What is Microblading?

Microblading is a semi-permanent cosmetic enhancement that give the illusion of fuller brows. Essentially, it is the process of tattooing tiny brow hairs with a needle.

I initially thought that microblading was the same thing as permanent brow tattooing done in nail salons. Which, not going to lie, instantly turned me off. Come to find out, with microblading, the artist uses a needle to cut hair-like strokes then the semi-permanent ink is deposited under the skin. I love the fact that this is semi-permanent because you never know whether this is something you want to keep long-term.

The procedure takes about 3 hours to complete, so make sure you carve a good chunk of time out of your schedule when making your appointment.

It is recommended to get a touch up after the first 6 weeks. After that, you shouldn’t need another touch up for at least a year, depending on your skin type. If your skin is on the dry side, then you are in luck. Your brows will last a little longer than those who have oily skin. If you have oily skin, no problem! That just means you will have to get a touch up a tad bit sooner, usually around 8 months.

Price wise, it is definitely an investment. Services can range anywhere from $350 to $1,400 depending on the location, artist’s experience, and the type of microblading you decide to get done. Is it worth it? Well that depends. If you are someone who already has full brows, then I would say it’s probably not worth the investment. But, if you are someone who barely has brows and spends a good amount of time in the morning drawing them on, then YES! It is worth it!

Have more questions? Check out Huemon Beauty’s F.A.Q. page for additional information on the process!

My experience

On to the good stuff now! So about 6 weeks ago, Huemon Beauty and I partnered up to decide which semi-permanent makeup service would best fit my lifestyle. The makeup services provided include: eyebrows, eyeliner, freckles, and lips. I knew immediately I wanted to get my brows done (who doesn’t like having their brows on fleek 24/7).

Huemon Beauty is owned by a super sweet lady named Deyonne. Her salon is located in Rockville, so if you live in the DMV area, then I highly recommend checking her out.

Prior to my appointment, I was advised to follow the below care commitments. The list is a little hefty, but each item is extremely important in order to achieve the best results.

care commitments

Please, plan your vacations accordingly to your appointment. It will take about 4-5 weeks for your eyebrows to fully heal after initial procedure, and touch-ups. Intensified sunrays can alter the pigment. Please no intentional tanning 4 weeks prior to application. If you get sunburn on your face, you must allow it to heal for 4 weeks.

You must stop taking antibiotics 3 weeks from your procedure. Please consult your doctor before doing so.

No laser procedure or peels should be done 4 weeks prior to your microblading procedure.

No intentional tanning 4 weeks prior to application. If you get sunburn on your face, you must allow at least 4 weeks for it to heal.

If you don’t feel well in general, have a cold or any symptoms of sickness, please contact us to reschedule your appointment.

No waxing, tweezing or tinting 3 days before the procedure; electrolysis no less than 5 days before. Do not resume any method of hair removal for at least 2 weeks.

Eyelash or eyebrow tinting and/or curing should be done no sooner than 48 hours before, or at least two weeks after the procedure.

Botox should be performed no sooner than at least 2 weeks prior to your appointment.

Microneedling should be done no sooner than 2 weeks prior to your procedure.

Botox, AHA products and retinoid should be avoided for 2 weeks prior to the procedure.

Exfoliating treatments such as microdermabrasion should not be performed within 2 weeks prior to procedure.

Do not consume alcohol or caffeine up within 72 hours (3 days) of your appointment (or anti-anxiety/depression medications 24 hours before your appointment). Doing so will increase blood thinning, and can cause you to bleed and push out pigment – resulting in less color retention.

Tips you should know

– Get the procedure done in the Fall

– Face wipes are your best friend for the first two weeks

– Use the antibacterial cream provided by your artist every day

before

I had pretty full brows to begin with, however, I was still filling them in whenever I wore makeup (aka everyday).

The process

We started off with creating the perfect shape for my face. Deyonne was EXTREMELY precise. Like extremely. She would not accept anything less than perfect. That being said, this was by far the longest part of the process. It took about 1.5 to 2 hours to ensure that both sides were even.

That is a good thing though. You want to ensure that your artist takes their time with this step since you will have to live with the results for the next year or so.

Pre-inked mapping string is used to graph out the starting/stopping points for your brows as well as the arch.

From there, Deyonne was able to draw the final shape that fit best for my face.

The mapping lines were then erased so that only the brow outline was left.

Next, was the numbing cream. Definitely make sure you get the numbing cream! It has to sit for 30 minutes before actually microblading.

I recommend using this time to eat something!

Let the process begin.

I know the biggest question is: does it hurt? In my opinion, no. Is it uncomfortable? Yes. The part that freaked me out the most was the sound. You can literally hear the needle cutting into your skin, but couldn’t really feel it.

Thankfully, this was the quickest part of the whole procedure. It took about 45 minutes to do both eyebrows.

after

The results were incredible! Huemon Beauty really did do an amazing job. From start to finish, both Sabir and I were very impressed! I have provided the after care commitments below in addition to a diary about my experience afterwards.

After care commitments

Immediately after the procedure, gently blot the area with a clean cotton pad and filtered/distilled water (or boiled spring water at lukewarm temperature) to remove bacteria and dead skin. No matter what time of day the procedure ends (8am or 10pm) blot every hour (with a new cotton pad) for the rest of the day. This will also help absorb the excess lymph fluid until the oozing has stopped. If your procedure ends anytime after 8pm, continue to repeat this step the following day for half of the day.

The area will feel like a sunburn. You may take an Advil to help alleviate any swelling or apply a clean icepack washed with anti-bacterial soap and wrapped in paper towel to the treated area only if necessary.

The tattooed area will appear lighter on the 1st day than any other day of the healing process.

Day 2 – Please be aware that the color intensity will be significantly darker and sharper the day after the procedure– this normal. The color will get gradually darker and more defined day by day. The color will be 50-60% darker during the healing process and then will soften/lighten once the results are final. Your brow can appear more solid at this point – this is normal.

After Day 2 – Blot the healing area with a tissue every 1-2 hours (do not apply water). Instead, Apply a small portion of the Bepanthen Plus that was provided to (no larger than the size of a crumb s) to the healing area. Use one end of the Q-tip for the eyebrow and the other end of the Q-tip for the other to avoid any cross contamination. Do not over apply as this will suffocate the skin and delay healing.

Healing process

Day 2 – My eyebrows were very dark due to scabbing. I experienced a little pain but it was bearable. Showering was pretty easy with the visor, however, I still tried to keep my face out of the water.

Days 3-4 – I started to notice a ton of scabbing under my brow hair, making my brows look a tad darker. I would say that these were the toughest days only because it was extremely noticeable that I did something different.

Day 5 – The scabbing began to heal on day 5 (THANKFULLY)! My left eyebrow bled more during the microbleeding so there was more healing to be done there.

Day 6 – The first peel! The front of my brows started to peel. Although the scabs were coming off, I was still able to see color.

Days 7-10 – My brows continued to shed. I would say that this was my least favorite part of the healing process.

Day 15-Now – Completely healed!

I am coming up on six weeks and I can genuinely say that it is worth it! I am in love with my brows and love the fact that I can just wake up and head out the door. My six week touch up is approaching and this is when we add ink to the areas that may have lightened up.

As a disclosure, I partnered with Huemon Beauty so that I could share my experience with my audience. That being said, these are still my honest opinions. I would never recommend something I didn’t truly love.

What do you guys think about microblading? Let me know in the comments below if it is something you would consider doing!

What is Microblading? | 6 Week Update