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Microblading is the latest brow trend that’ll still have you looking good the morning after
Hear it from girls who swear by it
Ever since thick brows came onto the scene, most girls won’t leave their house until I’ve they’ve filled theirs in — even if they’ve done none of their other makeup. So it makes sense that with as busy as we are, we’ve turned to more permanent alternatives.
Microblading is a semi-permanent brow tattoo procedure where an artist uses a handheld tool instead of a machine. Through the process of inserting pigment into the upper layers of skin they create the desired fullness and shape of the brow.
Over the past few months the trend has taken over Instagram, and despite a few horror stories, girls cannot get enough of it.
But seriously, what the fuck is microblading?
We spoke to artist Sharon Major at SA Glam who specializes in permanent makeup. She told us about everything from picking our a shape, to the process, to healing.
How long does it take to have it done?
It takes about two hours. The normal is two sessions. The first session in the foundation, and the touch up is usually between four to six weeks — I call this bit where the magic happens.
Can I choose what shape my brows will be?
That’s the point! I create a shape based on whatever my patient likes. I tell them to bring a photo of what they want. If they don’t know, we spend time mapping different shapes onto their face until they’re happy. This bit takes the longest.
Does it hurt?
It can be a bit painful, but I always numb it with a gel before anything else. However, the patient can still feel it. After, I do a second numbing that goes deeper, because we are using a hand tool to create space, and creating actual lesions in the skin.
What is used to do it?
It’s a pigment not an ink actually. A lot of people think it’s ink like a tattoo.
Can you talk me through the process?
After the mapping, I start off like a tattoo, creating actual strokes on the skin. Sometimes if they don’t have a lot of hair I’ll draw the hair, I usually knock out the outline of the brow. I don’t normally draw all the hair.
Can brows be too thick to have it done?
Definitely not! The thinner the better — that’s what it’s for. I’d never turn away a customer because of thin brows.
How long does it last?
Mine will last a year a a half to two years, but because because its pigment instead of ink, the body will begin to absorb the color. There are things that can make it fade faster too, like spending a lot of time in the sun, but that’s why you get a touchup.
More and more girls are getting their brows microbladed
Taylor Mattern tried the trend and said it made her feel like a completely different person.
“I serve in a restaurant and now my guests are always taking pictures of my brows to show their techs what they want,” she told babe.
“The whole process was about 90 minutes and my technician showed me the color beforehand so I could see it with my skin tone.
“I’ve had tattoos and it was much less painful than that. The third, fourth, and fifth day they scabbed a little and were itchy. Don’t scratch them — poke them with your nails instead, and use cream on them at night. But I’ll go for a touch up in August and then they should last another year!”
So if you want to roll out of your (or someone else’s) bed in the morning with your best brows already on, microblading is definitely for you.