Semi-permanent makeup is fast becoming a rising trend with women wanting to be able to wake up with makeup. Eye brows in particular have become the latest area that women are wanting to enhance. For brows that do not smudge and look natural, women are turning to Microblading as a permanent solution to perfect brows. Microblading in particular is great for adding definition to the eye area, as this treatment saves you time drawing or penciling on your brows in the morning. This treatment is particularly great for people who lead a busy lifestyle, like to exercise or swim a lot, or for people who simply have thin eye brows from ageing or over plucking.
Before and After
If you do decide microblading is for you, it is important you get the eyebrows that are going to suit you, so researching the artist will be beneficial for you to gauge the style you want. You should always have a patch test done before your treatment to make sure you don’t have any reaction to the pigment.
On the day of the treatment, you will come in for a consultation session which will help the makeup artist know a bit more about you and your lifestyle, and the kind of brow you want to achieve. You will be measured up to ensure the brows are the same, and also colour matched so you know the shade will look natural to your complexion. Essentially a tattoo, microblading is done using a small hand tool dipped into your colour matched shade, and fine hair like strokes are done over the natural brow area replicating a natural brow hair.
Everyone feels the pain slightly differently, but numbing cream is used on the area to minimize this. Some people claim they can’t feel anything at all but most people describe the feeling as scratchy.
This treatment can take from 90-120 minutes including the consultation and after care break down. After the treatment, we advise clients to keep their eyebrows dry for 7-10 days. It is also advisable to keep them away from extreme heat, including sun beds and saunas as they can flake. Depending on your skin type, we would recommend applying a balm once or twice a day. This will help moisturise the area and prevent any flaking which can affect the final look of the brows. If you have oily skin, we would leave them to dry heal as they will be less likely to flake.
After the first session, your brows may appear quite dark and prominent, however they can fade up to 50% over the time. Usually 4-6 weeks later you will have your top-up appointment where any final changes can be made.
Microbladed brows need little maintenance after the initial two appointments , however people hold onto the pigment differently so a few top up appointments are advised, usually once a year. Some people can hold onto the color for longer, but a yearly maintenance appointment will keep them looking their best.
Laura Kay is a semi-permanent makeup specialist and runs her own training academy. For more information go to LauraKayLondon.com
