For many years now my brows have been a sad, sad situation. After over plucking in the 90’s and 00’s I’d been left with two curved arches, one strand thick and most definitely asymmetrical. And while I’ve played around with some fab makeup (see my piece on transforming brows in the latest heat Style book) I’ve been more than ready to take a more permanent measure – enter microblading.
But what exactly is it? “Microblading is a method of semi-permanent tattooing which gives the illusion of fuller brows,” says Rachel Wisniewski of @theeyebrowarchitect. “It’s a treatment that’s suitable for almost everyone, especially those with thin, over plucked brows. I often have clients who experience hair loss due to conditions such as alopecia so it’s amazing to restore their confidence with microblading." But turns out that it isn’t only reserved for those with thin eyebrows. “If you’re blessed with thicker brows microblading can improve symmetry and fill in sparse areas meaning you can throw your brow pencil away!”
With all this sounding pretty good to me, I headed down to Rachel’s Earls Court studio to get in on the action myself. She began the 1.5 hour process by mapping out my brows with a pencil to create an outline that would suit my face shape. “People often find this stage scary,” says Rachel, “But the final result is always much less dramatic. And I always ask clients what they do and don’t want. Each look is totally tailored to the individual for the best results.”
After mapping comes the actual microblading process where an extremely small blade made up of several tiny needles will implant pigment right above the dermis layer of the skin. The initial strokes felt scratchy, but after numbing cream I could’ve fallen asleep. “I always ensure each stroke mimics a hair, with each incision placed in and around existing strands. This creates undetectable results," explains Rachel. Just like that it was all done with the finished result speaking for itself. I’d asked for a super- natural enhancement that would make my brows look a touch thicker and fuller without appearing too ‘done.’ And Rachel nailed it. I couldn't believe the impact of such a small small, subtle tweak.
To keep your brows looking fresh for longer, it’s all about the healing process. “For the first two weeks they’ll look darker and more dramatic than you’d like. But don’t panic. To ensure they fade to perfection avoid getting your brows wet – no excessive sweating, swimming or saunas. You should also avoid any makeup or skin care (moisturiser, serums, retinol etc) around your brows until they are fully healed. Then clients will come back in 6 weeks for a colour top up, and after that, an annual touch up. Because microblading is a semi-permanent treatment, brows will naturally fade over time.”
Not near Earl’s Court but need advice on how to choose a practitioner? “Always choose someone who shows consistent results,” says Rachel. “When contacting your artist ask for photos of their healed results as this will indicate the durability of their work and will also demonstrate whether they’re using a good quality pigment. And always ask for photos of different styles of brows; a good practitioner will not have a one size fits all approach and will show they can adapt their style and stroke pattern to each client.”
But is it all worth it? Yes, yes, and yes again. It’s now been two-weeks since I’ve had my brows microbladed and they’ve gone from too-dark to patchy to perfection. It’s a true trust the process situation. The final shape is ‘my brows but better’ and the colour is the perfect match. And as someone who was never very good at drawing in my own arches, it’s been a gamechanger. Brilliant brows with minimal effort? Count me in.
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Someone else who loves a good brow look? Molly-Mae! Turns out she's a big fan of the fluffy look confessing, "The laminated brows are really cool, a very brushed up, lifted brow. I've tried the soap brows before actually but I don't really like carrying a bar of soap around with me in my bag, it feels a bit strange." Maybe it's time to ditch the soap and try the microblading Molls!