Microblading (semi-permanent eyebrows)

Here's my blog on my journey through microblading. I hope this helps some of you decide whether it's the treatment for you. It's certainly not a decision to take lightly. But I also have to say, after my experience, I can promise you won't regret it. And apologies in advance for the amount of gratuitous selfies!

On the left you'll see my before picture. You can see that I've over plucked under my arch and have tadpole brows. Too thick on the end near my nose and too thin the the middle.

Day 1.

I am a little nervous & very excited! I've been self conscious of my brows for so long that it's amount time I took the bull by the horns and just got on with it.

On the day of the treatment I made sure I drank plenty of water all day, minimal exfoliation on my face in the morning and generally just made sure I was in a good mood.

Amelia (our Lead Therapist & Microblading specialist) and I had had a long consultation prior to treatment day, we'd discussed the shape I wanted, the depth of colour and also how thick I wanted my brows to be. My number one request was that I look as natural as possible!

The longest part of the treatment was being measured out and drawn on by Amelia, making sure she got the most perfect shape for my face. Once measured, Amelia will show you where your new arch will be, how thick the brows will be and check you're 100% happy with your recommended shape.

Once we were ready to go, I just lay back super still and let Amelia do her work. It wasn’t painful, just a little uncomfortable as she’s scratching the pigment into your skin. It took less than 45 minutes to create the shape. And all the cuts have been made, pigment is placed onto the skin to soak in and create the depth of colour.

Once we were done I instantly fell in love with the shape, although I have to admit I was a little shocked at how dark they were. I’m not used to thick or dark eyebrows so it was a little unsettling. But Amelia reassured me that once healed the brows darkness and depth of colour will reduce by at least 40%.

As I arrived home from the appointment my husband didn’t notice at all, it took him a good half an hour of me raising my eyebrows for him to work out that I’d had my eyebrows microbladed.

My daughter was super cute and told me my eyes look pretty, although I have to say my 8 year old son wasn’t quite so complementary!

Day 2. I woke up feeling great, then popped my shower cap on. I slightly brushed my brows with the cap and the brow area was tender, like a new graze would feel. However, looking in the mirror I really felt like I'd had a facelift. It's amazing what a thick pair of brows can do to a face! My new skin care routine started today. Once of the hardest things about microblading is that you can't get your brows wet or sweaty for at least 2 weeks (for me it was nearer 3). Therefore you have to be super careful cleaning your face and washing your hair.

I adapted my skincare routine slightly, because I couldn't use the Daily Superfoliant from Dermalogica that I love so much. I started using the Daily Resurfacer & absolutely fell in love with how it made my skin look and feel. It comes with it's own little pocket to apply with (see image above) and has hydroxy acids and enzymes to smooth skin without causing redness. Because its such an awesome exfoliator it reduces the signs of premature aging. It also has a brightening complex to help even out skin tone - perfect for my sun damaged skin.

Day 3. I woke up this morning with slightly swollen eyelids and brow area, I can't decide whether that's because I'm tired or whether it's the slight trauma to the skin from the microblading. It's not enough for anyone to notice, but enough for me to be super careful with the skin around my eyes.

Day 4. The swelling has completely gone down today, there's no paid at all. But occasionally I notice a slight itch in the area. This is completely normal and your body starting to heal the area.

Day 6-9. And I'm loving my new brows. I'm even used to how dark they are and don't want them to fade! There's still no scabbing in the area and no major itching. I've called Amelia and she's told me to be patient!

Day 10-12. The scabs have arrived! It's not as dramatic as I thought it would be, but they're definitely starting to peel. At one point I thought I had a gap, but realised that it's just because the scab has come off and the microblading is so much lighter underneath. You can see from the picture to the left that it looks a little patchy whilst scabbing, but it's not enough for anyone to notice (or at least no one mentioned it to me!). The hardest bit is not picking the scabs - Amelia had told me not to go anywhere near the scabs as they're forming. If you pick the scab off you're at a real risk of peeling out the pigment and leaving gaps in your new brow.

In all, it took about 22 days for all the scabs to completely peel. There was no discomfort at all, maybe some mild itching.

Day 21 onwards. (See effect below) I absolutely LOVE my new brows and think they frame my face beautifully! I sometimes blend the microblading with a little of the brow powder we have in the salon (Beautiful Brows Kit £29, which comes with stencil, tweezers, brow brush, brow powder and highlighter), especially if I want a more dramatic look in the evening. In terms of maintenance, I'll have a follow up appointment 6 weeks from the initial appointment. At that appointment we can make any adjustments to the shape, or colour. It also helps to seal the pigment for longer.

I will also have to keep the shape of my really brows in check! You can either pluck, trim or wax your own hair. It's just important to keep on top of the shape so that you accentuate the affect of the microblading.

Just let us know if you want to talk about microblading and how we can help you to have the perfect brow ❤️ (01904 629121 / revive@thebothywellness.co.uk)