There are a number of factors that you should consider before taking the plunge into cosmetic tattooing/microblading your brows. Let’s be honest it is a face tattoo, and while it is a semi-permanent tattoo it will last anywhere from 6 months – 18 months so you should weight up the pro’s and con’s before jumping into such a big decision. As a microblading artist and resident trainer at Sydney College of Hair & Beauty I’m sharing my professional insights of what you need to consider before deciding to have those brows perfected.

•  Your lifestyle habits
•  Your skin type
•  Your age (sorry!)
•  Your brow goals

Your lifestyle habits

While microblading is a form of tattooing it is a semi-permanent tattoo so it will break down over time and fade out gradually. The speed at which your microblading will fade is determined by both factors that you can control and those that you cannot. An uncontrollable factor is your bodies metabolic system. Pigment particles that are used in cosmetic tattooing and microblading inks are much smaller than particles that are used in body tattoo inks. They are designed this way so that over time your bodies natural metabolic process will break them down and carry them out of your system. The speed at which this happens is unique to each person and there is no way to tell how your body will respond before having your brows done.

Other controllable factors that cause your brow microblading to fade over time include your lifestyle habits such as :

•  skin products you use on the area
•  amount of sun exposure
•  frequent swimming in oceans or chlorinated pools

If you use products that contain Retinol A then you should avoid applying those products to your brow area both after having microblading and at least 2 weeks before your treatment. Retinol works by speeding up your skin cell regeneration so by using it over your brow tattoo’s you will be speeding up the brow fading process faster than what naturally occurs. If you frequently spend time outdoors in the sun or use tanning beds this will also have a negative impact on your brows. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have them done but you should take extra steps to protect your hard earned brows from UV rays such as applying a zinc or SPF to the area before any expected exposure.

Salt water and chlorine can also fade the pigments on your brows with a larger effect than it would have on regular body tattoos. This is because the microblading pigment sits just under the epidermis whereas body tattoos are implanted deeper into the skin. You can mitigate this by applying a thin layer of petroleum jelly to your brows before you go for a swim. If it’s just a one off exposure it won’t make a big difference but if you go for a swim 3 times a week it will impact your brows.

Your skin type

If you have oily skin you may need more than one treatment to get the ideal brow as oily skin tends to be more resistant to absorbing the pigment during the application process itself. Don’t let it discourage you but keep in mind that your brow artist may need to spend longer on your brows than on other clients.

Your Age

This may be a hard one to hear but the more mature your skin is the thinner and more fragile it becomes (sorry ladies!) which makes tattooing and microblading more difficult for the artist. If you are over 60 years old I would recommend starting with some shading by cosmetic tattoo first to see how your skin responds to the treatment. This is because permanent makeup that is applied with a tattoo machine is less damaging to the skin than using a microblade is. If your brow artist does not mention this to you as an option then that is a red flag.

Your Brow Goals

During a consultation with my clients I will ask questions that will help me to understand your motivations and desired end result for your brows. If a client has reference images for the brow styles they love then that makes things a whole lot easier. But it is important to keep in mind that the goal of microblading and cosmetic tattooing is to appear as natural as possible. Your ideal brow shape is determined by your face shape and brow bone structure. If you don’t have a high arch naturally then it will look a bit strange to have a high arched brow design that does not match your brow bone shape.

A good brow artist will discuss your desired results and goals with you and will work with you to design a shape that meets both your desired outcome and appears natural to your face. Now that you have an understanding of all the factors that can effect the outcome of having microblading or cosmetic tattooing to enhance your brows hopefully you will be better equiped to make an informed decision and will know what to expect as an outcome.