REAL LIFE: PERMANENT MICROBLADE BROWS

If you follow me on Instagram [@beautysnoop], you may have seen that I recently had my eyebrows tattooed using a semi-permanent technique known as Hair Stroke Microblading. I have been wanting to have my brows tattooed for years, but never had the courage to go for it.

But after years of contemplating, and of course LOTS of research on experts in my area who perform this type of service, I decided to take the plunge! Here is what you need to know, if you ever want to try it too:

There are two main ways to tattoo brows; one method is soft tap, which is performed by hand using small micro blades. The other is using an electric tattoo pen which is more similar to the types of tattoo guns used in body art.

I chose to go with the soft tap method because the results are slightly less permanent and will require yearly touchups. This seemed less scary to me, seeing as there would be some fading of the pigment... just incase I wasn't happy with it.

After you know what method you prefer, spend plenty of time researching the service providers in your area. For me that research was mostly done on instagram, meaning I followed several technicians for months to gauge the consistency of their work, and see many different before's and afters of patients. I was looking for custom results on each person, and not a 'stenciled' type appearance. I also was looking for someone that created brow shapes that appealed to my personal aesthetic.

Once I made a decision on my technician, it was s time for the big day! I ended up booking with (Sees patients in UT and AZ) and Melanie could not have been more wonderful to work with, she's highly recommended! Check out her instagram for some amazing results. Allure Artistry

The process starts with a numbing cream applied to your brows- it's similar to the types used at the dentist only in a topical form. This helps 'take the edge off' during the procedure. Next, you'll decide on a color for your brows. I brought a few pics on my phone of my normal day-to-day brows when I have makeup on them so she could see the shape and color I am aiming for.

Melanie used a ruler to determine the shape and width of the brows that would best suit my face, and together we tweaked the shape until it was a perfect fit.

Next the actual procedure started, and I am not going to lie... it was more intense than I expected. It hurts in an 'uncomfortable' way, more than a true 'painful' kind of way. The worst part for me was the sound, which is like a repetitive scraping and popping on the skin as the blade cuts through the first layers of skin.

The microblade is used to create small incisions in the skin in the shape of hairs themselves. Then the dye is wiped over the incisions so that as they heal, the dye will be embedded just under the skin. Again it isn't the most wonderful experience in the world, but it is certainly tolerable and worth the final results. You'll also go back for a touchup about 6 weeks after the initial service to fill in any spots that didn't take the dye, and to add some more detail hairs. Maintenance after that is usually once per year.

The healing process was about a week long. The first fews days my brows were very tender to the touch but did not bleed or puss at all, and I was able to return to work the very next day. After that they were slightly itchy as the the top layer forms a thin greyish scab. I was instructed to avoid picking, and to keep the brows moistened with Aquifer at night. After all the skin sloughed off, I was left with a nice rich color, which was about 30% lighter than the color on the day of the application. I have a few spots that need to be touched up at my followup, but not many at all.

Expect to pay around $450 for this type of service, with annual touchups closer to $200. The expense to me was worth it already, because I have brows that are now evenly spaced, much better shaped and colored, and I don't have to spend nearly as much time on my makeup anymore. I wake up with brows and that is amazing! If you've ever wanted to do this, do your research and then go for it, I am so glad I did.

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.