonthemicrobladingtrain?Aresoundingyes.DoIwishIcouldgivemy13-year-oldselfahugandtellherit'sallgoingtobeokay;thatboyswouldstilllikeme(browsornobrows);thatIwouldsoonrealizemycrushwasactuallysortoflameandnotworthasecondofmytime;andthatmybrowworrieswouldbesolvedinthefuturebysomethingwonderfulcalledmicroblading?Yes.Buthindsightis20/20,astheysay,sofornow,I'mjustrelishingthefactthat Ifinally,finally haveadamnbeautifulpairofbrows.  ThisCult-FavoriteBrowGelGaveMeFullerBrowsinSeconds ArticleSources Byrdietakeseveryopportunitytousehigh-qualitysources,includingpeer-reviewedstudies,tosupportthefactswithinourarticles.Readoureditorialguidelinestolearnmoreabouthowwekeepourcontentaccurate,reliableandtrustworthy. BaylorCollegeofMedicine.Microbladingprovidesnewoptiontoachievefullereyebrows.UpdatedOctober24,2016. RelatedStories MeetMicrofeathering,aMoreNatural-LookingVersionofMicroblading MaybellineTattooStudioBrowTintReview:MicrobladeDupe "EyebrowTattoos"ComeinDifferentForms—Here'sWhatYouNeedtoKnow WhatIsBrowLamination?WeReviewtheMicrobladingAlternative ITriedBrowMapping—TheMathematicalProcessForSymmetricalBrows WhatAreOmbréEyebrows?WeInvestigate ScalpMicropigmentation:WhatYouNeedtoKnow HairlineMicroblading:EverythingYouNeedtoKnow FromTintingtoTattooing:HowtoKnowWhichEyebrowTreatmentIsRightforYou EyebrowMicroshadingvs.Microblading:TheRealDifference HowLongDoesMicrobladingLast?WeInvestigate EyebrowsThinningOut?DermatologistsExplainWhy—andHowtoGrowThemBack CosmeticTattooing:AllYourQuestionsAboutPermanentandSemi-PermanentMakeup,Answered IsPermanentEyelinerWorthIt?ITriedIttoFindOut TheRealDifferencesBetweenBrowPencils,Powders,andGels The12BestDrugstoreEyebrowPencilsForBrowsThatWow