Microblading: 10 Things To Know Before You Get It Done

Microblading: everything you’ve ever wanted to know, and more.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been eyeing the microblading trend for awhile now, but have been too nervous to actually get it done. I mean, it seems a little too permanent, and ohmigosh, it involves needles, right?

Guys. I’m here for you in your time of cosmetic need.  And I’m happy to tell you I had microblading done in the interest of research, and I la-la-love my new eyebrows. I have decent eyebrows, but between over-plucking (like we all did in the 1990’s during our Gwen Stefani stage) and my middle-age hormones, they’re a little bit of a struggle-bus. I’ve been filling them in with eye shadow for the last several years to keep them looking full, but mostly I just pluck them into a good shape and leave them alone. You can imagine how stoked I was to find out about microblading, which makes eyebrows look lush and natural.

I’m going to walk you through a photo step-by-step of how the whole process works. But before I do, here are some things to know heading into your appointment.

Microblading: 10 Things To Know Before You Get It Done

• 1. Microblading is semi-permanent tattooing, it lasts about 2-3 years, and needs touch ups about once a year. I’m a few months out from my first appointment and my eyebrows look great. They don’t look tattooed on, they just look like I have awesome, natural eyebrows.

• 2. Microblading is done with a tiny razor with several miniature blades that mimic the shape of actual hair. The razor is dipped in ink and gently pressed into the skin on and around your eyebrows. It creates the illusion of individual hairs, and looks so natural and gorgeous when it’s done right.

• 3. Microblading is an UNREGULATED industry. Which means that your technician could be completely amazing OR you could end up with a disaster. Shop around, check portfolios, get recommendations from friends. If you live in Utah, check out Jenny with Creekside Brows.  She did an fantastic job on my eyebrows. (this is not an ad)

• 4. Be real about what you’re hoping for to accomplish with microblading. It’s not a perfect process, but it can be awesome if you go into it with realistic expectations. It doesn’t last forever, and those Cara Delevingne eyebrows you love miiiiight not work on your face. Your tech can help you figure it all out.

• 5. If you’re properly numbed, microblading doesn’t hurt. Be sure to let your technician know if you need extra Lidocaine. Once I was nice and numb it was no big deal. It should NOT hurt.

• 6. Once your eyebrows are finished and the Lidocaine has worn off, they might be a little raw for about 24 hours after your appointment. My eyebrows kind of felt like I’d just been freshly waxed, for about 48 hours. No big deal.

• 7. You can’t get your eyebrows wet for two weeks after microblading – no working out, swimming, saunas, etc. I taped Saran Wrap to my eyebrows and showered with a shower cap for two full weeks. It was probably the most difficult part of the whole process for me, but it was still totally worth it.

• 8. Five to seven days after microblading, your eyebrows will start to flake off.  They might itch a lot (mine did). It might feel scary to you, to have falling-off eyebrows (it did for me) but it’s normal. I was in Washington, D.C. on day five, meeting with members of congress, when my eyebrows started to flake off in chunks. I freaked out and texted pictures to my eyebrow girl, who assured me everything was fine, (and it was).  The most important thing is that you DO NOT TOUCH your eyebrows. If you pull on your eyebrows when they itch, it can rip the hairs out right along with all of the pigment. Give them time and they will look amazing.

• 9. Microbladed eyebrows fade significantly within six weeks of microblading. Don’t sweat it.  Make a 6 week follow-up appointment to get them filled in again.  If you like them a lot, plan to continue getting regular touch ups to keep them looking foxy.

• 10. Two weeks after microblading your eyebrows will look amazing. You’ll need to pluck around the shape, but won’t need to do anything else to keep them looking fabulous. It’s pretty much the best thing ever.

Step 1: Shaping

My technician used an eyebrow pencil to pencil in the shape I wanted, erasing and adding to get them just perfect.  She waxed and plucked around the edges until I was happy with it, and then we got started.

Step 2: Dotting

Once we had a shape colored in, I laid down on the table, and my tech used a black marker to dot the outline of my eyebrows.

Step 3: Roughing up with a razor

Once the shape was in place, my tech used a razor to rough up the skin so the Lidocaine (numbing cream) would be more effective. It was a little uncomfortable, but I was fine.

Step 4: Lidocaine

Once the skin under my eyebrow was a little roughed up, my tech coated my eyebrows with Lidocaine.  It worked okay, but after she tried working for a minute and it still hurt, I asked her to use more numbing cream.  Once it was all numb, I didn’t feel the blade at all.  Truly.

Step 5: Razor + ink

Once the numbing cream was in full effect, it was time to tattoo. My tech used a chocolate brown ink, dipping the razor into the ink, and then using quick straight strokes with her razor to mimic the shape of real eyebrow hairs.

Step 6: Microblading

My tech worked on one eyebrow at a time, getting the shape just right, before moving on to the other eyebrow.  Once one coat was on one eyebrow, she moved on to the other while the first one had time to soak in. She repeated that twice, so each eyebrow had enough ink and time to process.

Step 7: Process time

My tech covered both eyebrows in plastic and let the ink process for about 30 minutes.

Step 8: All done!

Voila!

My eyebrows were amazing right after microblading.  I wish they would’ve stayed as rich and full as they were immediately after I had them done but, like all good things, they fade. The recommendation is to have your eyebrows touched up 6 weeks after the initial visit to fill in spots that didn’t take ink as well, or faded.

That’s it! I hope this answered any questions you might have had about microblading.  If it didn’t, please leave a comment with your question and I’ll help you find an answer.

Allison

Hello there! I'm Allison Czarnecki, founder + editor of Petit Elefant, a blog all about style on a budget for every part of your life: style / home / travel / family. I do a lot of how-to beauty + style tutorials, travel posts, easy recipes, home remodel projects, and cool DIY crafts you totally want to try. I'm super happily married (to a hot Polish immigrant) and am the mother of two kids, a daughter and son, all of whom are featured here on the regular. We live in the country but we're a little bit rock + roll. Welcome!