What You Need to Know About Microblading
Written by Lauren Arent (Lo Clark)
Owner of Bewitched Esthetics & Licensed Esthetician since 2013
October 19th, 2022
Hello my darlings,
Microblading is all the craze right now and for good reason. I can’t tell you how many happy faces leave my room: from clients who have never had brows and now have the brows of their dreams to clients who simply never have to pencil their brows in again!
Are you unsure of what microblading is exactly? Wondering if microblading is the right choice for you?
I am going to give you ALL the facts you could possibly want. I’m even going to tell you the science of microblading and why it differs from a tattoo, even why it (in my opinion) is better than tattooed brows.
What is Microblading?
Microblading by definition is a semi-permanent pigmentation procedure that either recreates the appearance of eyebrows or enhances the brows one already has.
Basically what this means is microblading is a realistic tattoo that won’t last forever.
Let me explain…
When you get a tattoo, the artist will use a machine that has a needle that moves REALLY fast. This needle is dipped in ink and when it penetrates your skin, it pushes the ink into the second layer (the dermis) of your skin. Technically, your dermis also has several levels and tattooing deposits the ink into the lower levels of the dermis.
Your body is a beautiful thing.
The needle penetrating the dermis is creating a wound, which triggers the body’s natural healing response. White blood cells activate to heal along with these little cells called macrophages. Macrophages have the lovely task of removing foreign material from the body.
Ink is their target in this case and here is where things get a little magical. The macrophages can’t break down the ink, in fact, it weighs them down causing them to get stuck in the gel matrix of the dermis. This gel matrix is an invisible layer beneath the epidermis (first layer of skin). So tattoo ink really isn’t on the surface of your skin, it’s in a see through layer beneath your skin.
How cool is that?
So now let me explain the downside of a tattoo before I explain how this all ties in with microblading.
Macrophages do not live forever. When they die, they rupture and release the ink once more. The ink will sit and spread until more macrophages come and gobble up the pigment again. Then they sit in the gel matrix until they die and the process repeats over and over and over again.
This is the unique process that leads to the appearance of “spreading” “bleeding” or “fanning” as a tattoo ages. We have all seen tattoos on elderly people. We’ve seen how they fade, how the lines blurr and spread out. This is just the life of a tattoo.
Ok. Still with me? Now let me explain how ALL of this correlates to a tattoo.
No Such Thing As Semi-permanent
So technically there is no such thing as semi-permanent. The epidermis is CONSTANTLY replacing itself (every 4 to 6 weeks). So if we deposit ink into that layer, we would only have a tattoo for a matter of weeks. If we plant ink into the dermis, well you now know what happens in the dermis.
So how do we create a tattoo that won’t continue to “spread” or “fan” forever?
It comes down to the amount of pigment being placed into the dermis. Uncontrolled/heavy amounts of pigment (as when placed by a machine) will weigh down the macrophages for years but if we can control the amount of ink deposited, the lymphatic system can actually get rid of micro amounts of pigment in less time than forever. (This is why eventually, no matter how dark your tattoo once was, it will fade with time.)
When I microblade, I use a tool that looks very much like a colorful scalpel. Instead of a single blade however, the tip is actually made up of a series of micro needles. The process of pigment implantation is done manually during microblading.
It is also very important for the artist to pay attention to the depth of implantation. What this means is, using the micro needles, I make a micro incision and push the ink into the upper levels of the dermis, a place known as “the sweet spot” in the industry. In this manner, there is just the right of pigment placed into the skin at the perfect depth so that the macrophages are weighed down but only enough for a few life cycles before the lymphatic system will carry away the pigment for good!
This micro incision has many purposes.
#1. Is so that the result looks like a fine hair stroke, which we build into a full brow.
#2. Is so that it heals without a scar. This is VERY important because you will need touch ups and we do not want to go over scar tissue, this is very bad for your body (remember, your skin is your largest organ). Think of the micro incisions kinda like a paper cut.
#3. Is so we don’t weigh down those macrophages too much and end up with strokes that will bleed/spread/fan over time.
Speaking as your technician for a moment
It is very important to understand if you have thin skin, you may end up with blurred/dark strokes because depth is hard to control the more fragile your skin is.
It is also important to note, that just as it is very difficult to control how deep the pigment goes, it is also difficult to control how shallow. The reason for a 6 week touch up? Some of the ink won’t make it into the very careful location of the upper dermis. If it remains in the epidermis, as I pointed out above, the lymphatic system will remove the pigment within a span of 4 to 6 weeks. There is also a whole lot to talk about regarding the healing process and if you want to get more in depth with that, please CLICK HERE.
So now you know the science behind microblading!
This is just my opinion but when it comes down to having tattooed brows vs. microbladed brows, I will always vote microbladed!
And here’s why.
BROWS ARE A TREND
Guys. Remember the 80’s/90’s styled brows? The thin lines that were so in just a few decades ago? I sure do, because they make up 90% of my clientele. I have people asking me every day, “how can I grow back my over-plucked brows?”
Same thing applies to the “powdered brows” that are so popular right now. I can’t promise you that ten years from now this particular style will still be a trend. So PLEASE don’t get anything permanent on your skin that you may not love as the trends change.
This is why my style is classic. Classic is always in! Let’s enhance what you already have or give you a natural looking brow so there will never be any regrets. You can always put makeup on those babies if you’re going out for the night but I can’t tell you how unnatural it looks when you wake up on a lake day and your brows look ready for the club.
AGAIN THIS IS JUST MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION
I can’t speak for everyone, but I can tell you purely from observation that my clients who had their brows tattooed in the 90’s regret the decision. At least with microblading, you’re only making a commitment for a few years.
Yes it’s frustrating to get touch ups, but the maintenance is worth not having regrets. Plus, touch ups keep your brows looking fresh year after year. Even tattoos will need to be touched up eventually but the blurred lines will never fade completely.
I understand some of the frustrations of touch ups which is why I have a unique set up for your brows. I do my touch ups in stages, so you can decide when you want to come back in for fresh brows. No need to wait a full year to get your money’s worth, I have broken down the year into segments so you only pay for what you need. I have clients that come every 2 to 4 months and only pay $85 a session!
If you want to see my full menu, please CLICK HERE.
Please feel free to send me a message if you have more questions or leave a comment below if you like the info I’ve shared with you today!
I love my job. I love bringing happiness to people who have never before had brows or people who want to eliminate their morning routine of penciling in those pesky brows. If you are one of those who NEED BROWS NOW, you can BOOK WITH ME HERE or through my esthetics page. I can’t wait to see your smiling face!
Wishing you a life full of beauty and blessings!
