MICROBLADING FAQ & CONTRAINDICATIONS
BEFORE BOOKING, please read ALL of the
Contraindications & Pre-Care/Aftercare Instructions on this page
and Policies & Covid Guidelines as permanent makeup may NOT be ideal for everyone. For more detailed answers to any questions you may have, please refer to the FAQ and what to expect post-procedure as well.
If you still have any questions, or concerns, please feel free to contact me (browswithnana@gmail.com)
CONTRAINDICATIONS | PLEASE READ BEFORE BOOKING AN APPOINTMENT
Semi-Permanent makeup is NOT recommended for clients with the following conditions:
◙ If you are 18 years and under
◙ Pregnant or nursing | Must wait until after you are completely done with nursing as you run the risk of passing on any infections
◙ Diabetes (must be controlled & approved by your doctor) | Results in slow healing of the wound and a much higher risk for infection
◙ You have a pacemaker, or major heart problems
◙ High Blood Pressure (must be controlled)
◙ Have had Chemotherapy in the past year | Must not currently be on chemotherapy | Results in slow healing of the wound and a much higher risk of infection
◙ Autoimmune Disorders such as HIV/AIDS/Hepatitis, etc (must have doctor consent form for approval)
◙ Contagious diseases & viral infections
◙ Epileptic/prone to seizures
◙ Any treatment, medication, or illness that compromises the immune system/healing is NOT going to make you a good candidate for permanent makeup procedures
◙ Prone to Keloids & Hypertrophic Scarring | An area of irregular fibrous tissues that forms at the site of scar, or injury | Unfortunately you would not be a good candidate for any of these services
◙ Botox or derma fillers on, or around the enhancement area within the last month
◙ Within 3 weeks of chemical peel, must be fully healed prior to appointment
◙ Active sunburn/sunburned skin or frostbite
◙ Have any, or constant skin infections and/or irritations near or on the procedural brow area | Ex: Dermatitis, Psoriasis, Rosacea, Blisters, Eczema, problematic Acne, Sunburn, Rash, Moles or Skin Tags
◙ Open wounds/active acne in the brow area
◙ Allergies to Lidocaine, Epinephrine, pigmentation, and makeup
◙ Allergies to metals (iron, nickel)
◙ Current use of products with ingredients such as Alpha or beta hydroxy acids (Retin-A products) | Must discontinue use at least 14 days before appointment
◙ Use of blood thinner medications | Medications such as ibuprofin, aspirin, fish oils, acetaminophen, coumadin, etc can cause bleeding during the procedure, inhibiting the ability to retain pigment | Any medications listed above must be stopped at least 1 week before your appointment | PLEASE DO NOT STOP TAKING ANY MEDICATIONS THAT WILL AFFECT YOUR HEALTH!
◙ Use of cholesterol/blood pressure medications | These medications work against the blood platelets sticking together which can cause color loss
◙ On any skin medications such as steroids | This causes the skin to become more sensitive during the procedure
◙ Use of Accutane & your skin has not regulated | You must be off of Accutane for 1 year before procedure | This medication can thin the skin drastically which causes more skin trauma and slower healing for the client
PRE-APPOINTMENT INSTRUCTIONS | PLEASE READ BEFORE BOOKING AN APPOINTMENT
In order to achieve the best brows, proper care before and after the procedure is crucial. How your brows will turn out post-procedure all starts with a good canvas! The eyebrow area must be healthy, strong, non-sensitive, and non-irritated.
