Microblading is an option that can give you fuller eyebrows that are both semi-permanent and natural-looking
By Katrina Caruso
Eyebrows are one of the most important facial features, but as we age (or simply after years of over-plucking), they often become more sparse and the hairs don’t grow back as much as they once did. This leads many women to fill in their brows daily.
Over the years, a wide variety of eyebrow products have popped up—gels, pencils, pomades, powders…it seems that there’s a new product every week promising beautiful, full brows. But, for a lot of us, it can be really difficult to get the shape right, while keeping the brows looking natural.
However, a new beauty trend has been taking the industry by storm: microblading.
Microblading is a semi-permanent option for those who want to fill in their brows. It can reconstruct the shape, define the fullness, and even fill gaps. This can be especially helpful for folks with hair loss, or those who have obsessive compulsive hair-plucking tendencies, also known as trichotillomania.
If done correctly, microblading can last anywhere from one to three years and looks very natural, unlike tattooing eyebrows, which is permanent and can look unnatural. Because it’s not permanent, microblading has an advantage over tattooing: if you change your mind or if trends in eyebrow shapes change (which they often do), you’re not stuck with them.
During the microblading process, a special pen designed for microblading draws individual hairs one at a time. It usually takes about one to two hours. While there might be minimal discomfort, any place that offers the procedure will offer its clients a numbing cream that can help.
Once it’s done, you’re good to go—the process doesn’t require any time healing under bandages, so you won’t have to worry about looking like a clown on the way home. Microblading takes about a month to heal fully.
Photo: iStock/Bill Oxford.