Pencil-thin eyebrows, which were once considered extremely stylish and elegant, are passé. This decade, we welcomed the bushy brow, thanks to celebrities like Cara Delevingne, Emma Watson, Deepika Padukone and Lily Collins. So those who hate plucking can rejoice in the tweezer-free trend, but there’s one little problem: growing out your brows can be a total pain, especially if you’re not naturally blessed with the fuller look. However, there is a solution, though not a permanent one. Want to know the secret to faking fuller eyebrows that look totally natural? Microblading.
It might just be the hassle-free alternative to spending hours penciling in your eyebrows only to get the shape completely wrong.
WHAT IS MICROBLADING? — microblading, a form of eyebrow architecture, is all about creating the best brow shape for each face. With extreme precision, a tool which effectively acts like a pen with the nib being a sloped blade with 10-12 little needles – that don’t penetrate the skin, just delicately scratch the surface – very finely implants featherweight strokes with a medical grade pigment on the skin’s epidermis layer, creating fine, realistic and natural hair strokes. The artist may also use a shading technique that involves “plucking” the skin to deposit the ink manually.
HOW LONG DOES MICROBLADING LAST? — you will need a touch-up in about a month. Usually, microblading can last anywhere from 12 months to three years, depending on your lifestyle and skin type. For people with slightly more oily skin, it will last around the 12-month mark before needing a top-up, but it can last for up to 18 months for those with normal skin. A few ways to extend its life: stay out of the sun, since it can fade the pigment, and avoid putting exfoliants like retinol and glycolic acid near your brows because they’ll lift the top layers of your skin with continued use along with the colour. However, the important thing to be noted is that your brows will eventually fade away if you don’t continue with top-ups every 18 months or so.
Microblading, a form of eyebrow architecture, is all about creating the best brow shape for each face
DOES MICROBLADING HURT? — it doesn’t hurt as such, it is more of a sensation. The process itself is not painful, thanks to the numbing ointment that is applied before the process begins. It is sometimes the sound of the blade which people find scary – a small scratching sound. Other than that, the entire process is very quick; it’s actually the numbing which takes the maximum time.
Before going for microblading:
Do not pick, tweeze, wax or have electrolysis one week prior.
Do not use sunbeds or sit in direct sunlight two weeks before.
Do not get any type of facial done or use peel two weeks prior.
Stop using any retinol or Vitamin A products one month prior.
No exercising on the day.
Do not get a Botox done three weeks before.
Do not take fish oil or Vitamin E one week prior.
Do not wax or tint your eyebrows three days prior.
On the day of getting the microblading
Do not drink alcohol 24-48 hours prior to your appointment.
Do not drink coffee two hours prior.
Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen 24 hours prior.