Here’s how to prep your skin ready for the procedure:
- Do not pick/tweeze/wax/perform electrolysis 1 week before the procedure
- Do not tan 2 weeks prior to the service, or have a sunburned face
- Skin should be clear of blemishes, non-irritated, and sunburn-free for optimal results (especially around the procedure site)
- Do not have any type of facial 2 weeks prior to the procedure | Laser treatments, chemical peels, waxing, and brow tints should be done 2 weeks prior to your appointment
- Retinoids, AHA/BHA, Vitamin C, and any exfoliation products should be discontinued 2 weeks prior to your appointment if used around your forehead/the procedure area
- Do not work out the day of the procedure
- Do not have Botox / Dermal Fillers 4 weeks prior to the procedure as botox tends to make the muscles around the brows tighter | It should be done 4 weeks prior to your appointment—the longer the better
- Do not take Fish Oil, or Vitamin E one week prior to the procedure as they are natural blood thinners
In order to avoid excessive bleeding and poor color deposit:
- Do not drink coffee, or alcohol 24-48 hours before your procedure
- Do not take pain relievers such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen, etc 24 hours prior for pain relief as these also act as blood thinners
Please understand that everyone heals differently! Results are not always guaranteed, but I will do my best to get you there!
PLEASE NOTE:
In the event that a client fails to adhere to any of the above instructions, resulting in the appointment being rescheduled, your booking deposit will be forfeited and we will have to reschedule you. Your artist has the right to refuse service at any point due to non-compliant pre-appointment care instructions. Thank you for your cooperation!
AFTERCARE INSTRUCTIONS | POST-PROCEDURE | READ BEFORE BOOKING!
Achieving your dream brows is a 50/50 effort between the artist and you, the client. I will do my best to create your dream brows, but the bulk of the effort lies in how well you take care of your brows post-procedure. REMEMBER, as the client, you must take full responsibility and adhere to all of the strict aftercare instructions given to you in order to ensure that your brows heal correctly, without any risks of infections. Depending on how well your brows heal, a touch up may, or may not be needed.
Results are not always guaranteed and may vary for everyone for many reasons as we all heal differently, but I will do my best to get you there! You invested all your time and money to achieve the brows of your dreams so finish the mile strong! If you cheat on your aftercare, you are just hurting yourself.
The Day of The Treatment: Absorb
I have included aftercare pads in your aftercare package. Wash your hands first before using. After the procedure, every hour for the first 4 hours, use one cotton pad to thoroughly clean the treated area to remove extra interstitial fluid. Use only on the day of the procedure.
NOTE: After using all the aftercare pads, if needed, gently blot the area with a clean tissue/gauze with filtered/purified water to absorb excess interstitial fluid from the brows. Do this every 5 minutes for the full day until the oozing has stopped. Removing this fluid prevents hardening of interstitial fluids.
Days 1-7: Wash
Wash daily morning and night to remove bacteria, build up of product and cells, and dead skin. DO NOT WORRY! THIS DOES NOT REMOVE THE PIGMENT!
Gently wash your brows each morning and night with water and a pea-sized amount of antibacterial soap like Cetaphil. DO NOT use any cleansing products that contain acids (glycolic, lactic, or AHA), or exfoliants. Use your fingertips to gently wash the eyebrows by swiping in the direction of hair—do not rub back and forth. Gently cleanse the area for 10 seconds and rinse with water thoroughly ensuring that all soap is rinsed away. To dry, gently pat with a clean tissue.
Days 1-7: Moisturize
Use a Q-Tip to apply a rice-grain amount of aftercare ointment and spread it across the brows, using a gentle, rolling motion 3 times a day. The ointment should be barely noticeable on the skin. NEVER put the ointment on a wet, or damp tattoo. Reapply ointment as needed when eyebrows feel dry, or when skin feels tight. Be sure not to over-apply, as this will suffocate your skin, delay healing, and affect the color retention.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS/TIPS
- Keep brows dry for 10 days | NO EXCEPTIONS! | NO shower water (on the brows), sweating from working out, swimming, hot tubs, saunas/steam rooms, etc | The salt in the sweat can pull pigment out from the skin which results in uneven healing/uneven color retention | If you are also exposing your brows to chlorine when swimming, the brow pigment will fade much faster
- Do NOT rub, pick, or scratch the treated area | As hard as it can be, leave the brows alone!
