I got my brows microbladed and it is the best decision I’ve made! (well besides marrying my husband?)
I’m sure you’ve heard by now what microblading is, but I wanted to share my experience with you to help answer any questions and maybe convince you to get it done if you’ve been on the fence.
First I want to show how my brows have looked through the years…
I, like so many other women I know, was a victim of over-plucking in high school. I had really bushy brows as a child, that would probably be considered gorgeous now, but I thought they were hideous! So I plucked them myself as a 7th grader. HUGE mistake. I wish my mom would’ve stopped me and taken me to a professional to have them shaped, but unfortunately she didn’t and so I plucked and plucked with really no idea what I was doing.
After I got married I finally decided it was time to start filling them in, but again I was completely lost! I feel like I finally perfected the shape right before my microblading appointment, but boy was I wrong. I didn’t take a very good picture of my brows right before the procedure, but my technician did!
You’ll have to excuse my foundation-less face and day old eye makeup but I hope you can see how sparse my brows were! It’s something I’ve been embarrassed about for years! And it was really time consuming to fill in my brows whenever I got ready. I literally had to draw in my brows each time I did my makeup because there was nothing there! At my best, it took about 15 minutes. Now I can do all of my makeup in that amount of time!
If you’ve been wondering about microblading, here is the process:
1. Find an artist you trust: I spent several months researching different technicians in my area until I found a few who looked very experienced. I finally decided on Patty from 3D Brows Utah! She is amazing and I highly recommend her. I chose her because I saw several photos of before and afters, along with photos of the healed results. Some artists have great results right after the procedure, but the healed strokes may not look the best. You’ll also want to look for someone who will match the brows to your natural shape and not just do a set style of brows on everyone. You’ll also want to make sure the technician is licensed! I’ve seen some really scary microblading photos from people you can tell aren’t licensed. Always ask!
2. Plan on several hours: I was a model for a microblading student, but even then it took her and Patty an hour just to draw the shape for my brows. It may not take as long for someone who has more hairs that I do, but they measure and re-measure to make sure everything is symmetrical with your face. This is where I was wrong with the shape I was drawing on. They brought my brows up to make my hooded eyes look larger and it really makes a difference! Another thing you’ll want to do is approve the design! They initially drew my brows smaller than I wanted them so I asked for a bigger shape. They are going to be semi-permanent so make sure you like them!
3. Numbing: After the shape is drawn, you’ll be taken back to get numb. This is key! You should not feel any pain during the process! If you do, you weren’t numbed correctly! I had both Patty and her assistant tell me this. To do the numbing, they prick you with some of the blades and then apply the numbing cream to sit and saturate the skin. The pricking really feels like plucking your brows and wasn’t uncomfortable at all.
4. Microblading: Next the technician will begin drawing the strokes of hair. Something I wasn’t expecting was the sound! They are drawing small hairs in your skin by cutting through the first layer, and the sound can be a little unnerving, but I just asked for headphones so I didn’t have to listen to it. The should also make sure that you like them before finishing. Sit up and look in the mirror and make sure you point out any spots you want changed.
5. Let it sit: After the strokes are done, they’ll leave the pigment on your skin for 10 minutes or so to soak into the strokes. I actually went home with it on after my touch-up to make sure it really penetrated the skin.
6. Follow the aftercare: This was the hardest part for me! You’re not supposed to get the brows wet or even sweat for 14 days after the procedure! I workout 6 days a week so it was really hard to skip my workouts. Once the scabs started to fall off, I started again, but you’re supposed to wait 14 days! You’ll also want to apply antiseptic cream to help with color retention.
7. Touch up appointment: This is when my brows really started to take shape. I asked for them darker and larger than they were during the first appointment. This appointment was shorter than the first because they already had a template to work with.
I do need to add that I am currently nursing, I have oily skin, and I’m prone to sweating, so I was not an ideal candidate for microblading. When you are nursing or pregnant, your hormones can reject the color and the strokes might not take as well. That being said, I’m pretty happy with my results! I am getting excited for my yearly touch up because I won’t be nursing anymore and I’m hoping the color will really take that time.
Because some of the strokes didn’t stay as well, I do still fill my brows in with a little bit of powder, but it’s not nearly as heavy as I did before and it doesn’t take as long. Less than a minute tops because I have a great shape to follow! Below are my brows without any makeup and how I fill them in.
Jessica Ashcroft
Thursday 1st of December 2016
You are so sweet Kelsey! Ha ha I WISH I had that problem!
Kelsey
Thursday 1st of December 2016
Your brows are gorgeous and I'm so glad the procedure helped you feel confident and happy with them! I recently got full bangs that mostly cover my brows and I totally forgot to take care of them. I put my bangs up last week and noticed that my eyebrows have run totally wild in the last few months, eek!Kelseyacupofteawithkelsey.blogspot.com