Brows | September 27, 2024
If you’ve tried everything possible in the market to get lush, thick eyebrows using brow pencils, gels, or waxes yet have still come up short, we’ve got one word for you: Microblading. This semi-permanent tattoo technique creates the illusion of natural-looking and perfectly groomed brows in just under 2 hours.
Unlike a traditional tattoo, which is permanent, eyebrow microblading will only last 1 or up to 3 years with proper care. While semi-permanent tattoos will fade over time, and touch-ups may be necessary, they may be your best bet at achieving realistic and full brows. By applying pigment that is less potent to the uppermost layer of skin, your eyebrows will not be too prominent, dominating your facial features.
To ensure your desired results from eyebrow microblading, it helps to be knowledgeable about the pigment used by the aesthetic clinic and whether allergy tests have been conducted, as well as their procedure and technique. Also, consider if this semi-permanent makeup is ideal for your skin and brow type. Here’s all you need to know about the revolutionary process of eyebrow microblading.
What is Microblading
Microblading is a semi-permanent makeup or cosmetic tattoo procedure. It is a form of eyebrow architecture or embroidery. It’s similar to getting a traditional tattoo, the main difference being that eyebrow microblading is not designed to last as long. Also, instead of a tattoo gun, estheticians use a microblading pen–a slim handheld tool with an angular tip to which 10 to 12 ultra-fine needles or microblades are attached.
At BROWZ, our expert estheticians will skillfully design the ideal brow shape that best suits each client’s facial features. They will then use the microblading pen to delicately scratch the surface (epidermis) of the skin, creating natural hair strokes while applying medical-grade pigment.
What do Microbladed Eyebrows Look Like?
Microbladed eyebrows are designed to look like natural hair. This semi-permanent makeup technique involves manually drawing featherweight strokes of hair, which results in realistically textured and full brows.
Note that microbladed eyebrows may appear darker than expected and be tender for the first few days, but don’t panic; they will gradually lighten and heal over the next 7 to 14 days. It is also crucial to have a follow-up appointment after 6 to 8 weeks to monitor healing and see if any adjustments need to be made.
Is Microblading a Tattoo?
Eyebrow microblading is a type of tattoo that is semi-permanent for cosmetic purposes. Unlike traditional tattoos, the ink used for eyebrow microblading is less concentrated and only applied superficially, so your body naturally metabolises it over time until it fades. Ink needs to be potent and pierce through deeper layers (dermis) of the skin in order to be permanent. Microbladed eyebrows are intended to look subtle but crisp, whereas traditional tattoos are bold and opaque.
How is Microblading Different from Eyebrow Tattooing?
Eyebrow microblading is only similar to eyebrow tattooing in the sense that pigment is applied to the skin. The longevity and appearance of results are different since smaller particles of pigment are used in microblading eyebrows. Pigment also doesn’t reach deep layers of skin, as with eyebrow tattooing.
Unlike eyebrow tattooing, microblading allows you to change the shape and style of your brows as often as you like. Moreover, the equipment used is not the same. Electric tattoo guns are not used when microblading eyebrows. Instead, estheticians manually draw hair-like strokes using a microblading pen, so there will be no buzzing sounds during the procedure.
The Microblading Procedure Step-by-Step
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Consultation
Our esthetician will schedule you for an initial consultation, during which you will be asked about your desired look. They will also analyse your facial features, provide input on what type of brow will best suit your face, and explain the semi-permanent makeup technique to manage your expectations of the final result.
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Patch Test
We will always conduct a patch test on the skin at least 24 hours before the actual procedure to check for possible allergic reactions. If there are no hiccups a day later, our esthetician will go ahead and draw your desired eyebrow shape using a measuring tool.
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Obtaining Measurements
Obtaining measurements enables our estheticians to determine the start and endpoints of the eyebrows while microblading. They will use special tools to measure directly from the eyebrows, ensuring that the shape of the microbladed brows does not look too different or deviate from the natural brows.
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Outlining
Our esthetician will outline your chosen brow style over your eyebrows to give you a better idea of how the end result will look. The outline is temporary, a rough sketch that may be darker than the actual result. If you are not satisfied with the outline, you can tell our esthetician, and they’ll be willing to accommodate your requests and make changes until your desired look is achieved.
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Choosing the Pigment Colour
Choosing the pigment colour is critical to microblading eyebrows as it affects the final look. Our esthetician will mix different colours to match your skin tone and hair color. They will also ask you to confirm if the chosen colour is to your liking and blends seamlessly with your face.