- Let your brows do its thing and let any scabbing, or dry skin naturally exfoliate away as picking can cause uneven healing, uneven color retention, scarring, or loss of color
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SHOWERING:
Limit your showers to 5 minutes so that you do not create too much steam. Keep your face/procedure area out of the water while you wash your body, then, at the end of your shower, wash your hair. Your face should only be getting wet only at the END of the shower. AVOID excessive rinsing and hot water on the treated area. You may use the brow visor in your aftercare package to help protect your brows when showering.
- Do NOT apply any makeup/lotion/face wash onto the brows for the next 10 days | Use makeup removing wipes around the brows if you have foundation on and gently wash your brows twice a day with unscented, soap—do not rub your fingers back and forth along our brows—just do a few swiping motions
- Do NOT use Vaseline/100% Petrolatum/Petroleum Jelly | Vaseline suffocates the skin and does not allow the skin to heal properly! | Stick to the aftercare ointment given to you only!
- Do NOT use chemical/physical exfoliants/retinol on your brows as it includes AHA (glycolic acid, lactic acid, etc) and BHA (salicylic acid) which causes the pigment to fade | Basically, do NOT use anything on your brows that was not given to you
- No facials, botox, chemical treatments, or microdermabrasion for 4 weeks
- Avoid direct sun exposure and tanning for 4 weeks after the procedure | Stay out of the sun and wear a hat when outdoors while healing | Exposing your face without any sunblock results in huge fading and unevenness in the brows! | Once your brows have healed, you can apply a tiny amount of sunblock for protection
- Use a fresh pillowcase while you sleep
- Avoid sleeping on your face for the first 10 days | Sleep on your back as sleeping on your sides can result in uneven healing
- If for any reason you are getting an MRI scan, please inform your radiologist/technician of your permanent makeup | It is extremely rare, but those with permanent makeup may experience slight swelling, or burning in the affected areas Post-MRI scan
THE HEALING PROCESS | WHAT TO EXPECT
Day 1: Eyebrows will look fresh, crisp, and clean. Brows may look slightly swollen & red post-procedure. Initially, the brow colors look warmer than what you may want/expect, but later, the pigments will oxidize with the air so the colors will become darker and that’s normal.
Day 2-4: Eyebrows will be tender and look significantly darker. The brow area may appear uneven, dry, itchy, and irritated. You might even look mean/angry. These symptoms will dissipate each day, and symptoms will vary on an individual basis. Please keep in mind that this is completely normal and the brows will fade 30-40% lighter in a few days as the pigment will shrink and soften up.
Day 5-8: Eyebrows are in the peeling/flaking phase. It’s hard to resist, but do NOT pick, scratch, rub, or remove the scabs/peel the skin. This will cause scarring, or loss of pigment retention which = uneven color retention/shape. Pigment rejection is totally normal. Any flaking dry skin is normal and will naturally fall off so LET YOUR BROWS DO ITS THING and leave them alone!
Day 9-13: Eyebrows look lighter in color, but don’t worry! Your skin hasn’t healed completely & some of the pigment will return.
Day 14-21: Healing is almost complete, color and definition return.
Day 30: Healing is completed! Any spots from loss of pigment all depends on how well your skin took in the pigment. At this point, you’ll be able to tell if there’s anything you want to add or change to your eyebrows for your 8-10 week touch-up appointment!
In a nutshell:
Crisp/warm brows → dark brows → brows peel off/flake → new skin cells regenerate → brows get lighter → time for touch-up!
PLEASE NOTE:
I do not have control over the client’s natural healing and retention process as many factors come into play during the healing process and individual results are based on the client’s skin type, lifestyle, etc.
If you do not follow the aftercare instructions I have given you to the T, you might experience signs of infections in the procedural area. If have ANY alarming concerns regarding the following signs and symptoms, please contact a physician immediately as I am not a medical professional.
Symptoms include: continued vibrant redness, or swelling in the treated area, thick raised scabs, crusty texture, redness around the skin, dermatitis, skin rashes, elevated body temperature, fever, colored discharge (yellow/green/grey) with/without odor, pain, itchiness, or if the skin feels hot around the area.
