Blog Science: I Got My Brows Microbladed.

I got my brows microbladed...for science! Okay, not really. I got them microbladed because my brows had gotten thin and patchy and I was tired of filling them in every day. Could I just not? Sure, but without brows I look older and a bit washed out. Plus, it was a birthday gift to myself and I was dying to try the local artist who my (awesome) hairstylist recommended. Her brows looked amazing and I wanted in, man. 

If you aren't familiar with microblading, it's a semi-permanent tattooing procedure using a hand-held tool and pigment to lightly scratch hair strokes into your face. It sounds great, right? No? Ha. Screw it, let's do this. Here's where I started:

When I was young I had really nice, thick brows. Then the 90s happened and we all waxed our brows into oblivion. I blame Drew Barrymore. I grew them back in but in the last few years they've gotten patchy and thin. Just vanishing off my face. I was REAL TIRED of filling them in so I made an microblading appointment in January. 

Microblading is a two appointment process. During the first appointment she measured my face and spends quite a lot of time drawing in my new brows with a grease pencil.  Once I approved, the numbing cream went on: 

Then the microblading started. The tool makes a scratching noise which is weird as hell. The first pass didn't hurt. I could sort of feel it, but it didn't hurt. The next pass? It definitely hurt. Even with more numbing cream, I could feel it. It wasn't excruciating, but I was glad when it stopped. After she was finished she put a bunch more pigment on top and I sat around and let that do it's thing:

I texted this pic to Marianne with the caption, "So natural! I love them!" Finally, I was cleaned up and sent on my way with a strict list of care instructions - Do not get them wet for two weeks. Do not sweat for two weeks. Do not touch. Do not pick. Be good. Here's what I looked like right after my first appointment:

Pretty nice. They got darker and less crisp as they healed. Here's how they looked a few days later:

Over the next two weeks they flaked and scabbed and I will spare you those photos. It was a process. It's also an enormous pain in the ass to keep your eyebrows dry for two weeks but I did it. My next appointment was seven weeks later. By then, my brows looked like this:

They were okay but I was antsy to get this whole thing finished. The second appointment is a touch-up because the pigment doesn't always completely take or it fades or spots get missed. All of this is corrected in the second appointment. I was so ready for it because, while I was enjoying my new brows, I wanted MORE. I walked in all, "Remember how I said I didn't want them too bold? Ignore that. I want more." She laughed and said everyone says that. 

The second appointment was much shorter. She listened to my requests that my left brow be brought in a bit to match my right (which is my "good" brow) and she bumped it all up a little bit. This is how they looked a few days after the second appointment: 

I am super happy with them! They look really natural, which is exactly what I wanted. I am not really into super groomed, sharp brows. Here's a before and after for comparison: 

Quite a difference, right?  It was a process but now I get 12-18 months of just having nice brows. Sometimes I use some tinted brow gel but mostly they're good on their own. I am still digging my right brow (on the left in the pic) more but there's a small scar through my left brown that makes it a bit wonky. I swear I have never looked at my eyebrows this much in my entire life. 

Questions? Concerns?