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Applying the Numbing Cream
With your approval of the outline and pigment colour, our esthetician will apply numbing cream to the eyebrow area to ensure minimum pain. Depending on your skin, numbing may take 10 to 30 minutes to be effective. Since it may take more than a few strokes and applications of pigment to achieve your desired result, our estheticians may apply the numbing cream more than once.
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Microblading Eyebrows
When the numbing cream has taken effect, our estheticians will use a microblading pen to delicately tattoo the brows. They will apply medical-grade pigment, creating featherlight strokes on the topmost layer of the skin. Once the initial layer of the desired eyebrow shape is in place, a final layer of pigment will be added. To help the skin absorb and allow the colour to set, our esthetician will spread a mask on the microbladed eyebrows.
How to Prepare for the Treatment
Pre-treatment instructions may vary depending on the aesthetic clinic, brow studio, or esthetician. Here are some general recommendations from our advanced skincare clinic in Dubai:
- Inform your esthetician if you’re taking antibiotics. It may be best to schedule your microblading session 2 weeks after your last dose to ensure the antibiotic will not affect the pigment’s colouring while healing.
- Show your esthetician a few reference pictures to give them a better idea of the eyebrow shape and colour you want to achieve through microblading.
- If you regularly get your eyebrows shaped, tinted, waxed, or threaded, get these treatments done 3 days before your microblading session.
- Discontinue using retinol and exfoliants 2 weeks before your treatment, as these active ingredients may make your skin more sensitive than usual.
- If you get Botox regularly, do it 2 weeks before microblading.
- Avoid getting chemical peels at least 4 weeks before your treatment.
- Avoid direct sun exposure and tanning for 2 weeks before your treatment procedure.
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine, ibuprofen, fish oil, vitamin E, and any blood-thinning medication 24 hours before your treatment.
How Long Does the Treatment Take?
On average, a microblading appointment will take two hours, including consultation, measuring, outlining, discussion, and colour matching the chosen pigment. Measuring and outlining usually take the most time, as our esthetician will ensure they achieve the perfect shape of your eyebrows and that they are to your liking. The actual procedure of microblading eyebrows will only take 30 minutes to 1 hour maximum.
How Long Do Microblading Results Last?
The results of eyebrow microblading typically last for 12 to 18 months and can go up to 3 years, depending on your skin type and lifestyle. As microblading is a semi-permanent makeup treatment, the pigment will naturally fade, and you will inevitably need a touch-up to maintain your desired results. On the plus side, the pigment will not transform into other undesirable colours as with permanent cosmetic tattoos.
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Microblading Treatment Cost
The cost of microblading eyebrows will be significantly influenced by various factors, such as your location, the aesthetic clinic or brow studio of choice, the experience of your esthetician, and the type or amount of pigment used.
What’s the Price of Microblading Eyebrows in Dubai?
In Dubai, microblading treatments are usually priced between 2,500 to 3,500 AED, including the follow-up session and consultation after 6 to 8 weeks. This can be subject to slight variations, like special client requirements and treatment offerings.
Is the Microblading Treatment Painful?
At BROWZ, microblading doesn’t hurt since we use a numbing cream or topical anesthetic to reduce any pain associated with the procedure. Our esthetician will be microblading eyebrows simultaneously to maximise time–applying initial layers of pigment on either eyebrow while waiting for the numbing cream to take effect on the other eyebrow. You will only feel the pressure from the microblading pen, which is like a mild scratching sensation.
Side Effects of Eyebrow Microblading
As with all skin treatments, there are potential side effects to microblading eyebrows. Apart from walking out from the clinic disappointed with how your eyebrows look, some people may also experience allergic reactions, infections, and scarring or keloids.
At BROWZ in Dubai, we ensure that eyebrow microblading is a safe semi-permanent procedure by having all our clients undergo a thorough consultation. Here, we analyse their skin type and characteristic and take their current health condition, medical treatment, and lifestyle factors into consideration before recommending any brow enhancement or procedure.
How Long Does Microblading Take to Heal?
The healing process for microblading lasts 4 to 6 weeks, depending on your skin type and the aftercare you’ve been following. At BROWZ in Dubai, we provide clients with personalised post-treatment instructions, plus an exclusive eyebrow serum and cream for extra protection and to boost healing.
Is There Any Downtime After The Microblading Treatment?
There is no downtime for microblading eyebrows, meaning clients usually continue with their day as usual, with some aftercare that will barely interfere with your routine. Your freshly microbladed brows will look 30% darker for the first 3 to 5 days (which is perfectly normal.) It will appear like you’ve coloured them using a darker eyebrow pencil than you normally would. Rest assured, your eyebrows will gradually lighten to your chosen colour of choice.