MICROBLADING FAQ
WHAT IS SEMI-PERMANENT MAKEUP, OR PMU?
Semi-permanent makeup/permanent makeup/permanent cosmetics involves the use of sophisticated techniques and hand tools to implant pigment safely into the skin to create a variety of cosmetic effects that lasts over a long period of time depending on the client's skin type and lifestyle. Some examples of PMU include: microblading, microshading, lip blush, or eyeliner work.
IS THIS A TATTOO?
If you want to get any brow procedure done, it would be considered a cosmetic tattoo and is technically both semi-permanent and permanent. Semi-permanence refers to the nature of the tattoo in that it fades over time. If you choose to not do your annual touch-up and let it fade completely over the years, it is possible, but some remnants of the tattoo may remain depending on yoru skin and lifestyle. It is also possible that the tattoo may completely fade and not show any signs of visibility to the naked eye. The cosmetic tattoo in this day and age is completely different than in the 1990's in that we do not go too deep into the skin which would cause the brow tattoo would stay forever. Instead, we go just beneath the layer of the skin in the epidermis layer - the "sweet spot" which allows the tattoo to last enough until your annual touch-up. We would not want your tattoo to stay forever in the skin as this would not allow to make room for changes in shape and color when it is time for an annual touch-up. Our face shape will change throughout the years as we age so having room for such adjustments is important.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PERMANENT MAKEUP/MICROBLADING?
Most clients seek microblading services because of the convenience it provides. On average, brow makeup takes 10 minutes, 7 days a week. That's a total of 3,360 minutes, or 2.33 days of extra sleep a year. Microblading done right saves lots of time for those wanting to not have to draw in their eyebrows everyday. These services are also perfect for clients who naturally have little to no brow hair and want that extra boost of confidence. Even clients who are blessed to have plenty of brow hair seek to have a more refined look and added definition which can be achieved through these services.
HOW LONG WILL MY BROWS LAST?
I cannot guarantee how long permanent makeup will last for each individual as results will differ from client to client. Typically, a procedure may last anywhere between 9-18 months depending on the client's skin type, sun exposure, and lifestyle. Depending on how frequent someone goes in for their original touch-up, or how bold someone prefers their brows to be, the brows can last up to 2-3 years. For example, those who tend to have a more active lifestyle and sweat more, or those who tend to get facial treatments very frequently may need to schedule their touch ups earlier than others. An annual color refresh session is recommended to keep the color and shape looking its best.
CAN THIS COMPLETELY REPLACE MY BROW MAKEUP?
A brow tattoo, or any permanent makeup is meant to fade / lighten over time because it is NOT considered a traditional body tattoo. PMU tattoos are meant to enhance one's features so the goal is to achieve soft and natural, healed results that are undetectable to the human eye.
Your makeup routine will be much shorter, but will not be cut completely depending on how natural, or bold of a look you prefer. The brow tattoo is meant to be a stencil, or guideline for brow makeup application to darken up the results if desired. We apply the tattoo into the layers of the skin that sheds over time, and our face naturally exfoliates itself every single day. This allows the artist to make any shape, or color adjustments over the years as our face shape changes. Now, some of my clients may find that they may not need to use a pencil at all, but this may not be applicable to everyone depending on how thick/coarse/thin/light the brow hairs are and the look each individual prefers.
You can maintain your results with an annual touch-up every 9-18 months, or 1-3 years depending on how natural, or bold of a look you would like. If you are not sure if you are ready, or would like your annual refresher done, you can always consult with your cosmetic tattooist.
WHAT IS A TOUCH UP AND IS IT INCLUDED IN THE PROCEDURE?
