The look of naturally thick brows is one beauty trend that is
showing no sign of slowing down. A study published by Nielsen at the end of
2018 reported that the purchase of eyelash and eyebrow treatments and eyebrow
products are up by 32 percent and 24 percent respectively year over year and
drastically outpace the purchase of other eye makeup products. One subset of
these growing treatments is microblading, a semi-permanent cosmetic brow tattoo
procedure that’s beloved by savvy beauty consumers looking for a longer-term
fix. But despite the overwhelming popularity of the treatment (there are over 8.1
million posts on Instagram for #microblading and over 1.1m posts for
#microbladingeyebrows), there is still plenty of misinformation surrounding the
topic. We tapped New York City permanent makeup artist Kendra Bray, founder of
Better Brows & Beauty, to get the important information you’re not hearing
anywhere else. You May Also Like: You Have To See This Hilarious Over-Plucked Eyebrows Instagram AccountMicroblading is a form of eyebrow tattooing, but
not all eyebrow tattooing is microblading.
“There are multiple techniques that can be used in brow tattoo,” explains
Bray. “Microblading has become very trendy in recent years but it specifically
refers to a technique that creates the look of hair strokes. It’s good for
clients who want a natural look. But if the client wants a more defined,
‘finished’ looking brow, microblading cannot create enough coverage. There is
another technique called a powdered brow, which creates a soft sheer coverage
of color throughout the entire brow shape. If you looked at it under a
microscope it would look like tiny dots in the brow area, instead of individual
hair shapes. The confusion for consumers can come into play when they start
seeing different names for different techniques. Microblading, hair stroke
brows, 3D eyebrows, eyebrow embroidery, feather stroking brows—these are all
names for the hair stroke look in a brow. Powder brows, ombre brows,
shaded brows are all names for a powder brow.”
View this post on Instagram #BeforeAndAfter microblading @missnikkibrown! Such a difference. For more information regarding all things #microblading and to book your appointment today, visit: www.betterbrowsnyc.com A post shared by Better Brows & Beauty (@betterbrowsandbeauty) on Aug 14, 2018 at 8:08am PDT
Skin type is the biggest
factor in determining if microblading will work for you.
“When it comes to deciding what technique is best for you,
skin type is a big factor. Pigment heals differently in different skin types.
People who have very oily skin are not good candidates for a hair stroke [microblading]
brow. The oils in the skin pull the pigment during the healing process and
the lines or ‘hair strokes’ don’t heal into a crisp or defined line. Instead,
the line looks blurry. Microblading only looks nice when you can achieve that
crisp hair stroke, otherwise it looks blotchy. Skin that has very large
pores will also not heal with crisp hair strokes. You will need to speak
to your artist to see what they recommend for you. Powder brows can work
on all skin types.”
Certain skincare
ingredients can fade your brow.
“Your skin care ingredients can play a factor into the longevity
of your brows. Any ingredients that help to exfoliate and increase cell
turnover will fade the brows faster,” says Bray. “Ingredients to keep away from
the brows include glycolic acid, AHAs, and retinol. Clients can sometimes
forget that their daily face wash includes those ingredients. The brows won’t
disappear after one wash, but if you’re exposing your brows to these
ingredients month after month, you will not have as much longevity out of the
color. Sun exposure will also fade the brows. After your brows are
healed you can put SPF on them like you would the rest of your face.”
View this post on Instagram #Microblading is the process of delicately implanting pigment beneath the surface of the skin by using sterile, disposable, tiny hand needles to create the appearance of hair strokes. For more information on our process, visit: https://www.betterbrowsnyc.com/microblading-nyc/ A post shared by Better Brows & Beauty (@betterbrowsandbeauty) on Jul 31, 2018 at 8:11am PDT
Ask to see aged brows, not just
fresh work from your artist.
A freshly-microbladed brow can look dramatically better what you
started with, but when the brow heals and ages, it can start looking different.
One big culprit? How the ink wears. “There are so many pigments
out there and it is not regulated by the FDA,” says Bray. “Each brand is
manufactured differently, and to be honest all of the details are not always
known. Artists simply don’t have the information to know which pigment is
better and which aren’t as good until they start working with it and learn from
their own experience. The best way to avoid future issues with the pigment
color is to ask to see examples of aged brows from your artist. Ask them
to see examples of their work healed, and aged at the 1-year mark.”
The best advice is to do
your research.
“The industry has very low regulations,” says Bray. “It’s up to
the client to do their research and make sure that the artist has the right
technical knowledge and certifications. The SPCP is an organization
that requires additional testing, hours of clinical time, and continuing
education for membership. I also recommend that customers read a lot of
reviews in their research. Note if other people have been happy with the
artist’s work? Do they have a lot of complaints? How did the artist respond to
the complaints? Lastly, have a conversation with the artist before deciding to
move forward. You need to feel comfortable with that person—they are taking
needles to your face after all.”
Source: DailyBeauty – A beauty blog powered by NewBeauty Magazine –