What Can I Expect During The Healing Period?
Immediately after your microblading session and during the healing period, it is normal for the treated area to be slightly red and for the colour of your brows to be darker. The mild redness is merely how your skin reacts to any scratch, while the colouring of your brows may seem off because your skin hasn’t fully absorbed the pigment yet.
Over the next 3 to 4 weeks, the colour of your brows will begin to fade as the pigment gradually softens. When this happens, expect a certain amount of flakiness or dryness around your brows. Again, this is no cause for concern. This is just your skin’s way of shedding excess pigment while healing from the inside.
Can You be Allergic to Microblading?
Yes, but it’s a very rare occurrence. Allergic reactions triggered by microblading can happen because of poor aftercare, such as shaving, tweezing, or using triple-antibiotic creams like Neosporin and cosmetic products before the brows are fully healed. They can also be experienced by those with skin sensitivities or because of the tools used for microblading.
Allergic reactions from microblading may manifest in the form of redness, swelling, and puffiness along the brow bone. In some cases, it may be a small burn in the brow area, causing the skin to expel the pigment and your brows to return to the way they were prior to treatment. Simply put, it would be as though your brows were never microbladed when the allergic reaction subsides.
At BROWZ in Dubai, we avoid allergic reactions from microblading eyebrows by conducting a comprehensive initial consultation and a patch test prior to treatment.
What Happens After the Microblading Treatment
Since microblading eyebrows involve gently scratching the surface of your skin with ultra-fine needles, it is completely normal for your skin to feel tender or sore, and appear slightly red after treatment. To facilitate the healing of your eyebrows, follow the aftercare instructions given by your estheticians. It will take around 4 to 6 weeks for microbladed eyebrows to fully heal. We strongly advise you to show up for your first and succeeding touch-up sessions, so that the esthetician can monitor your skin’s healing, make adjustments as needed, and maintain your desired results.
How to Take Care of Your Microbladed Eyebrows
Our esthetician will give you detailed post-treatment guidelines about how to care for your new brows. Here are some of the aftercare instructions you can expect from microblading:
- Avoid washing your eyebrows or getting them wet immediately after the treatment to help preserve the pigment.
- If your eyebrows do get wet, gently pat them dry with a tissue.
- If you absolutely need to wash your face, make sure your hands are clean and that you apply only light pressure to your skin.
- Resist the urge to touch or pick your eyebrows, especially during the flaking stage of healing, to avoid scarring the area or scraping the pigment off.
- To soothe the brows, you can apply a very small amount of coconut or rosehip oil.
- Ensure your showers are short and steam-free, and remember to apply a thin layer of moisturising cream on your eyebrows using a cotton swab after.
- Avoid strenuous physical activities, swimming, and saunas for at least 10 days post-procedure.
- Avoid facials, botox or peels (for at least four weeks.)
- Avoid direct sun or UV exposure for at least a week.
- If you do go out, wear hats and sunglasses that may shield the brow area and block glare.
- Always put sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and reapply every 2 hours.
- Don’t apply any makeup or skincare products on your brows until they’ve fully healed, or at least for 10 days.
- Avoid products that contain retinol, as it can quicken the fading process.
Even after your microblade brows have completely healed, remain mindful of your lifestyle and habits, as these will determine the longevity of the results.
What Happens at the Touch-Up Session?
The first touch-up session is usually scheduled 4 to 8 weeks after your initial microblading treatment, during which our esthetician may need to readjust pigment colour for lasting results, and apply more strokes to increase the brow thickness.
Just as every individual’s skin is unique, its ability to retain pigment and healing response will also vary. It is perfectly normal for some strokes to have disappeared during the healing period. It just means that the skin in that particular part of the brow was not able to fully absorb the pigment or retain specific strokes. The purpose of a first touch-up session is to fix and address all the irregularities that occurred while the skin was healing and redefine your eyebrows.
The first touch-up session is also an excellent opportunity to modify the shape or colour of the brow if you are not satisfied with the output. Succeeding touch-up sessions are encouraged to prolong the longevity of the results of your microblading and for some minor tweaking.
Will Microblading Stop Natural Eyebrow Hair Growth?
At BROWZ in Dubai, our microblading procedure is only an eyebrow tattooing technique. It is a semi-permanent makeup procedure that doesn’t involve removing hair from your eyebrows nor does it impact hair growth on your eyebrows. We enhance the look of brows with sparse hairs, creating the illusion of fuller and textured brows by applying pigment as we make fine hair-like strokes.
Will I Still Need to Get my Natural Brows Shaped, Plucked, or Dyed After Microblading?