This is a required perfecting session and is not included with the initial cost as it is not always necessary to have one depending on how well a client adheres to the strict aftercare instructions and other many factors as well. Some clients can get beautiful results from just the initial appointment so I would not want anyone to pay for a session they would not need. However, I do recommend getting the initial touch-up done to complete the whole procedure. The initial procedure is a test run to see how well the skin takes in the ink and color. Not everyone will heal perfectly from the initial procedure so the initial touch-up is needed to make all the adjustments to the shape and color and to spot treat all areas that have faded more than others from the healing process.
WHY IS A TOUCH-UP REQUIRED?
The skin can be an unpredictable canvas so retention can vary from person to person from the initial procedure. Everybody’s skin heals differently after the first appointment. Some people may retain color very well while others may heal very light, or patchy. The initial procedure is not meant to heal perfectly which is why touch-ups are necessary to see how your color and shape healed and how the look is meeting your personal expectations. We are very conservative with the shape and color as we are tattooing live skin in the initial procedure, so if you prefer a bolder look, it is best to build up the brows over the touch-up sessions to go thicker, darker, or longer once we see how you have healed for longer-lasting desired results.
HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TOUCH-UPS?
I recommend a more conservative brow shape and color for your very first appointment. After your initial appointment, you'll be pre-booked for a two month follow-up appointment to allow me to assess the shape and color of your brows in person to see if a touch up is needed.
Please note that as I am doing the procedure, I am assessing the skin at the same time. Depending on the client's skin sensitivity level and reaction to the procedure (as anything can happen), a client may need more touch ups than others. This allows me to break up the skin trauma done during the procedure into multiple touch up sessions if needed as I cannot overwork the skin. Although this may not be common, few individuals may require 2-3 touch ups to achieve their desired brow look due to having stubborn skin, improper aftercare, or scarring from previous tweezing, or to achieve a bolder look.
WHAT IS AN ANNUAL COLOR REFRESH?
An annual color refresh service is for those who have already received their 1st required touch up from me. After 9-18 months, most people are ready for a color refresh depending on the desired look (natural / faded vs bold / more filled in look).
This service allows us to define and adjust the shape while boosting your color. No touch up is needed, and you'll be set for another 9-18 months.
WHAT IS MICROBLADING?
A form of manual tattooing and type of permanent cosmetics. With microblading, a small, disposable, sterilized blade is used to carefully deposit pigment into the dermis layer of the skin, just beneath the surface of the skin. The thinnest strokes are then created individually to emulate the look of realistic, crisp, and natural-looking brow hair. Depending on your makeup needs, microblading can create a very natural look which may eliminate the need for brow makeup,
Most clients are not ideal candidates for this type of procedure as the necessary skin types needed for microblading range from dry to normal skin type.
WHAT IS MICROSHADING?
Microshading is another form of tattooing which may be used with a manual, sterilized tool containing a small configuration of needles, or a machine to create a soft, pixelated wash of all-over color for a borderless brow definition versus the look of hair strokes alone. This may also be known as "ombre brows" as a gradient of depth and color is achieved across the brow. This service is recommended for those who desire a more perfect and finished look. If you already have a lot of natural brow hair, then this procedure alone may be for you.
This procedure is suitable for any age and skin type, and is ideal for those with more oily, or delicate skin as microshading is more gentle, or less traumatic to the skin than microblading. Microshading also lasts much longer on oily, or non-ideal skin types and will always be my #1 most recommended service for everyone who can receive these services. Microshading can improve hair growth by mimicking microneedling, which stimulates blood flow and collagen growth which leads to hair growth (BONUS!)
WHAT ARE HYBRID BROWS?
The combination of natural, realistic hair strokes created by microblading the front of the brow to create fluffy fronts plus shading all throughout the entire brow. Hybrid brows are great for those who want the combined look of density and hair strokes. Microblading alone yields a subtle, natural look that so often, clients are frustrated that they are still using a pencil/powder to fill in their brows. This look will provide that extra "pop" and definition at the same time. This style and microshading are the most requested procedures.
DOES MICROBLADING HURT?
I use only the best, highest quality and highly effective medical-grade topical anesthetic cream before and all throughout the entire procedure. While pain threshold levels may differ between each individual, I will do my best to ensure that you stay comfortable throughout the entire procedure and will happily re-numb you if you feel any irritation during the procedure. There may be some people who may feel little to no pain, or some mild discomfort, and there may be some who may fall asleep comfortably during the procedure.
Please note that having this procedure during your menstrual cycle may increase discomfort. If you are also a frequent smoker, topical anesthetic may not last as long. If you have also been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, be aware that this may also affect your sensitivity tolerance to the procedure.
DO I NEED TO REMOVE MY NATURAL HAIR TO GET THIS DONE?
Please don’t! This type of brow procedure looks best when there are natural brow hairs in place. It looks more natural when added on top of your textured hair. Please note that if you are bald, or have very little to no hair, this may not look as 3-D, or as realistic without that extra layer of textured hair. PMU is still a nice, conservative alternative to doing your brow makeup everyday though.
WILL I HAVE TO STILL WAX/TWEEZE MY EYEBROWS?
You might as your hair will still continue to grow (as most brow hairs grow out asymmetrically), but maintenance will be a lot easier though.
DOES MICROBLADING DAMAGE MY BROW HAIR, OR HAIR FOLLICLES?
Microblading done right does NOT damage your brow hair, or hair follicles. When the procedure is performed correctly, the blade and incision does not go anywhere near the hair follicles. Use of proper depth and pressures are cautiously taken into consideration with every client’s skin type to ensure the integrity of the skin and how the pigment (ink) will heal.
I HAVE A PREVIOUS TATTOO/MICROBLADING. CAN YOU TATTOO, OR FIX THEM? WILL IT BE A TOUCHUP?
At this time, I am not offering a removal service. I highly recommend to do laser removal if you have had previous work that is very dark or may hay have permanent scarring.
You may email me 3 clear photos of your brows (makeup-free, filter-free, in natural lighting | one straight on, one on each side showing the brow tails) with your full name in the email subject line to browswithnana@gmail.com so that I may assess if I can work over them. Usually, the tattoo must be very faded in order to be worked over, or corrected. If it is much darker, then a removal session may be needed.
If I am unable to work over them, or if you do require a removal procedure/color correction, I may refer you to another artist who I highly trust to accept correction work, or to legally perform a removal in Texas.
Usually, working over another artist's work is often times more work than working on a blank canvas so if you seek a color correction from an artist, you can expect to pay a little bit more than the cost of an initial brow procedure instead of a touch up fee. Extra fees for color correction work may apply depending on the artist.
CAN YOU GUARANTEE YOUR WORK?
Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee anything as everyone’s skin heals differently and there are many factors to take into consideration as to how an individual’s brows may heal over time. Each person’s skin type, skin sensitivity levels, diet, lifestyle, stress levels, and facial routines all contribute to how well the pigment will hold and heal which is why it’s important to know that more than one touch-up may be needed. What I can guarantee is that each and every client’s face is important to me and that I will do my very best to ensure that you are happy with your choice of shape and color before proceeding to the tattooing procedure. A bulk of my time spent in the initial procedure is actually during the consultation and brow shaping process where you get to be as picky as you want before we begin the numbing and tattooing process. I can also guarantee that I will use all my knowledge, expertise, and efforts into making sure that you are satisfied throughout the process. You as the client are involved in every step of this procedure from beginning to end. However, there are no guarantees in this industry so please give think it through deciding.
WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE MY BROWS?
All brow procedures are considered to be semi-permanent makeup, meaning they will fade over time. I will work very conservatively with your initial procedure so that there’s room to make additional changes if desired/needed, at your touch-up appointment. We will work very closely together to ensure that you are happy with the color choice and brow shape before proceeding. You will have the most control during the procedure so that there is very little room for error. If you do not like the decision you have made, the touch-up appointment can be canceled and the pigments will naturally fade over time. If you have any reservations about making this decision, please opt into a more temporary option. I do not do refunds for these procedures because I can assure you that we will agree on a color and shape together.