Yes. Since microblading eyebrows does not affect hair growth nor its colour, you may still need to pluck the hairs that continue to grow outside of the pigmented area or dye the lighter hairs to maintain evenly coloured brows. However, the frequency will vary from person to person, depending on the amount of hair growth.
On the plus side, it’ll be so much simpler to keep your eyebrows perfectly groomed after microblading. It is the best outline and basis you can have to maintain the ideal brow shape and colour for your face. Additionally, you’ll spend less time applying makeup on your brows, and save money on brow products for the most part.
FAQs about Microblading
Will my microblading fade completely?
Yes. The pigment used for microblading eyebrows will gradually and naturally be metabolised by your body. On average, the colour fades by roughly 50% in a year or more. How fast the pigment dissolves will depend on your skin type, habits, and lifestyle. To prolong the results of microblading, we encourage you to have your eyebrows touched-up after 6 to 8 weeks and periodically every 4 to 6 months. Missing your first touch-up session may cause your microbladed brows to fade within 6 to12 months.
How frequent are the touch-up sessions?
How often you need a touch-up depends on your skin type, habits, lifestyle and the look you prefer to maintain. Generally, people with oily skin, big pores, or those frequently exposed to the sun and tanning booths will need touch-ups more often. For the most part, we recommend you have your microbladed brows touched up semi-annually or every 4 to 6 months to deepen the colour of the pigment. You can also take advantage of your touch-up session to refresh or alter the look of your microbladed brows.
Who cannot get microblading done?
While microblading is a safe and minimally invasive semi-permanent makeup procedure, we consider your pre-existing health conditions or the medical treatments you are currently undergoing. The initial consultation allows us to assess if you’re an ideal candidate for microblading. Unfortunately, microblading may not be suitable for the following individuals:
- Below 18 years
- Pregnant
- Diabetic patients
- Prone to forming keloids or hypertrophic scarring
- Taking blood-thinning medication or undergoing chemotherapy
- Have super thin skin, eczema, shingles, or rashes near the eyebrows
- Vulnerable to rosacea, or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
- Diagnosed with a transmittable blood disease such as HIV or Hepatitis
- Allergic to a numbing agent or topical anesthetic
A doctor’s note will be required for anyone with serious diseases such as cancer, epilepsy or autoimmune, circulatory and bleeding disorders. There is a waiting period if you are currently taking strong retinoids (6 months), have recently undergone Botox (2 months), waxing (3 days) or a chemical peel (2 weeks).
Can I get microblading if I’m pregnant?
Microblading is not advisable for pregnant women. This is mainly because there is no evidence on the effects of microblading and the pigment used on the expectant mother and their fetus. Moreover, the results of microblading may be affected by hormonal and physical changes that occur during pregnancy.
Can I get microblading when breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding women may undergo a semi-permanent makeup procedure like microblading for as long as they agree to skip the application of the numbing cream or topical anesthetic, which can be painful. We generally advise new mothers to book their microblading session when they have stopped breastfeeding.
Can I exercise after the microblading procedure?
No, you cannot. You should avoid exercising and other strenuous activities that make you sweat for at least 7 days following your microblading procedure. This is because the salt in your sweat can cause the pigment to fade at a quicker pace during the healing period, giving you poor results afterward. If you must push through with your fitness routine,opt for less intense exercise modalities that will not make you sweat as much and be sure to clean the microbladed area with lukewarm water soon after.
Is it possible to cover an eyebrow tattoo with microblading?
Whether or not microblading can cover up your existing eyebrow tattoo will depend on its condition. Our esthetician will see if you can achieve your desired result with microblading during the initial consultation.Generally, we can cover up an eyebrow tattoo with microblading if the tattoo is very light and the ink wasn’t deposited too deep into the skin. However, if your eyebrow tattoo is too dark, the hair strokes done through microblading will not show up. Rest assured, our esthetician will be able to recommend alternative brow techniques.
Final Thoughts on Microblading Eyebrows
While microblading eyebrows may seem like a tedious procedure, it will surely pay off when you see the reflection of lush, textured, and natural-looking brows staring right back at you in the mirror.
Microblading is a semi-permanent makeup procedure worth exploring if you want perfectly groomed brows as soon as you wake up. You won’t have to worry about filling in your brows nor will you need to stock up on brow products for a while.
We hope we’ve covered all you need to know about a microblading procedure. If you have any more unanswered questions or want to set up an appointment with the Middle East’s top brow bar, contact us at BROWZ. Allow our expert esthetician to design the ideal brow shape and colour that will highlight your facial features.
